Board of Trustees
In 2009, PINTAR Foundation established its Board of Trustees (BOT), made up of esteemed individuals experienced in academia, corporate and other key Malaysian sectors.
"The most powerful fuel we can harness for societal growth and progress is the latent potential inherent in all our children. This potential has to be nurtured in the right environment, provided with the right exposure and given the right motivation in order for us to harvest their dynamic possibilities. This is more important than ever right now, when so many of our schools struggle with fewer resources; and many students face their own struggles with poverty and unsupportive families at home."
Late Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Arshad Ayub
Former Chairman of PINTAR Foundation
Chairman
Yang Amat Arif Tun Dato' Seri Zaki bin Tun Azmi
Tun Dato’ Seri Zaki Bin Tun Azmi holds a Barrister-at-Law from the Lincoln’s Inn, UK.
He joined the Malaysian Judicial and Legal Services as a Magistrate and was later transferred to the Attorney General’s Chambers where he held several positions for 15 years before going into private legal practice. He was appointed as a Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia in 2007 and shortly thereafter became the President of Court of Appeal of Malaysia, the second highest judicial office in the country.
In October 2008, he was appointed as the 12th Chief Justice of Malaysia. He also holds the distinction of being appointed as the first Chairman of the Judicial Appointment Commission until his retirement as Chief Justice in September 2011. He was also appointed as Chief Justice of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts in November 2018 and still serves in the DIFC Courts that deals with civil and commercial disputes in Dubai, one of the world’s leading financial centres.
He is currently the Chairman of the Main Market listed company, Pertama Digital Berhad. He is also the Chancellor of Multimedia University (MMU) and MAHSA University, and the Pro-Chancellor of University Science Islam Malaysia (USIM). He is a member of the Board of Music Rights Malaysia Berhad and Eramas Trustee Berhad.
Datuk Dr. Mary Yap Kain Ching, JP
Datuk Dr. Mary Yap Kain Ching, born in March 1951, was the former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Deputy Minister of Education.
Her working experience in the field of education includes being an English teacher, English lecturer, Chief School Inspector for the Schools Inspectorate, School Principal and Director of Teacher Education Institutes.
Her areas of expertise include education issues focusing on school leadership and school management excellence, as well as quality teacher training. She started her teaching career as an English lecturer at the Sandakan Teachers’ Training College, Sabah, in 1975, and later taught English in several schools in Tawau until 1989.
Her outstanding contributions in the field of education have been recognised by the conferment of various awards that include the Excellent Woman Award by the Tawau Parliament Constituency in 2003, the Outstanding Woman Award by the Sabah Women Advisory Council in 2004, and the Professional Excellence Award in recognition of her service to the community of Tawau from the Tawau Rotary Club on 28 June 2007, amongst others. In 2012, Datuk Dr. Mary received the “Anugerah Tokoh Guru Kebangsaan”, a recognition from the government for her outstanding commitment and contribution towards the teaching profession and education.
Upon her retirement in 2007, Datuk Dr Mary was appointed the Senior Consultant at Aminuddin Baki Leadership Training Institute and she had been the advisor to the Minister of Education on the Cluster Schools of Excellence Movement from 2007 to 2009. Her educational innovations on management and leadership models won her the 2nd Ly Chanh Duc Award from South East Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-INNOTECH, Manila). In view of that, she was appointed an on-line tutor for the Excels Excellence in School Leadership Program for principals in South East Asia. Known for her ‘result-oriented’ approach, she had developed the Super Leadership Training Program to groom young aspiring teachers and principals to be excellent school leaders.
In 2009, Datuk Dr. Mary was appointed a member of the Women’s Advisory Council for Sabah (MPWS) where she helmed the Education Committee. Later in the same year, she was invited by the Prime Minister of Malaysia to sit in the Board of Trustees for PINTAR Foundation which focuses on building capacity for schools through a school adoption approach led by government-linked companies (GLCs).
Dato' Sri Bernard Chandran
Dato’ Sri Bernard Chandran, born in February 1968, is Malaysia’s leading fashion designer, or fashion creator as he would like to call himself.
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Bernard graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the Paris American Academy and at L’Union Des Chambres Syndicales Parisiennes, Paris. Immediately his outstanding talent was recognized and Dato’ Sri Bernard achieved the exceptional accolade of being the first non-European designer to win both the coveted Silk Cut Young Designers Award and the Open European Contest for Look of the Year 2000 in 1991.
After graduating in 1993, Dato’ Sri Bernard returned to Malaysia where he launched his eponymous line that cemented his international reputation for creative design and won him numerous awards including Monsieur Style Awards (1997) and the prestigious Maurice Lacroix Recognition Award in Paris (2000). In 2003, Tatler (Malaysia) named Dato’ Sri Bernard ‘Designer of the Year’ at the Malaysian International Fashion Awards (MIFA) and Master of His Craft.
In January 2004, Dato’ Sri Bernard opened his first store in Europe, located in London’s Knightsbridge and the following year launched the highly acclaimed Autumn/Winter 2006 Ready-to-Wear collection at London Fashion Week (LFW). Four further seasons at LFW continued to demonstrate Dato’ Sri Bernard’s versatility to the international market and Dato’ Bernard’s line is now firmly established and his label Bernard Chandran is marketed throughout Europe, in Dubai and the Far East.
International success lead to further awards: in 2007 Dato’ Sri Bernard was awarded the Brand Laureate (Best Brands in Fashion-Haute Couture) and the Martell Elite of The Year (2007) awards and was the head judge for Project Runway (Malaysia) in 2007. Tatler magazine (Malaysia) recently selected Dato’ Sri Bernard as one of Asia’s most internationally recognized names.
Dato’ Sri Bernard’s latest projects include the multi-label Area27 that redefines and showcases cutting-edge high street fashions for the youth market. Area27 is more than a store: His aim is to inspire a new generation of young Malaysian to appreciate, participate, innovate, and contribute to the knowledge and understanding of historic and contemporary Malaysian art, design and popular culture and to nurture a future generation of Malaysian designers.
On 26 October 2016, in conjunction with the birthday celebrations of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang, Dato’ Sri Bernard received the the Darjah Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP) which carries the title Dato’ Sri.
Sabri Ab Rahman
Sabri Ab Rahman, born in July 1959, started Television Airtime Services Sdn Bhd in 1992 and is one of its two major shareholders.
He has been actively involved in the development of private television in Malaysia since the inception of TV3 in 1983, the rescue of Metropolitan TV during the financial crisis of 1996/97, and the consolidation of the TV3 group into Media Prima in 2000.
Sabri holds a Diploma in Business Studies ITM, 1981 and Bachelor in Business Administration, Ohio University/ITM 1983. Before venturing into business independently in 1992, Sabri worked for several companies and industries including banking and finance, automobile, broadcasting services, and outdoor advertising. Currently, via Television Airtime Services, Sabri oversees the implementation of mobile solutions for e-Government through a subsidiary company, DAPAT Vista Sdn Bhd.
Sabri is known in the broadcasting and communications industries for his work with some of the most prominent broadcasting and communications experts and specialists in Malaysia, as well as in the ASEAN region.
Other directorships in his notable career include Metropolitan TV SdnBhd/8TV and Synchrosound Studio Sdn Bhd/HOT FM (subsidiaries of Media Prima Berhad). He is also Chairman for the Malaysian Coalition for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (MCPCSA), as well as the Child Helpline Malaysia. Additionally, Sabri is a Member of Majlis Penasihat dan Perundingan Kanak-kanak Kebangsaan.
