Kuala Lumpur: The Eco World Foundation welcomes the new year with its Excellence Awards Ceremonies celebrating the achievements of top scorers in the 2017 UPSR and PT3 examinations under the Eco World Foundation Students Aid Programme (SAP).

Four such ceremonies have been scheduled for this year in the following regions: Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern (Sabah).

The first ceremony, for the Northern region, was held at Eco Horizon in Penang last week.

At the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today, Eco World Foundation Chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye congratulated the thirty-eight (38) students from the Central region for their excellent performance in the 2017 UPSR and PT3 examinations.

Three UPSR students received awards in the Excellence Awards category; nineteen (19) UPSR students received awards in the Outstanding Awards category; and twelve (12) UPSR and four (4) PT3 students received awards in the Most Improved Awards category.

The UPSR students also received a Malay-English dictionary each and copies of a motivational book titled “A+B=C Attitude + Behaviour = Character” along with cash prizes of RM200, RM150 and RM100, according to the categories. The PT3 students received cash prizes of RM500, RM400 and RM250, according to the categories.

In addition, eight (8) teachers were presented with the Teachers’ Awards, recognising them for their commitment and dedication to the SAP programme and involvement in its activities. One school – Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Puchong – won the Best School award in the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) category for its support of the SAP programme.

“The UPSR Excellence Awards presentations are held every year to encourage our students to continue to work hard and to show the Foundation’s commitment to support and assist those in need to achieve their dreams all the way from primary to tertiary education,” said Lee.

Lee also said the SAP was the main focus of the Foundation. It was conceptualised to assist students from low income families regardless of race or creed.

The holistic approach of the SAP is to address every aspect of the recipient students’ educational requirements, from equipping them for the new school year and arranging meals in schools, to paying their school and tuition fees.

Primary students receive between RM1,100 and RM1,200 a year while secondary students receive between RM1,000 and RM1,400 a year. Pre-university students receive RM5,000 a year while those undertaking foundation studies receive between RM5,500 and RM13,500 yearly. Undergraduates receive between RM8,000 and RM20,000 yearly for their studies.

Lee said the Foundation was proud that the SAP has so far helped 55 students pursuing tertiary education. Eighteen (18) have graduated with degrees from several institutions of higher learning while thirty-seven (37) others are currently pursuing their studies in local universities.

Added Lee: “It is my ardent wish that the Foundation will be able to assist more students, all the way from primary to tertiary education, in the coming years.

“While we place importance on examination results, we also hope that our students will grow up to be responsible adults who will give back to society and the country. In this regard, attention is also given to the personal development of every student under the programme whereby home visits are conducted by the Foundation to check on their home environments and give moral support to parents.”

Dialogue sessions are also held with parents to explain the Foundation’s assistance programme. At these sessions, parents have the opportunity to provide suggestions to fine-tune the Foundation’s programme.

Lee said the full support of parents was needed to ensure the success of the programme and encouraged them to make time for their children. “We need to set a good example for them to follow,” he added.

Today’s awards ceremony was also attended by Eco World Foundation Trustee Mr Philip Mathews. Also present was Eco World Development Group Berhad (EcoWorld Malaysia) Chairman Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, Eco World Malaysia Executive Director Dato’ Voon Tin Yow, Eco World Malaysia President & CEO Dato’ Chang Khim Wah and Eco World International Berhad President & CEO Dato Teow Leong Seng.