highlight of the month

Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2016
From the Editor’s Desk
Dear Scholars,
when they closed it for marathon runners, how invigorating it was to feel the
wind brushed upon my face when cycling down the alley of FRIM and how
deeply gratifying it was when I did
contribute some winning points to the
KSRK’s Blue team when I played badminton a few years back. Sports, as you
are all aware brings about a whole
gamut of benefits – staying healthy,
keeping fit, making friends (and foe?),
looking young and all that jazz but
there are still many people out there
who do not feel the need to be involved
and active hence resorting to list down
excuses for not doing so.
If sitting on
my bum and
cheering on
my son’s attempt to complete his telematch game
in the recent
School Sports Day event was considered as ‘sporty’ enough, then that was
exactly the extent of how involved I
have been of late, in sports. Yes, I must
confess that I have been leading such a
sedentary lifestyle for as long as I can On a more serious note, I came across
remember and that is not something an article that states there is a positive
relation that shows a higher participathat I am very proud of.
tion in sports is often associated with
You see, I used to be active and in- higher or better work performance and
volved in quite an array of sporting productivity. I agree with that as I see if
activities such as running in mara- a person is physically active, the benethons, cycling, and playing badminton. fits gained would spill over into other
I tried to remember how fun it was to aspects for the individual such as a betbe running freely at Jalan Bukit Bintang ter quality of life and wellbeing. So, I
In This Issue

am indeed very pleased to see that
many of our YK scholars are breaking
sweats on the field, on the track and
other places that make you not only
reaping the best of these sporting activities can offer but also gaining the benefits of staying healthy, alert and focused in class and exam halls, too!
Dear YK scholars, we urge you to lead a
good, healthy life and we are also a
true believer that fun comes in myriad
forms. So, don’t be like me, go on and
break some sweats and have fun along
the way, too!
To all our Muslim scholars, here’s
wishing you a blessed Eid Mubarak!
Sincerely,
Intan
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Scholar’s Studio
 Gary Tan
 Ranjetta Poobathy
 Ibrahim Rabaia
 Aniq Aznan

Interviews

Activities & Happenings

YKPSP Corner
Sports &
Me
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“Okay.”
Sports in Me
By Gary Tan
Year 12,
Marlborough College Malaysia
Sports are an integral part of me. It has taught me a lot and in many
ways, to work hard and play hard, to be tenacious and always be
reflective. There are no shortcuts; there are no easy ways to be the
best, because no one is an overnight champion. Kobe Bryant, one of
the star NBA players once said during an interview that he would
make sure that he made 400 shots in his practice routines. Some tend
to give up halfway through the practice, while some lack self confidence. It is those who practise consistently and effectively will eventually be the best. Perhaps you had a bad day, perhaps you feel unworthy in a particular time, but always have faith in yourself and
that tomorrow will be a better day. That is what I tell myself all the
time, to make sure that I continue and strive to be a better basketball
and Frisbee player. After each game or practice session, we, as a team
would sit together in a circle, to reflect on our mistakes and things
that we could work on, to improve and to be a better player.
Sports in many ways are similar when it comes to studying. No
one is born smart or talented. They work hard to achieve the results
that they desire. In many ways, no one is a lone soldier, even when it
comes to studies. Research has shown that studying in a group enables you to learn faster and curb procrastination. Using this simple
formula that I have learnt from playing basketball and Frisbee, I applied and used them to make sure that I am able to achieve the grades
that I want. As Michael Jordan once said “I can accept failure, I can’t
accept not trying”.
Counting the Egg Baskets
By Ranjetta Poobathy
Ph.D in Biotechnology
Universiti Sains Malaysia
When I was nine years old, I remember my brother asking permission from my mother to attend Taekwondo classes in the nearest secondary school. His best friend was attending, so it was a no-brainer
that he should attend the classes too, he reasoned to my mother.
My mother gave her consent. I listened in disbelief. I wanted to go
too.
“Ma!! I also want to go!!”
She stared at me for a silent moment.
So began my first foray into sports.
