Words of Wisdom

H.R.H Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj

It takes a magnanimous man like Tan Sri Dato' Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO to donate all his shares previously held under the Sunway Education Trust to the Foundation.

In so doing, he has ensured that these shares are held there in perpetuity and will be used to further the cause of the Foundation in bringing good and quality education to future generations of diligent and deserving students.

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj

The Sultan of Selangor

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj was proclaimed the 9th Sultan of Selangor on 22 November 2001. He was later crowned with full Royal Customs at Balairung Seri, Istana Alam Shah, Klang in a Coronation and Crown Ceremony held on 8 March 2003.

His Royal Highness received his early education at Raja Muda Secondary School, Kuala Lumpur and St. John Institution, Kuala Lumpur from 1954 to 1959. In 1960, he continued his studies in Perth, Australia until 1964 and continued his studies in England until 1968. In the same year, he returned to his homeland and served in the Government Administration where his first service was in the Office of the Selangor State Secretary. He also possesses a vast knowledge and experience in the field of administration as he served in the Kuala Lumpur District Office and the Royal Police Department, Kuala Lumpur.

His Royal Highness was appointed for the first time as Chairman of The Panel of Regents (Jemaah Pemangku Raja) on 23 February to 20 September 1969 when his father, who was then the Sultan of Selangor left for England. On 24 April 1999, his father was appointed as the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong while His Royal Highness was appointed as the Regent of Selangor.

His Royal Highness has made several official visits to the districts to observe the developments and local problems faced by His Royal Highness’s people, as well as socialising with them to gain a broader perspective. He has also officiated the Opening Meetings of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly in 1972, 1974, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

His Royal Highness was awarded Degree of Relatives (Most Respected) Selangor in 1973 and the First Order of Merit, Seri Paduka Mahkota Johor (SPMJ) in 1975. He was also awarded Degrees of Relatives from the states of Terengganu, Kelantan, Perak, Perlis, Negeri Sembilan and Kedah.

In 2002, he was the first holder of Dato ‘Setia – Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (S.S.I.S.) Order of Merit. During His Royal Highness’s coronation as the 9th Sultan of Selangor, he was also awarded Seri Mahkota Negara (D.M.N.) by His Royal Highness the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In the military field, His Royal Highness was commissioned as Honorary Major of the Malaysian Armed Forces (Territorial) in 1974 and Honorary Commander of the Royal Malaysian Navy Reserve Force in 1998. In 2002, he was appointed Captain of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Other accomplishments include having His Royal Highness’s name engraved in the “Malaysia Book of Records” as “The First to Sail Around the World” and “The First to Complete the Peking-Paris Motor Challenge” in 1998.

His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor is a person who is attuned to current developments and provides solutions in overcoming humanitarian problems. As a religious person, His Royal Highness is often known to advise people he meets at mosques to follow the teachings of Islam with full confidence. His Royal Highness is known as a caring Sultan who always has the best interest of his people at heart especially those in the state of Selangor.

Tan Sri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO is the founder and trustee of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF).

I have always maintained that each and every one of us must have a higher purpose in life.  For me, this higher calling is a commitment to nation-building by giving back to society in a meaningful and impactful manner. 

At our university convocations, students often come up to me and thank me for receiving their scholarships. The smiles and the happiness on their faces are just priceless! 

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO

Founder and Trustee of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation

Achievements and Accolades

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO

Growing up in a small tin-mining town of Pusing, in the state of Perak in Malaysia, 200 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur, I grew up surrounded by poverty and witnessed first-hand how financial hardship closed off avenues of advancement for many of my childhood friends.

These formative experiences shaped my convictions that quality education offers the best route out of poverty and misery, and that sustainable development is vital to the nation’s future well-being.

The success and growth of Sunway Group enabled me to realise my lifelong dream of setting up a foundation dedicated to nation-building and giving back to society in an impactful manner. In 2010, I gifted my entire equity stake in the Sunway Education Group to the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation in perpetuity.

I am immensely grateful for the wisdom and strong backing of His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj in the establishment and growth of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, and for graciously agreeing to serve as the royal patron of the foundation’s independent board of distinguished trustees.

The foundation owns and governs all entities under the Sunway Education Group in a not-for-profit structure, making quality education affordable and accessible to as many qualified students as possible. All financial surpluses are ploughed back into the foundation for research, scholarships, grants, expansion of facilities and recruitment of top-notch academics from around the world.

Adopting a social enterprise model, the foundation is the largest of its kind advancing education in Malaysia and has awarded more than RM892 million in scholarships and grants to date.

In addition, the foundation has also established active partnerships between Sunway University and several world-renowned universities such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Lancaster University in the UK, as well as Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.  

Based on mutual respect, trust, shared values and a firm commitment to providing quality education, these collaborations enable us to bring cutting-edge research and world-class knowledge not only to Malaysia, but also the wider Southeast Asia region. Above all, these partnerships reflect my belief that to be the best, we need to learn from the best and work with the best.

Over the years, I have been privileged and fortunate to be able to build an ecosystem of educational excellence comprising institutions of teaching and learning working together in a holistic manner to serve the community and the nation. 

With your support and contribution, it is my hope that the foundation will continue to carry out this nation-building mission in perpetuity to shape a more learned society as well as a more progressive, more sustainable and more inclusive future for all.

It takes a magnanimous man like Tan Sri Dato' Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO to donate all his shares previously held under the Sunway Education Trust to the Foundation.

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj

The Sultan of Selangor

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj

I have always maintained that each and every one of us must have a higher purpose in life. For me, this higher calling is a commitment to nation-building by giving back to society in a meaningful and impactful manner.

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO

Founder and Trustee of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO

I have always maintained that each and every one of us must have a higher purpose in life.  For me, this higher calling is a commitment to nation-building by giving back to society in a meaningful and impactful manner. 