National sports gems The largest so far ... - Sunway College

MAGAZINE / VOL 03 ISSUE 10 / Sep 2013KKDN No. Permit: PP17565/11/2012 (031108)National sports gemsThe largest so farContinuing the Road to Success

VOL 03 ISSUE 10 / September2013CONTENTis published four times a year. The name was selected by popular choiceby the students themselves to represent a progressive Sunway College, aninstitution owned and governed by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. Sinceits inception in 1986, Sunway College has always been a leading privateinstitution of higher learning, and it is forever escalating into the next level ofexcellence. or UPP stands for “Uniquely Purposeful Programmes”.Advisor : Elizabeth LeeEditorial Team : Jerrine Koay (Editor)Laveenia Theertha Pathy (Writer)Publisher : Sunway Education GroupConcept + Design : Yoong & Ng ConsultingPrinter : Ocean Transfer (M) Sdn BhdShould you have comments, kindly contact:The Public Relations DepartmentSunway Education GroupTel: 603-7491 8622pr@sunway.edu.mywww.sunway.edu.my/collegeDisclaimer:The views and opinions expressed or implied inare those of the authors or contributors and do notnecessarily reflect those of Sunway Education Group.The Sunway Education Group institutions andservices are:-Sunway UniversityTel: 603-7491 8622info@sunway.edu.mysunway.edu.my/universitySunway CollegeTel: 603-5638 7176info@sunway.edu.mysunway.edu.my/collegeMonash University SunwaycampusTel: 603-5514 6000info@monash.edu.mywww.monash.edu.myJeffrey Cheah School of Medicineand Health SciencesTel: 603-5514 6000info@monash.edu.mywww.med.monash.edu.mySunway International Business &ManagementTel: 603-7493 7023info@sibm.com.mywww.sibm.com.myShanghai Sunway FinancialTraining Co. LtdTel: 603-7491 8622info@sunway.edu.mywww.sunway.edu.my/college/ssftSunway Le Cordon Bleu Instituteof Culinary ArtsTel: 603-5632 1188lecordonbleu.com.mySunway College IpohTel: 605-545 4398infoipoh@sunway.edu.mywww.sunway.edu.my/ipohCover Story5 National sports gemsHallmarks3 The largest so far4 Growing strong at 11Alumni10 Continuing the road to success14 Life as a Nuclear Physicist16 Math wizard in the making18 The ultimate CambridgeexperienceHappenings8 Paving the way to Perth9 Education should be free, really?12 Sunway’s MUFY among the topSocial Responsibility19 The first beneficiarySunway International SchoolTel: 603-7491 8070infosis@sunway.edu.mywww.sis.sunway.edu.mySunway College Johor BahruTel: 607-359 6880infojb@sunway.edu.mywww.sunway.edu.my/jbSunway College KuchingTel: (6082) 232 780/236 666info@swck.edu.myswck.edu.mySunway-TESTel: 603-7491 8622info@sunway.edu.mysunway.edu.my/college/sunwaytes

HallmarksTHE LARGEST SO FARAT the recent graduation ceremony,Victoria University witnessed the largestnumber of graduands from its SunwayCollege cohort.A total of 306 students received theirBachelor of Business degrees (245from its campus in Bandar Sunway and61 from the Johor Bahru campus). 30students successfully graduated withtheir Master of Business Administration,while another four were awardedtheir PhD. To accommodate the largenumber of graduands, two rounds ofceremonies were held.For these graduands, another journeyhas just begun as they venture outinto the working world. A Botswanagraduate commented that when shewas undertaking the ProfessionalDevelopment units, she just could notfathom what she was being taught. Nowthat she is working with the NationalBank in Botswana, she can finallyappreciate how beneficial the coursecan be. Another graduand, initiallyvery shy and weak in communication,has blossomed into a confident andarticulate young lady who is pursuing acareer in Marketing.A touching moment during thegraduation ceremony was when theChancellor, George Pappas invited thegraduands to stand, turn around to facethe audience and clap their hands inacknowledgement of their parents andmentors.Lenny Chiah, who is the GeneralManager for Sin Chew Online(Marketing), delivered the firstOccasional Address in the firstceremony. She has always believed thatthere is no luck without putting in one’sefforts. “We must also remember to giveback to society,” Chiah reminded thegraduands.In the Occasional Address delivered inthe second ceremony, Elizabeth Lee,Senior Executive Director of the SunwayEducation Group shared her personalexperience with gliding. Delivering apowerful message, she said, “From upthere among the clouds, I saw a largertapestry of life, the different changingangles of the landscape. There are,therefore, so many different ways oflooking at the same thing.”“This vantage view brought home thepoint that before we assess and find asolution we need to first see the biggerpicture, or see things from differentpoints of view. This personal lessonfrom my gliding experience will not beeasily forgotten,” she added.Lee added that one must be humbleand willing to learn from those youngerand less-experienced. “If we have‘bad breaks’, use them as a ‘break toobserve, think and learn’, and lastly, wemust empathetically care for those whoare less fortunate,” she said.The Valedictorian Speech was deliveredby Liew Kah Chong. His was a braveand enthusiastic impromptu speechdelivered straight from the heart. Theinitially nominated valedictorian, ChowShiat Teen was most unfortunately takenill on that day.It was a solemn moment when the Vice-Chancellor and President of VictoriaUniversity, Professor Peter Dawkinsread out the Charge to the graduates.They were charged to uphold theircommitment to excellence, to use theirknowledge and capabilities for thecommunity and to make a difference tothe world by modelling these values.The graduation ceremony drove homethe message that achieving a degree isnot only about developing intellectuallyor obtaining a paper qualification, butalso about nurturing humane qualitiesthat will help us to selflessly andempathetically give back to society.The sea of happy facesElizabeth Lee delivering the Occasional AddressChow Shiat Teen,VU Business Club President, receivingthe scroll from the Chancellor , George PappasBeaming with satisfaction and delight: Sama Reza(Bangladesh), Mohamed Anis Mohamed Nazeem(Sri Lanka), Abdullah Shihab Bangladesh) posingwith their Head of Programme, Greeja De Silva3

