His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam presented the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan’s Scholar 2023-2024 scholarship to four students during a ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman yesterday.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik, Chairman of the Committee of Governors of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, were also present at the ceremony.
Members of the Committee of Governors of Yayasan, Yayasan Board of Directors, and the Sultan’s Scholar Steering Committee; permanent and deputy permanent secretaries at the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs; senior officials and principals of sixth form centres across the country were also in attendance.
Later, a signing ceremony was held at An-Naura Hall of the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex in the capital.
The signing was witnessed by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji MohdYussof as the Chairman of the Yayasan Board of Directors. Permanent Secretary (Planning, Land Use and Environment) at the Ministry of Development Dr Nor Imtihan binti Haji Abdul Razak cum Acting Managing Director of Yayasan and Assistant Managing Director of Yayasan (Corporate Service) Abdullah @ Dollah bin Haji Ahad inked the agreement on behalf of Yayasan.
Alya’ Nuha binti Haji Hayatuddin and Ahmad Syahmi bin Haji Mohamad Rozaini are set to pursue further studies in Lughah Arabiyyah and Syariah Islamiyyah at Al-Azhar University in Egypt.
Meanwhile, Chloe Cheok Lu Yi is set to begin her undergraduate course in microbiology at Imperial College of London in United Kingdom, while Siti Ain Nursyuhaidah binti Mohammad Sahirin will undertake a degree programme in data science at University of Melbourne in Australia.
As a former student of Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College, Cheok expressed her excitement and joy after being selected as a recipient of the prestigious scholarship.
Scoring 2A* in biology and physics as well as an A in mathematics in ‘A’ levels, she shared that receiving the scholarship was one of her goals as it would go down as a milestone in her academic journey.
Meanwhile, Aliya’ Nuha, former student of Hasannal Bolkiah Boys Arabic Secondary School (SMALHB) said that her interest in pursuing a Bachelor’s in Lughah Arabiyyah began with the language itself.
She also noted that there is a growing interest in the language among non-native speakers as well as non-Arabic school students in the Sultanate.
Alya Nuha thanked His Majesty for the scholarship and expressed hope that she will continue to excel in her studies.
Nineteen-year-old Ahmad Syahmi, also a former student of SMALHB, believed that his success in obtaining the scholarship was partly due to his parents’ prayers.
‘’I am very honoured for the opportunity, and grateful to our beloved monarch for this scholarship. At the same time, I want to thank my parents for all their endless prayers as this achievement is a reflection of their never ending support,” said Ahmad Syahmi.
Meanwhile, Siti Ain Nursyuhaidah extended her gratitude to His Majesty for granting her the prestigious scholarship, as well as her parents and teachers for supporting her in achieving her goal. – Rokiah Mahmud
