Yeoh beneficiary paying it forward
I AM a beneficiary of the Late Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay’s act of charity. As a tribute to Tan Sri Yeoh, I would like to play a small part by extending his good deeds to others.
More than 10 years ago, when I received an Oxford University offer for postgraduate studies, which came with a requirement to show evidence of my ability to pay for the full tuition fees and living expenses in England, I was in a helpless situation. The cash in hand was insufficient and I was short of time. Out of desperation, I wrote letters to seek help from several prominent businessmen, one of whom was Tan Sri Yeoh, and he was the only one who replied.
A few days after I sent out the letters, someone from
YTL called me to ask how
much cash I needed, to
which I answered RM10,000. The next day, I received another call to invite me to go straight to the Yeoh Tiong Lay Plaza at Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur.
When I got there, a manager called Woo Weng Kong handed me a RM10,000 cheque and told me that it was a private contribution from Tan Sri (not through his group of companies or various charity bodies) as Tan Sri knew that I was short of time so he didn’t want any delay that could jeopardise my chance of course enrolment and visa application.
I was deeply touched. It showed that for Tan Sri Yeoh, charity wasn’t just about monetary donation but a personal concern for those individuals who were in need. It also showed the organisational efficiency of YTL Group.
With Tan Sri Yeoh’s help, I was enrolled at Oxford to complete my master’s degree and was later awarded a British government scholarship to complete my PhD in Scotland. Then I worked as a researcher in Britain and Malaysia, and finally returned to KL as chief representative of an international think-tank four years ago.
When I met Tan Sri Yeoh at social functions, I told him that I was one of the many persons he had helped. Each time I wanted to say thank you to him, he told me not to thank him but instead do something to help those in need. I realised that each time Tan Sri Yeoh helped someone, the only return he expected was that his beneficiary would extend the charitable act to more people in need.
As Malaysia mourns his passing, it’s time for me to do what he expected. As an ex-student who benefited from Tan Sri Yeoh’s RM10,000 contribution, I now pledge to contribute RM100,000 to help another five to 10 students in need. Those who are in need can write to me at helped.by.ytl@gmail. com and I will assess each case personally to determine eligibility and amount needed.
The offer is open to any Malaysian regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender and age; the only criterion is that the beneficiary must pledge to me that she or he will extend the good deeds of Tan Sri Yeoh to more people!