KUCHING: Sarawak Energy’s centenary year saw 97 outstanding students from throughout Sarawak and 15 employees receive scholarships from the energy developer to continue their education in various fields of study yesterday (Sept 29).
The external scholars were selected from over 720 applications this year, after undergoing a rigorous and structured assessment process. The applicants were shortlisted based on their academic and extra-curricular achievements and leadership potential.
The scholarship awards programme is part of Sarawak Energy’s ongoing efforts to help Sarawak talent reach their potential through an annual educational commitment of RM8 million.
Since it was first introduced in 2014, the scholarship programme has benefitted 682 scholars including 96 staff, while 285 (232 external and 53 internal) are still pursuing their studies. As of this year, a total of RM40 million has been invested into the programme since 2017.
Speaking at the virtual event yesterday, Sarawak Energy Group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili said, “Sarawak Energy is amongst a number of corporate citizens who believe one of the most important ways of giving back is by supporting the educational needs of Sarawak’s brightest academic talents.”
He said that to commemorate 100 years of powering Sarawak and to ensure their scholarships are competitive with what is offered, they had looked into enhancing the scholarship this year.
“Our centenary scholars in Malaysian universities will be the first batch to receive a monthly allowance of RM1,000, double of the RM500 previously. They will also receive a once-off laptop/digital allowance of RM3,000 to meet their online needs,” he said.
“These scholarships allow us to contribute to our communities by supporting the students within them, ensuring that they can reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society,” he added.
As part of the Group’s ongoing talent development programme for a high performing workforce, Sarawak Energy also supports employees’ continuous learning and encourages self-development by offering them scholarships to pursue higher education.
“This is our commitment to nurture, develop, and retain the best talents so that we can grow a workforce that is knowledgeable, skilled, and competent to enable us to achieve our vision of sustainable growth and prosperity for Sarawak,” Sharbini said.
He congratulated Sarawak Energy scholars as well as their parents, families, and teachers who were instrumental in guiding them towards academic excellence. He also encouraged the 2021 batch of scholars to remain focused on achieving their goals.
Besides the scholarship programme, Sarawak Energy’s other initiatives to identify, attract, and recruit the best young talents include the Bursary programme under the Early Bird Talent Scheme.
A total of RM100,000 is allocated annually to support Sarawak secondary students who excel academically and in extra-curricular activities through financial aids managed by their schools.
The bursary programme was introduced last year and has since financially supported 203 secondary students from selected high-performing schools throughout Sarawak.
