Vernacular and mission schools to benefit from Community Chest

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One for the album: Najib (centre) and Lim posing for a group picture with the recipients from the 61 schools at SJK (C) Confucian in Kuala Lumpur Monday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Vernacular and mission schools in the country can now seek assistance from a new charity foundation – The Community Chest – set up by the country’s top business tycoons.

The Community Chest promises to dispense at least RM100mil yearly to Chinese, Tamil and mission schools, and other learning institutions which apply for assistance from it.

It will be managed by a board of trustees and chaired by Genting Malaysia chairman and chief executive Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay.

The foundation started its work by giving out RM26.1mil in assistance to 61 schools during a mock cheque presentation by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at its launch at SJK (C) Confucian here yesterday.

Of the 61 schools, six were SJK (T) schools, six were mission schools and the rest SJK (C) schools. They received between RM25,000 and RM2.5mil each.

SJK (C) Confucian and SJK (T) R.R.I in Selangor received RM2.5mil each.

The funds will be used to repair leaking roofs, windows and ceilings, and build new classrooms, laboratories and multi-purpose halls.

Lim told reporters that The Community Chest would not rely on funding from the Government.

He described the charity’s role as complementary to government initiatives in enhancing education in Malaysia.

However, Lim said its funds were “relatively small” and hence would be focused on education-related initiatives.

Lim was among four tycoons who contributed RM500,000 each to kick-start the fund.

The others were Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd chairman Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, Lion Group Malaysia chairman Tan Sri William Cheng and CMY Capital Group chairman Tan Sri Chua Ma Yu.

The four are in the eight-man board of trustees together with Genting Malaysia deputy chairman and AMMB Holdings Bhd group director Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar, Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam, SP Setia Foundation chairman and 1Malaysia Foundation trustee Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, and Amanah Yayasan Budaya Dayak and Tun Jugah Foundation chairman Tan Sri Leonard Linggi Jugah.

The Community Chest came into fruition with the acquisition of Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd (PMP) by Jana Pendidikan Malaysia Sdn Bhd last month from Tanjong Plc.

Lim said The Community Chest would initially be supported by contributions from the profits of PMP and investment returns from the fund.

All dividends generated by PMP, after the deduction of its expenses and other financial obligations, will be channelled towards the charity.

Lim said The Community Chest hoped to receive strong support of donations from the public.

He said its activities would be fully executed by a subsidiary entity registered as Pusat Pengurusan Pendidikan Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PPP).

The Government has announced that all chargeable income of PMP and donations toward the charity will be tax-exempt.

“This effectively means that PMP has become a non-profit establishment,” said Lim.

Projects and plans under the charity will be presented to its board of trustees for approval.

Learning institutions that wish to apply for funding must state a specific need for the benefit of the establishment and/or the students.

Interested applicants must be registered with the Education or Higher Education Ministries and other relevant Malaysian regulatory bodies.