Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation

Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation
Named afterTunku Abdul Rahman
Established1966
TypeStatutory body
Legal statusFoundation
FocusHigher education access, Student financial aid, Youth empowerment and leadership
Location
Region served
Malaysia
MethodScholarships, grants, development programmes and awards
Chairperson
Datin Sri Sharifah Menyalara Syed Hussein
CEO
Kularetnam Vijayakumar
AffiliationsMinistry of National Unity (Malaysia)
RevenueEndownment fund, in-kind and cash donation
Employees15-20
Websiteyayasantar.org.my

Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation (Malay: Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman) is a statutory body incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1966. The primary aim of the foundation is to recognise and encourage the development of Malaysian youths through higher education access, mentoring, scholarship, and development programmes.

History

On the occasion of the 62nd birthday of the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, on 8 February 1965, the Malay language newspaper, Utusan Melayu, launched a fund-raising exercise to set up a proposed education fund to provide for the higher education of Malay youths.[1] Initially named the Tunku Abdul Rahman Education Fund (Malay: Tabung Pendidikan Tunku Abdul Rahman), it gained the support of a broad segment of Malaysian society.

As a result, the federal government of Malaysia decided to formally establish a national foundation and open the fund to Malaysian applicants regardless of their ethnicity or creed. This was made possible with the passage of Act 389: Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Fund Act 1966 (Malay: Akta Kumpulan Wang Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman 1966) in Parliament [2] on 20 June, and later at Senate on 28 June 1966.[3] The Act received royal assent on 16 July 1966, and was officially gazetted on 28 July the same year. [4]

Mohd Khir Johari was appointed as the first chairman of the board of trustees upon the establishment of the foundation. On 16 April 1974, the cabinet decided that the seat of the chairman would be held by the office of the Minister of Education. On 26 March 2004 the jurisdiction of the foundation was transferred from the Ministry of Education to the newly devolved Ministry of Higher Education.[5] In December 2022, the jurisdiction of the foundation was once again transferred from the Ministry of Higher Education to the Ministry of National Unity.[6]

Programmes and awards

Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship (not to be mistaken with other Tunku Abdul Rahman scholarships) was established in 2006 to replace a previous financial aid program that was in the form of a loan. In 2019, this scholarship was revamped to include a two-year leadership programme component.[7]

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Scholarship (Malay: Biasiswa Tunku Abdul Rahman or BTAR) is one of the foundation's flagship programmes. Applications for the scholarship are opened annually on 8 February, in conjunction with Tunku Abdul Rahman's birth date.[8] The scholarship is open to prospective and current students of all Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) accredited courses in both public and private universities within Malaysia. The scholarship does not impose a minimum age limit, or a minimum CGPA requirement for its candidates.[9]

Recipients of this scholarship are known as Tunku Scholars.[10] After several batches of scholarship recipients, Tunku Scholars Association Malaysia was established to foster bonds and build a network with current scholarship recipients and alumni.[11]

Closing The Gap

This programme aims to empower high potential secondary school students from underserved backgrounds with the knowledge, skills and mindset to achieve their higher education aspirations.[12] Closing The Gap (CTG) started as an independent initiative in September 2016[13], and was brought into YTAR in 2019.[14]

The programme currently has two offshoots: CTG Scholar is a 2-year higher education access and mentoring programme for higher secondary school students based in Klang Valley[15], while Cikgu CTG is 6-month train-the-trainer programme for Guidance and Counselling Teachers (Malay: Guru Bimbingan dan Kaunseling) which adapts the original programme to be delivered in the teachers' respective schools and colleges.[16]

FutureReady

FutureReady is an employability upskilling programme focused on equipping university students from under-represented communities with skills, knowledge and experience to thrive in the job market. This programme is open to Malaysian undergraduates who are currently pursuing, or have completed an undergraduate degree in Malaysian universities recognised by MQA.[17]

Awards

The foundation also grants the following awards:

Pingat Tunku Award (Malay: Anugerah Pingat Tunku)

This prize has been awarded since 1979 to outstanding Malaysian university graduates who uphold Tunku's ideals, values and legacy through academic excellence, leadership and a strong commitment towards Malaysian nation-building. The award was expanded to include three categories, including gold, silver and bronze in 2010. Beginning 2020, awardees now receive a grant prize to implement a community project of their choice on top of existing prize money.[18]

Previously, awardees received a gold medal, a certificate, and a unit trust certificate from Amanah Saham Gemilang worth RM 3,000. Only one graduate from a local institution of higher education was selected annually, with nominations being received from their respective institutions and selected based on specific criteria set by the foundation.[19]

Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair of International Law

On 5 January 1985, the foundation gave an endowment of RM 1,000,000 to the University of Malaya to establish an academic chair in the Faculty of Law. This became known as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair of International Law. In June 1985, the Senate of the University of Malaya appointed Ian Campbell MacGibbon as the first holder of the chair. [20] In 2016 the Chair was renamed. The current holder is Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Hj Shad Saleem Faruqi who was appointed in February 2017.

Governance

The foundation is governed by a board of trustees made up of the following[21]:

  • The Chairperson as appointed by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, on the advice of the Minister charged with the responsibility of the Fund
  • One representative from the Ministry charged with the responsibility of the Fund
  • One representative from the Federal Treasury of Malaysia
  • Six members appointed by the Minister, after consultation with the Chairman

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman" (PDF). Utusan Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd. 8 June 1981. Retrieved 28 May 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ Abdul-Rahman bin Ya’kub, Minister of Lands and Mines (20 June 1966). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Parliament of Malaysia: Dewan Ra’ayat. col. 958.
  3. ↑ Chik Mohamad Yusuf bin Sheikh Abdul Rahman, Speaker of Dewan Rakyat (22 August 1966). "Message from The Senate to the House of Representatives". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Parliament of Malaysia: Dewan Ra’ayat. col. 1131.
  4. ↑ Act 389: Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Act. Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia.
  5. ↑ "About Us - YTAR" Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Perintah Menteri-Menteri Kerajaan Persekutuan 2023 (No. 27)". mylaw.my. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "About Us - YTAR". About Us. Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "Applications for Tunku Abdul Rahman scholarship opens Feb 8". The Star Online. Bernama. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Eligibity Requirements". Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship - YTAR. Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  10. ↑ Chapman, Karen (24 June 2007). "Our Tunku Scholars". The Star. Star Media Group Berhad. pp. E7. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Tunku Scholars Association Malaysia Instragram account". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Wong, Elle. "Bridging the gap in equal access to education". Women talk online - DW.com. DW. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "In Focus: Closing The Gap". closing the gap - OSK Foundation. OSK Foundation. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ida Thien - Tatler Asia". Tatler Asia. Tatler Asia. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Of brains, grit and closing the gap". The Star Online. 9 September 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Closing The Gap Malaysia - Higher Education after SPM". Closing The Gap Malaysia. Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  17. ↑ Nurin Iffah (25 April 2024). "Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Accenture Malaysia open application for fourth cohort of FutureReady programme". The Borneo Post. See Hua Marketing Sdn. Bhd. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Izzudin, Fahmi (10 November 2023). "Tiga graduan cemerlang terima Anugerah Pingat Tunku". Astro Awani. Astro AWANI Network Sdn. Bhd. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Hadiah-hadiah YTAR" (in Malay) Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Archived from the original
  20. ↑ "Kursi Tunku Abdul Rahman" (in Malay) Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Archived from the original.
  21. ↑ "Act 389: Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Fund Act 1966 - Timeline". Malaysia Federal Legislation. Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
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