HallmarksGROWING STRONG AT 11SUNWAY scholarship student, Soo Zuo Ping scored 88.85% in the recent batch of Foundation in Arts(FIA) students who graduated.Zuo Ping, who will be pursuing the Bachelor of Science (Hons) Accounting and Finance at SunwayUniversity, said that the programme had given him a broader understanding about life as a whole. “I neverwould have imagined learning about abortion in China and gun possession in the United Stated duringmy course of study with the FIA,” he said. “However, this enhanced my general knowledge and exposedme to issues surrounding the world.”The proud Sunway FIA graduates with their teachersAlongside fellow student, Yap NeeNa, Zuo Ping also received theSpecial Award of Achievementin academic excellence forbeing a consistent studentthroughout the three consecutivesemesters through determinationin performance and leadershipskills.He was also recognised for hisexemplary interpersonal skillsand increased confidence sincethe first semester. Nee Na wasawarded for her continuousacademic improvement, outgoingand active nature and her abilityto balance work and play.The other two top scorers wereMarcellina Ping Majin andNg See Yong, who scored anaverage of 86.40% and 85.35%,respectively.A total of 61 graduates receivedthe Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) JeffreyCheah Continuing Scholarship.Tan Ai Wei, who scored anaverage of 84.5%, was a recipientof the continuing scholarship andthe certificate of recognition,awarded to students for theircontribution in various studentactivities carried out throughoutthe FIA programme.During her speech, Ai Wei said: “Ayear ago, I was still aimless, lostand confused with life. I may nothave made many right decisionsin life, but my decision to do theFIA has certainly been the rightestand proudest decision of mine tothis day. In merely ten months,FIA has moulded me to be a betterperson – academically, mentallyand emotionally. I believe manyof my course mates here wouldfeel the same. We weren’tstudying here at Sunway College,but we were learning life’slessons. Our lecturers weren’tjust the teachers; they were alsoour mentors and our friends. Theydid not merely teach or feed usinformation from textbooks; theyguided us along the real path ofobtaining life-long knowledgewith such patience, in their veryown unique ways.”Darren Goh, Sandra Lee WeiShan, Dyitesh Raaj Mohan,Darryl Wong, Lilian Binjan, LeeBoon Chai, Yap Nee Na, BellaLorenza and Zaw Waiyan werealso recipients of the Certificateof Recognition.Ruma Lopes, Director of the FIAprogramme, said that despiteFIA being a completely homegrownprogramme, it has helpedchange, remould and guide thestudents into being successfulyoung people with a positiveoutlook in life. “We could nothave reached that without you,parents who had faith in ourprogramme,” she said. “And, tomy students, remember that youare truly somebody today.”This was the eleventh graduationceremony for Sunway College’shome-grown pre-universityprogramme, Foundation in Arts(FIA). A total of 121 studentsgraduated.4