I attended twice-weekly classes
for a total of 10 years, till I was 19
years old. But I was not much of an athlete back then. The two
classes weekly were my sole source of exercise. To make the situation worse, I actually viewed it as a hindrance to my studies. Time
wasted not studying cannot be regained, so I thought.
Then I started college. New place, new faces, new environment. My
teenage mantra remained programmed in my mind though. In
fact, it was amplified in college. Competition and pressure to excel
were sky-high. I practically became one with my study chair. Depriving myself of sleep and daily coffee-binges were nothing abnormal to me. I could survive on four hours of sleep daily. Sometimes there were the occasional migraines and back aches
and.......ah well, they were all non-issues to me, so I thought then.
I attached my existence and entire self-worth on excelling in college. Getting a B would dampen my mood for a few days. I forced
myself to study more. Nothing else mattered at that point. I set everything else aside. Family, friends, outings, walks, activities. All
those are parasites of precious, precious time, so I thought then. I
managed to graduate at the top of my batch. Ah, this strategy is a
good one, and it should work wherever I go, my naïve undergraduate-educated mind readily assumed.
I brought the same mindset into my M. Sc. studies. Exercise for me
back then was labour at the laboratory. I used to stay the whole
day in the lab, and then sit the whole night studying and writing.
Things started changing for me though, at that point. Hard work
and labour did not translate to the predicted results that I needed
for my work. I used to spiral in and out of sadness when I could
not present anything worthy for my progress updates. I kept staying later and later at the lab, drinking more coffee to stay awake
and prolonging my study periods to get the answers I wanted.
When I graduated out of the M. Sc. programme, I was an unsatisfied scientist, still kicking myself for not getting the predicted results, and 10kg overweight, with a cholesterol problem to boot. I
thought that the worst of my problems were over. How wrong I
was.
I stepped into a Ph. D. programme, confident that I have learnt
everything that I needed to know about conducting research. This
mindset would be shattered in the years that I spent trying to complete my project. The project given to me this time was a million
times tougher than the one I conducted during my M. Sc. None of
my experimental treatments produced results for a very long time.
My confidence shattered and my self-worth, always attached to my
persona as a researcher and a studious person, disappeared. At my
lowest point, not knowing what to do, I frequently swam and
jogged to get away from my predicament. Decisions to swim and
run soon turned into a compulsion, and then a habit. I would immediately pick up my sports gear and head out of my room for my
workout as soon as I got back from the lab. My old persona would
frequently yell at me in my head, “Why are you wasting your time
Ranjetta? Go study lah!!” My feet would just drag me out of the
door anyway.
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I could not have imagined, at that point in life and as I am wrapping
up my Ph. D. project now, that that was the best decision I’ve ever
made in my life. Immersing myself in running and swimming somehow calmed my flustered mind and forced me into abandoning all
my misconceptions about life and work. Time spent not studying can
be spent in many other constructive ways. I was surprised that I was
actually good at both activities. I now spend some time to improve
myself in both events. My family and friends have stood behind me in
all my endeavours. I cannot fathom how I could have thought that
time spent with them is time wasted. Surprisingly, time spent in doing
sports enlightened me to think out of the box for solutions to my Ph.
D. project.
Most importantly, immersing myself in sports taught me to believe
and have confidence in my potential and abilities to perform and
excel in anything that I set my heart upon. My self-worth is not attached to my studies, work performance or even my sporting abilities; rather it is spread out in many small baskets of strengths that are
tied to a single ribbon firmly embedded in my soul: an appreciation
of who I am, with all my successes and failures as a person; of me
being me. Self-acceptance is crucial for my success, and failures do
not define me. My self-worth is definitely not placed in one basket.
I still run and swim to this day as a form of enjoyment; they are now
an integral part of my life. I now allocate time for all my activities,
and spend extra time on everything that I love: my plants, family and
friends, writing and of course, my sports!
How Sports Have Transformed Me.
