Merdeka Award: Advancing the best of Malaysian innovation and contribution to society

The Merdeka Award season for 2021 is back to honour and celebrate Malaysia’s most innovative and extraordinary minds for the advancement of the nation and its society.

This year, the focus will be on the Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment that was first introduced in 2012 as a complementary extension to the Merdeka Award. The grant aims to encourage deserving young Malaysians to become the next generation leaders in their respective fields, whilst giving back to society.

The Merdeka Award Grant, established by Petronas, ExxonMobil & Shell, is one of the leading grants in Malaysia aiming to nurture qualified Young Malaysians. The selected candidates would undergo short-term collaborative programmes at globally renowned host institutions and organisations.

With applications for the grant having closed recently, the Merdeka Award team will select and evaluate the potential candidates to eventually unveil the most deserving recipients of 2021. The winners will be announced this August to pursue their short-term attachments or projects in select disciplines. Since 2012, a total of 19 Malaysians have successfully received the grant, 15 of whom have completed their attachments at an international institution of their choice.

Meanwhile, the Merdeka Award has lauded 53 individuals and four organisations for their commendable work in various categories: Education and Community; Environment; Health, Science and Technology.

One of the award-winning team’s members, Professor Datuk Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, is making strides internationally, having recently moderated a COVID-19 media conference with renowned director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Last month, she was appointed as a World Health Organisation (WHO) Science Council member.

“The year 2020 was an extremely difficult one for the world, and Malaysia has certainly not been spared. Despite the unprecedented challenges we faced, the perseverance and formidable spirit of Malaysians remained strong.

"The Merdeka Award is regarded as a symbol and recognition of exemplary achievements by individuals and organisations to the people of Malaysia as well as global communities. It paves the way forward for future generations to excel through innovation and excellence, in line with our aspiration to enrich lives for a sustainable future," says PETRONAS President and Group CEO Tengku Muhammad Taufik.