Page 46 - Berita Sunway - Issue 74

Beneficiaries
Booster Shots of SJK (C) Gunong Hijau in his hometown of Pusing since 1997.
Interviews Providing GIVING BACK TO HIS HOMETOWN

Not one to forget his roots, Cheah has donated more than RM5 million for the development and enhancement

e financial contributions over the years were channelled towards the construction of an auditorium, an

administrative building, additional meeting rooms, a computer laboratory, as well as a library.

Dato’ Lee Kon Yin, deputy chairman of SJK (C) Gunong Hijau’s board of governors, said that with Sunway’s
financial support, Pusing’s students were able to progress in their education journey, and in future, contribute back
to society and the country.

Founded in 1907, SJK (C) Gunong Hijau has an enrolment of more than 500 students.
“Sunway’s assistance inspires students to work harder and intensify their efforts to be on par with city-based
Pusing, Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah is a role model for the students,” said Lee.

“Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah has achieved extraordinary success, but at the same time, he is willing to help others
by guiding enterprises towards success and developing forward-thinking entrepreneurs. A thought leader in
education, he established an education fund to benefit children of all races for the good of society,” he added.
Education may be essential in life, but it is also a privilege that eludes Education schools. Furthermore, as a successful entrepreneur and philanthropic educator who grew up in a small town like
many.
Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah
realised the importance of education from an early age. LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION
Growing up in Pusing, Perak, he witnessed how financial difficulties Sunway was also instrumental in the construction of SJK (C) Chee Wen in Subang Jaya, contributing to
had forced his childhood friends to drop out of school, missing out on the school’s building fund in 2000, which led to the school’s opening in 2003.
furthering their studies and pursuing better career prospects. Since then, the school’s facilities were upgraded with Sunway’s financial assistance, including the hall,
Cheah not only finished school but graduated with a business degree basketball court, field, roofing, and toilets.
from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. According to Dato’ Lee Hwa Beng, advisor to SJK (C) Chee Wen’s board of governors, Sunway’s CSR
Returning home to Malaysia, he worked as an accountant at a motor To date, JCF has awarded efforts enabled the school’s management and academic staff to focus more on educating the students, instead
assembly plant before founding Sunway in 1974 – and the rest is history. JCF also took several schools under its wing as adopted schools – of spending additional resources on fundraising efforts.
“ e poverty and hardships that surrounded me formed my SMK Bandar Sunway, SK Bandar Sunway, SK Convent Klang, SMK St more than RM570 million “With Sunway’s CSR efforts, many of the school’s facilities were upgraded so that SJK (C) Chee Wen
conviction that education provides the best route out of poverty and Mary and SJK (C) Chee Wen in the Klang Valley; SJK (C) Gunong Hijau in scholarships and grants students would be able to study in a conducive environment to achieve excellent academic and co-curricular
misery,” says Cheah in an interview with e Edge. and SMJK (C) Yuk Choy in Perak; as well as SJK (C) Cheah Fah in Johor. performance,” said Dato’ Lee Hwa Beng.
A true-blue Malaysian demonstrating his personal commitment However, schools nationwide are no less cared for, with Sunway’s to thousands of deserving Sunway has contributed an estimated RM5 million in total towards the school since 2003.
towards democratising access to quality education for deserving Back-to-School Programme benefitting students from schools such as SJK Malaysians, irrespective of Both SJK (C) Gunong Hijau and SJK (C) Chee Wen are sponsored schools under the Jeffrey
students, Cheah transferred his equity in Sunway Education Group (T) Klebang, SJK (T) Kampung Simee, SJK (T) Ladang Chemor and race and religion. Cheah Foundation (JCF), Malaysia’s largest
(SEG) worth several billion Ringgit to establish the Jeffrey Cheah SJK (T) Ladang Strathisla in Ipoh, among others. education-focused social enterprise.
Foundation (JCF). Other schools adopted by JCF include SMK To date, a total of
Bandar Sunway, SK Bandar Sunway, SK Convent
RM25 million has been
Klang, SMK St Mary in Kuala Lumpur, SMJK (C)
Yuk Choy – the oldest Chinese school in Perak – allocated for the upgrading
and SJK (C) Cheah Fah in Johor.
and restoration of these
schools.

BUILDING A HOLISTIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

e latest school to come under the sponsorship of JCF is SJK (C) Culinary Arts Centre that was launched in 2017.
Cheah Fah in Sunway City Iskandar Puteri, Sunway’s integrated Named after the late Tan Sri Dr. Saleha Mohd Ali, an alumnus of
township in Johor. SMK St Mary and a patron for social and welfare causes, the RM1
Named in honour of Cheah’s father – a lorry driver who managed million centre aims to provide a value-added educational experience for
to put 10 children through school – SJK (C) Cheah Fah opens for the students.
enrolment this year. Equipped with a kitchen, pâtisserie, hospitality suite, indoor dining
Costing RM15 million, SJK (C) Cheah Fah is the first Chinese hall and al fresco dining space, the Centre offers a professional kitchen
school in the Medini suburb, with the capacity to accommodate more environment to better train students for future careers in culinary arts or
than 900 students. the hospitality industry.
Unique to the school is the proposed swimming pool in its backyard e culinary arts centre also partnered with Sunway to offer
– SJK (C) Cheah Fah is one of the few government schools in Malaysia short-term courses with certification as preparation for the students’
to have such facility, according to Sunway City Iskandar Puteri CEO tertiary education.
Gerard Soosay. “CSR is so important because corporations are rich in resources
Chalking another first for a Malaysian government school, from a financial and technical expertise perspective, which can then
Sunway helped in the design and contribute to community development,” said Dato’ Lee Hwa Beng.
construction “A socially responsible corporation is not solely focused on
of SMK St profit-maximisation but on helping the community to achieve
Mary’s Saleha sustainable development – everyone can then benefit from the
Hospitality and company’s profits,” he said.

44