Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei (centre holding a watering pot) watering a Musang King sapling at the inauguration of the Durian Dream Garden.
Adrian Yeo planting a kampung durian sapling
Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai (third from left) shovelling soil to plant an Avocado Pear sapling
A group photograph of the guests at the inauguration of the TARC Durian Dream Garden (Back row, standing, left to right) Mr Adrian Yeo, Mr Leou Thiam Lai, Assoc Prof Say Sok Kwan, Assoc Prof Dr Ng Swee Chin, Mr Devaneson Evanson, Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai, Mr Teng Ngiek Lian, Mr Kenny Chong, Ms Lily Tan, Mr Tai Sing Nge and Mr Mark Hew (Front row, seated, left to right) Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok, Ms Yoong Lai Thye, Tan Sri Datuk Dr Ng Lay Swee, Dato’ Dr Lim Khaik Leang and Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei
(From left to right) Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, Ms Yoong Lai Thye, Dato’ Dr Lim Khaik Leang, Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Tan Sri Datuk Dr Ng Lay Swee and Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok taking a group photo after the tree-planting.
TAR UC was abuzz with activities on 28 February 2020 when its former Principals / President, alumni and staff turned up at the Kuala Lumpur Main Campus to plant fruit trees to mark the inauguration of TARC Durian Dream Garden. The Durian Dream Garden is located at a plot of land within the campus along Jalan Genting Klang.
The TARC Durian Dream Garden was initiated by the Federation of TAR College Alumni Associations Malaysia. FTARC AA was founded in 1989 and comprises TAR UC alumni from the School of Business Studies, School of Arts and Sciences, and School of Technology.
The tree-planting at the TARC Durian Dream Garden aims to bring to life the essence of a Chinese saying 十年树木，百年树人which essentially means a tree takes 10 years to grow but it takes 100 years to nurture a human. This saying has a great influence on Chinese culture which has guided the Chinese people for centuries to always prioritise education for their younger generations. The choice of planting durian trees has a local nuance where durian tree is known to be strong and durian is deemed as the king of fruit among Malaysians. Malaysia is well-known for producing the best durians in the world, and an analogy can be drawn with TAR UC, which produces graduates of high quality like good durians.
Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok, former President of TAR UC, and Dato’ Dr Lim Khaik Leang, Tan Sri Datuk Dr Ng Lay Swee and Ms Yoong Lai Thye, former Principals of TARC, were very gracious to plant high-value durian trees such as Musang King, Musang Queen and Golden Phoenix during the tree-planting ceremony.
Notable members of TAR UC’s alumni community were also present, including Mr Adrian Yeo Eng Hui, President of the FTARC AA and also member of the Board of Governors of TAR UC, who planted three kampung durian saplings. Meanwhile, both Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai, Executive Chairman and Founder of Top Glove Corporation Bhd and Mr Devaneson Evanson, CEO of the Minority Shareholders Watch Group, planted avocado pear saplings, whereas Mr Teng Ngiek Lian, Ms Lily Tan, Mr Kenny Chong Thian Poh, Mr Mark Hew Yoon Oon, Mr Tai Sing Nge and Mr Leou Thiam Lai also planted other types of fruit saplings such as starfruit and Japanese mangosteen.
“I am deeply touched by the efforts put in by the Federation of TAR College Alumni Associations Malaysia in organising today’s event,” said Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Chairman of the Board of Governors of TAR UC, who was the guest of honour at the event. “It is my hope that we will advance even further in our mission to provide quality education for all Malaysians.”
“This gesture is meaningful to TAR UC as we move forward with our new tagline, Beyond Education,” said Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, President of TAR UC. “TAR UC is meeting the requirements of the 21st century by providing our students with new sets of skills to prepare them for the workforce, and we are committed to taking students beyond the classroom and help them acquire new abilities related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
The former Principals of TAR College and President of TAR UC were similarly enthused about the unveiling of the TARC Durian Dream Garden.
“As one of the longest serving presidents, I hope today’s ceremony will remind current and future TAR UC staff and students of the purpose of this institution, that is, to be the pillar of support for anyone who desires a brighter future through quality higher education,” Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok said. “I look forward to see the garden growing together with TAR UC in the future.”
“Today’s tree-planting ceremony is symbolic of what TAR UC has become over the past 50 years,” Ms Yoong Lai Thye said. “As the institution has matured over the years, more and more students have benefited from completing their studies here, and now, they are serving the country well by making their marks both in Malaysia and across the world in their own way.”
TAR UC alumni also offered their thoughts on the historic launch of the TARC Durian Dream Garden.
“The Durian Dream Garden is a part of TAR UC, and similar to the commercial viability of durians, TAR UC courses are of high value and industry-relevant,” said Mr Adrian Yeo. “TAR UC students are like durian seedlings grafted to superior durian species, and their time in TAR UC will help them grow into high-quality graduates. This project is our way of representing the pursuit of dreams of all TAR UC graduates.”
“To me, the Durian Dream Garden is a good and noble initiative, and as an alumnus, I feel proud of TAR UC for its efforts in providing a solid foundation for students to succeed.” Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai said. “I hope that TAR UC can continue to produce quality graduates for the market.”
“TAR UC gave many Malaysians a chance to further their studies in a time when there were not many institutions of higher learning,” Mr Devaneson Evanson said. “The lecturers here are really dedicated in delivering good education, and they have managed to nurture many generations of successful graduates.”