Cover StoryKoo Hui Zen (bottom row, second from the left) with teammatescelebrating their Silver medal at the ASEAN University GamesNigel Lim Wen Qiang, receiving his 2nd Runner-Up trophyand certificate at the 17th Asian Cities Gold Cup TaekwondoChampionship in Hong KongThe talented Carlos Goonting,who was featured in the 5th Marchedition of The StarTHE foil pointing at his opponent,Andrew Mok Vern-Han, fully attired withhis fencing gear scored 15-8 against hisopponent, Syed Aidil Emir Putra to finishthe 3-minute fencing competition duringthe recent SUKMA 2013 games.The 18-year-old Gold Medallist whois currently enrolled in the AustralianMatriculation Programme (AUSMAT) atSunway College, beat Perak in the teamevent and KL in the individual foil event.He is now following the footsteps of hisfather, Mok Chek Wlong, once a nationalfencer who won several medals includingthe Kuala Lumpur XV SEA Games in 1989and 1991 games in Manila, Philippines.In January this year, Andrew took Goldin the Junior Men’s Individual Foilcategory at the National Junior FencingChampionships. He also bagged a Bronzemedal at the Southeast Asian Junior andCadet Fencing Championships a fewweeks later. His winning streak continuedover the weekend of February 23-24, ashe took home another Gold medal in theMen’s Individual Foil competition at theNilai University Fencing Competition.During the Commonwealth JuniorUnder-21 Fencing ChampionshipCommonwealth Games at Jersey, UKin 2012, Andrew won a bronze medalfor the country, where the winning hostcountry, England bagged the Gold andSilver.Another rising star, in the sport ofbasketball is Sunway’s ACCA student KooHui Zen, 21, who was recently recognisedfor her achievements representingMalaysia in Women’s Basketball. Sheplayed a key part of Malaysia’s FemaleBasketball team, which won a Silvermedal at the ASEAN University Gamesin Laos last December. As a result, Hui6Zen was honoured during the SportsExcellence Awards Ceremony, hosted bythe Ministry of Higher Education.On the football field, CarlosBenjamin Goonting plays the gamepassionately. Having just completedhis season with the MPSJ team whichunfortunately ended in defeat to theFootball Association of Selangor (SuperLeague) 2-1, the 20-year-old CanadianInternational Matriculation Programme(CIMP) graduate said he is undecided asto what he plans to do, but it is likely thathe may continue for another season withthe MPSJ team. “Meanwhile, I am takinga break, before deciding on my nextmove,” he said. “Like what my dad said,school can wait whereas opportunities insports cannot, because we all know thereis an expiration date for us footballers. Iwould say my legs would only last meanother 15 years, at most. I hope to getthe best of both worlds between studyingand having a stable career in football.Football has always been my passionand I wish to play professionally in thefuture.”Carlos could have easily been selectedto join the national team in 2008, if hehad not suffered from ankle and musclesprains, which affected his performanceduring the selection process. However,after the stint with MPSJ, Carlos said heis full of admiration and gratefulnessfor coach, Muhammad Zaki Yusoff.“He was the one who scouted me andoffered me a spot in the team,” he said.“I have nothing but utmost respect forthe man. Although he is a strict coachand a disciplinarian, who prioritises theplayers’ fitness, Zaki is also sympathetictowards any injuries we might have.”Meanwhile, another gold medalist, GanGang Wen, who recently completedhis Monash University Foundation Year(MUFY) also carved a name for himselfin the SUKMA 2013 artistic gymnastsrepresenting Selangor. The 18-year-oldSunway College student has gone fromwinning a bronze in 2012 to becominga gold medalist this year. “I have alwaysloved gymnastics since I was seven,” hesaid. “In fact, it was my parents who firstintroduced me to gymnastics.”Nigel Lim Wen Qiang, Selangor stateTaekwondo athlete and another Sunwaystudent, was also successful on foreignsoil recently. The 19-year-old Foundationin Arts (FIA) and a former boy of SMK BatuUnjur in Klang took part in the Senior MaleFly category during the 17th Asian CitiesGold Cup Taekwondo Championshipin Hong Kong in February this year,and emerged Second Runner-Up in animpressive performance which certainlybodes well for his future. He had also wonGold during a recent competition at UKMand another Gold medal in the NationalCircuit. “My father is both an instructor oftaekwondo as well as my coach,” he said.“I have trained under him since I was sixyears old. As a coach, he is kind but he isalso firm. He helped me make it throughvarious challenges I faced. Whenever Iam nervous, before a competition, he willhelp me relax before going into the ring.He also tells me what to do or what kindof style I should be using to fight withdifferent opponents.”Mark Dawson, Sports Advisor for SunwayEducation Group, said that he sees a lot ofpotential in young people. “It is a matterof guiding them in both their sports andtheir studies,” he said. “My job is to helpraise their levels of performance, whilethey cope with their studies. We hope

