MR. TONG LEE POH: THE BIOGRAPHY OF A GREAT EDUCATOR

A recent photo of Mr. Tong Lee Poh

Mr. Tong Lee Poh and his wife, Mdm Wong

Mr. Tong Lee Poh was born on 12 April 1931. Although his primary education was interrupted by the Japanese occupation of Malaya (1941-45), he did not give up despite the hard times and continued to pursue his dream to become a teacher after the Japanese occupation ended. After having completed his secondary education, he joined the teachers' training program at SJK(C) Jalan Davidson and graduated as qualified teacher two years later. He was first posted to a primary school in Sungai Way, namely SJK(C) Sungai Way, where he taught for nearly 2 years.  He was later transferred to SJK(C) Jalan Davidson in 1954 where he taught for 18 years. He started as a discipline teacher and was later promoted to the position of senior assistant. In 1972, he was transferred to SJK(C) Naam Kheung and promoted to the position of headmaster. In 1978, he became the headmaster of SJK(C) Lai Meng.

Mr Tong was formerly the headmaster of SJK(C) Lai Meng

As a school principal, Mr. Tong Lee Poh was very hardworking, responsible, and caring. He cared for the well-being of every student and did his best to ensure that each and every one of them received a quality education. He also treated the teachers with respect and dignity.

 

In 1968, Mr Tong Lee Poh attended the World Education Conference in Dublin, Ireland

The year 1984 was a very special year for Mr. Tong Lee Poh as he was transferred to the education department and promoted to the position of supervisor for all the Chinese schools in the Federal Territory. Mr. Tong Lee Poh retired in 1986 after being an educator for 34 years. He was one of the greatest educators of his time and his patient, caring, and kind personality has won him many friends. All the teachers and students in the Federal Territory loved and respected him. Needless to say, his dedication to teaching had also won him many awards throughout his career.

Government Chinese Senior Normal Graduates' Association Award

Bulan Bahasa Kebangsaan (National Language Month) Award

Malaysian Chinese Cultural Society Cultural Award

Mr. Tong Lee Poh is happily married to Madam Wong and they have 5 children, 3 sons and 2 daughters. Their eldest son is a dentist and their second daughter is a retired teacher. Their third daughter is working for a financial company in Europe whilst their fourth and fifth sons are clerks. They have 6 grandchildren.

Mr Tong & Mdm Wong's wedding

Mr Tong & Mdm Wong's family photos

Mr Tong Lee Poh leads a physically active lifestyle after retirement and participates in many social and meaningful, productive activities.

Mr. Tong's advice to the teachers is, "Teach well and build a good relationship with the students. Take an interest in the class to make it interesting for the students as this will help you build a stronger relationship with the students. Don't make favourites because playing favourites can lead to performance anxiety. Give every student an equal opportunity to participate in classroom activities. Create a friendly and supportive classroom environment as this will not only build a better teacher-student relationship but also enhance learning."

As for the students, this is Mr. Tong Lee Poh's advice to them - "Study hard because education is very important. If you study hard, stand up after every failure and improve, it will eventually lead you to success."