Merdeka Award Salutes Three Outstanding Malaysians
For excellence and lasting contributions to the people of Malaysia
The Board of Trustees of Merdeka Award is pleased to announce today that it will accord three eminent Malaysians the 2011 Merdeka Award, for their outstanding and lasting contributions to the nation and the people of Malaysia in their respective fields.
This announcement is the culmination of a year of hard work in our search for excellence, and we hope that this search will inspire and help Malaysians to compete in the ever-changing and challenging world that we live in.
Above and beyond the accolade and the substantial prize money that comes with it, it is also our hope that the Merdeka Award will earn its recipients a place in history as individuals and organisations which have truly gone beyond the call of duty. They have, in the course of their work, demonstrated the true Spirit of Merdeka – the liberation of mind and spirit and the pursuit of excellence.
The three 2011 Merdeka Award recipients are Dato’ Dr Kenneth Yeang, in the Environment Category, for outstanding contribution to the development of design methods for the ecological design and planning of the built environment; and two joint recipients in the category of Outstanding Scholastic Achievement -- Professor Dato’ Dr Goh Khean Lee, for outstanding contribution in elevating the study and practice of gastroenterology and hepatology in Malaysia to global standards, and to Professor Dr Mak Joon Wah, for outstanding fundamental and applied research in parasitology and parasitic diseases, public health and pathology.
This announcement comes after the members of the various Nomination and Selection committees have extensively deliberated, closely examining the merits and finer qualities of each nomination, and in the end, identifying those who stood above and beyond the rest, in their embodiment of the spirit of Merdeka.
Having no precedent in this country, both in the categories of its conferment, as well as in the stringent conditions the nominees have to adhere to in order to be amongst the select few to receive this rare distinction, made the task of identifying and selecting the recipients a challenging one.
The Board of Trustees also believe that it is imperative that each year the recipients of the Merdeka Award set a benchmark for the selection of future recipients so that all the laureates will serve as role models for Malaysians in general and the younger generation in particular.
The members of the Nomination and Selection committees continue to exhibit a high level of discernment in the nomination and selection of the recipients for all the categories for 2011. In doing so, they were guided by the founding ideals and statutes of the Merdeka Award, ensuring that every aspect of the candidate’s achievements, as well as the impact and implication of their work on the nation and its people are examined carefully.
We have adhered to the long, stringent and rigorous process that we have put in place to ensure that the noble purpose and integrity of the Merdeka Award is safeguarded and that the recognition is given only to those individuals and organisations whose achievements are truly outstanding.
For 2011, there will be no award in the categories of Education & Community; Health, Science & Technology; and Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia.
The 2011 Merdeka Award recipients will receive their awards from the Patron of the Merdeka Award, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, at the 2011 Merdeka Award Presentation which will be held on October 10, 2011 at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS.
Issued by:
THE MERDEKA AWARD SECRETARIAT
August 22, 2011
For further information, please contact:
Merdeka Award Secretariat
Tini bt Syed Sultan | Rabithah Zakaria | 03 2331 4543
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