Sunway’s ACCA Koo Hui Zen representsMalaysia in Women’s Basketballthat all our sportsmen and women will bean inspiration to the rest of the students,that great results can be achieved throughpassion and determination.”Keeping the BalanceAdmittedly, it is not easy for the sportsmenand sportswomen to focus on both theirsports and studies. This is where Dawsonplays an important role to keep tab on theperformance of the students. “The collegehas raised its sports scholarships to 75%for National Athletes and 50% for StateAthletes,” he said. “This shows that asan institution, we want to nurture greatmen and women in sports. The biggestchallenge so far is making our studentsrealise that campus life cannot all beabout studies, taking part in activities suchas sports can help relieve stress as well asteach many important life lessons.”Some like Hui Zen, for example, saidthat she believes both her studies andbasketball are equally important. “Butnow, it seems like my studies are moreimportant because my ACCA classmatesare too smart,” she laughed. “I have towork harder to become like them. Infact, I joined ACCA because I need theStudent ID which will allow me to pursuethe game at the SEA Games. Currently,I am training under Mr Gary Lau for aminimum of two hours every day. InMalaysia, it’s every player’s goal to getinto the SEA Games team list.” Hui Zenhopes to graduate in 2015.Academically, Carlos said that he hopesto do a programme such as the AmericanDegree Transfer Programme, which willallow him to transfer to the United States.“It’s hard enough trying to keep up withschool work on its own, but now thatsemi-professional football is in the picture,it has become more hectic trying to findMUFY’s Gan Gang Feng won a goldmedal at the 2013 SUKMA competitionCIMP’s Carlos Benjamin Goonting whorecently completed a season with MPSJcould have easily been selected to jointhe national team had it not been for hisinjuriesa balance between the two,” he said.“Juggling between keeping my grades upto par and maintaining my performanceon the team is really challenging as thereare only 24 hours a day, and both ofthese take up a lot of time.” He spends anaverage of two hours on weekdays for hisfootball training, with Fridays reservedfor weekly league matches.National fencer, Andrew Mok admittedthat he has no definite plans afterfinishing AUSMAT in November, buthe is considering taking a break for ayear before he proceeds to pursue hisundergraduate studies. This arrangementmay work out well for him, as the timetaken away from his studies providesopportunities for further evaluation of hisfuture career.Practice, where he is concerned, is fortwo hours for two or three days a week,where his own father is the founder ofthe Touche Fencing Club. His 15-yearoldbrother who recently won bronzemedal in SUKMA team events trainsalong with him.For Gang Wen, his only best answercurrently about his future career is likemost young people: “I will just go withthe flow.” Although he has lost countof the number of medals he has won todate, the only child in his family spendsa total of 18 hours a week practicinggymnastics. “Keeping the balancebetween studying and playing is an artwhich I have mastered since young. Ihave always been able to cope with thetwo,” he said. “But if you ask me aboutmy career plan, I have to be honest. Ihave no idea at the moment except that Imight go for a Bachelor of Business andCommerce degree at Monash Malaysia!”AUSMAT’s Andrew Mok took homeGold in the Junior’s Men’s IndividualFoil category and a bronze at theSoutheast Asian Junior and Cadet FencingChampionshipAiming for the highestCarlos cited names like David Beckhamand Cristiano Ronaldo when he wastalking about role models. His ownperformance in football has also beenvery promising, in fact, he has beentouted the ‘best player’ and ‘mostpromising player’ on many occasions.Besides winning the national league withSeafield twice in a row in 2012 and 2013,his biggest accomplishment so far hasbeen the Nike’s “The Chance Malaysia”programme last year when he was oneof the five winners out of approximatelysix thousand other participants from allover the country. These winners werethen flown to Indonesia for the Nike “TheChance” South East Asia level. “Only oneof the five would eventually win a chanceto compete in the global finals,” he said.“Unfortunately, I came in second place.”The former boy of SMK Seafield, SubangJaya, who has started playing footballsince he was 10, said he is aiminghigh. He hopes to go to Portugal to playfor the Luzo Football Club for at leastfour months. “However, that will beat my own expense and it costs aboutUS$1,500 a month,” he said. “This was atthe invitation of Fabio Santos, a Brazilianwho works with Brazuca Soccer in Brazil.It is costly, so I would not be able to makeit unless there is a sponsor.”Like Carlos, Andrew is emulating his rolemodel, Olympics 2012 gold medallist,Lei Sheng from China. He hopes somedayhe, too, could win Gold in the Olympics.“I believe I can achieve this in a matterof time if given more practice andopportunities for competitions,” he said,exuding a sense of confidence.7

HappeningsThe Oxford & Cambridge Society of Malaysia members with (fourth from left) Elizabeth Lee, Tan Sri Dr Lin See Yan, Dato’ Dr Goh Cheng Teik, Margaret Kalooand Ruma Lopes.EDUCATIONSHOULDBE FREE,REALLY?Loo Han Rong (left) and Jish Lim (right) won best speakers atthe debate.Most definitely!With strong and persuasivearguments, debaters from theUniversity of Cambridge, LooHan Rong, Ian Beh and ShawnTan emerged as champions andwalked away with the Goh ChengTeik Cup.The trio beat speakers fromUniversity of Oxford, Shivy Siva,Jish Lim and Halian Fadzli Shah,who debated on the topic, “Thehouse believes that universityeducation should be free.”This was the fourth consecutiveyear that Sunway College ishosting the debate betweenMalaysian students from the twooldest universities in the UnitedKingdom. The debate in the pasthas always attracted a huge localaudience due to the august statusof the universities.Chief Adjudicator of the debateand President of Harvard ClubMalaysia, Tan Sri Dr Lin See Yansaid the best speaker was selectedindependently of the team thatwon. “On each team, they hada personality that was differentfrom the other,” he said. “Bothindividuals did well, but theyappeal to different people. So, wehave identified two individuals,Loo Han Rong, who was cool andcalculated and Jish Lim, who wasthe politician, and decided thatthey both deserved to be the bestspeakers.”The panel of judges comprised ofDr Lin, Margaret Kaloo, Founderand CEO of elc InternationalSchool, and Ruma Lopes, AssistantDirector, Pre-University Studies,Sunway College.Sunway University, the CambridgeUniversity Malaysia Society,Oxford University Malaysia Cluband the Oxford & CambridgeSociety Malaysia have anestablished relationship ofmore than two decades. Oneof the undertakings betweenSunway University and Oxford &Cambridge Society Malaysia is toprovide Sunway students with anopportunity to take part in theiractivities.Senior Executive Director ofSunway Education Group,Elizabeth Lee said that debatingis one of the many importantactivities held at these top-notchuniversities. “Both the Cambridgeand Oxford unions are famed fortheir high quality and scintillatingdebates,” she said. “It is a platformto groom world leaders. The focusis on how students articulatethe facts, exhibit their thoughtprocess, organise the method ofpresentation, mannerism, besidesemphasising on both clarity of themessage presented and impactfulcontent.”Among those present were240 students from the SunwayPre-University programmes;A-Level, Australian MatriculationProgramme(AUSMAT),Foundation in Arts (FIA), MonashUniversity Foundation Year(MUFY) and Sunway InternationalSchool (SIS), 40 secondary schoolstudents from SMK (Perempuan)Pudu and 30 students from variousother secondary schools in theKlang Valley.9