By Ibrahim Rabaia
PhD in Political Economy
Universiti Malaya
Ironically, sport journalists are the worst in practicing all kinds of
sports. Same goes to me, It started in 2002 when I began moving
from one match to another, from football to basketball, to volleyball,
and even to kickboxing. I had a big belly with a lazy body, built of
snacks and junk food back then. I used to start my day with cups of
strong coffee and puffs of cigarettes. My first official meal was never
earlier than 1 pm.
In 2008, I had some health issues. All of these bad habits had actually made my body weaker and worsen my health condition. That was
when I started to think of the damage I have caused to my body. I
literally apologise to myself for not taking care of myself and changed
my habits and lifestyle radically.
The first thing I did was quit smoking after 10 years of such daily
habit. It was not easy, but now when I I think about it, it was one of
the best decisions I have ever made in life. Once I have quit smoking,
my taste bud and smell have improved tremendously. I am enjoying
my food even more.
The gym was my second destination. Honestly, quitting smoking was
much easier than making Gym part of my daily routine. I used to ask
myself why these crazy people waste their time in painful and exhausting stuff? It took me a few months to understand that.
I began losing weight, have better physique and heath. My life
totally changed, especially when I reached the point of losing 20
kg of my body fat. And now for the 7th year, gym and sports are
part of my daily life to maintain my physical, mental, and spiritual
health.
I always share my experience with my friends. Sports become part
of our daily activities at home. I think all of you should make sports
as your routine too. Try it! I am sure you will not regret.
What are Sports to You?
By Aniq Aznan
A-Level,
Taylor’s College
Sports. A word that is so common to all. Speak of it and you will
start to visualize a group of people running or swimming or
throwing an item as far as one possibly can. You will see some familiar faces; the faces that scream ‘sports’ to you. Maybe it is your
favorite football player, a tennis prodigy or simply your high
school physical education teacher. In recent years, sports had been
perceived with a wider perspective. It is no longer bounded to
purely sweaty physical acts. For example, playing video games such
as DOTA and Call of Duty is considered sports now. Well honestly,
chess had been around for ages and it had been categorized under
sports so adding video games is just another expansion in line with
modernization for the definition of sports.
On a more individual level, sports can mean many different things
to many different people. Sports and fame for example. “
Oh Lionel Messi, I do not know how he looks like but he plays football right?”. “ Lewis Hamilton, the F1 driver? I do not know how F1
works but I see his face a lot at the Petronas opposite my
house”. That happens when you are pretty good at what you do. A
huge chunk of the world knows your name but have no idea how
your ‘occupation’ works. It is a good thing somehow especially
when these athletes speak out for beneficial purposes such as
speaking out against environmental degradation. However, that is
from an outsider’s point of view. What is trying to be implied is
that for others, they might see sports as a way to get famous but for
the athletes it is something else, it carries a different meaning.
Sports and passion. Passion. The drive that fuels the majority of
people in the world including athletes. With passion, you get complimentary side orders which are devotion and commitment. They
come like a package, like a Happy Meal and the toy. That leads to
what others see as insanity. Once again, it is a matter of point of
view.
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3
Michael Phelps practiced a 12000
calories diet for his training. That is
the amount of food an average person would eat in about four to five
days. On the total opposite side of
crazy, Usain Bolt downed a heap of McDonald’s chicken nuggets
before becoming the fastest man alive. Weird but it worked for
him. Insanity to others but a normal 9-to-5 routine for the athletes.
Sports and me. For myself, sports had never meant so much on a
competitive level. Rugby tournaments were simply events I participated in out of need and it had never been my forte. I see sports as an
escape from the occasionally burdening reality. An hour on the field
playing touch rugby or a quick jog is always effective in making me
distracted. Balance is key and a healthy mind would need a healthy
physical to perform to its fullest. Doing sports is a productive mean
for my body. It teaches me to stick to a schedule installing discipline.
It becomes something I do purely for myself. Hence, sports to me is an
escape and a medium for me to improve myself both physically and
mentally. What is sports to you?
Q: What are you most excited about at the moment?
