F&N Celebrates Employees’ Children For Outstanding Academic And Extra-Curricular Performance

Kuala Lumpur – We live in a fast-paced world and well-rounded students are highly sought after in the workplace for their ability to expand their education outside of their comfort zones.

Acknowledging how well-rounded students can shape the future through positive impacts, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB) recently awarded 139 children of its employees with RM285,300 in cash rewards for their excellent results in Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and tertiary education in 2017, through the 16th edition of the F&N Chairman’s Award.

Organised by F&NHB, the F&N Chairman’s Award recognises children of the Group’s employees who not only performed well in their studies but also in their extra-curricular activities. To date, F&NHB has disbursed cash rewards worth RM3.5 million to over 2,000 recipients since the F&N Chairman Award’s inception in 2003.

Speaking at the award ceremony, F&NHB Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lim Yew Hoe said that the annual award serves as a stepping stone to bigger and better opportunities in the future as the students chart their own course in life.

“The students have shown such hard work, drive and tenacity to attain their goals. I am confident that receiving the F&N Chairman’s Award will motivate the students to work harder and strive for greater excellence,” said Mr. Lim.

“As a parent, I understand how important it is to acknowledge and celebrate our children’s success. Indeed, today is a joyous occasion to witness the children of our employees to receive their awards. It is heartening to see smiles on the parents’ faces, showing how happy and proud they are of their children’s achievements.

“Our employees are the heart of F&N and this award exemplifies our commitment to foster stronger ties with our staff and their children. Hence, besides celebrating the award recipients’ accomplishments, we are pleased to acknowledge our employees’ dedication, encouragement and support that have significantly contributed to their children’s success,” he added.

At the ceremony, F&NHB awarded three Special Awards for students who excelled in both academics and co-curricular activities. One of them was 13-year-old Sofea Alisa binti Safrizal who scored 6As in her UPSR examination and won gold for the 2017 National Level Essay Writing Competition.

The daughter of Safrizal Mohd Said, Senior Manager, Tax at F&NHB, Sofea Alisa binti Safrizal emphasised the importance of good time management to strike the right balance between studies and extra-curricular activities.

“A student’s life is busy but with the right planning, we can learn to be more self-discipline in studying which enables us to work more efficiently and enjoy extra-curricular activities that interest us,” said the Form One student of Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka.

Sofea is also actively involved in debates and recently won ‘Best Speaker’ in a debate competition. “Life at boarding school is fun, the schedule might be packed but you have to find joy in the small things,” she added.

Another Special Award recipient, Hilda Ong Kai En, 13, achieved 7As in her UPSR and was part of her school’s volleyball team that won first place in the ‘Girls’ Under-12’ category at the 2017 Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM).

“I am elated to receive the Special Award. I started playing volleyball when I was 10, following my brother’s footsteps. I am grateful for my parents’ support and encouragement. They do not put pressure on me or my siblings to study hard but encourage us to follow our passions,” said Hilda who is the daughter of Mr. Ong See Hang, Manager, Learning and Organisational Development at F&NHB.

Beside Sofea and Hilda, 18-year-old Nurul Husnina Amani binti Abdul Halim also received the coveted Special Award, in recognition of her participation in the MRSM (Super) Sports Tournaments & Games, Eastern Zone whereby she took home the gold medal for winning the doubles tennis category. Nurul Husnina is currently pursuing a Diploma in Mathematical Science at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Arau, Perlis.

Meanwhile, it was a proud moment for Mr. Chew Fook Sang, F&NHB Sales Manager, General Trade – Central Region as two of his children, Chew Kian Kenn and Chew Yun Ni received the F&N Chairman’s Award for the tertiary education and PT3 categories respectively. “I never force my children into something they don’t want to do. I believe in giving words of encouragement to them as they are quite organised and are diligent in their studies,” he said.

Chew Kian Kenn is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Hons.) at National Taiwan University while his sister, Chew Yun Ni who gained 7As in her PT3 exams, was delighted to have received the F&N Chairman’s Award and planned to save up the cash reward for future use.

Muhammad Fauzi Ahmad, Sponsor Event Manager at F&NHB could not contain his excitement when three of his children were chosen as recipients of this year’s F&N Chairman’s Award in the UPSR and tertiary education categories. “I am ecstatic that my children have been recognised for their achievements in two different categories. They did their best and I hope they can be an inspiration to their younger siblings and others as well,” said Muhammad Fauzi whose son, Muhammad Fahim Zharfan received the award for getting 4As in his UPSR while his two other children, Muhammad Farhan Haziq and Nur Fadhlin Qistina won the award for their academic performance in pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) Degree in Psychology respectively.

Another award recipient, Stephanie d/o Murugan @ Lawrence P. Anthonysamy, who obtained 8As in SPM, said that having supportive parents is crucial to achieving success in her studies. “Children who receive unwavering love and support from their parents can help build self-confidence in them. I am appreciative to my parents who have shaped me into the person I am today,” said Stephanie who was active in the Tamil Society and Debate Club in her secondary school, and is currently studying Computer Science at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI).

The award ceremony also saw two previous F&N Chairman’s Award recipients who have embarked on their career journeys at F&NHB.

Quek Hui Jean, who was an award recipient in four different categories, namely UPSR, PMR, SPM and tertiary education, is now an Automation Engineer at F&N Dairies Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. “The F&N Chairman’s Award drove me to study hard throughout my schooling days and I am pleased to kickstart my career in my field of studies at F&N,” said Hui Jean who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Hons.), majoring in Mechatronics Engineering from Monash University Malaysia in 2016. Her mother, Amy Tan is the Personal Assistant to F&NHB’s Chief Financial Officer and has been with the Group for the past 28 years.

Meanwhile, Quah Wen Yang who received the F&N Chairman’s Award for the PMR, SPM and tertiary education categories attributed his success to the support of his parents and F&NHB. “The award incentivises students who do well in their exams and after-school activities, and that inspired me to always do my best in school. I am now a Quality Assurance Executive at F&N Dairies Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. and I am happy to have been given the opportunity to acquire invaluable experience at my workplace,” said Wen Yang who graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Technology. His father, Quah Eng Kwee is a Quality Control Manager at F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn. Bhd.

Every year, F&NHB Chairman Y.A.M. Tengku Syed Badarudin Jamalullail presents each of the young achievers with cash awards of between RM150 and RM5,000 at the F&N Chairman’s Award presentation ceremony.

This year’s award ceremony saw the Group rewarding 38 recipients in the UPSR category, 25 in the PT3 category and 27 in the SPM category. Meanwhile, 49 students received awards in the tertiary education category for successfully gaining admission to a local or overseas university while three students received the Special Awards.