RM50,000 donation boosts Datuk Polycarp Sim’s Memorial Trust initiatives

KUCHING: A RM50,000 donation to Datuk Polycarp Sim’s Memorial Trust will help support students in need and fund new awards honouring the legacy of the late educationist.

Trust treasurer Christopher Chua said the contribution came from Richard Song Swee Jin, author of ‘The Life of Datuk Polycarp Sim Cheng Mong’, who had pledged to donate proceeds from the book to the memorial trust.

“The commitment was to donate whatever profit he gets out of that book to Datuk Polycarp Sim’s Memorial Trust.

“So today is him meeting that commitment, to hand over the money,” he told Sarawak Tribune after the cheque presentation ceremony at the Datuk Seri Polycarp Sim Gallery, St Joseph’s PrivateSchool Building today (Oct 3).

Chua said the trust had allocated RM10,000 to SMK St Joseph to provide meals for students in need.

The trust has also decided to introduce 15 awards across three St Joseph secondary schools, with five awards each for SMK St Joseph, St. Joseph Private Secondary School and St Joseph International School, with each award worth RM200.

Chua said the awards would recognise students based not only on academic performance but also their extracurricular activities, character and improvement.

“Looking at the vision or the way Datuk Polycarp Sim helped students, he not only helped the very academically quick students, he focused also on the poor students and the students that are marginalised,” he said.

He said academic performance would account for 60 per cent of the assessment, with students required to achieve an average grade of at least 60 per cent to be shortlisted.

The remaining criteria would cover extracurricular activities, character and improvement during the school year.

Chua said the five recipients at each school would not necessarily be selected according to Form One through Form Five.

Instead, the five most deserving students would be selected based on the agreed criteria.

The memorial trust was established soon after Sim’s death in 1993.

The trust is chaired by Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, with Datuk Amar Michael Manyin Jawong as a board member and Datuk Seri JC Fong as secretary.

Chua said Song had made the commitment to channel the proceeds from ‘The Life of Datuk Polycarp Sim Cheng Mong’ to the memorial trust, with the RM50,000 contribution fulfilling that pledge.

He said the contribution would allow the trust to continue its work in supporting students, particularly those who require financial assistance, while carrying forward Sim’s commitment to education and helping those in need.

Song (front row, fourth left) presents a memento to Manyin.