CONTINUING THEROAD TO SUCCESSAfter his Malaysian Certificate of Education, Eric Chan Wei Chiangtook up the Canadian International Matriculation Programme(CIMP) at Sunway College in 2000 where he obtained the OntarioSecondary School Diploma and the CIMP Certificate of AcademicExcellence with Honours.Eric (middle) with (left) Cheng MienWee, Director of Pre-University Studies,Roslee Yahaya, Deputy Director ofCIMP and John Futa, then ProgrammeDirector of CIMP10

AlumniIn Form 5, Eric Chan skipped tuition class one day and went with a friend to Sunway College to enquire about thediploma courses available. From then on, he made up his mind that Sunway is the place to do his diploma and topursue a degree in Biotechnology’.APPRECIATING the high quality education of the international matriculation programme atSunway, Eric Chan continued his undergraduate studies at the prestigious Monash UniversitySunway, where he graduated with a BSc (Honours) Biotechnology in 2004. The passion for scientificresearch drove him to proceed with his post-graduate studies after securing a scholarship fromMonash. He became the first graduate of the School of Science to be conferred a Ph.D. (NaturalProduct Chemistry) in 2009.As a student in Sunway, Eric Chan won a consolation prize of the Merck Young Scientist Award2009 in chromatography. He became a Life Member for Academic Excellence, Monash UniversityChapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society since 2003, and a Member of theInternational Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) since 2009.Dr. Eric Chan joinedthe Faculty of AppliedSciences at a localinstitution of higherlearning since 2009where he lectureschemistry to first yearstudents. In recent years,he gained internationalrecognition and wonseveral awards. He is aMember of the ScientificAdvisory Board of theJournal of InterculturalEthnopharmacology, a Member of the Advisory Committee ofInternational Conference of Herbal and Traditional Medicine,October 2012, New Delhi in India, and a Life Member ofPharmacognosy Network Worldwide. In 2010, he was one of therecipients of the Prestige Top 40 under 40 Award, which honours40 young men and women with outstanding talent in Malaysiaeach year.‘I consider myself to be adeptat rallying the people aroundme to take up a cause’. CreativeScience – Scientist Dr. Eric Chanstrives for research excellenceso that we can all enjoy the fullpotential of our natural world. In:Prestige Top 40 under 40 Poisedfor Power, 2010, pp. 32–33.Dr. Eric Chan has published more than 30 papers in InternationalRefereed Journals such as Food Chemistry, LWT – Food Science andTechnology, and Free Radicals and Antioxidants. His biography willbe listed in Marquis Who’s Who in the World® 2014, the sourcefor current biographical information on the lives of the world’smost distinguished individuals.Dr. Eric Chan attributes his achievements to the premier collegeand university education he received at Sunway. He honours theSunway road to success, and recommends it to all school leaversseeking tertiary education.11

SUNWAY’S MUFY AMONGTHE TOPThe award winners, Rishi Raaj Pillai Uvarajan, Pavithra Eroshan Weerasinghe, Zena Davina, Saniya Begenova, Michelle Lai Tzi Huey, Mr. Lee Thye Cheong,Natalia Kolesnikova, Leonnie Lee Ket Lan, Jung Won YoungTHE Valedictorian, Ian Patrick SantaMaria, has been described as an eagerand enthusiastic young man, positive,always willing to help.Currently, working on his childhoodbiography, the Monash UniversityFoundation Year (MUFY) student, said thathe will be heading to Monash UniversitySunway Campus to pursue his medicaldegree programme. Interestingly, he hashis entire plan in life all chartered out.“I have always believed in a holisticapproach to health, with more emphasisbeing given to physical fitness as wellas top quality nutrition,” he said.“Maintaining one’s health is the key toimproving longevity.”His game plan? “After completing mymedical degree here in Malaysia, I will12be heading to Australia where I hope toundergo my housemanship,” he said.“I believe there is a lot that I can learnfrom the Australian athletes and healthexperts, which would help in my personalmission of spreading fitness and nutritionto the masses. I might then stay on fora while in Australia, to gain experienceand credibility. Eventually, I will return toMalaysia and Singapore to help peoplehere to live a healthier lifestyle.”Fellow student, Michelle Lai Tzi Huey wasawarded the MUFY Excellence Award forher determination, drive and dedication,when she achieved the highest total scoreamong all the MUFY providers, whileLeonnie Lee Ket Lan received the MUFYAchievement Award, for being the studentwho not only excelled academically butalso contributed significantly in extracurricularactivities.They were among the prize recipientsduring the recent MUFY GraduationNight, where 250 students were awardeda certificate of completion from MUFYthat bears testimony to their hardship andsheer determination.Five Sunway College students scoredan average of 91.25% to qualify for thecoveted Monash University MalaysiaEntrance Scholarships. A total of 13 of22 Subject Awards were also baggedby Sunway students, who obtained thehighest score in their respective subjects,for the June examination.Sunway College has a record of 69 MUFYstudents, who gained admission to theSchool of Medicine at Monash UniversitySunway Campus.

