SIBU: Education must go beyond academic achievement and become a pathway that gives young people greater choices in life, said Bawang Assan assemblyman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh.
He was speaking at the 56th Education Award and 42nd Phat Fatt Education Assistance Award Presentation Ceremony organised by the Sarawak Central Chiang Hsia Clan Association at its premises here Sunday (Aug 23).
Wong said the two long-running programmes reflected more than five decades of commitment to education, youth development and community responsibility.
He said the two programmes represented the association’s perseverance and compassion in ensuring education remained accessible to the younger generation.
“Fifty-six years represent perseverance; forty-two years represent compassion,” he said.
Wong who is also the association’s patron, stressed that the Education Award should not be viewed merely as a financial reward, but as recognition that hard work, diligence and excellence deserved to be acknowledged and encouraged.
Addressing the recipients, he urged them to treat the award as a new beginning rather than the end of their journey.
With technology and artificial intelligence (AI) developing rapidly, he said young people must cultivate curiosity, independent thinking and the ability to continuously learn.
“True education is not about simply completing your studies. True education is about developing the ability to learn throughout your life,” he said.
On the Phat Fatt Education Assistance programme, Wong highlighted its different but equally important role in supporting students from financially disadvantaged families.
While an award recognises achievement, he said education assistance could determine whether a student was able to continue pursuing an education despite financial difficulties.
The assistance could help cover school fees, purchase books or provide essential learning equipment such as computers, while also giving students something less tangible but equally important — hope.
“We must never allow a child to lose the opportunity for education and a better future simply because of financial difficulties at home,” he said.
Wong said the true strength of a society should not be judged solely by the number of successful individuals it produces, but also by how it supports those who face difficulties along the way.
Drawing from his own experience in public life, Wong described education as one of the most meaningful contributions he had made towards Sibu and Sarawak.
“If someone were to ask me, ‘What do you consider your greatest contribution to Sibu and Sarawak?’ My answer would be immediate: education,” he said.
He said infrastructure such as roads, bridges and buildings was important to development, but capable human capital was ultimately needed to sustain and maximise those investments.
“Without capable people, even the best infrastructure cannot be fully utilised or sustained. With capable people, a society has the strength to continue progressing,” he said.
Wong also reflected on his long involvement in expanding educational opportunities in Sibu, describing it as a deeply personal journey shared with his late son, Datuk Andrew Wong Kee Yew.
He recalled efforts spanning from the establishment of Sarawak United College in the 1990s to the development of Laila Taib College and subsequently University of Technology Sarawak (UTS).
He also highlighted initiatives involving the establishment of the Sarawak Maritime Academy and the bringing of the Confucius Institute to Sibu.
Wong said these efforts were driven by a broader vision of giving young people greater access to higher, professional and international education, while strengthening Sibu’s position as an education centre.
He stressed that developing human capital was not an undertaking that could be completed within a few years, but required decades and, in some cases, generations of commitment.
“It requires the support of the family. It requires dedicated teachers. It requires good schools and institutions. And it requires the care and support of the entire community,” he said.
Looking ahead, Wong expressed hope that the association’s education initiatives would continue well beyond their current milestones, with future editions reaching the 60th, 70th and subsequent anniversaries.
Wong also expressed appreciation to the association’s leaders and committee members, clansmen, parents, teachers and community members for their continued support of education and youth development.
He said education remained one of the most meaningful long-term investments a community could make, as knowledge could change individual lives while talent could strengthen society for generations to come.
