Holding up the signed MoA (from left): Mr Adrian Yeo, Chairman of the TAR UMT Alumni Unity Committee, Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee, Tan Sri Chan, Mr Teng, and Mr Matthew Teng, Chief Executive Officer of The Silent Foundation.
TAR UMT alumnus, Mr Teng Ngiek Lian has pledged a lifelong annual donation of RM1 million annually to his alma mater. The pledge, formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on 6 August 2025 paves the way for the establishment of The Silent TAR UMT Fund. The term ‘Silent’ is derived from The Silent Foundation which was established by Mr Teng, to support the ‘silent sufferers’ of society, those who are often overlooked or unheard and are suffering silently.
The Silent TAR UMT Fund will be channelled into three meaningful areas. The first tranche will support research efforts by TAR UMT students and staff in emerging and high-impact fields such as artificial intelligence, green energy, robotics, automation, and financial technology. The second tranche focuses on fostering racial harmony within the TAR UMT student community and with students from other institutions. The third tranche will empower student-led social initiatives that aim to cultivate socially responsible student leaders.
Mr Teng’s commitment to education and student welfare, is the epitome of TAR UMT’s Beyond Education philosophy. As a matter of fact, he has been actively supporting many educational efforts, such as in 2002, he established the TARC–Teng Ngiek Lian Student Loan Fund to support underprivileged students at TAR UMT. A decade later, in 2012, his foundation launched the YS Chong SBS Fund, in honour of his former principal, Mr YS Chong. This fund provides financial assistance to deserving students of the then School of Business Studies (SBS), now the Faculty of Accountancy, Finance and Business (FAFB), through bursaries, scholarships, and grants. It also supports research, promotes the advancement of corporate governance, and assists the faculty’s social enterprise efforts through its Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
“TAR College (now TAR UMT) changed the course of my life. I came from a poor background, my father was a clog maker in Terengganu—but because of TAR College, I was able to become a chartered accountant and a chartered company secretary,” he said. Mr Teng’s perseverance led him to break records in the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) examinations, earning him world prizes not once, but twice.
Mr Teng’s story of resilience, humility, and a profound sense of gratitude is rooted in his admiration for his mentor, the late Mr YS Chong. “I joined TAR College after completing my O Levels. As finance was a challenge for me, Mr YS Chong helped me secure a job while I pursued my professional qualifications. I worked by day and studied by night. Mr YS Chong dedicated a lot of effort and time in journeying with me. He often shared valuable advice and life lessons which I still practice till today. He had impacted my life in countless ways, where one of the most meaningful ones was instilling in me the importance of giving back to one’s alma mater.”
Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, Chairman of TAR UMT’s Board of Governors, and Alumni Council, was present to witness the signing of the MoA. In his speech, Tan Sri Chan praised Mr Teng’s enduring commitment: “Over the years, he built an illustrious career in the investment world, eventually founding his own firm managing billions in assets. But what stands out most is not his financial success; it is his unwavering sense of purpose. He never forgot his roots. He never forgot TAR College, the place that gave him his start.”
President of TAR UMT, Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, expressed deep appreciation to Mr Teng for this valuable support: “We can achieve a lot with your generous donation. This support will enable us to carry out impactful projects in a meaningful and sustainable way, which eventually is for the benefit of TARCians and the community.”
In addition to the signing ceremony, there was also a presentation by TAR UMT alumnus, Yap Jing Zong, whose Urban Recycling Ecosystem (URE) project is the first project to be supported by the Silent TAR UMT Fund. Jing Zong is the founder of 4LEAF, a nursery and landscaping business, focusing on URE which is the process of turning waste into useful materials. In his presentation, Jing Zong shared about how he aims to educate the younger generations about URE while building a self-sustaining recycling ecosystem within the campus.