HappeningsIan Patrick Santa Maria presenting his speech.Leonnie Lee Ket Lan receiving her award from Lee Weng KengMichelle Lai Tzi Huey receiving her award from Lee Weng KengThis, according to Sunway EducationGroup’s Senior Executive Director,Elizabeth Lee, is attributed to the MUFYlecturers who have been inspiringand committed teachers, impartingknowledge and wisdom in their ownunique way to shape successful students.Quoting Helen Keller, who despite herdisabilities became a prolific author,political activist and lecturer, Lee said:“Character cannot be developed in easeand quiet. Only through experienceof trial and suffering can the soul bestrengthened, ambition inspired, andsuccess achieved.”Sunway students have always maintainedan excellent track record of students’academic success, with scores thatoften surpass those from other MUFYproviders.Being the 14th year since MUFY was firstoffered in Malaysia, Sunway College hasbecome the most established provider ofMUFY, which has the largest number ofstudent enrolment, among all providersin Australia, Malaysia, China, Indonesiaand Sri Lanka. In China, there arethree new providers, namely Shanghai,Guangzhou and Hangzhou.“I am especially proud of the fact thatwe have attained this position, but moreremarkable is that we have maintainedthe standing for many years now, as theadage goes, `to be on top is easy but tostay on top is difficult’,” Lee said.She had earlier congratulated the studentsfor their zeal and passion, with whichthey have crossed the finishing line. “Wehope the last 10 months have given youmore than knowledge and wisdom, amemory worth a lifetime and lessons youcan carry with you as you move forwardin life,” she added.Also present were Lee Weng Keng(Chief Executive Officer, Education andHealthcare Division), Phang Koon Tuck(Executive Director, Monash UniversitySunway Campus), Professor MahendhiranNair (Deputy President, MonashUniversity Sunway Campus), ChengMien Wee (Director of Pre-UniversityStudies, Sunway College & ExecutiveDirector of Sunway International School)and Lee Thye Cheong (Director, MonashUniversity Foundation Year, SunwayCollege).13

