Kolej Yayasan Saad (KYS), formerly known as the Saad Foundation College, was established by Tan Sri Halim Saad as a private, entirely residential institution in 1995. It was built as a tribute to his late father. The school is located in Ayer Keroh, Malacca. In both the Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams, the school is popularly known for achieving outstanding outcomes. Additionally, the school is also known for its wide variety of co-curricular activities such as rugby, netball, swimming,triathlon, orchestra and also debate. The school only accepts scholars who demonstrate merit. Students who want to be admitted into this school submit their applications online, where their applications has to go through stringent selection process that takes into account their academic standing, potential for leadership, and extracurricular engagement. Only roughly 100 slots countrywide are available out of about 5000 submissions. about 100 spots are offered for the Form 1 batch yearly. Half of these spots are set aside for scholars from lowly socio-economic environments where they are funded by local GLCs or organisations such as Axiata Foundation and Yayasan Khazanah. The school fee averages at around RM40,000 yearly
Location
Kolej Yayasan Saad is located in Ayer Keroh, a small town in the state of Malacca. Kolej Yayasan Saad lies near the North-South Expressway and accessible through the Ayer Keroh Toll Exit. KYS is 140 km from Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, about one and half hour if travelling by car. It is located in a rubber tree plantation.
Events and activities
Every month, a "Union Night" is held by the four societies in the school. Bahasa Melayu Society (PERBAYU) English Language Society (ELASO) Islamic Society (ISSO) Science and Mathematics Society (SMATS)
Usually the Union Nights are inter-house competitions, such as the Science and Maths Quiz, Malam Bintang Legenda, English Drama, Choral Speaking, Religious Studies Quiz; there are also Union Nights that are talent shows, talks and speeches.
The school holds annual events such as the Athletics Championship, Swimming Championship, Family Day and Cross-Country Run. There are the KYS annual carnivals: the traditional rugby match with Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), Victoria Institution and the traditional rugby match with Vajiravudh College, Thailand.
Music programme and orchestra
The School Orchestra was established in 1997 at the behest of the school's founder. Music is one of the compulsory subjects for students in the Lower Secondary School. The programme is performance-based and all students learn to play an instrument or two in the course of their studies here. The orchestra has about 76 members and about 100 other members in the Junior Development Programme.
The department is headed by the Director of Music (Head of Music Education) and is assisted by two full-time staff as well as part-timers who handle the teaching of percussion, piano, keyboards, brass instruments and guitars. The full-time staff are teaching the strings section which includes classes for violin, cello and double bass.
The orchestra has performed in venues across Peninsular Malaysia which included a 2003 performance in conjunction with the 13th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Kuala Lumpur. In the same year, the orchestra performed at the Thailand Cultural Village in Bangkok. Every year, the orchestra goes on tour and performs for dignitaries including the Royal families and Malaysian ministers, parents and students of guest schools.
In 2010, the orchestra performed at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall Auditorium featuring a split programme consisting abridged works from Beethoven to Andrew Lloyd Webber. For 2011, the orchestra featured a serious programme with classical works like 1st Movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Mozart's Piano Concerto in G, contemporary orchestral works like medleys from the Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of the Caribbean and selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber's works.