School dinner raises RM7mil for sports complex

A STEADY stream of funds to the tune of RM7mil came in during a fundraising dinner organised by Chong Hwa Independent High School, Kuala Lumpur.

The dinner was part of an ongoing effort to build a fully-equipped sports complex within the school grounds.

The four-storey RM30mil complex will house courts for various ball games, gym, dance rooms, 200m running track and an Olympic-standard swimming pool.

The school board of directors chairman Tan Sri Lim Keng Cheng said co-curricular and sports activities played an important role to produce well-rounded students who were academically strong and physically active.

Having a dedicated sports complex would also ensure sustainability and continued development of the school in line with its Education Development Blueprint, he said.

“We have been organising various fundraising activities since 2019 for this project, which is estimated to be completed in 2024,” said Lim.

“Prior to the fundraising dinner, we raised a total of RM15mil. Now we have an additional RM7mil and I thank everyone for their support,” he added.

Wong (right) receiving a mock cheque from one of the donors at the fundraising dinner. With them are (from second right) Cheong, Loke and Lim.

Some of the previous fundraising efforts were a dinner to mark the school’s 100th anniversary in 2019, a charity bazaar and two “Million Donors to Chong Hwa” campaigns to get alumni to donate a minimum of RM1,000 per person.

The latest dinner was held at a hall within the school located off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah (formerly Jalan Ipoh).

The guests of honour were Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Embassy of the People’s Republic of China counsellor Zhao Chang Tao. Also present were the school’s board of directors deputy chairman Tan Sri Gan Yu Chai, fundraising organising committee chairman Wong Chee Keong and school principal Cheong Moey Lian.

In addition to a ceremony to recognise the fundraiser’s top contributors, the dinner featured cultural and musical performances by the school’s students.

The school was established in 1919 in Setapak before relocating to its present location in 1981.

According to the teaching staff, Chong Hwa Independent High School opened in 1981 with 1,605 students forming 32 classes. They were taught by 45 teachers.

The school now has more than 5,000 students and its teaching and administrative staff members number between 300 and 400.