AlumniLIFE AS ANUCLEAR PHYSICISTFORMER Sunway AustralianMatriculation Programme (AUSMAT)student Lee Boon Quan is currentlyworking at the Department of NuclearPhysics in Australian National University.His research topic involves nuclearphysics, atomic physics and medicalphysics.According to Boon Quan, the researchthat he is working on may lead tothe development of a new kind ofmolecular radiotherapy that is based onthe interaction of Auger electrons withtumors. “Ideally, the Auger ‘electronbased’therapies only damage the tumorsbut not the neighbouring healthy cells,”he said. “This is because Auger electronstravel very short distance in the order ofnanometre due to their low energy, sothey damage only the small volume inthe immediate vicinity of the radioactiveisotopes.”Unlike the conventional ray, particles andneutrons, the Auger electron is generatedfrom the atomic shells following theradioactive decay rather than comingdirectly from the nucleus; therefore theyare usually low in energy in the rangefrom a few eV to 100 keV and hard tobe detected.“My research group and I are buildinga theoretical model to describe theemission process of Auger electrons,”Boon Quan added. “Our goal is toreplace the existing models which arenot able to include the whole atom intheir calculations and keep up with theadvances in nuclear physics.”What is exciting about the study ofAuger electrons is that it allows himto get involved in many differentdisciplines from physics to medicine.“Sometimes I just love doing somethingBoon Quan has two publications to his credit:• B. Q. Lee, T. Kib´edi, A. E. Stuchbery, and K. A. Robertson,“AtomicRadiations in the Decay of Medical Radioisotioes: A Physics Perspective”,Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine 651475 (2012) 14• B. Q. Lee, T. Kib´edi, A. E. Stuchbery and K. A. Robertson, “Atomic Radiationin Nuclear Decay”, European Physical Journal: Web of Conferences 04003(2012) 35 and we are working on another publication (currently namedas “A Model to Realize the Potential of Auger Electrons for Radiotherapy”)which will be published at the end of the year on European Physical Journal.that is interesting and vibrant,” he said,adding that in five years’ time, he wouldhave completed his PhD. “Thereafter,I will probably join a research group(can be different from what I am doing)somewhere on the planet earth if I decidenot to become a Medical Physicist inAustralia. Maybe, someday, I will work asa researcher in Malaysia.”With his knowledge in nuclear andatomic physics, Boon Quan wouldprobably be able to apply it for theadvancement of medical science. “Iknow that the public are scared when theword ‘radiation’ is brought up, so I alsohope to help the public understand thatnuclear and atomic radiations are notscary after all!” he laughed.Two Sets of Learning ExperienceAccording to Boon Quan, AUSMAT hadhelped him in the transition of learningstyle from high school to university. Hesaid, “In high school, I always relied onschool teachers in the process of gainingknowledge. During the year in AUSMAT,I was able to start learning independentlywith help from lecturers at AUSMAT.It gave me a glimpse of what universitylife is all about. At the university,lecturers will only guide you instead ofspoonfeeding you. However, most of theresearchers and lecturers in ANU areeasy to get along with and they will notrefuse to answer your question if you askthem properly.”There are no regrets in choosing AUSMATat Sunway and ANU. “My brother isnow doing AUSMAT at Sunway as well.I encouraged him to join AUSMATbecause I believe the benefits he will getat Sunway will help him in the future,”Boon Quan said.ANU is also his best choice made. “Tobe honest, I feel that my supervisorsand I are like brothers,” he said. “Wealways chat about something that is notrelated to academic and they alwaysmake themselves available when Ihave questions. If you would like to doresearch, then ANU is the place you willfind your opportunity.”ANU is located near the centre ofCanberra and it is a place that providesstudents with a serene environment.Most of the cities in Malaysia are verycrowded, but ANU in Canberra exudesa different feel. “It is true that Canberrais less vibrant than the other capitalcities in Australia such as Melbourne andSydney but it gives you an opportunityto understand the definition of serenity,”Boon Quan said. “At night, you are ableto see our galaxy, the Milky Way at theResearch School of Astrophysics which islocated on top of the Mount Stromlo. Thisis the opportunity you will never get inMalaysia due to light pollution.”14

MATHWIZARD INTHE MAKINGFIONA Tay Ting Nuan was one of the two students fromCatholic High School who emerged as champion duringthe Math & Logic Competition organised by SunwayCollege in 2009. She was sixteen back then.Along with the championship, she also won a fullscholarship to study the Cambridge A-Level at SunwayCollege, and completed with flying colours in July 2012.With A’s for all four subjects – Further Mathematics,Additional Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, shewas accepted into Oxford University to do her Masterof Mathematics. Having completed her first year, Fionareturned for a three-month summer vacation recently.Visiting her alma matter as the Welfare Officer of theOxford University Malaysia Club , caught up withher.16

AlumniFiona Tay with her mentor, Mr Yong YauQ : What is it like studying at Oxford?A : University life is a big transition compared to school. It isthe same at Oxford, as it is in any other universities. Youare expected to be independent. However, a highlight atOxford is that we have a great tutorial system like no otheruniversity. The ratio is one tutor to two students; there istherefore a lot of personal attention from the tutors.Q : Where you are now, how many other Malaysians arepursuing the same degree?A : We have altogether six of us. Technically four now twohave since graduated. Although we are all from differentcolleges (Oxford’s collegiate system), we often see oneanother in lectures and get together along with otherMalaysians for events and outings or even just dinner.The companionship of people who are also facing similarchallenges is comforting when the going gets tough.Q : Why did you choose Oxford? Was it difficult to get intoOxford?A : Oxford is of course a well-known university with a richtradition. I like challenges in life. People always tell methat it is difficult to get into Oxford. So, I set a target toenter Oxford myself, and I have achieved it. The processof application included having to sit for a MathematicsAptitude Test in two hours. Once shortlisted, we have toattend an interview. In my case, since I was already touringEurope, I decided to fly in to Oxford where the interviewwas conducted. The idea of the interview was to assessthe prospective student’s level of confidence and ability tovocalize their ideas. There is no right or wrong answers.Q : You are expecting to graduate by 2016. What are yourplans after you complete your Master of Mathematics?A : I have not decided, but I may want to pursue my PhD.Therefore, I will have to decide when I come to the bridge.Q : You have also done Thinking Skills while doing theA-Level programme. How has this subject, and A-Level asa whole, helped you with your preparations for Oxford?A : There are fewer subjects for A-Level as compared to otherpre-university programmes, but it also means that we havemore time to have in-depth understanding of each subject.This is important, because at the university level, we aresupposed to cover something thoroughly into a particulararea of specialisation, as we move up in our academicladder. Thinking skills taught me how to analyse thingscritically before formulating a logical explanation, whichhas been especially useful when solving problems in puremathematics.Q : While you were at Sunway, who were your favouritelecturers and why?A : All of them! (Mr Yong Yau, Mr Lee Choo Sik, Ms Kalarani,Ms Chin Fui Leng, Mr Kingsley & Mr Leonard). The smallerclass size and longer contact hours made it possible forlecturers to get to know the students better. This way theycould identify our strengths and weaknesses in a subjectso we knew what we could work on. I also liked how theywould allocate time outside of the dedicated teachinghours for students to ask for advice. The mentor-menteescheme was also very beneficial to me. My mentor, MrYong Yau, was very helpful as he patiently assisted me inmy UCAS and scholarship applications.17

