PETALING JAYA: BAC Education Group managing director Raja Singham has been honoured with the 2025 Gandhi Memorial Trust (GMT) Award for Public Services, a recognition that cements his decades-long journey of turning education into a force for social good and humanitarian change.
The award was presented
Oct 2 on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, a symbolic moment that Raja described as a reminder of the power of collective action.
“It is an honour to receive this award on Gandhi’s birthday.
“But this is not a personal achievement – it belongs to my wife, Meera Mahendranathan, my family, my colleagues at BAC and the many donors, friends and supporters who have walked this journey with me. Nothing we do is ever done alone,” he said.
Over more than three decades, Raja has transformed BAC Education into a group of more than 25 entities in higher education, training, digital media and technology.
Yet, his vision has always been larger than academic achievement, aiming instead
to shape character, foster inclusivity and put service to humanity at the heart
of learning.
Through platforms such as SPMFlix, IGCSEFlix, UPSRFlix, PT3Flix, SJKCFlix and SJKTFlix, BAC has delivered over 9,000 free lessons, reaching hundreds of thousands of students nationwide.
His 1MillionDevices.my initiative has placed laptops and tablets in the hands of underprivileged children, helping bridge the country’s digital divide.
Raja’s work has consistently reached those at the margins.
The FreeMakan programme delivered food aid to more than 200,000 people during the pandemic, while partnerships with Unicef and other organisations extended relief efforts to India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
His focus on entrepreneurship has created opportunities for thousands more. Through Project DEEP and the Asean Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network, over 10,000 entrepreneurs have been trained and mentored, while single mothers and B40 families have been given the tools to build sustainable livelihoods.
Accepting the award, Raja turned to Gandhi’s wisdom to underscore his message.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others,” he quoted, adding: “Education is not just about literacy or knowledge. It’s about building character and serving humanity.
“We must stop viewing people through the lens of race, citizenship or religion. Service means service to humanity – regardless of who they are.”
He stressed that humility is
at the core of meaningful leadership.
“Humility is far more powerful than anything else,” he said, pointing to Gandhi’s example as a man whose quiet strength moved nations.
Raja urged Malaysians not to underestimate the impact of small actions.
“It is very easy to sit in the background and not do anything. But within each of us is the power to do great things. It doesn’t need to start big. Sometimes, it begins with just listening to someone who has a problem. Nothing is impossible if we start now.”
He joins a distinguished list of GMT Award recipients, including the late Karpal Singh, who was honoured for his decades of legal and human rights advocacy, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, recognised for her civil society leadership and peace activist Datuk Dr Anwar Fazal, founder of the Penang Gandhi Peace Centre.
In joining their ranks, Raja’s work embodies the very ideals of Gandhi – humility, inclusivity and service.
