Shaq Koyok

New Straits Times on Merdeka Award ceremony.

The recipients of the International Merdeka Award Grant of the International Placement Research Grant 2017 (from left) Dr. Sophia Rasheeqa Ismail, Shahar A / L Koyok and Dr. Zetty Norhana Balia Yusof pictured at the Merdeka Award Grant 2017 at the Petronas Twin Towers today. (BERNAMA)

By TEH ATHIRA YUSOF - December 13, 2017 @ 7:50pm

KUALA LUMPUR: An Orang Asli researcher from Selangor was among the three recipients awarded with grants from the Merdeka Award 2017 International Grant on their studies for arts and sciences.

Artiste Shahar Koyok, 32, a Temuan from Banting was the first Orang Asli to receive the grant as well as the first recipient of the Education and Community category.
Shahar said his research will explore indigenous art within the context of the diverse ethnic and culture of Malaysia while emphasising the Merdeka spirit.

“The goal of my research is to regain attention to the indigenous culture in Malaysia, particularly, in arts. Hopefully, the research will show how important for Malaysians to learn about the history of the orang asli and it will be placed in the textbooks,” he said.

The recipients were announced by Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, who is also the Royal Patron of the Merdeka Award Trust here.Sultan Nazrin said the grant offers the recipients to realise a study or research abroad and also to serve as a role model to the younger generation.

“Merdeka Award is to promote innovation and thought leadership while passing the torch to the next generation to sustain Malaysia’s success as a dynamic and competitive global player in sectors from science and technology to the arts and humanities.

“These three talented young Malaysians will add to the total number of 11 recipients since the International Grant’s inception in 2012. They will make the best of their opportunity with experts, collect valuable insights for their fields of research and develop solutions for the people,” he said at the event.

The recipients were announced by Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, who is also the Royal Patron of the Merdeka Award Trust . (pix by SAIRIEN NAFIS)

Sultan Nazrin added to commit with Merdeka Awards’ objective, there will be an inaugural “Merdeka Meeting” with Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) to discuss on the nation’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects this Dec 16.

The other two recipients were, Institute for Medical Research officer (research medical) Dr Sophia Rasheeqa Ismail, 30, whose research focuses on the studies of cardiovascular disease especially on lipids and the risk of Myocardial infarction (MI) faced by Malaysian men.

While Dr Zetty Norhana Baila Yusof, 35, research focuses on exploring the use of Malaysian seaweeds as an alternative agent to control basal stem rot (BSR) disease that significantly reduces palm oil yield caused by Ganode fungus.
Also present at the event was Petronas president and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin and ExxonMobil chairman Edward E. Graham.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/12/314109/orang-asli-researcher-among-three-recipients-special-arts-and-sciences

The Star News on Merdeka Award ceremony.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, on Wednesday announced the recipients of the 2017 Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment. The three outstanding recipients are Shahar Koyok, Dr Sophia Rasheeqa Ismail and Dr Zetty Norhana Balia Yusof.

Read more at https://www.thestartv.com/v/three-lucky-merdeka-award-grant-recipients-named#j01dKD2guRwmeZcp.99

Please visit the link below to view the video. Thanks.

https://www.thestartv.com/v/three-lucky-merdeka-award-grant-recipients-named

Thanks you for a great article from The Malaysian Reserve.

https://themalaysianreserve.com/2017/12/14/funding-academic-research-critical-nation/

Funding for academic research critical for the nation.

By SHAHEERA AZNAM SHAH / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

Continuous funding support for local academic research that contributes to the country’s productivity is key to preserve Malaysia as a global player, said the Sultan of Perak Sultan Dr Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.

“Passing the torch to the next generation is the only way to sustain Malaysia’s success as a dynamic and competitive global player in sectors ranging from science and technology, to the arts and humanities,” he said after gracing the 2017 Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment (MA Grant) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
With a total of 11 recipients since it was launched in 2012, he said the grant aims to foster a culture of excellence to promote thought leadership and innovation among the youth community.
“The grant offers the candidates a tailored financial support to realise their study, research or residency project abroad. These projects can be in education and community, environment and health, as well as science and technology,” he said.
Sultan Nazrin said for this year’s grant, researches in the palm oil industry, heart diseases and indigenous culture have taken the centre stage.
Conducting a research in sustaining the production of palm oil, grant recipient Universiti Putra Malaysia senior lecturer Dr Zetty Norhana Balia Yusof said her study will focus on establishing a plantbased method in controlling the main disease in oil palm plantation, which significantly reduces more than half of the production yearly.
“The oil palm is the most profitable oil-bearing crop which yields an approximate 3.5 tonnes of oil per ha.
“But the production has been long confronted with a serious disease of fungus, which reduces the production up to 55%,” she told The Malaysian Reserve.
As Malaysia is battling the threat of export bans by certain countries, she said the productivity issue is cause for alarm.
“Before we talk about the current issue in the industry, we have to consider another side of the sustainable production.
Fungicide and chemicals have been used, which are harmful to humans and the environment.
“Malaysia could be importing these chemicals. An alternative that utilises natural resources should be explored,” she said.
Another grant recipient, Dr Sophia Rasheeqa Ismail, said a more accurate study on heart disease — especially the medicine to be prescribed — could help locals.
“The knowledge in the modern healthcare industry, particularly for cardiovascular diseases, is based on the Western population. The Malaysian population is distinct and unique from the complicated dynamics of the disease,” she said.
A research medical officer at the Kuala Lumpur Institute for Medical Research, she said her research aims to understand the differences between the country’s major ethnic groups, which potentially enhance the treatment strategies for the debilitating disease.
The MA Grant is an extension to the Merdeka Award — spearheaded by oil and gas giants Petroliam Nasional Bhd, Exxonmobil Exploration and Product ion Malaysia Inc and Shell Malaysia — which was established in 2007.
Launched in 2012, the MA Grant allows recipients to participate in collaborative projects or programmes at selected international institution and corporations within the network of the grant’s founding partners.

Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment 2017.

Thank you to Merdeka Award trustee and committee for the award. I feel blessed and honoured to be one of the recipient of the award. I hope with this achievement will rise the profile of Indigenous people in Malaysia. Thank you so much to Petronas Galeri for your effort to promotes my artwork. Gosh i feel so good!