(From left) Gerard, Sarena, Jeffrey, Liew, Ee and Ing at the fundraiser to benefit SJK(C) Cheah Fah.
A fundraising dinner raised RM6mil towards the expansion of SJK(C) Cheah Fah in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Baru.
The school’s building expansion plans include the construction of 12 classrooms, four special education rooms, two preschool rooms and other essential learning facilities.
SJK(C) Cheah Fah opened in 2022 with a gift of RM18mil from Sunway Group and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, and is named after the late father of Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah.
Spanning 2.02ha, the primary school holds the distinction of being the first new national-type Chinese school built in Johor Baru in more than 20 years.
Since opening its doors, the school has seen its enrolment rise from 233 to 736 pupils, driven by the rapid growth and vibrancy of the Sunway City Iskandar Puteri township.
With the expansion, the school is poised to accommodate the increased demand for quality education, ensuring that its facilities keep pace with the surrounding communities’ growing population.
Speaking at the dinner held in Johor’s administrative capital, Jeffrey said: “Many of my childhood friends could not afford to continue their education because of their financial situation.
“These personal experiences helped shape my conviction that education provides the best route out of poverty and misery. Not just education, but quality education.”
SJK(C) Cheah Fah is one of the eight schools nationwide adopted by Sunway and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, Malaysia’s largest education-focused social entity.
Other adopted schools are SJK(C) Gunong Hijau and SJK(C) Yuk Choy in Perak and SJK(C) Chee Wen, SK Bandar Sunway and SMK Bandar Sunway in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.
To date, Sunway and Jeffrey Cheah Foundation have contributed over RM50mil to advancing educational opportunities and the development of the schools.
In addition, the foundation has awarded over RM745mil in scholarships and grants to thousands of deserving and qualified students nationwide.
Sunway and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation’s commitment to nation-building through quality education is aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) that were adopted in 2015.
UN-SDG 4 entails the need to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The fundraising dinner was attended by more than 900 corporate and individual donors.
Guests included Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong, Sunway Group executive deputy chair Datin Paduka Sarena Cheah, Sunway City Iskandar Puteri chief executive officer Gerard Soosay, SJK(C) Cheah Fah Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairman Eric Ee, school headmaster Ing Boon Keong and members of the PTA.
Entertainment at the event comprised cultural showcases and martial arts performances by the pupils.
