Four Malaysians bag prestigious Study UK Alumni Awards

SHAH ALAM - A total of 15 alumni in Malaysia was recognised by the British Council for their achievements and contributions as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders.

The British Council announced the four recipients of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2021-2022 in Malaysia at The Majestic Hotel yesterday (March 17).

The award is split into four categories namely Science and Sustainability Award, Culture and Creativity Award, Social Action Award, and Business and Innovation Award.

For Justin Jing Ho Chin, a graduate of Imperial College London, he has clinched the Science and Sustainability Award.

A Managing Director of Gamuda Engineering, he has spent his career building tunnels for Kuala Lumpur’s metro lines.

His experience studying in the UK has helped him emphasise sustainability to deliver the “Gamuda Green Plan” that has helped his organisation as a frontrunner in the sustainability space.

The Culture and Creativity Award was presented to Ethnomusicology major Dr Nur Izzati Jamalludin, a graduate of King’s College London.

She now serves as a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Music in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).

During her studies in the UK, she has had the chance to gain insights on societal development documented from a western viewpoint about the northern Malay states’ music medicine therapy to support her goal in giving a voice towards the rapidly declining performing arts within the northern states as well as in advocating the wellbeing of the performing artists within the region.

The Social Action award, on the other hand, was presented to journalist Izza Izelan, an advocate and the executive director of WOMEN: girls, a non-profit organisation that develops programs to support women and girls to reach their potential and become agents of change within their communities. She is a graduate of University College London.

Izza has helped over 19,000 beneficiaries across Malaysia and is looking forward to advocating for substantial legal and cultural changes in social policies to protect Malaysian women and children.

Melvin Poh, a graduate of Imperial College London received the Business and Innovation award.

He is the founder and chief operations officer of Empirics Asia, an open-access knowledge sharing platform that facilitates the collective exchange of insights, ideas and experiences throughout Asia.

British High Commissioner to Malaysia Charles Hay said at the event that he was happy to see how many Malaysians have benefited from education in the UK.

“The awards allow us to celebrate the role international students play in making the UK one of the most diverse and rewarding higher education destinations for international study.

“I am so proud of all our finalists who are working in a variety of pioneering areas and are playing a leading role in solving global challenges and shaping the world of tomorrow”, said British Council Director Jazreel Goh.

Following the announcement of the winners of the Malaysian awards, the winners will have an opportunity to compete at a global level.

Winners of the awards will each receive a GBP500 grant for further professional development.

The prestigious international award celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni all over the world.

Now in its fifth year, the award received more than 1,500 applications, representing more than 140 UK higher education institutions across the UK.