MOE-MSSM-MILO® Sports Awards 2019

Perseverance, courage, tenacity lead national rhythmic gymnast Izzah Amzan to Gold Sportsperson Award honour.

The Ministry of Education (MOE)-MSSM-MILO® Awards 2019 were presented to top-performing student athletes for their outstanding achievements, as well as to teachers and coaches for their dedication and contribution to Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) competitions in the eligibility year of 2019. The presentation was postponed for one year due to the pandemic.

Recognising excellence in 13 categories including rare top honour, Gold Sportsperson Award, the ceremony was launched by Datuk Dr. Radzi Jidin, Minister of Education Malaysia.

In his speech, Datuk Dr. Radzi Jidin emphasised the role that sports play in further developing the potential of students in a holistic and integrated manner, in line with the National Education Philosophy.

“MOE is one of the ministries that is involved directly in implementing the National Sports Policy. Our efforts are supported by the establishment of Malaysia Sports School and State Sports School, which provides the space and opportunity for many more students who are talented across the country to benefit from a more systematic sports training and coaching that allows them to compete and shine in international competitions,” he said.

MILO®, a champion of grassroots sports development in Malaysia, has been an integral part of MSSM and MOE-MSSM-MILO® Sports Awards since 1973, helping to discover new talents and contributing to the nation’s sports heritage and legacy.

Ng Su Yen

Ng Su Yen, Business Executive Officer - MILO® Business Unit, Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad said, “MILO® believes that sport builds an individual’s ability and character to compete and win later in life beyond the sporting arena, by nurturing in them values that are critical for success such as courage, perseverance and tenacity. Therefore, it is important that our young athletes are supported from the ground up and given access to training, mentoring, coaching, assistance and motivation as well as the opportunity to learn those values so they can achieve their full potential.”

“This year’s honourees have demonstrated extraordinary feats and exemplified what it truly means to be a champion. Congratulations to all of them. We hope their successes will inspire their peers as well as young Malaysians to go further,” she added.

For this edition of the MOE-MSSM-MILO® Awards, one such notable honouree is the Gold Sportsperson Award recipient, rising rhythmic gymnastics queen Izzah Amzan. She began her training at the tender age of 5 and went on to become one of Malaysia’s youngest athletes to compete at the SEA Games at age 17 in 2017. No stranger to the MOE-MSSM-MILO® Awards, she was honoured with the Sportsgirl Award for the year 2018. The determination and courage that she learned throughout the years spurred her to accomplish many remarkable achievements, the most recent of which are the gold and silver medals that she won at the SEA Games in 2019.

Unlike the other categories, the Gold Sportsperson Award is not presented every year and is strictly reserved for student athletes with excellent achievements in both sports and academics. Only a handful of athletes have received this recognition, considered to be the highest accolade in the MOE-MSSM-MILO® Awards. Past recipients include Datuk Nicol David, Dato Pandelela Rinong and most recently, national junior squash sensation Aifa Azman.

“It is truly an honour to be recognised this way and be placed among my idols. I am grateful to MOE, MILO®, my coaches and teachers at Bukit Jalil Sports School as well as my family, friends and supporters who have been by my side through thick and thin. This is the result of your support and belief in me. There is still a lot more for me to learn and achieve. This Award is the boost of confidence and motivation that I need as I continue my journey,” said Izzah.

The MOE-MSSM- MILO® Sports Awards 2019 honour roll is as follows:

Gold Sportsperson Award
Izzah Bt. Amzan (Rhythmic Gymnastics)

Most Promising Athlete Award (Female)
Loo Yie Bing (Swimming)

Most Promising Athlete Award (Male)
Wong Lee Hong (Squash)

Special Education Athlete Award (Female)
Siti Nor Insyirah Bt. Mohamad Ariffin (Athletics)

Special Education Athlete Award (Male)
Jonah Chang Anak Rigan (Athletics)


Special Award (Female)
Nur Amisha Bt. Azrilrizal (Muay Thai)


Special Award (Male)
Mohammad Rifdean bin Masdor (Muay Thai)


Sportsgirl Award
Iman Alisha binti Fakhri Yassin (Rhythmic Gymnastics)


Sportsboy Award
Khiew Hoe Yean (Swimming)

Dedicated Teacher Award (Female)
Chang Siang Cheng (Athletics)

Dedicated Teacher Award (Male)
Yeshodh A/L Parameswaran (Cricket)

Coaching Excellence Award
Mohd Shahril bin Shahidan (Squash)

Leadership Award
Tuan Haji Mohamed Rafed bin Ismail (Hockey)

Every year, more than 12,000 student athletes compete in over 24 sports on the MSSM platform, many of whom would go on to make Malaysia proud at regional and international competitions. MSSM jumpstarted the career of numerous Malaysia’s world-class athletes, including national badminton legend and Malaysia’s first Olympic medalist Datuk Rashid Sidek, eight-time World Squash Open champion Datuk Nicol David, Malaysia’s first female Olympic medalist Dato Pandalela Rinong (diving) and two-time Paralympic gold medalist Abdul Latif Romly (long jump), as well as recent Olympians Nur Dhabitah Sabri (diving), Welson Sim (swimming) and Farah Ann Abdul Hadi (artistic gymnastics) – all of whom are past recipients of the MOE-MSSM-MILO® Sports Awards themselves.