After a challenging 2 years due to the pandemic and an economic downturn that has seen inflation severely impact the affordability of daily necessities, recent reports have indicated that more Malaysians could fall within the B40 category turning it into B60. This situation is made worse by the tightening job market, where digitalisation and globalisation have seen employers add emphasis on seeking multi-lingual staff to cater to global markets. Specifically, Mandarin has become among the 2nd fastest growing language in the number of speakers globally.
Recognising these challenges and how they could impact the careers and livelihoods of the growing B40 population, Fasih Mandarin – Malaysia’s leading non-native speaker Mandarin language institute has announced the FM Scholarship 2022.
Speaking about the objectives of the scholarship, Ros Mohammad Shah Farid bin Mat Rashid, Founder & Managing Director of Fasih Mandarin, said “The FM Scholarship aims to upskill and uplift the B40 population’s language proficiency in Mandarin with the hope of opening more job opportunities. I am personally aware of the immense opportunities a scholarship can provide – the one that I received from Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) all those years ago is what set me on the track to eventually establishing Fasih Mandarin. I was able to gain valuable life experience from the scholarship I obtained. In return I would like to pass it forward, I genuinely believe that a similar educational opportunity will help ignite a spark in the young minds and inspire them to new heights.”
Furthermore, he emphasises, “Mandarin is now widely recognised as a vital business language with the continuing economic prominence of China. By making language lessons more accessible and affordable for the B40 population, we hope to empower them with the tools to land a secure and promising career that can not only provide them with a good source of income but from there have positive knock-on effects on the rest of their family and community.”
Currently open for applications until 31 August, Fasih Mandarin’s FM Scholarship offers up to a 60% waiver on course fees to qualified individuals for the HSK1 beginner Mandarin online course. To qualify, applicants must be a Malaysian citizen with an SPM/SPVM/STAM or its equivalent qualification and have an average household income of RM5,000 and below.
HSK1 corresponds to the first level of the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, the official internationally recognised examination for listening, comprehension, and writing proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. FM Scholarship 2022, represents the third round of scholarships offered by Fasih Mandarin. The previous rounds of the scholarships saw a total of 100 students receive discounted fees to participate in the HSK1 course.
Commenting on their experience in the course and the importance of the scholarship, Muhammad Afifuddin, 27 years old, stated “After learning basic Mandarin, I am now able to understand simple Mandarin conversations and read simple Mandarin characters. The teachers who taught me were very friendly and understanding, and the class sessions were enjoyable. My next plan is to sit for the international examination of HSK level 1 to continue to develop my proficiency in the language. Through the FM Scholarship, I could afford classes and through Fasih Mandarin I am picking up the language quickly and easily. The Fasih Mandarin teachers are very friendly, energetic, and passionate about teaching Mandarin, which motivates me to try my best.”
Fasih Mandarin is the brainchild of Ros Mohammad Shah Farid, a graduate of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, where he obtained a degree in Mandarin Literature. More recently, he has been appointed as a distinguished member of the board of studies for the Faculty of Languages and Management, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Selected to be on the advisory panel for B.A Mandarin as a Foreign Language (Honours), the first Mandarin for non-native speakers Bachelor’s degree established in Malaysia.
Established in 2018, Fasih Mandarin’s main goal is to assist people who are eager and want to master Mandarin with structured yet highly interactive and easy-to-grasp methodologies. The programme is the first in the country to be developed by and for non-native speakers and is thus tailored and conducted with the specific challenges of non-native speakers in mind.
Fasih Mandarin offers a wide array of in-house courses modules catered to all ages and settings – with group and private classes for both adults and children as well as specially designed corporate courses. Only takes a matter of 24 hours to master the beginner level of Mandarin. Fasih Mandarin has 7 centres across Peninsular Malaysia with the latest branch opening up in the southern region of the country at Johor Bahru, Johor. To date, the institute has enrolled over 7,000 students empowering them with Mandarin language skills.
Fasih Mandarin is registered with the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Finance and is a registered training provider under HRDCorp. The institute’s courses and methodologies are also recognised by Beibu Gulf University, a prominent university based in China.
Learn more about Fasih Mandarin by visiting: https://en.fasihmandarin.com/ or register for the FM Scholarship 2022 at the FM Scholarship Google Form
