Tan Sri Chan (fourth from left) and Dato’ Wong (fourth from right) shaking hands after the mock cheque presentation ceremony for the establishment of the TARC-Tan Sri Wong Mook Leong Student Loan and UTAR-Tan Sri Wong Mook Leong Student Loan. Accompanying them are (from left) Assoc Prof Dr Chook Ka Joo, Vice President of TAR UMT, Dato’ Dr Mah, Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee, Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe, Datuk Chong, and Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Vice President of UTAR.
TAR UMT received an injection of RM500,000 in funding through the establishment of the TARC-Tan Sri Wong Mook Leong Student Loan, further strengthening its TAR UMT Student Loan Fund.
This latest addition marks the 135th donor loan established under the TAR UMT Student Loan Fund, an interest-free revolving student loan that offers deserving students the opportunity to pursue and complete their tertiary education.
During the mock cheque presentation ceremony held on 15 May 2025 in TAR UMT’s Kuala Lumpur campus, Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, Chairman of the Board of Governors (BOG) and TAR UMT Alumni Council (TAC), received the cheque from donor Dato’ Wong Shung Yen, son of the late Tan Sri Wong Mook Leong.
The ceremony also saw Dato’ Wong presenting another cheque amounting to RM500,000 to Ir Prof Dato' Dr Ewe Hong Tat, President of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), for the establishment of the UTAR- Tan Sri Wong Mook Leong Student Loan.
Dato' Dr Mah Hang Soon, member of the Board of Trustees, TARC Education Foundation, Datuk Chong Sin Woon, Member of the BOG, and Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, President of TAR UMT, were present to witness the presentation ceremony.
Having known the late Tan Sri Wong personally, Tan Sri Chan fondly recalled him as a principled leader who is deeply committed to nurturing future generations while tirelessly fostering unity across Malaysia’s diverse communities.
“I would like to express my appreciation to Dato’ Wong for establishing this interest-free student loan fund in honour of his late father. I am certain that if Tan Sri Wong were with us today, he would wholeheartedly support this initiative with pride and joy. This is indeed a powerful way to keep his legacy alive,” said Tan Sri Chan in his speech.
Dato’ Wong added that the purpose of establishing the loan funds under his father’s name at both TAR UMT and UTAR is not just to honour his late father’s legacy, but also to support financially challenged students in completing their education – a cause that Tan Sri Wong held close to his heart.
A portrait of the late Tan Sri Wong Mook Leong. Photo credit: Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).
During his time in public service, Tan Sri Wong played an instrumental role in the formation of Koperasi Jayadiri Malaysia Berhard (KOJADI), one of the earliest structured student loan initiatives in the country, where he served on the board and helped shape it into one of Malaysia’s most impactful education loan cooperatives.
“This, to us, is a fitting way to honour my father: not through mere ceremony, but through continuity. We hope the fund will continue to offer tangible support to students who share the same determination he once had — and who may, in time, give back to the communities that supported them, just as he once did,” said Dato’ Wong, who also credited Tan Sri Chan for his stewardship in bringing this loan fund initiative to life.
