Malaysian graduates urged to aim high

Sunday, 23 April 2006

Illustrious Malaysian businessman, Mr Chris Chong, today urged graduates to aim high and to serve their chosen profession with distinction, in the occasional address to the University of Adelaide's offshore graduation ceremony at the Hotel Nikko in Kuala Lumpur.

Mr Chong, the director of the Malaysia-Australia Foundation, graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1960 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours).

Today he holds a senior advisory position with RSM International, one of the largest professional consulting and accounting organisations in the world.

Mr Chong told the assembled graduates that any one of them had the potential to join a distinguished list of University of Adelaide alumni who had made their mark internationally.

"In Malaysia and Singapore, the University of Adelaide has produced a president of a nation, chief ministers, federal state ministers and distinguished people in public life. A few have become roving ambassadors of the United Nations and world presidents of professional organisations," Mr Chong said.

"The University has produced Nobel Prize winners, nearly 100 Rhodes Scholars and even an astronaut in space. Any one of you could add your name to this distinguished list one day.

He advised graduates embarking on their professional lives to "be keen to learn, show enthusiasm, make a good first impression and be humble".

"As a good citizen, serve your profession and your country well, and put back as much as possible to the communities you work in," he said.

Some of the University's other illustrious Malaysian alumni include Royal Selangor managing director Datuk Yong Poh Kon, and the Chief Minister of Sarawak the Honourable Pehin Sri Dr. Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The University of Adelaide holds offshore graduation ceremonies in three countries: Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. This year's ceremonies are being held in Singapore on Saturday, April 22, and Hong Kong on Sunday, April 30.

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