A Personal Update from Ida

Dear Scholars and Alumni,

I hope this message finds you well. After six rewarding years with the Foundation and nearly a decade since co-founding Closing The Gap (CTG), I’m writing to share that I will be stepping down as CEO by the end of May 2025.

This has been one of the most bittersweet decisions I have had to mull over in the last few months. Throughout my time here, I have had the privilege of watching CTG and, subsequently, the Foundation grow into something truly special. With your support and belief, we have transformed YTAR into an energetic organisation advocating for higher education opportunities, social mobility, and youth development for young Malaysians, especially those from underrepresented communities.

Here are just a few highlights of what we have achieved together:

• Programme: We have expanded our impact sixfold, growing from 26 students in 2019 to 221 today, and reaching close to 1800 students in the past six years, including the emergency assistance provided during COVID. Whether it was CTG Scholars who bravely took charge of their futures after SPM, pursuing diverse pathways including vocational, overseas, or local, or Tunku Scholars who have created more than 70 community projects that have touched the lives of over 20,000 people, or FutureReady participants who have dedicated themselves to personal and career growth, I am incredibly proud of all you have achieved for yourselves and the communities you serve.

• Fundraising: We have raised RM22 million for scholarships and partnerships, benefiting over 700 students from 2020 to 2030. These partnerships were made possible because your potential, along with your stories of growth and resilience, moved the hearts of partners such as OSK Foundation, Grab Malaysia, and the Asia Philanthropy Circle, who chose to invest in you.

• Visibility: Our social media following has grown to over 20,000 across platforms. We continue to mobilise our staff, scholars, mentors, and volunteers to amplify our mission, whether through media interviews or public panels.

• Alumni: You have supported us in every aspect of our work—leading scholarship applications and interviews, mentoring, and assisting with the Alumni Induction. You have been an integral part of shaping the programme we have today. Over the remainder of my time here, I hope to work closely with the Tunku Scholars Association of Malaysia to establish clearer milestones for engagement, connection, and impact.

Each of you has made a lasting impact, and I am deeply grateful for the commitment, courage, and heart you bring to our shared mission.

Looking back, I feel like I have been made a better person from my interactions with you, big and small. From running workshops for you at CTG Residential Camp to hearing your stories of resilience, hope, and personal growth in BTAR interviews to the dinner-side chats at Checkpoint and Alumni Induction—these moments have left an indelible mark on me. Many of you have walked difficult paths to reach where you are at, and it constantly humbles me about the gritty, resilient group of people I have had the privilege to know. Thank you for allowing me to lead in all my different capacities throughout the last 9 years.

This will remain, always, as a special chapter in my life.

When I first embarked on my journey, I knew the goal was never to stay forever, but to create an enduring movement for equity that would outlast my time. It is inspiring to see this community of passionate individuals, all committed to making Malaysia a better place for everyone, thrive. Regardless of which programme brought you here or which cohort you were/are from, I hope you continue to grow together, so that Malaysia can recognise you for what you truly are: a force for good, justice, and change.

Thank you for your trust and support in this journey. We have come a long way, and I look forward to seeing how you continue to write your, and Malaysia’s, next chapter.

What’s next:

We will be opening the search for my successor in the coming weeks. In our search, the Board is committed to ensuring that alignment with YTAR’s equitable approach and ambition to impact more students remains a key criterion for the next leader. At the same time, the team is fully dedicated to carrying forward the work we’ve started, and I will continue to support them, including supporting the full transition as well as mentoring the team throughout.

I will remain reachable at ida.thien@yayasantar.org.my until June 2025 and would be happy to connect on LinkedIn as well.

Thank you, and godspeed, Pemimpin Negaraku.

Sincerely,

Ida Thien