On 27 March 2024, TAR UMT celebrated the official launch of the “Dato' Dr Lim Khaik Leang: Educationist” book. Produced by the Federation of TARC Alumni Associations, the book depicts the life of Dato’ Dr Lim in his golden years, from his humble beginnings as a secondary school student in Penang to his appointment at Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) as the second Principal in 1978. Dato’ Dr Lim Khaik Leang was present to be a part of the celebration and he was joined by Tan Sri Liow Tong Lai, former Chairman of TAR UMT Board of Governors (BOG) and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, Chairman of TAR UMT’s BOG and TAR UMT Alumni Council
The biography is an important publication and was produced to preserve the history of the early development of TAR College from the perspective of Dato’ Dr Lim, who was one of the college’s earliest pioneers and longest-serving principals.
"When I was first approached by Mr Adrian Yeo, the TARC School of Business Studies Ex-Students Association President, and author Dr Tan Hoi Piew about writing a biography, my initial reaction was to decline because there was nothing interesting about myself. After much persuasion and numerous chats, I came to realise that I might be the only one who could recount the history of TARC, as many of my fellow friends during the establishment of TARC are no longer around. I felt that it would be a great responsibility for me to narrate the story of TARC from my perspective as the former Principal, preserving it as a form of history to share with the younger generation," said Dato’ Dr Lim during his speech.
Tan Sri Chan, in his speech, mentioned the importance of reflecting on and appreciating what has been achieved for the establishment of TAR UMT. “Many of us here might be familiar with how TAR College came to be, but not many of us would know the stories of the challenges and achievements of past principals like Dato’ Dr Lim who led the College towards continuous development during the early years. These are also important records that are part of the TARCian legacy and are beautifully captured in this book. As such, I believe this book will not only be an enjoyable read but will be educational as well," said Tan Sri Chan
Tan Sri Chan also added, “We, as the TAR UMT Alumni Council, will continue to gather all the contributions and commendable works of our forefathers and initiate various projects to ensure that these efforts, contributions, and challenges are well documented. This will serve as good references and guides for both our current and future communities of TAR UMT.”
The launching ceremony concluded with a cake cutting ceremony in conjunction with TAR UMT’s 55th Anniversary of establishment.
(From left) Tan Sri Liow, Dato’ Dr Lim, Tan Sri Chan, Mr Adrian Yeo, Dr Tan and Mr Chai Kin Wei, the publisher of the book, during the book launching ceremony.
