Farewell Ida, Welcome Kula

After close to a decade of advancing educational equity through co-founding the Closing The Gap programme, to nearly six years of service at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation (YTAR), Ida Thien will be stepping down as CEO at the end of May 2025.

Under Ida’s leadership, YTAR has grown from a scholarship-awarding body to a broader advocate for youth development and social mobility, creating pathways for underrepresented communities to succeed in higher education and leadership roles.

Some of the key milestones during her tenure include:

• Programme: Expanding our impact sixfold, growing from 26 students in 2019 to 221 today, and reaching close to 1800 students in the past six years, while also broadening our programme offerings.

• Fundraising: Securing RM22 million in scholarships and programme partnerships to support more than 700 students between 2020 and 2030.

• Visibility: Growing our social media presence to over 20,000 followers with over 200 media features.

• Governance: Strengthening our internal processes and governance, including Act amendments, has improved our public accountability and helped build a dedicated, mission-driven team.

  

  
  

This work has never been just a job to Ida. It has required her whole heart, and that’s exactly what she gave.

Now, she passes the baton to someone who has walked alongside her and who, too, will lead with heart. As we bid farewell to Ida, we warmly welcome our new CEO, Kularetnam, a familiar within the YTAR community.

Since joining YTAR in 2020, Kularetnam has served as Programme Manager for the past four years, helping shape and strengthen the organisation’s work from the ground up. His commitment to educational equity also led him to complete a Master’s in the Sociology of Education at University College London in 2024 under the prestigious Chevening Scholarship.

With a BSc in Psychology from Sunway University, Kularetnam began his journey in education as a Teach For Malaysia Fellow at SMK Kepong, where he introduced 27 students to the Closing The Gap programme.

From strategic planning to behind-the-scenes support, Kularetnam, or as many fondly call him, Mr. Kula, has been involved in every aspect of YTAR's work. His leadership, blending thoughtful insight with practical action, has been crucial in shaping YTAR's transformation into the organisation it is today.

We would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to Ida for laying a strong foundation, and we welcome Kula as he embarks on this new chapter.

Under his leadership, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission: empowering high-potential and deserving youth with the capital, opportunities, skills, and values needed to shape brighter futures for themselves, their communities, and Malaysia.