The Merdeka Award was established by Petronas, Exxonmobil and Shell in 2007 to recognise individuals who have made outstanding and meaningful contributions to the nation in their respective fields.
The recipients this year are Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid (cartoonist Lat) for Education and Community, Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May for Health, Science and Technology, Datuk Seri Dr Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, Fifth Earl of Cranbrook for Outstanding Contribution To The People of Malaysia), Mohd Khan Momin Khan for Environment and Prof Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad and Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail (joint recipients) for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement.