UTAR-JinBodhi Bursary Deed of Donation Signing e-Ceremony, which was conducted via Zoom on 12 June 2021, was held as an appreciation towards BMMB for their donation of RM450,000 to UTAR students for the year 2021.

Signing the deed of donation were UTAR President Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat and Bodhi Meditation Malaysia Berhad (BMMB) Chairman Teacher Ling Shan. The witnesses were UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong and BMMB Sister Fu Han. 

In his remarks, Prof Ewe said, “Your kind donation to support our students is highly appreciated as this financial aid provides the means for our needy students to continue their education in the university and hopefully improve the livelihood of their family later on when they graduate and work. Students with financial difficulties should not be deprived of a good education, especially during this challenging period of the pandemic. Your kind charity and your efforts in recognising the students’ needs and helping them to fulfil their academic goals will not only recognise their academic efforts and achievements but also motivate them to excel further.”

He added, “Since 2017, more than 150 UTAR students have received a total of more than RM2.6million in financial assistance through the Jinbodhi Bursary Award and today, we are honoured to witness another disbursement of RM450,000 to UTAR students in need. We truly appreciate your generosity towards our university students. I hope that our Bursary recipients will remember this generosity and aim to return this generosity in the future to those who may need such similar assistance.”

On the other hand, Teacher Ling expressed his gratitude to be able to collaborate with UTAR again in helping students, especially during the pandemic. “Both parties have built bridges of cooperation and together we provide a platform for students in need to apply for financial aid. It has now been the second year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Various industries have been affected by the crisis and have fallen to a low ebb. Besides, our country Malaysia has been hit by another wave of the pandemic. It is not easy for many industries to survive during this pandemic. However, the pandemic did not stop BMMB from contributing to the education and welfare of students in need.”

He added that BMMB will always care for students who need financial assistance and they will continue to provide students with opportunities to apply for the bursary. “This is not only for university students, we have also paid attention to the education of primary and secondary school students,” he said. He also shared the present state of some student recipients who graduated from UTAR and he hoped that both parties can continue to work together and tap into more talents. 

One of the bursary recipients, Ooi Wai Nie, who is currently studying Computer Science at Kampar Campus, shared her gratitude messages at the event. “I come from a family of five people. I’m the youngest in my family. My father is a carpenter and my mother is a housewife. My family is not that rich and my family income cannot afford my tuition fees. Whenever I have to pay my tuition fees, I’ll borrow money from my relatives. However, my relatives can’t help me every time,” Ooi said. She was thankful because the bursary helped to reduce her family burden and now she can focus more on her study without worrying about her tuition fees. “Because of this, I got a good academic result, which is around 3.7. I would like to say thank you to Jinbodhi and UTAR. Thanks for giving me help so that I could complete my studies at UTAR without worrying about the money,” she said.

Another recipient Gan Jie Min’s father passed away from cancer a few years ago and her mother worked hard to sustain the family’s income. “Jinbodhi Bursary helped a lot in terms of reducing my family’s financial burden and making sure my little sister can continue to go to tuition. Most importantly, I’m able to reduce the time spent on a part-time job. And even during this full MCO, I do not have to worry about having no part-time job and spending on rent, bills and other expenses in Kampar,” she said, adding that this was not only reducing her family burden but also allowing her to use the saved money to buy other necessary things. Gan is currently studying Finance at Kampar Campus. With the help of the bursary, she mentioned that her academic results have improved, and most importantly, she found the true purpose of studying at the university.

Elizabeth Pang Lai Xin, who came from a family of five, was among the bursary recipients. Elizabeth Pang’s father works as a contractor and he is the sole breadwinner for the family. “Before receiving the bursary, I have to work part-time during weekends to cover my study expenses which affected my study performance. With this bursary, I can work less hours and fully focus on my studies. Therefore, I’m here to express my sincere gratitude to the kind donors who awarded me this bursary. You’ve given me the opportunity to excel in my studies and motivate me to give back to the community,” she said. 

Fong Gui Ying, a microbiology student who was the eldest among her siblings, said, “My eleven-year-old brother is suffering from Dyslexia. He faces difficulty in reading and writing. Last year, my youngest brother was diagnosed with Morning glory syndrome, a natural vision impairment disease. I really appreciate Bodhi Meditation Malaysia Berhad. This bursary has helped to reduce my parents’ burden. They no need to worry about my education fee. With the help of both JinBohdi Bursary and PTPTN, I am now financially independent and able to afford part of the family’s expenses, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the pandemic, my father is temporarily unemployed. With this bursary, I am able to enjoy my university life and concentrate more on both academics and society. I found out that I am really interested in studying microbiology. I will work harder in this field. With your help, my university life has become enjoyable and meaningful. In the future, I hope that I will become a person like you who has the ability to help or teach others.”