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Recognising Torchbearers of Tunku's Legacy
Since 1979, the Pingat Tunku Award has been awarded annually to outstanding local university graduates who demonstrate the leadership characteristics and noble values of our Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman.
The selection of recipients for this award is based on the holistic characteristics of graduates who have demonstrated their ability to lead, inspire and mobilise change within their community and country.
In 2010, the award was expanded to consist of three categories including gold, silver and bronze. Since 2020, award recipients will receive a grant prize to organise a community project of their choice, encouraging the spirit of impactful service to shaping a better Malaysia. From 2025 onwards, the Pingat Tunku Award will be open to self-nominations from all public university graduates.
The Pingat Tunku Award offers
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A community project grant and a cash prize of equivalent value in 3 levels:
Gold Award - RM10,000
Silver Award - RM7,000
Bronze Award - RM5,000
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An opportunity to execute projects of your choice that benefit communities.
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A chance to hone project management skills in line with Tunku’s values of compassion, unity, leadership, and honour.
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Support, consultation and learning opportunities from the YTAR team.
Eligibility Requirements
You are welcome to apply as long as you:
Are a Malaysian citizen
Graduated from a local public university within the last 3 years (from January 2022 - December 2024)
Have a CGPA of 3.50 and above*
Are active in extra-curricular, particularly community-related, activities
Have demonstrated strong leadership and community service
Have a strong, impact-driven community project idea
YTAR also welcomes nominations from challenging or minority backgrounds such as B40 students, first-in-family students to university, students from Sabah/Sarawak, Orang Asli students, and disabled graduates.
*If you don't meet this academic requirement but meet all other requirements, you're encouraged to still nominate yourself.
Awarding Process
Awarding Process
Nomination
Nominate yourself by filling in this form by 8 May 2025
Interview & Assessment
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview.
Selection
& Award
Selected candidates will be invited to attend the Anugerah Pingat Tunku Awards Ceremony.
Project Proposal
& Execution
Award recipients are required to complete their projects by December 2025.
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Upholding Tunku's Legacy
Recipients of the Pingat Tunku Award have honoured the spirit of Tunku Abdul Rahman with their strong commitment to building a progressive, inclusive and united Malaysia.
The Pingat Tunku Award recipients have utilised the grant funding to empower communities through initiatives such as health outreach programmes, e-commerce platforms for single mothers and english literacy intervention programmes for low-income communities.
Beyond the community project, Pingat Tunku Award recipients have supported programmes by providing mentorship and guidance to Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship recipients and secondary school students under the Closing The Gap programme, a higher education access programme powered by the Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation.
To read more about past community projects by Pingat Tunku Award recipients, use the menu below to jump to a Community Project you would like to read about
APT Community Projects
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Maatram Initiative
by Shashivarmaan Thevaraj, APT 2021 Recipient
Shashi was inspired by his own experiences growing up to start the Maatram Initiative, a character development intervention programme for vulnerable Malaysian Indian youth at risk of dropping out of school. The structured programme includes academic visits, personalised mentorship, and a series of workshops that include mental health, anger management, conflict resolution and more. Thus far, the initiative has impacted 20 students and Shashi plans to expand the Maatram model to impact other communities in other states.
Watch the video below to find out more about the Maatram Initiative.
Maatram Initiative
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Projek Pertanian Komuniti
by Razman bin Durhan, APT 2022 Recipient
Hailing from Kinabatangan, Razman’s dedication to giving back to his community led him to start Projek Pertanian Komuniti. The project developed a sustainable aquaponic system in Kampung Sentosa Jaya and trained local residents from low-income backgrounds on aquaponic farming techniques. The project saw improved practical skills and increased awareness of the importance of sustainable agriculture amongst the residents, as well as opportunities for collaboration with local entrepreneurs. Razman plans to expand the programme through funding from Sejati MADANI.
Projek Pertanian Komunit
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Smart Farmer
by Durra Nur Nazeera Binti Roslaili, APT 2022 Recipient
Growing up, Durra never had the chance to witness the sacrifice that farmers make, and this encouraged her to find ways to support the farming industry of Malaysia. Her Smart Farmer project, aimed at attracting young talent towards the farming sector, saw 20 participants growing sweet potatoes over 2 acres of land in Tok Bali, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. Within 11 months and with the support of 5 partnering organisations, the participants managed to harvest 7,130kg of sweet potatoes, making sales upwards of RM20,000. Durra plans to continue the project with the planting of watermelon in 2025.
Smart Farmer
Pingat Tunku Award
Stories
Our Pingat Tunku Award recipients are trailblazers, who have ventured on the path less-travelled and changemakers, who seek to bring about a positive transformation in the community and the country. Watch their stories to learn more about them.
2017 Pingat Tunku Award, Gold
Alex Choo Wen Chun
National University of Malaysia
2019 Pingat Tunku Award, Gold
Dr Aswinkumar A/L Gunasekaran
National Defence University of Malaysia
2020 Pingat Tunku Award, Bronze
Siti Nurainin Nabillah binti Mohd Azman
University of Malaya
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