King Presents BYDPA Scholarships To 14 Recipients

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, today presented the 2026 Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarships (BYDPA) to 14 recipients at a ceremony held at Istana Negara here.

Seven recipients were awarded scholarships to pursue a PhD, while another seven received them for Master's (Research) studies.

Of the total, four recipients will further their studies at leading universities abroad, while the remaining 10 will do so at local research universities.

Present at the ceremony were Director-General of the Public Service Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz, and the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Istana Negara, Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani.

Wan Ahmad Dahlan, when met by reporters after the ceremony, said the BYDPA is a highly prestigious scholarship in the country, offering the highest funding among government scholarship programmes.

He said 13 recipients attended the ceremony, while the remaining recipient, Waywen Loh Chang Yuan, was unable to be present as he had already begun his studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom (UK).

“We hope that these sponsored students, upon their return, will serve the country in their respective fields, mainly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as artificial intelligence (AI).

“We will continue to monitor their progress to ensure that their studies are completed within the stipulated period,” he said.

The PhD scholarship recipients are Afiefah Zulkifli, who is pursuing studies in Nutrition at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM); Aiman Zakwan Azman (Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)); and Chua Hui Qi (Mathematics and Statistics, UPM).

Other recipients are Giroon Ijod (Nutrition, UPM); Haimon Franklin (Biology, UKM); Lee Yu Shi (Catalysis, Universiti Malaya); and Waywen Loh (Immunology, University of Oxford).

Those taking up Masters are Amirul Haziq Azwan (Biology, University College London, UK); Chan Ler Yie (Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University College London); Chris Ee Jia Wen (Genetics and Heredity, Universiti Sains Malaysia); Lim Fang (Biochemistry, UKM); Mohamad Izuwansah Ishak (Environment, UPM); Muhammad Zulhusni Che Razali (Environment, Imperial College London, UK); and Putri Najihah Athirah Zamrifana (Veterinary Science, UPM).

Introduced in 2006, the BYDPA, or the King’s Scholarship, is the most prestigious scholarship under the Public Service Department, offered to high-achieving Malaysians who demonstrate excellence in academics, co-curricular and community activities, as well as in producing creative and innovative work.

Since its introduction, the BYDPA has sponsored 239 individuals, comprising 124 at PhD level and 115 at Master’s (Research) level, across various strategic and critical fields such as STEM, economics, law, Islamic finance and AI.

Meanwhile, Chua from Johor Bahru, Johor, who is currently in her first year of PhD studies in Mathematics and Statistics at UPM, said the award represents a great trust and responsibility for her to study hard and serve the country.

She said her research involves the study of flood issues in Malaysia, using statistical methods and data from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage to assist the government and relevant agencies in developing flood mitigation projects.

“I aspire to become a researcher and lecturer in the future and also hope to encourage friends who wish to further their studies to apply for this scholarship,” he said.

Another recipient Muhammad Zulhusni, who is also the Dungun district engineer, said the BYDPA award reflects a great trust placed in him to contribute to the country’s flood management efforts.

“I will do my best and carry this trust to the best of my ability for the sake of my beloved country, Malaysia, Insya-Allah,” he said.

-- BERNAMA