Night to remember: (Front row, from left) TAR UMT board of governors member Datuk Chong Sin Woon, Chan, Dr Wee, TARC Education Foundation board of trustees member Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, TAR UMT president Prof Datuk Dr Lee Sze Wei and MCA vice-president Datuk Lawrence Low at the gala premiere of ‘The Story of TARCians’. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: It was a night to remember for Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) old boys who showed up in full force for the gala premiere of The Story of TARCians, depicting how their alma mater came to be.
“If there was no TARC, I doubt I would have received my PhD.
“Due to the limited education opportunities back then, we would have probably just started working after finishing school,” said Datuk Dr Thed Cor Yong, 61, a TARC alumnus who is now the executive chairman of an IT firm.
“Higher education in the ’80s was either about entering a public university or going overseas.
“Money was a big factor. If you didn’t have money, you couldn’t go abroad,” he said, adding that TARC offered vast options in engineering, accounting and technology.Fellow alumnus Tai Sing Nge, 70, said TARC, which is now Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT), continues to play a critical role in nation-building by producing marketable graduates.
Proud alumni: (From left) Kay, Thed, Tan and Tai at the gala premiere.
“We old boys always try to help because there are still students in need. If we don’t give back, it is more difficult for the university to improve and better serve the nation,” he said, urging the current batch of students to do likewise after graduation.
John Kay, 64, meanwhile, said his active years at TARC greatly boosted his confidence.
“Besides studying, I joined many student activities.
“They shaped me into a more sociable person, a trait that I carry into my job today,” said the steam system auditor who graduated in 1984.
TARC was founded in 1969 to uplift underprivileged students. It was later upgraded to university college status in 2013 and known as Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC).
In 2022, it was elevated to a full-fledged university.
Former TAR UC president Datuk Tan Chik Heok said the institution’s primary aim was to serve Malaysians.
“There are still those having problems getting into private higher education institutions. We must continuously play our parts in uplifting our institution.
Saravanan says he is grateful for his mother’s decision to enrol him in TARC. – KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star
“We want to provide an avenue for students to further their education. Without education, how are they going to survive?” said Tan, who served from 2008 to 2018.
Another alumnus, G. Saravanan, 32, said it was his mother’s choice to enrol him there, adding that he gradually adjusted to studying there and was grateful for his mother’s decision.
“The university developed us into better people and taught me valuable lessons on adaptability. The lecturers here are caring; that is a huge factor for me,” he said.
“Not forgetting too that the food there was really affordable. That was also very important, you know,” he quipped.
TARC Education Foundation board of trustees chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong extended a special thank you to former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik for the latter’s significant contributions to the institute.
As for the movie, Dr Wee, who is also MCA president, hailed its importance for helping the current generation understand the history “which began with TARC, TAR UC and now TAR UMT”.
TAR UMT board of governors and Alumni Council chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy previously said the red-brick buildings at TARC’s first main campus at the Setapak site here hold a deep meaning, representing simplicity, strength and solidarity.
“It’s as if ‘TARCians’ are little red bricks, unpretentious on the outside, but strong individually, unafraid of the wind and rain,” he said.
The Story of TARCians, directed by award-winning director Mark Lee See Teck, is a full production by TAR UMT, focusing on youth, friendship and the determination to continue studying for a brighter future.
The documentary film, spearheaded by the alumni council, is the first to be produced by a Malaysian university and set in the late 1960s.
It also pays tribute to those involved in setting up TARC, especially the founding fathers, Tun Tan Siew Sin and Tan Sri Khaw Kai Boh, who persevered in making the institution a reality amid a turbulent political backdrop, including the May 13 riots in 1969.
The 76-minute film dives into the early days of how TARC was established by going in-depth into the emotions, challenges and obstacles faced by its founders and stakeholders.
The Story of TARCians hits the screens nationwide today.
