Sibu’s SM Wong Nai Siong grants RM8 mln in education fund to needy students since 2011

SIBU (Nov 30): SM Wong Nai Siong has given out a total of RM8.02 million to its needy students since the inception of the school’s Million Dollar Higher Education Fund in 2011.

The school’s Board of Directors chairman Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau said the fund, thus far, has benefitted 283 students in their pursuit of higher education.

“This year alone, a total of RM742,000 had been disbursed to 99 students from the low income households,” said Lau at the scholarship award presentation ceremony here yesterday.

“Nineteen of the beneficiaries are this year’s new recipients, while the rest are students who are into their second or third-year studies,” he added.

For that, he expressed his gratitude to the Education Fund’s chairman Dato Henry Lau and other sponsors for promoting the establishment of the foundation.

“Every child has the right to quality education, and this fund has indeed helped the school’s deserving students to pursue their education in higher learning institutions, either locally or abroad,” he said.

Being a Chinese independent high school, Lau said the biggest challenge over the years was the lack of financial means to run the school.

For the school to manage its operations without compromising on its education quality and conducive learning environment, he added that most of these Chinese independent schools collect tuition and other miscellaneous fees from students.

Additionally, he said the school had also established the Youth Hope Project Education Fund to help needy students complete their senior middle three studies.

Parents these days, he remarked, are moved by the Chinese independent schools’ high-quality education and achievements over the years, not only for the mere reason that the schools support mother-tongue education or safeguard the Chinese education development.

Lau expressed his hope that parents with good financial means could also contribute to the development of the school and also for its alumni to return and give back to the school.

“You can always write a handwritten thank you note to the school or contribute efforts to it when you have succeeded one day.

“Continue to help other students in need and give back to your alma mater and the society,” Lau told the fund recipients.

Also present were the school’s Board of Directors deputy chairman Dato Chieng Buong Toon and principal Lu Yew Hiing.