We made it: On July 8, 2001, Dr Ling (centre) announced the government’s approval for MCA to set up a university. The approval dated July 5, 2001 and the university was named Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) . Flanking Dr Ling were then MCA secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh (right) and then deputy education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim (left).
The life story of Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik as told to journalist Foong Pek Yee shortly after his retirement from active politics in 2003.
Dr Ling was the fourth generation of the Ling family, with a history dated back to Sitiawan, Perak in then Malaya in 1903.
A medical doctor by training, he went on to become the longest serving Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) president and the longest serving Transport Minister (1986-2003) in Malaysian history,
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
The Chinese community’ s demand for university education surged drastically since the 1960s.
Their dream then was to set up their own university called Merdeka University to meet the demand.
In 1969, MCA under then president Tun Tan Siew Sin, stepped in and set up Tunku Abdul Rahman College also known as TAR College to provide the much needed quality and affordable education opportunities.
The Chinese community under the MCA leadership rallied behind TAR College.
TAR College’s first intake was 764 students in 1969, and it operated from rented premises for about seven years before having its main campus in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur in 1976.
While TAR College went on producing graduates by the thousands and became a household name, the Merdeka University dream took a backseat.
The MCA got an approval from the government on July 5, 2001 to set up a university, named Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.
It is against this historical backdrop for MCA to hail UTAR as a dream come true for the party after more than three decades.
People from all walks of life rallied behind UTAR.
The university quickly became a household name, producing graduates by the thousands.
“I must put on record that UTAR and TAR College are by the people for the people.”
New pathway: UTAR opened doors to its pioneer batch of 411 students in their temporary campus in Petaling Jaya , Selangor on June 10, 2002.
Endorsement: Accompanied by Dr Ling, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad signed a plaque at the official ground breaking ceremony for UTAR main campus in Kampar, Perak on Jan 12, 2003.
Generous Malaysians from all walks of life; from big corporate figures to petty traders, hawkers and taxi drivers had come out in full force to support the two institutions.
“God has given you sufficient education and training. Whatever situation, you will have to draw on the gift. Success or failure is God’s decision.”
You have to face the problems and find solutions.
There is no need to worry too much about the outcome.
“I think half the fun of life is gone if you do not face any problem as life can be dull in the absence of challenges.
“In fact, many good things appeared first in the form of problems.”
The setting up of the first TAR College branch campus in Penang is a good example.
“We decided to expand the college after having to reject 8,000 out of the 12,000 applications to enter the college.”
TAR College main campus in Setapak , Kuala Lumpur underwent expansion via the setting up of branch campus in Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang and Sabah.
In the 1990s, MCA detected many zero passes among Chinese primary schools in the UPSR (Ujian Peperiksaan Sekolah Rendah) because the children failed Bahasa Malaysia.
In 1993, MCA launched Langkawi Project, a move to encourage parents in the rural areas to help their children in their studies.
With the theme “An hour a day you sure make it” we aimed to encourage parents to set aside at least an hour a day to help their children.
“I knew we must do something at this point so that the children could continue with their studies in secondary school and beyond”.
There must be smooth progression to keep their interest in studies.
I think we had raise enough awareness among rural children and parents on the importance of education.
“Our encouragement came in many forms; like setting up resource centres/mini libraries and presenting the children with gifts like school bags, dictionaries and stationery”.
We also collected used computers, repaired them and gave them to the schools to let the children learn how to use computer.
In the 1995 general election, MCA had the best performance ever, winning 30 parliamentary seats and 70 state seats – an endorsement for the party.
In 1996, MCA managed to get the government to repeal the Education Act 1961, 21 (2) that empowers the Education Minister to close down Chinese schools (vernacular schools) or convert them to national schools.
My belief is : “Every problem has a solution in disguise”.
Photos: Credit to a publication titled A tribute to …Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik from his colleagues and friends in the Alumni Association of the King Edward VII College of Medicine and the Faculties of Medicine of the University of Malaya and the University of Singapore.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication titled The life story of Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission from the journalist Foong Pek Yee.
Congratulations: UTAR council chairman Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh (right) presenting a scroll to a graduate at the UTAR 39th convocation on Aug 17, 2024.
Congratulations: UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees member Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian (right) presenting a scroll to a graduate at the UTAR 39th convocation on Aug 17, 2024.
Congratulations: UTAR council member Datuk Lim Si Cheng (left) presenting a scroll to a graduate at the UTAR 39th convocation on Aug 17, 2024.
