From the Editor’s Desk

Dear Scholars,

If sitting on my bum and cheering on my son’s at-tempt to com-plete his tele-match game in the recent

School Sports Day event was consid-ered 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 remember and that is not something that I am very proud of.

You see, I used to be active and in-volved in quite an array of sporting activities such as running in mara-thons, cycling, and playing badminton. I tried to remember how fun it was to be running freely at Jalan Bukit Bintang

when they closed it for marathon run-ners, how invigorating it was to feel the wind brushed upon my face when cy-cling 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 bad-minton 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.

On a more serious note, I came across an article that states there is a positive relation that shows a higher participa-tion in sports is often associated with higher or better work performance and productivity. I agree with that as I see if a person is physically active, the bene-fits gained would spill over into other aspects for the individual such as a bet-ter quality of life and wellbeing. So, I

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 activ-ities can offer but also gaining the ben-efits of staying healthy, alert and fo-cused 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

Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2016

1

Scholar’s Studio Gary Tan Ranjetta Poobathy Ibrahim Rabaia Aniq Aznan

Interviews Activities & Happenings YKPSP Corner

In This Issue HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

Sports & Me

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 confi-dence. It is those who practise consistently and effectively will even-tually be the best. Perhaps you had a bad day, perhaps you feel un-worthy 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 ena-bles you to learn faster and curb procrastination. Using this simple formula that I have learnt from playing basketball and Frisbee, I ap-plied 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”.

2

“Okay.”

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 situa-tion 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. De-priving myself of sleep and daily coffee-binges were nothing ab-normal to me. I could survive on four hours of sleep daily. Some-times 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 col-lege. 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 eve-rything 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 undergrad-uate-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 stay-ing 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 unsatis-fied scientist, still kicking myself for not getting the predicted re-sults, 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 com-plete 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 im-mediately 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. Continue to next page >>

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 permis-sion from my mother to attend Taekwondo classes in the nearest sec-ondary 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.

3

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 some-how 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 at-tached to my studies, work performance or even my sporting abili-ties; 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!

myself why these crazy people waste their time in painful and ex-hausting 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.

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 actual-ly 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

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 fa-miliar 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 foot-ball 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 com-plimentary 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.

Continue to next page >>

Michael Phelps practiced a 12000 calories diet for his training. That is the amount of food an average per-son 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 partici-pated 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?

4

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 port- folio for GLC companies and given the opportunity to be working with PwC as a Business Partner for Assurance industry.

Q: What made you take on the job here in YK? A: Ever since i joined the workforce, engaging and nurturing indi- viduals 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 nur- turing 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.

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.

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". Al- ways 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.

5

“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! :)

6

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 Les s ons f rom th e A l l B lack s

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

YKPSP Communication

YKPSP SDL Resources WATCH This

LEGACY

READ This

6 Critical Qualities of the World’s Best Captains *Quiz Hint

“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 in-famous 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?

Be Humble: Sweep the Sheds Excellence begins with humility. Each of them clean up their locker room, leaving it in a bet-

ter condition than they got it.

Champions Do Extra They do more. More trainings for excellence,

healthier lifestyle, more time on the field, higher standards, higher expectations.

“Better people make better All Blacks”

Keep a Blue Head "Blue Head" is an optimal state in which you are

on task and performing to your best ability.

Leave the Jersey in a Better Place They ’play’ for a higher purpose. They repre-sent a legacy and a culture. They live & leave

as role-models.