UMPSA Library: Top choice for BEM President’s Award recipient to study

GAMBANG, 29 October 2024 – Throughout his four years of study, the recipient of the President of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) Academic Excellence Award, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Khoo Zheng Hao, 24, made the UMPSA Gambang Campus Library his primary location for revising lessons.

The graduate with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Honours from the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology (FTKKP) received the award during the 19th UMPSA Convocation Ceremony.

According to Khoo Zheng Hao, he used the library as a place to complete all his academic assignments, including revising, completing tasks, and working on projects.

“I always look for a ‘specific spot’ for revision, and the UMPSA Library provides a suitable and comfortable environment.

“Every Monday to Friday, I would go to the library from morning until night, and sometimes, I would stay there until the library closed.

“Overall, the academic facilities and lecturers at UMPSA are excellent,” he said.

Through the teaching and learning process at UMPSA, he also successfully identified the root cause of a major problem faced by the semiconductor industry.

“For almost three years, the semiconductor industry could not find a solution to the issue they faced, but I managed to identify the root cause of the problem in just one month.

“I also provided a suitable solution and contacted a senior engineer from China with over eight years of experience in the semiconductor industry to verify and approve my findings.

“Previously, during my industrial training for the Diploma in Chemical Engineering, I successfully developed a new product, an emulsion for the food industry, for commercialisation,” he explained.

He said that trial and error was the best methodology for producing emulsions with high stability.

It took him four months to produce the emulsion, consistently liaising with suppliers who provided raw materials to ensure the product’s success.

His excellence is evident, as he received the Dean’s List Award every semester with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.87.

Born in Ipoh, Perak, he also earned a gold medal in the Creation, Innovation, Technology and Research Exposition (CITREX) 2023 and TRIZ Innovation competitions.

He has a deep passion for singing and composing music and was active in the Chess Club, where he served as Treasurer from 2021 to 2024.

The eldest of four siblings, and the son of Khoo Yan Who, 53, a contractor, and Yong Huey Meng, 52, a bank clerk, believes there are two unique values in UMPSA’s learning and co-curricular content.

He explained that UMPSA’s learning approach emphasises the connection between theory and practical application, enabling students to gain relevant industry experience.

“UMPSA’s co-curricular programmes offer various activities, including leadership, volunteerism, and competitions that help develop students’ soft skills and personalities.

“In my dictionary of life, there is no such thing as ‘cannot’ or ‘not capable’ because, to me, if I cannot do something, it’s not that I am incapable, but I simply do not want to do it.

“I hope to maintain discipline in life, academics, and my career so that I can achieve even greater success in life,” he said.

For him, receiving the Academic Excellence Award is only the beginning.

“I will remain humble and continue to have a learning attitude to achieve even greater success in the future.

“I also want to thank my parents, grandparents, and family for always supporting me financially and emotionally.

“Sometimes people think success is driven by pressure from family, but for me, it’s the opposite.

“They did not pressure me in my studies but instead encouraged me and eased the pressures I faced.

“Because of that, no matter how exhausted I felt while studying, I could recharge and continue learning with renewed energy,” he said.

He is currently a postgraduate student under the fast-track admission programme at UMPSA.

By: Nur Hartini Mohd Hatta, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Dr.  Rozaimi  Abu  Samah, Faculty   of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology