KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Yayasan Khazanah has played an important role in nation-building by nurturing students to become potential leaders..

The foundation, said the Prime Minister, has so far granted more than 600 scholarships to Malaysians as well as deserving students from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Palestine and Thailand.

“After completing their studies, these students will return to their home countries to contribute to their communities and one day become leaders,” he said during Yayasan Khazanah’s 10th anniversary gala dinner at the Hilton Hotel.

Najib said 2016 has been another milestone year for the foundation with the announcement of two joint scholarships, the Rhodes Scholarship for Malaysia and the Chevening-Khazanah Scholarship.

He added that Yayasan Khazanah now had four major programmes, ranging from the secondary school level to the postgraduate level.

Najib also complimented the foundaion for selecting and nurturing many exceptional individuals to prepare them for high-level positions.

“They (scholars) are the future of Malaysia … you boys and girls are the ones to lead Malaysia to the next level of success.

“Let me conclude by wishing Yayasan Khazanah a happy 10th anniversary and hopefully, Malaysia can win two gold medals.”

Najib delivered his speech after watching Datuk Lee Chong Wei overcome China’s Lin Dan in the men’s singles semi-final of the Rio Olympics.

With two projector displays and LCD screens, the grand ballroom erupted in cheers and joy, with Najib pumping his fists in the air after Lee secured the winning point during the live telecast.

Also present at the event were Yayasan Khazanah chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Khazanah Nasional managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.

In Rio de Janeiro, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaludin tweeted a photo of himself in tears after Lee’s dramatic victory.-thestar