TM COMMITTED TO EDUCATION EXCELLENCE

Once again, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) in demonstrating its commitment to education excellence as part of its philanthropic initiatives, rewarded its scholars who have shown excellent results in their studies at an event aptly called “Majlis Anugerah Pelajar Cemerlang 2007” held at MMU. A total of 241 students received the Excellence Awards in recognition of their outstanding achievement and to serve as an encouragement for them to perform well in their studies.

Three categories of awards were given away today namely; Anugerah Pelajar Cemerlang for PhD, Masters and First Degree graduates, Anugerah Pelajar Bestari for Diploma and A Level students and Anugerah Pelajar Harapan for SPM students. A prestigious award titled Anugerah Pengerusi YTM was awarded specially to a student who obtained the highest academic achievement while successfully striking a balance between academic as well as co-curricular and community activities.

Each award recipient received a plaque, a certificate and cash valued between RM500 and RM1,500, according to their academic qualification from YAB. Datuk Seri Haji Mohd. Ali Mohd. Rustam, Chief Minister of Malacca.

To be eligible for the Excellence Awards, the students must meet selected criteria which include achieving a CGPA of 3.5 and above for Masters, First Degree and Diploma students and for SPM level, the students must score at least 9As. The students must also complete their study within the stipulated period.

Speaking at the ceremony, Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Md. Radzi Mansor, Chairman of TM said: Through Yayasan TM (YTM), our scholarship arm, TM has been financially assisting needy Malaysians in their educational pursuits. These scholars are TM’s assets and I am confident that TM will benefit from the knowledge garnered by its scholars in facing the stiff challenges of the telecommunications industry today. The current business environment undoubtedly demands for high integrity, skills and commitment.”

Through YTM, TM provides scholarships/grants/funds for bright and needy students to pursue their education locally and overseas. This year alone, TM has allocated more than RM32 million towards this cause for 823 students and since its inception in 1994, YTM has contributed more than RM360 million to 10,077 students nationwide. These students are among the bright and needy students studying in secondary schools and institutions of higher learning, both local or overseas.

“TM has been making a difference in the lives of so many people since its days of humble beginnings, long before Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR became a buzzword. TM has always supported the national agenda through its CSR initiatives. Last year alone TM spent some RM75 million for all its CSR initiatives under our three platforms, namely education, sports development as well as community and nation building activities,” added Tan Sri Radzi.

On the education front, TM was the first corporate organisation to set-up the country’s first private university. Built at a cost of RM800 million, Multimedia University (MMU) is now one of the top universities in the country and its graduates are highly sought after in the ICT industry. YTM, TM Multimedia College (MMC) and TM Smart School are TM’s other educational establishments. Through these establishments, TM Group has been playing a pivotal role in supporting the country’s National ICT Agenda by helping to increase awareness on ICT literacy as well as facilitate the education and training of the nation’s ICT workforce.

In assisting the Government’s education aspirations, TM Group also recently adopted 2 primary schools in Penang under the program PINTAR, a school adoption project. For this three-year project, TM has allocated RM400,000 for the two schools to equip the schools with computers, provide computer skill training for students and teachers, Internet access, relevant software and applications, workshop for UPSR exams, English language workshops, and motivational courses for students and parents. In addition, TM’s subsidiaries will also contribute and play a significant role to ensure the success of the program.

Last year, TM undertook a training program, Certificate in Business English & Communication Skills Programme (CiBEC) for the country’s unemployed graduates. The graduates followed a one-month fully residential intensive series of training modules, after which all participants received the CiBEC certificate issued by the Business Advanced Technology Centre (BATC) of UTM. Up to December 2006, TM spent some RM1.2 million to train 600 graduates who participated and graduated from the program.

Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM who was also present at the award presentation ceremony said: “The educational initiatives undertaken by TM under its CSR program is testament of the Company’s commitment and support towards building human capital for the nation in the areas of ICT and Multimedia in line with the national IT agenda.”

About TM
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), a leading regional information and communications group, offers a comprehensive range of communication services and solutions in fixed-line, mobile, data and broadband. As one of the largest listed companies on Bursa Malaysia with an operating revenue of more than RM16 billion, TM is driven to deliver value to its stakeholders in a highly competitive environment.

The Group places emphasis on continuing customer service quality enhancements and innovations. Currently, with investments and operations in 13 countries around Asia and globally, TM is focused on sustainable growth in both the local and international markets.

On the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) front, the Group has always been a major corporate contributor towards responsible activities in the belief that these practices are a fundamental tenet of good corporate governance. The Group promotes 3 major platforms i.e. education, sports development and community/nation-building. Under education, TM has spent some RM800 million to develop Multimedia University into one of the top universities in Malaysia with more than 20,000 students. TM has also provided scholarships to over 10,000 graduates pursuing academic programs locally and overseas. On the sports front, TM is actively contributing towards the upliftment of football at all levels while under the community/nation-building platform, the Group contributes towards causes that bring value to the community and nation at large.

For further information on TM, visit www.tm.com.my

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