Bright future: Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin (centre) flanked by Cheah (on left) and Razman (on right) posing with recipients of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Community Scholarship.
PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah, founder and chairman of Sunway Group as well as founder and trustee of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF), has committed RM100mil annually over the next five years to create what is set to become one of Malaysia’s largest education endowments.
The endowment is modelled on legacy institutions, such as Harvard University and University of al-Qarawiyyin — one of the oldest universities in the world — and is intended to provide support for academic excellence, research and innovation at Sunway University.
“As long as I have the privilege of time, I will keep giving. Over the next five years alone, I am committing a total of RM500mil to our endowment,” said Cheah.
“We are only at the beginning of our story, but my aspiration is for Sunway University to grow into one of the world’s great centres of learning and to continue uplifting lives long after I am gone,” he said.
The announcement was made by JCF trustee and Sunway University pro-chancellor Tan Sri Razman M Hashim at the JCF 2025 Scholarships and Awards ceremony, held in the presence of Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, where a total of RM75mil worth of scholarships and grants were awarded this year.
During the ceremony, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin personally presented awards to about 100 students, including recipients of the inaugural Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School Scholarship for the Doctor of Medicine programme, which recognises outstanding medical students with training to become future-ready specialists and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Community Scholarship, which provides students from welfare homes and underprivileged communities the opportunity to pursue their higher education.
This year, more than 6,700 students will receive various scholarships from JCF, including the Sunway University Postgraduate Studentships and Scholarship, Sunway–Victoria University Excellence Scholarship and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Community Scholarship.
To date, JCF has disbursed more than RM967mil in scholarships and grants and is expected to surpass RM1bil by 2026, reflecting its position as one of the country’s most significant private philanthropic vehicles in education.
