The seven successful scholars, four from foreign and three from local universities students, were Ahmad Fazurin Jamaludin of University College London, Tan Jun Li from the London School of Economics, Murali Desan a/l Krishnamurthy from University of Warwick, Nik Ahmad Kamil Nik Amrah University of California Dominguez Hill, Wong Sue Wan from University of Malaya, Noordiana Omar from the Islamic International University and Badrun Mohammad Zain from the Institut Teknologi MARA.

According to the Chairman of Securities Commission, Dato' Dr Mohd. Munir Abdul Majid, to be eligible for the scholarships, students would not only have to be brilliant academically, but would need to shine in other areas also. "The students' academic excellence is something we expect. The deciding factor is whether they would be able to work in a team and at the same time be capable leaders," he said.

The SC received about 2,500 applications for its seven awards in various studies, including accounting, finance, economics, Information Technology, Islamic studies related to the securities industry, business administration, international securities, investment and banking and law.

Nik Ahmad Kamil Nik Amrah from Malacca, one of the scholars who will be spending the next four years at the University of California Dominguez Hill, said, "The interview was an experience for me as I had never gone through such a tough and organised interview before. This is the best offer that I could get and I am extremely happy that I have been chosen. I must maintain my excellent results."

"I am feeling on top of the world at this point of time knowing I was chosen from 2500 applicants," said Murali Desan of Taiping, Perak who will be pursuing his Degree in Accountancy at the University of Warwick. I have always wanted to work with the SC because of its role in the capital markets. The test and interview was very comprehensive. It did not only test your intelligence or your knowledge but determined whether you are an all round person," he added.

Another scholar from Penang, Wong Sue Wan when interviewed said, "The test was pretty challenging especially the assessment centre which was different from that conducted by other organisations". Wong is pursuing a degree in law at the University of Malaya.

The scholarship awards are only granted to outstanding students who have excellent academic achievements and want to pursue their studies in local and overseas universities. The scope of studies has to be related to the capital market. This is to ensure that the students, upon completing their studies will have relevant knowledge and skills to join the SC.

The selected students are bonded to serve the SC for a period of between one to four years. Upon graduation, the students are required to undergo a Management Training Programme for a duration of six to 12 months to familiarise themselves with and understand the roles and functions of different divisions within the SC. They will then be placed in departments which suit their qualifications and interest.

Apart from the scholarships, the SC also gives out three Capital Market Awards worth RM10,000 each annually to post graduate students from the local institutions.