Abang Johari and Ahmad Nizam (right) pose with recipients of the sponsorship.
KUCHING: Petronas has awarded sponsorships to 149 deserving Sarawakian students for them to further their studies.
Of the total, 44 recipients are outstanding Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) holders.
The sponsorships, given under the group’s flagship Petronas Education Sponsorship Programme (PESP), would enable the students to pursue their degrees in Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) as well as in institutions overseas.
The recipients were selected out of 7,355 applications coming from throughout the country.
The presentation ceremony at Kuching Hilton Hotel here yesterday was performed by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and witnessed by Petronas chairman Datuk Ahmad Nizam Salleh and senior vice-president of group human resources management Datuk Raiha Azni Abd Rahman.
Fifty-four students under the Vocational Institutions Sponsorship and Training Assistance (Vista), who are eyeing to pursue technical training at selected vocational institutions in the country, are also among the recipients.
The remaining 51 recipients comprise the underprivileged students under the Budi-Petronas programme, set to study at Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSMs) across Sarawak.
The sponsorship programme is meant to assist them obtain good academic performance and also to nurture in them the interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ahmad Nizam said: “We want to unlock your true potential by providing this sponsorship, because we know all of you will continue our legacy and bring Petronas, the industry, as well as the county to greater heights.”
He then described the PESP, Vista and Budi programmes as part of a strategic initiative by Petronas to help Saarwak and the nation meet the human capital requirements in the oil and gas industry, as well as in other fields.
According to Ahmad Nizam, the PESP is a part of Petronas’ ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment towards education, and supporting the nation’s human capital development.
“Since its inception in 1975, PESP has benefitted more than 36,000 students with an estimated investment value of more than RM3.3 billion,” he said.
He also pointed out that 825 Sarawakians students, including the 44 recipients present yesterday, had benefited from PESP since 2003.
Ahmad Nizam assured all that Petronas would remain steadfast in developing human capital and working closely with the Sarawak government to ensure a sustainable pipeline of educated and skilled workforce in the state.
He also said Petronas had allocated RM156 million this year to fund 400 Malaysian students who would pursue tertiary studies in various fields including chemical, petroleum and mechanical engineering, law and other industry-related courses, at UTP and also at universities in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, the UK and the US.