by Shameera Nair Lin
When the book prize was conceived in 2009, the spirit behind it was one of commemoration. The Puan Sri Kai Yong Yeoh Book Prize, named eponymously after the wife of the late Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay, is inspired by Puan Sri’s love of teaching and shaping future minds. It is a rare platform that offers the children of all YTL employees to test their creativity, through exploring topics that may not necessarily show up in their daily education.
In her formative years, Puan Sri Kai Yong Yeoh was an outstanding student both academically and in the performing arts. She would go on to make remarkable contributions in her teaching career, educating students in Mathematics. More importantly, her career was about helping students realise their full potential.
In spite of full-time teaching engagements, she personally saw to the needs of her own children, tutoring and nurturing them to be well-rounded individuals rooted in strong family values. Although she has since retired from the teaching profession, she continues her passion by tutoring her grandchildren in Mathematics.
That aim to realise potential is an integral part of the Prize. For one, the structure of the Prize – combining both creative mediums and research essays – fosters a more holistic approach to pressing contemporary issues. One entry that comes to mind is that of a 15-year-old student named Nadia Farah Saddiq from the UK, who produced a video on period poverty in the form of a PSA. Played during the annual leadership conference (LEAD), the video garnered significant attention and went on to make a mark. Deepa Pasupathy, Senior Programme Manager at YTL Foundation, notes that ‘we were very proud of that video and her, that at the age of 15, she was quite aware of the struggles little girls go through and wanted to do something about it.’
Fostering that underpinning curiosity in participants is, ultimately, what contributes to the longevity of the Prize. In encouraging the future generation of thinkers and leaders to start young, the Prize beckons anyone with an eye for a rigorous challenge.
And just as crucially, the Prize is a way to get acquainted with those bearing potential for a future career with YTL. As a family-owned conglomerate, staff members and their families are viewed as an extension of the family.