AlumniTHE ULTIMATECAMBRIDGE EXPERIENCESunway’s A-Level student, Ng Zhu Shen received many offers including to the United States topursue his studies, but he picked Cambridge, where he is currently on a full scholarship fromRoyal Dutch Shell …IN the middle of a class, one of hislecturers threw a boomerang.Stunned, Ng Zhu Shen listened on, ashis lecturer explained the underlyingtheories and mechanism behindthe weapon used by the Australianaborigines.“This is how our lessons are taught,”Zhu Shen shared enthusiastically abouthis experience studying at Cambridge.“It is the best university in the worldand the highlight would be its strongacademic environment. We havelectures, practical and coursework tofocus on, and are each assigned to atutor to help us in our studies.”Zhu Shen, a former Sunway A-Levelstudent, was on a short break when hereturned to Malaysia. He is currentlypursuing a degree in Engineering atthe University of Cambridge, wherehe hopes to eventually specialise inMechanical Engineering.18“I have always thought that I wouldpursue my tertiary education in theUnited States, a place much suited formy personality. However, everythingchanged when my Cambridgeacceptance letter arrived. Havingknown Cambridge to be a highlyacademic-focused institution, it filledme with great apprehension when Iwas actually offered a place to studythere.”Zhu Shen took it as a personalchallenge that, if he could striveunder the most rigorous academicenvironment, the sky would be hislimit. “The initial weeks upon myarrival in Cambridge, I would check mystudent ID periodically, soaking in theeuphoria that it was no mistake that Ihave made it!” he quipped.Returning to Cambridge in October,Zhu Shen said the same challengeswill persist. “I am now more equippedwith the essential knowledge toexcel despite the academic rigor inCambridge,” he said. “The first yearhas taught me the value of unparalleledfocus, productivity and understandingthe crux of my learning materials.”He has attributed his strong foundationto his Further Mathematics lecturer,Mr Yong Yau. “I was given the platformto explore and tap into my academicpotential. It is not only the facultythat makes Sunway College specialbut the small student numbers alsobuilds a supportive community,” headded. “This sense of collaborationcreates an environment that promotesacademic advancement that makes thisprogramme unique in comparison toother colleges.”

Social ResponsibilityRebecca George (third from left) with her scholarship agreement. From left: Lee Siok Ping, Elizabeth Lee, Moey Yoke Lai, Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Hashimand Rebecca’s sister, MariaTHE FIRSTBENEFICIARYREBECCA George Williams K John madehistory by being the first recipient of theSunway Education Group–Elena CookeEducation Fund Scholarship, since it wasfirst established in December 2012.Hailing from Klang, Rebecca wasselected to pursue the CertifiedAccounting Technician (CAT) course atSunway College.The scholarship is offered jointly bySunway and BBGS Alumni Berhad,which had established the Elena CookeEducation Fund, in honour of the lateElena Cooke, a well-loved principal ofBukit Bintang Girls’ School in KualaLumpur. Sunway pledged RM500,000worth of scholarships to be given to theneedy and marginalised students, topursue their tertiary studies at SunwayCollege or Sunway University.The Fund was set up to help thesestudents, particularly orphans,irrespective of their race, culture andreligion, to obtain an academic orprofessional qualification.To Rebecca, the scholarship, coupledwith the opportunity offered to herat Sunway College, is the first steptowards achieving her dream career asa professional accountant. She will beable to lift herself up from poverty andeventually attain financial independencewhen she completes her education.There will be years of hard work ahead,but Rebecca said she is determined to seeher dream fulfilled one day.Congratulating Rebecca, Elizabeth Lee,Senior Executive Director of SunwayEducation Group said that she is proud ofher. “At Sunway, we hope to be an enablerin helping her fulfil her aspiration and wewill all support her throughout the way,”she said, after both she and Moey YokeLai, Founding Director of BBGS AlumniBerhad signed the scholarship agreementwith Rebecca.The witness for Sunway Education Groupwas Lee Siok Ping, Director of StudentServices and the witness for BBGS AlumniBerhad was Datin Noor Azimah AbdulHashim, Member, Board of Directors,BBGS Alumni Berhad.Sunway Education Group and BBGSAlumni Berhad are inviting moreapplications for Sunway EducationGroup–Elena Cooke Education FundScholarships.At the same time, donations in the formof cheques payable to BBGS AlumniBerhad can either be sent to the ElenaCooke Education Fund, No 33--2-B,Block C2, Dataran Prima, 47301 PetalingJaya, Selangor, Malaysia or bankedinto the Maybank Account Number:514123166380, followed by faxing abank-in slip to fax No: 03-6157 0191; ore-mailed to: bbgs.ecef@gmail.com19