Our Gratitude to Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling





My second daughter got an offer to study Information Management & Information System[信息管理和信息系统] for her basic degree course in Tsinghua University, Beijing[北京清华大学] commencing in September 2002.

On 8.3.2002, she had sent out not less than 20 application letters and emails to corporate sectors, charity organizations & individuals in and out of the country, among them were the Ambassador of China at Kuala Lumpur and the Welfare Adviser to the Kuok Foundation, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, hoping to get either a scholarship or an interest free loan to pursue her study in China.
All the mails sent out were like stones sinking quietly into deep sea [石沉大海] without causing any ripple except there were two replies from the same person who was none other than our much respected Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling.
One letter was addressed to him as the Chairman of the Guild of Hakka Associations of Malaysia [马来西亚客聯总会会长] and the other as the Chairman of Sunway Construction Company. Both letters were responded with spontaneous phone calls.
On the morning of 13.3.02, the Secretary of the Guild of Hakka Associations telephoned to express the willingness of Tan Sri to help if my daughter, Ee Lin, were to study locally at Sunway University College.
A few days later, Tan Sri’s Personal Assistant, Mr. Henry Yuen, called again to discuss the same matter and he suggested having a meeting with us as the guardians together with Ee Lin at Sunway University College to talk over the matter at 10.30 am on the 5th of April.
During our meeting with Mr. Henry over a lunch given by Miss Elizabeth Lee, the Principal of Sunway University College, he was keen to know the rationale for Ee Lin to study in China. He was of the opinion that Ee Lin should study locally instead of going to China as many students from China had opted to study in Malaysia, at Sunway University College in particular. He said if Ee Lin were to study locally, she would be offered a scholarship to study at Sunway University College. We were unable to make up our mind then and there as we needed more time to reconsider the offer.
On the morning of 20.5.2002, at around 10.30 am, I made a phone call to Mr. Henry to inform him of my daughter’s intention to study at Sunway University College. On the same day itself, at around 3.30 pm, Miss Elizabeth talked to me over the phone about the matter on college admission procedures.
On 21.5.2002, Ee Lin received an email from the Sunway College the details for the admission procedures together with the enrolment form to be downloaded.
On the next day, Ee Lin sent in her enrolment form by post express. A week later, on 29.5.02, she received from the Sunway Construction Company a standard offer letter. The company had granted a scholarship award of RM40, 000 for her to pursue the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computing and Information system.
On 2.7.2002, we brought Ee Lin to Sunway to sign a contract with Sunway Construction Company at 11.30am and in the same afternoon she was enrolled as a student at Sunway University College.
This was the first of its kind a scholarship was given personally by Tan Sri Cheah without Ee Lin being going through a formal interview. The Human Resource Department of the Sunway Group of Companies had to draft out an agreement within a short notice. To us, especially Ee Lin, the scholarship came in at the most appropriate moment; it was like a long awaited rain during a draught season [久旱逢甘露雨]. While others did not bother to reply to the letters or emails sent out by Ee Lin, Tan Sri had shown his immense interest in her education. He has lived up to his conviction of “one should give back to the community.” [回馈社会]To this end, Tan Sri and his Group of companies have engaged in countless fund-raising and charitable activities. Nowhere is this more evident than in the establishment of the Sunway Education Trust Fund in 1997. In so doing, he has ensured that all profits derived from Sunway University College, which is fully owned by the Trust are retained within the Trust to be used for new developments, the upgrading of facilities and enhancement of the human resources. This ensures that these educational institutions meet world-class standards and are accessible to all.
My family and I, especially Ee Lin, are really indebted to Tan Sri for his concerns. No amount of words can express our gratitude to him for what he had done for us.