Kuala Lumpur, July 16, 2025 – The Europe Today: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on Wednesday conferred the prestigious 2025 Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship (Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong – BYDPA) to 13 high-achieving students at a solemn presentation ceremony held at Istana Negara.
Of the recipients, ten were awarded scholarships for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) studies, while three received scholarships for research-based Master’s programmes.
Among this year’s PhD scholarship awardees are Mohamad Fariz Haiqal Mohd Ruslan, who is pursuing Pharmacology and Pharmacy at King’s College London, and Karen Low Ka Ling from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Other recipients include Muhammad Hamizan Zawawi (Biology, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Muhamad Aiman Hakim Nor Khalid (Mathematics and Statistics, UKM), Sarah Dania Mohd Kahar (Commercial Law, Universiti Malaya), Teoh Shu Jou (Data Management, Universiti Malaya), Ahmad Firdaus Ahmad Sukri (Biotechnology, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Nurul Angelyn Zulhairy Liong (Genetics and Heredity, Universiti Malaya), Nur Zakirah Jasni (Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne), and Nurfatima Azzahra Fadli (Biochemistry, UKM).
The Master’s level recipients are Fatini Nadiah Mohammad Zamzami (Biochemistry, UKM), Tiew Siew Jin (Biotechnology, Universiti Putra Malaysia), and Yugashini P. Muhilan (Biomedical Materials, UKM).
Established in 2006, the BYDPA is a prestigious national scholarship aimed at nurturing academic excellence and holistic development. It supports outstanding Malaysian citizens who demonstrate excellence not only in academics but also in co-curricular activities, community service, or innovative research.
To date, the programme has awarded scholarships to 225 recipients — 117 for PhD studies and 108 for Master’s programmes — in diverse fields including Economics, Law, Science and Technology, Islamic Finance, and Artificial Intelligence.
Director-General of the Public Service Department (PSD), Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz, announced plans to conduct an impact study of the BYDPA programme.
“It has been offered for more than 20 years, and we feel it is necessary to review the current needs in terms of the approach and the fields of study granted to future students,” he said.
He also expressed his deep appreciation to His Majesty the King for personally attending and gracing the scholarship award ceremony.
Speaking after the event, Karen Low — a pharmacist at Melaka Hospital and PhD recipient — expressed heartfelt gratitude for the scholarship and vowed to complete her studies and return to serve the nation.
Mohamad Fariz Haiqal described the award as a “meaningful blessing,” allowing him to pursue a PhD at King’s College London.
“May we complete our PhD and Master’s studies and contribute to our country, Malaysia,” he added.
The BYDPA continues to represent a cornerstone of Malaysia’s commitment to academic excellence and national development through education.
