Merdeka Award

The Merdeka Award is a Malaysian award that recognises and celebrates the achievements and significant contributions of individuals to Malaysia and its people, within their respective fields.
The Royal Patron of the Merdeka Award Trust is the Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.

History

The Merdeka Award was launched on 27 August 2007 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the independence of Malaysia. It was jointly founded by PETRONAS, ExxonMobil and Shell companies.

Award process

The Merdeka Award used to be granted every year, until 2018, when it was then conferred every other year. The accolade recognizes the outstanding and enduring contributions of individuals and organizations, regardless of nationality, who have demonstrated exceptional achievements contributing significantly to Malaysia in their respective fields.

Eligibility

The award is open to all living Malaysian citizens – individuals or organizations.
Only non-citizens are eligible for the Anugerah Khas Merdeka category, whilst the Outstanding Scholastic and Academic Achievement category is open only to individuals.

Nomination and selection

The nomination and selection process is an independent, objective and fair system administered by a board of trustees, selection committee, and nomination committees.
Nomination committee
Their role is to identify, deliberate, shortlist and recommend candidates to the selection committee. There are five committees, one for each category. Each committee comprises three members, except for Education and Community, which has five members.
Selection committee
Their role is to deliberate the merits of the candidates put forward by the nomination committees and recommend shortlisted candidates to the board. There are five members of the selection committee.
Board of trustees
Their role is to make a final selection of the recipients. The decision must be unanimous with one award for each category, though there may not be recipients in every category each year. The award can be shared by as many as two recipients. The board comprises representatives of the founding members, as well as two independent members.

Award Ceremonies

The award winners are announced every two years in August or September in conjunction with Malaysia's Independence Day or Malaysia Day, with the Merdeka Award Ceremony taking place later in the year.

Prizes

Each award category carries a cash prize of RM300,000 and comes with a trophy and an inscribed certificate, except for winners of the Anugerah Harapan category, who do not receive a trophy.
Logo & trophy design
The Merdeka Award Logo and Trophy was designed by Dato’ Johan Ariff, the Creative Director of, who also designed the PETRONAS logo in 1974.
The trophy, a three-dimensional version of the logo was specially designed using Lapis Lazuli gemstone as its base, and combined with elements of gold, silver, Malaysian pewter and Malaysian hardwood, Chengal.

Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment (MAGIA)

An extension of the Merdeka Award, the Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment was launched in April 2012 as a signature outreach programme by the Merdeka Award Trust. The MAGIA enables recipients to participate in collaborative projects and/or programmes for up to three months, at selected internationally acclaimed institutions, corporations, agencies and organisations within the network of the Merdeka Award's three founding partners – PETRONAS, ExxonMobil and Shell.

Grant eligibility

The MA Grant is open to all qualified Malaysians between 22 and 35 years of age, who are able to demonstrate the Spirit of Merdeka within their areas of expertise.
As of 2024, the grant is awarded every cycle to one candidate within each of the following disciplines

Education and Community / Social Work
Environment
Health, Science and Technology
Sports
Arts

The broad categories involved for the consideration of the MA Grant are:

Heritage and social work
Traditional disciplines including economics, finance and scientific specialties
Environmental studies including climate change, biodiversity, and environmental protection and conservation

Nomination & selection

Three steps are involved in the selection process:
Submission
Reviewed by the Merdeka Award Secretariat, all applications must be submitted together with an Attachment Proposal and Attachment Budget, outlining the proposed area of research, projected expenses, expected outcomes and benefits to Malaysia and her people.
Shortlist
Interviews are then conducted by the Selection Committee, with representatives from Shell and PETRONAS. Candidates are comprehensively evaluated based on various criteria including the quality of their proposal, relevance of proposed area of research, innovativeness in area and method of research, philosophy and commitment to community building, and public speaking, social and media skills.
Final Selection
Recommendations of outstanding candidates are made to the Merdeka Award Board of Trustees, who make the final selection.

Merdeka Award Talk Series

The Merdeka Award Talk Series provides a platform for individuals to connect based on shared core values, with the goal of inspiring leadership that can positively impact communities, contribute to national development, drive economic growth, and support environmental sustainability.
The panel sessions within the Merdeka Award Talk Series aim to highlight thought leaders who exemplify resilience, adaptability, and creativity in overcoming challenges. Through real-world examples, the sessions explore how leaders have transformed setbacks into opportunities, demonstrating how individuals can make the most of every situation. The series encourages participants of all backgrounds—regardless of age, gender, or race—to adopt similar approaches in their own leadership journeys. It addresses a range of critical issues facing Malaysian society today, offering diverse perspectives and fostering awareness to inspire both individual and collective change.

Merdeka Award Roundtables (no longer active)

The Merdeka Award Roundtables, was a series of TV talk shows carried on ASTRO Awani Channel 501. Featuring leading figures from Malaysia's corporate, academic and social spheres, the Roundtables was designed to inspire, debate and discuss key issues of interest to Malaysians.

Merdeka Award Thumbs-Up Challenge (no longer active)

The Merdeka Award Thumbs-Up Challenge was an initiative organised by The Merdeka Award Trust, to create a platform for all Malaysians to share impactful and sustainable ideas based on select themes. The initiative encouraged participants to contribute an idea that had been tested and was impactful.
First launched in 2015, the Thumbs-Up Challenge recognised ideas from each themed Challenge. The best overall idea could be implemented on a larger scale through the Merdeka Award's wide network.