Cheah donates RM1mil to SMJK Yuk Choy

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SUNWAY Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah made a personal contribution of RM1mil towards a building fund set up in aid of SMJK Yuk Choy, a 101-year-old school in Perak.

Cheah presented the cheque to the school’s Building Fund Committee chairman Kwan Foh Kwai at a charity dinner held at the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa in Bandar Sunway recently.

Also present was MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

Cash aid: (From left) - School board chairman Leong Foh Sen, Ong, Kwan and Cheah at the chequepresentation ceremony.

“This donation is equivalent to half of the RM2mil which we had hoped to raise at this dinner. Needless to say, we are deeply touched by Tan Sri’s generosity,” said Kwan.

The fundraising effort was co-organised by the Perak Chinese Assembly Hall, Perak Yuk Choy Old Boys Association, Perak Yuk Choy Old Boys Association of Federal Territory, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Pahang, and the Parent-Teacher Association of SMJK Yuk Choy, Ipoh.

Kwan said the school, which was founded in 1908, needed to upgrade its facilities as it was now in a derelict condition.

“SMJK Yuk Choy is the oldest Chinese school in Perak. Since we established a secondary school on Jalan Kuala Kangsar in Perak, we have faced a shortage of funds and have not been able to upgrade many essential facilities.

“We fear that this situation has directly affected the performance and morale of teachers and students at SMJK Yuk Choy, which is why we kicked off our fundraising efforts. The school has more than 2,000 students.

“However, we did not expect Cheah to donate RM1mil from his own pocket. He is truly a kind soul,” Kwan said.

According to Kwan, the building fund committee needed to raise RM8mil for a five-storey multi-purpose building, which will include science laboratories, computer rooms, library, language centre, lecture halls and a canteen.

He said the improved facilities at the new building would go a long way towards promoting Chinese education and ensuring the quality of the future generations of students who would be nurtured by the school.

In presenting the contribution, Cheah said the Sunway Group had always held education close to its heart.

“That is why we set up Sunway University College and Monash University Sunway Campus.

“In fact, Sunway was the first to start twinning programmes in Malaysia.

“We did this as we wanted to reduce the cost burden on parents by having students do part of their degree courses in Malaysia itself,” said Cheah.

“These two institutions provide excellent education to many Malaysians, as well as scholarships to deserving students through its Sunway Education Trust Fund. The fund is now being converted into the Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah Foundation,” he said.