Women in search of excellence: Wong and Oh

Oh receiving her award from the Queen as (from left) Rajasekaran (partially hidden), Ng, Tuanku Faizuddin and Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen look on.
Kuala Lumpur, 7 November 2006

The Yayasan Tuanku Fauziah (Tuanku Fauziah Foundation) Inaugural Awards Night was witness to the first twinkle of two bright stars, as Wong Xiao Qing and Joanne Oh Chin Wan became the first recipients of the Yayasan Tuanku Fauziah Award.

Yayasan Tuanku Fauziah was launched in April this year specifically to help women achieve excellence in their respective fields. Wong hopes to help improve the performance of women in the corporate world, while the Oh intends to make a significant contribution in the field of electrical engineering.

Selected from hundreds of applicants by the Foundation's panel of judges, the duo received medals and awards from the Queen, Raja Permaisuri Agong Tengku Fauziah Tengku Abdul Rashid at the Istana Melawati in Putrajaya.

In her speech at the palace main dining hall, Wong thanked the Foundation and the Queen for the award and said that it was a great honour and privilege for her to be one of the pioneer recipients.

The Psychology undergraduate from HELP University College added, “I will work very closely with the Yayasan as well as future award recipients in our endeavour to achieve the Foundation’s mission which is encapsulated in the acronym WISE – Women In Search of Excellence. I believe the Yayasan’s mission to promote women of excellence in Malaysia is something we should all strive for, especially in this new millennium for a peaceful, prosperous, united Malaysia.”

Oh, who recently completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) in Electronics majoring in Optical Engineering at Multimedia University (MMU), said that she was overjoyed when she received news of being one of the award's recipients.

“Let me extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our gracious Queen for the fellowship. My deepest appreciation also goes to the trustees and judges of the Foundation. To be one of the first recipients of this award is not only an honour but also an opportunity for me to gear Malaysia into a country where all Malaysians will be proud of. I am sure that this award will further inspire me to achieve higher goals and success in my life,” said Oh in her speech.

Wong (seated left) and Oh (seated right) together with their families and YTL executive director, Dato' Yeoh Soo Min (seated centre) and her husband, Dato' Ir. Robert Tan (standing second from right).

The awards provide both recipients with the opportunity for a six-month internship with internationally acclaimed companies. Wong will be doing her internship with Siemens in Germany, while Oh will go to Japan and Korea for her internship with General Electric.
The two ladies, who have proven to be high-achievers in school in all aspects, will also be inducted as the first members of the Women In Search of Excellence (WISE) Club, the alumni for the Foundation.

The awards night was graced by the presence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail; the Regent of Perlis, Tuanku Faizuddin Putra; and Raja Puan Muda Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akasha.

The Foundation’s board of trustees, Deputy Finance Minister Dato’ Dr Ng Yen Yen; YTL Corporation executive director, Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min; lawyer M. Rajasekaran and chartered accountant Raja Dato’ Azwane Raja Ariff were also present together with two of the panel of judges that had selected the successful candidates: Malaysia's first woman Federal Court Judge, Tan Sri Dato’ Siti Norma Yaakob and the highly respected strategic and financial consultant, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Lin See-Yan

Other guests at the evening’s event were the Foundation’s generous donors comprising Malaysia’s corporate leaders including YTL Corporation executive chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay and his wife, Puan Sri Tan Kai Yong were also present. The proud parents and happy siblings of Wong and Oh were also present at the celebration.
The Awards Night also marked the third anniversary since the inception of Yayasan Tuanku Fauziah.

To learn more about Yayasan Tuanku Fauziah, please visit: http://www.yayasantuankufauziah.org/