MH17 pilot’s son gets Commonwealth scholarship

Scot Choo – the son of pilot Capt Eugene Choo, who was killed when MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014 – is one of the recipients of the new Commonwealth Sixth Form Scholarship at King Henry VIII College in Selangor.

A statement said SecretaryGeneral Patricia Scotland officially presented Choo with his award recently.

Scotland said she was proud to see the scholarship is open to all Commonwealth students, in line with Commonwealth values supporting mobility between member states.

The Secretary-General said the first Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers in Oxford in 1959 outlined many reasons for supporting student mobility – enabling students to study subjects not available in their own countries, extending the choice of subjects for students from small countries, as well as strengthening comparative and international studies, and broadening the outlook of home students. “While we face significant challenges in achieving accessible and quality education for all, these are made less daunting through multilateral cooperation and mutual support.

“I commend King Henry VIII College for providing these Commonwealth Sixth Form Scholarships and opening up new horizons of opportunity for students,” said Scotland.

The statement said Choo wants to be a pilot like his father.

“This scholarship means a lot to me. A scholarship like this gives me a massive opportunity to strive for success,” he said.

“I believe there are many other kids out there that will strive for the same scholarship, to unlock their potential and show their worth to the world.”

The scholarship has 10 more places available for the new school year starting in September.

It is open to students from across the Commonwealth and covers school fees, accommodation, school trips, and flights to and from Malaysia over the two years of study.

The scholarship is for almost RM300,000 (approximately £56,000) per student.

For more information, visit thecommonwealth.org.