Gamuda sponsors top students
26 Aug 2017 | New Straits Times
Gamuda Bhd board member Raja Datuk Seri Eleena Sultan Azlan Shah (seated, third from left) and other board members with the 33 scholars.

STAYING true to their belief that education is the most critical asset, Gamuda Bhd has again awarded a pool of deserving young Malaysians with scholarships to pursue their dreams.

As a prominent public infrastructure and development firm in the country, Gamuda trusts that sustainable development and progress of Malaysia rests on the shoulders of its well-educated and skilled talent.

Chairman Datuk Mohammed Hussein stressed that the scholarship award was more than a form of financial assistance.

Instead, he referred to it as ‘enlightened self-interest’ because the company sees the scholars as the future contributors to the success of the group and to the nation.

“Recently, we completed the first MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) line, Malaysia’s most ambitious and biggest infrastructure project, a feat made possible by our highly trained team motivated towards excellence.

“The government’s confidence in Gamuda’s ability to successfully deliver major projects, on time and within budget, was not built overnight.

On the contrary, it is the values set by the founders of the company, many of whom are still with us, to always push boundaries and strive for excellence.”

To ensure that Gamuda continues on this trajectory, it needs a steady stream of talent who want to be a part of its nation-building aspirations.

With an increased number of 33 recipients of the scholarship award costing RM4.8 million this year, Mohammed said talent building is one of Gamuda’s core values in its commitment towards the sustainability of the organisation and the nation.

The scholars, who will join Gamuda after completion of their studies, would keep the wheel of commerce turning, he added, and this would ensure more significant and innovative projects for the Group.

“As you (scholars) progress in your career with Gamuda, you might be put in charge of some projects and will realise that you need to hire hundreds, if not thousands, to work on defining projects for the country, and you will get to experience firsthand the joy and pride that come with empowering a nation of people by giving them jobs that enhance and build on their skills.

“This is the true value of our Talent Building and Nation Building proposition,” he said.

According to Mohammed, the award started in 1996, and 342 young Malaysians have gone on to receive the financial aid worth some RM34 million.

A total of 106 scholars are still with Gamuda today.

Mohammed added that the Gamuda scholarship, which funds tertiary education in local universities as well as universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong, is “an investment into our national workforce”.