WHO WE ARE
Yayasan Kajian dan Pembangunan Masyarakat (also known as Foundation for Community Studies and Development) is an award-winning, incorporated, registered and tax-exempted Malaysian charity.
Our Vision
Together Transforming Left-Behind Communities
Our Mission
We aim to empower left-behind communities – both rural and urban – by working alongside them.
Who we are
YKPM, also known as Foundation for Community Studies and Development (FOCUSED), was founded on the 22nd of September 1993.
YKPM carries out community development programmes to empower the Orang Asli (OA) towards sustainable livelihoods and environment, mainly with the Orang Asli-Jakun communities in Pekan, Pahang. Programmes include literacy classes, house-building, provision of safe drinking water, and start-up of income-generating projects, connecting to fair markets and strengthening community resilience.
Besides that, YKPM also focuses on public policy advocacy and capacity building of grassroots and volunteers.
WHO ANCHORS YKPM?
Our extremely dedicated advisory board and board of directors:
ADVISORY BOARD
Dato’ Dr Daniel Ho was Chairman of Community Excel Services, a service organisation that seeks to serve and advocate on behalf of the poor and marginalised.
Originally trained as an engineer, he is presently involved in mentoring and journeying with business leaders and CEOs of companies, people in the world of sports, entertainment, politics, etc.
Dato' Dr Daniel Ho
Joseph Koh is interested in improving human capital and enable social mobility of Malaysians especially among natives.
He is a human resources professional in performance, culture, change & talent.
Joseph Koh
Marina Yong works in the field of sustainability with a focus on climate action, energy, and environment. Her interests include improving energy access and livelihoods for underserved communities.
She sits on the board of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance, Air Selangor and Proforest Malaysia.
Marina Yong
Dr Paul Quek had worked with communities and state agencies on traditional knowledge documentation. He also works with information technology used in plant conservation.
A veterinarian by profession, he had training in knowledge engineering and likes to explore innovative ideas.
Dr Paul Quek
Goh Khir Chaye is a management and business consultant. He has almost four decades of corporate, general management and engineering experience.
He was most recently the Director, Corporate Development for a leading Malaysian public listed infrastructure and property group for more than two decades.
Goh Khir Chaye
Clement Heng was formerly in the Board of Trustees of MARGMA (Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association) Foundation (2016 to 2020). He was also the Head of Sales in Aetna, ING, AmAssurance and Mayban Life Insurance for 20 years.
He is passionate about raising funds for Orang Asli’s self-determined sustainable development.
Clement Heng
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Prof Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria is the Head of the Secretariat for the All-Party Parlimentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG), senior fellow in ISIS Malaysia and Honarary Professor at the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), National University of Malaysia (UKM).
Prof Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria
Dr Ramy Bulan‘s research and work focuses on access to justice for indigenous peoples including customary land rights, native courts, dispute resolution and restorative justice, traditional knowledge, forestry laws and conservation.
Dr Ramy Bulan
Mr Kon Onn Sein is the Managing Director of YKPM. He has worked in poverty alleviation and community development among the Orang Asli and urban poor at both grassroots and policy advocacy levels.
His training was in law, and he is a member of the Inner Temple and holds a MA in Social Development from the University of Sussex under a Chevening scholarship.
Kon Onn Sein
Mr Ng Eng Leong founded Gagasan Teguh Sdn Bhd in 1991 and was primarily responsible for the growth of the company during the early years.
He holds a Bachelor of Economics from La Trobe University, Australia.
Ng Eng Leong
Pr Dato' Dr Daniel Ho
Pr Dato’ Dr Daniel Ho is the founding senior pastor of Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Malaysia. He has spoken in over 30 countries in all six continents and contributed to several books and magazines.
Dr Ramy Bulan
Research Fellow, Director of Centre for Legal Pluralism and Indigenous Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya.
Goh Khir Chaye
Mr Goh Khir Chaye is a management and business consultant. He has almost four decades of corporate, general management and engineering experience, and was most recently the Director, Corporate Development for a leading Malaysian public listed infrastructure and property group for more than two decades.
Prof Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria
Datuk Denison is the Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Ethnic Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). He holds a PhD in sociology from Oxford Brooks University, United Kingdom. In March 2018, he was confirmed Practice Professor in Public Advocacy by the National University of Malaysia (UKM). He is also the Co-chair of the Malaysia CSO-SDG Alliance.
Ng Eng Leong
Mr Ng Eng Leong founded Gagasan Teguh Sdn Bhd in 1991 and was primarily responsible for the growth of the company during the early years. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from La Trobe University, Australia.
Kon Onn Sein
Mr Kon Onn Sein was trained as a barrister, member of the Inner Temple and holds a MA in Social Development from the University of Sussex under a Chevening scholarship. He has been in legal practice and has been a partner of a legal firm. In year 2000, he left his partnership and was appointed Managing Director of Yayasan Kajian dan Pembangunan Masyarakat (YKPM).