Sunway International School and SJK (C) Cheah Fah Are Officially Sisters

Two educational institutions namely Sunway International School and SJK (C) Cheah Fah at Sunway City Iskandar Puteri (SCIP) are charting a new educational future together to establish themselves as Sister Schools. 

The agreement was signed by Madam Chew Lee Peng, Principal of SJK (C) Cheah Fah and Craig Hugh Gerow, Principal of Sunway International School.

Witnessing the ceremony were Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, founder and chairman of Sunway Group as well as Founder and trustee of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, Dato’ Professor Dr Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Education Group, Dato’ Ir. Steve Chong Yoon On, Deputy Chairman of SJK (C) Cheah Fah’s Board of Governors and Gerard Soosay, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway City Iskandar Puteri. 

Education is a core value that Sunway Group has consistently upheld in the past, present, and future. The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, which owns and runs Sunway Education Group, has to date given more than RM618 million to thousands of gifted Malaysians studying in a number of fields.

The foundation is the largest of its kind in the nation for advancing Education and utilises a social enterprise model.

“Through this arrangement, we are once again able to live up to our founder and chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah’s vision and mission to provide good software (educational experience) and good hardware (building and facilities) in schools – that is only made possible with SJK (C) Cheah Fah and SIS’ support, effort and openness,” said Professor Elizabeth.

The largest township in the Group, Sunway City Iskandar Puteri, is yet another indication of Sunway’s emphasis on education. The Group’s educational arm, Sunway International School (SIS), was the first construction project to adorn the township, preceding housing and retail.

The school makes use of a cutting-edge swimming pool, library, workshop for life skills, and more. A Canadian Syllabus that is well-known internationally and has drawn 500 international students to date matches the calibre of these facilities.

Meanwhile, SJK (C) Cheah Fah, a Chinese government school that Sunway fully developed and equipped with SIS-equivalent facilities and technology, was opened as part of SCIP this year. The school’s status as an adopted school under the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation further demonstrates its close ties to the Group. More remarkably, the government now owns and runs the school, levelling the playing field for education.

“The school’s close proximity, different curriculums and positive relationship provide a wealth of opportunities for more holistic learning. Capable of expanding the students’ horizon, promoting intercultural understanding, increasing global awareness and developing cross-cultural collaborations,” remarked, Dato’ Steve.

This makes the establishment of the sister school a logical development for SCIP’s educational institutions. Living up to the Group’s reputation as a Master Community Developer by creating an environment where people can live, learn, work, and play instead of just building spaces.

“It’s difficult for schools to collaborate. Even rarer when it’s between an international and public school that often seems worlds apart. Our Group is proud to bridge this gap that will give our children quality education, confidence and the capabilities to lead a sustainable future, through promoting inclusivity,” explained Gerard.

Beyond the ceremony, this new sisterhood will manifest itself through cultural exchanges, language programmes, interschool competitions, and teacher development through activities that will foster staff and student development and strengthen the community within the township.

In addition to Sunway International School and SJK (C) Cheah Fah, SCIP is working on a number of other projects to further develop its educational component. Iskandar 42, a free, teacher-less coding programme school, and Sunway TES Accounting School, a top-tier provider, are moving into the township.

Additionally, Sunway City Iskandar Puteri intends to build a Global Learning Village that will house Sunway College and Sunway University and enhance the burgeoning ecosystem of SCIP – Creating a thorough and accessible education for people from all backgrounds.