KUCHING: A total of six recipients have been conferred the prestigious 2022 Merdeka Award.
Founders of the Merdeka Award, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) and Shell extended their congratulatory wishes to the recipients on their exemplary efforts, in conjunction with Malaysia’s 65th National Day this year.
Petronas President and Group chief executive officer Datuk Tengku Muhammad Taufik said the Merdeka Award recognises and rewards those who embody the spirit and heart of Merdeka.
Shell Malaysia Country Chairman and Senior Vice President Malaysia Upstream Ivan Tan said the continuous dedication and courageous
efforts of the laureates in bringing change to communities, societies and the planet is truly commendable.
“As trailblazers, they lay a solid foundation in delivering a better future for
Malaysia – and this path will set many others up for greater things ahead,” said Tan.
In the awards’ Education and Community category, Teach for Malaysia was awarded for its outstanding contribution to delivering high-quality education in government schools, especially in rural and underprivileged communities, fueled by a belief that a child’s education and future should not be determined by his or her circumstances in life.
Global Environment Centre (GEC) was awarded for the Environment category, for its outstanding contribution to the mangrove, peat swamp forest, river and coastal management, climate change programmes and forging community engagement as well as partnerships that help to conserve and protect the environment and natural resources in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid was awarded the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement for her contribution as a historian and for being the first ever Malaysian archaeologist as well as for driving the efforts for Lenggong Valley to be recognised as a Unesco World Heritage site.
In the Health, Science and Technology category, Datuk Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman was awarded for being the driving force behind mitigating the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and structuring policies and responses that led to the prevention, treatment and reduction of HIV/AIDS cases.
For Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia, Datuk Dr Annabel Teh Gallop was awarded for her outstanding contribution in scholarly research, curation, archiving and preservation of ancient Malay letters and manuscripts, Malay seals and documents which led to the understanding of Malay language as the language of trade and diplomacy throughout the Malay Archipelago and the illumination of the rich heritage of the Malay world.
The award also saw a new category called Anugerah Harapan Merdeka which recognises the distinctive efforts of Malaysians aged 40 and below or organisations which have been incepted for less than 10 years.
Samuel Isaiah was conferred the Anugerah Harapan Merdeka for his outstanding contribution as well as commitment in improving and uplifting the standard of education among the Orang Asli children, and in coaching teachers to elevate the overall quality of education for all.
With the announcement, a total of 57 individuals and six organisations have received the Merdeka Award since 2008.
Each Merdeka Award category recipient is conferred with a trophy, certificate of recognition and cash reward, while the Anugerah Harapan Merdeka recipient receives a certificate of recognition as well as cash reward.
