Armed with a Rhodes Scholarship, believed to be the world’s oldest and most prestigious international scholarship programme, he will be pursuing a Master of Science in Advanced Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration.
This achievement reflects Hoh’s determination to forge his own path to success, despite a major setback he experienced as a teenager.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Hoh said he once dreamt of becoming an accomplished swimmer.
Tay Koi Lian, his primary school principal at SJKC Nam Heng, Johor, even nicknamed him “Little Flying Fish” because of his exceptional speed. And he lived up to that label by winning numerous medals.
But a road accident when he was 13 years old crushed his dream. He was hit by a Hilux pick-up truck, and suffered multiple leg fractures that required a series of surgeries to correct.
Having to use crutches as he recuperated from surgery left the young Hoh disheartened. When in secondary school at Kolej Yayasan Saad in Melaka, his friends helped him get around. He remains touched to this day that they were always there for him.
Their actions sparked an interest in Hoh for social entrepreneurship. “I feel like I should give back because I appreciate how they helped me.”
He used his time in hospital to read extensively about computer programming, growing increasingly fascinated at how similar it was to his other interest – chess.
“Both involve pattern recognition and problem solving,” he explained, adding that he eventually developed a passion for programming, which led him to study software engineering at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
Seeing his undergraduate days as a chance for a fresh start, he took up internships during his semester breaks to gain hands-on experience of the corporate world.
He also joined numerous hackathons, winning several of these, including the Asean Humanitarian Assistance Hackathon in Jakarta in 2021.
That same year, he became a recipient of the Perdana Fellow Programme, and co-founded Edulab, a social enterprise aimed at bridging the educational gap in underserved communities. He was also elected youth council president for Regenerasi, an NGO advocating for sustainable practices in Malaysia.
In 2022, he was named Malaysia’s Youth Tech Icon by the youth and sports ministry. The following year, he received the Putra Icon Award, the highest accolade presented by UPM annually.
Although he always aspired to pursue postgraduate studies, he chose to enter the workforce first to gain more experience, and save for his education fund. But last year, Hoh, who works as an associate consultant with a financial services company, felt it was time to chase his dream.
He applied for the Rhodes Scholarship and was thrilled to be shortlisted. Despite all he has achieved in life, he still remembers feeling uncertain of his prospects after the interview.
“I felt that the other candidates were more inspiring,” he said. He even told his parents not to get their hopes up.
Then, on Nov 12, he received an email informing him of his success. It served as a powerful testament to how his resolve and hard work to overcome a setback had paid off.
“Presently, my end goal is to join the public services sector. I am interested in crafting policies, thanks to my experience as a Perdana Fellow. If that doesn’t happen, I will pursue social entrepreneurship,” he said, adding that he hopes to combine AI and emerging technologies to uplift underprivileged communities and support the country’s digital transformation.
“People feel scared about sending an application or joining a competition because they think that they do not measure up. Sometimes, it’s just a limitation they place on themselves. They think they can’t, so they don’t.
“So, I think you should be more ambitious and start going after things you really want. You just need to take that first step.”