Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai (front row, sixth from left), and Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei (front row, fifth from left), accompanied by TAR UC senior officials, staff, and award recipients for a group photograph at the Long Service Award and Outstanding Academic Awards ceremony.

Loyalty is a precious commodity in the working world, but in Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (‘TAR UC’) it has become a tradition of sorts, as demonstrated by the many employees who have served the University College for many years; some even decades.

On 25 November 2019, these unsung heroes and heroines were honoured during the Long Service Award and Outstanding Academic Awards ceremony for their dedication to TAR UC’s cause, and immense contributions to the institution’s success over their many years of service.

332 TAR UC staff were presented with the Long Service Award by Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Chairman of the Board of Governors of TAR UC, who was accompanied by Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, President of TAR UC. The award is a token of appreciation given to staff who have had contributed in various roles to the institution’s growth from the then TAR College to TAR UC today, ranging from at least 10 years to more than 30 years of service.

“TAR UC staff who were conferred the Long Service Award is a testament to the hard work, determination and sacrifice they have constantly put in to help TAR UC grow. Their faith in our mission to provide accessible higher education to countless Malaysians resulted in the TAR UC we know and love today.

“I hope this award will serve as a motivation for them to continue their good work and inspire others to help TAR UC grow from strength to strength and become the institution of choice for many young Malaysians in the future,” said Dato’ Sri Liow.

The ceremony also featured brief sharing sessions from a few TAR UC staff who have been with the institution through thick and thin.

Ts Khoo Kee Tong, a lecturer from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (‘FOET’), expressed his pride to have taught at TAR UC for 38 years, saying: “I am proud to be associated with this institution that I call my second home. I have witnessed with my own eyes TAR College with hundreds of students transforming into TAR UC with tens of thousands of students, and I hope to stick around long enough to see where TAR UC will head to next.”

Mr Chuan Tek Pheung, Programme Leader of Diploma in Public Relations, Faculty of Communication and Creative Industries (‘FCCI’) who has served here for 21 years, added: “I feel blessed because TAR UC allowed me to complete my own postgraduate studies so I could continue my passion for teaching here after the institution was upgraded to a University College.

“I will have to give credit to the support staff who have worked tirelessly alongside the academic staff to ensure that TAR UC is clean and safe for its staff and students at all times. I am never prouder to declare that: Once a TARCian, Always a TARCian!”

The ceremony also witnessed four lecturers receiving the Outstanding Lecturer Award, three lecturers conferred the Outstanding Researcher Award, and two lecturers receiving the Outstanding Innovation for Teaching Award. These awards were conferred to those who went above and beyond the call of duty in their responsibilities as TAR UC educators by being exemplary role models through their academic research, teaching methods and positive influence towards the students.
 
Mr Chia Yok Ching, who was named as one of the recipients of the Outstanding Innovation for Teaching Award, had refused to be held back by his visual impairment in his nine years of service as a lecturer under FCCI.

“It is my true calling to share my own knowledge to the future generation to the best of my abilities. TAR UC is a very special place because students here, regardless of their background, race or creed, are all united in their willingness to learn and improve every day. Moreover, I believe every student possesses talents and potentials unique to each individual, and the onus is on lecturers to observe, identify and draw out their full potential via education.

“When I get to truly know my students, I am motivated to do everything in my powers to support them as long as they are a student of TAR UC,” he said.

Outstanding Academic Awards: Winners’ List