A: A Placement project which will be the first of its kind at YK to
allow both Scholars and potential Employers a chance to get to
know each other without a formal barrier and show the true
potential of YK scholars out there. Collaboration and constant
engagements are required from us to ensure its success and I
can’t wait to see the final outcome.
Q: What do you aspire YK scholars to be upon graduation? 10
years down the road?
A: Upon graduation, as a placement officer I surely want to see
them grow and give back to their respective organisations and
create a certain benchmark for other scholars in the future.
10 years down the road, I wish to see them all successful and
becoming the nation’s valuable asset out there. But the best
feeling would be for them to come back to YK and come up
with options and ideas that would benefit the YK’s juniors and
alumni in a long run which would have a direct impact and
wonderful ROI for me.
Interview with Ashraf Isa - Job
Placement, Internship & YK
Alumni, Yayasan Khazanah
Q: Tell us a bit about your background before joining YK.
A: I've been in the HR environment for the past 5 years. Previously
learning my ropes looking into Training and Development portfolio for GLC companies and given the opportunity to be working
with PwC as a Business Partner for Assurance industry.
Q: What advice would you offer to young (er) people out there?
A: Grab the opportunity and always be humble. Selected as a YK
Scholar or given other privileges does not give you superiority
over others. However, you are expected to lead and always be
humble. "Ikut Resam Padi, Makin Berisi Makin Tunduk". Always know your roots in life.
Q: Quote you live by?
A: “Life is like a box full of chocolates. You never know what
you're gonna get”.
Q: Where do you see YK in 10 years’ time?
A: Leapfrogging other scholarship providers to be numero uno in
the country.
Q: What made you take on the job here in YK?
A: Ever since i joined the workforce, engaging and nurturing individuals to become potential talents have always been my passion.
The early days of training and development as well as talent
management have given me the exposure that helps me along
the way. YK's vision and whole fundamentals are all about nurturing and developing future leaders which is aligned with my
beliefs and goals. As soon as I understand the whole concept
and YK beliefs, it didn't take me long to join in this wonderful
team.
4
“So long farewell auf wiedersehen goodbye” to our colleague
Mohd Hanif. He has been our wonderful colleague for the
past 10 months and will surely be missed! :(
“Majlis Membeli-belah dan Berbuka Puasa bersama Anak-anak Yatim dan Asnaf”
from Pertubuhan Nur Kasih Bestari. We had great time with the kids!!
On boarding session & Award Ceremony with our new scholars. Welcome on board boys and girls! :)
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Congratulations to all our graduating scholars, batch of 2014, KYUEM. Special congrats to Farhan and Yasmin for receiving the Subject
Awards and Tharanitharen for receiving the Academic Excellence Award (Science). All the best!
4 Lessons from the All Blacks
“Sweeping the sheds. Doing it properly. So no one else has to. Because no one looks after
the All Blacks. The All Blacks look after themselves.” Source
The New Zealand All Blacks is one of the most successful professional sports team in the world. This infamous rugby team has a reputation of 86% of winning percentage in numerous championships in the
past 100 years. So what can we learn from the All Blacks?
YKPSP SDL Resources
 WATCH This
LEGACY
 READ This
6 Critical Qualities of the World’s
Best Captains *Quiz Hint
YKPSP Communication
“Better people make better All Blacks”
Be Humble: Sweep the Sheds
Champions Do Extra
Excellence begins with humility. Each of them
They do more. More trainings for excellence,
clean up their locker room, leaving it in a bet-
healthier lifestyle, more time on the field, higher
ter condition than they got it.
standards, higher expectations.
Leave the Jersey in a Better Place
Keep a Blue Head
They ’play’ for a higher purpose. They repre-
"Blue Head" is an optimal state in which you are
sent a legacy and a culture. They live & leave
on task and performing to your best ability.
as role-models.
 Upcoming Programmes (Confirmed
Dates)
> UG Series 2: 18 until 23 July 2016
> PG Leadership: 27 until 30 July
2016
> UG Series 1: 31 July until 6 August
2016
 Do update us your contact details if
you recently changed your email
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