Datuk Dr Lam Peng Chong: A charitable soul

Datuk Lam Peng Chong (7th from right, front row) at a waterfall, in Bentong in 2015 

THE Malaysian Queen is coming! Cries of joy and excitement reverberated through the

Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory (SCASFT) centre for it

has been chosen for a visit by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Fauziah Tengku Abdul

Rashid on May 4.

At the helm of the centre is Datuk Dr Lam Peng Chong, 74, a businessman with a love

for nature and a caring spirit. Datuk Lam is the president and driving force behind the

SCASFT. Honoured that the centre in Petaling Jaya (PJ) has been chosen for the royal visit, he

took time off from his busy schedule to have a chat.

Distinguished by his hallmark crew cut, Datuk Lam is a down-to-earth, benevolent

senior. Amiable and even-tempered, he is happiest and most deeply satisfied when he is

helping others, especially the children in the SCASFT centre where he has been the

president since 1971.

The centre, a charitable day school and rehabilitation centre for spastic children in Kuala

Lumpur and PJ was established in 1960 and now has more than 250 children.

Besides education and full time treatment (physio, hydro, speech and occupational

therapy), the centre also provides transport for the children. However, if the children turn

up by themselves (or are ferried there by their parents), they are given a subsidy of RM80

to ensure that they attend and fully benefit from the programme.

I asked Datuk Lam how he got involved with charitable organisations.

“It was in the 1960s,” he recalled. “I was invited by a friend, Tan Soo Han, who was

secretary of SCASFT then and was a Town Planning Officer, to spearhead a fund-raising

programme to equip the centre with the strong support of the committee members and

well wishers.”

Since then, Datuk Lam became very involved with SCASFT, and the centre has become

his second home.

Datuk Lam was the prime mover for the centre’s six-storey workshop, which was

completed in 1996, and named after the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. Now he

has set his eyes on redeveloping the old building – a dream he hopes to accomplish

before he retires. He has also been personally involved in the development of sports for

the disabled and through his leadership and direction, many disabled children have

excelled in sports at national and regional levels.

Datuk Lam’s generosity knows no bounds. Currently, he wants to start a Trust Fund to

ensure the continued survival of the Spastic Centre. He has pledged RM100,000 to kick

off the fund.

Actively involved in various organisations, Datuk Lam is president of the

National Council of Spastic Children Association in Malaysia (since 1990) and founder

vice-president of the Majlis Paralympik Malaysia. He was president of the Council of

Justices of the Peace of Selangor (1980-2002) and president of the Kuala Lumpur Rotary

Club (1979-1980).

He was also the deputy president of Malaysia Volleyball Association (1994-1998) and

together with the late Tan Sri Alex Lee, led two friendly volleyball competitions to

Beijing (at the invitation of the Beijing Government). He is also the president of the

Selangor Volleyball Association.

The Sultan of Selangor appointed him a Justice of the Peace (in 1975) and conferred on

him the title of Datuk Seri Langat DiRaja Selangor (in 1980) for his dedication to the

disabled.

In 1993, he was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by

Oklahoma City University, United States for his work on several fund-raising charitable

concerts including the musical Oklahoma and The Left Foot.

A modest but astute businessman, Datuk Lam’s business activities include tin and gold

mining, property development, earthworks, heavy engineering workshops and orchard

farming.

He has a Midas touch and has often ended up with rich pickings where others have

failed,” revealed Datuk Dr Mohinder Singh, the honorary director and vice-president of

the SCASFT centre, who has worked closely with him for more than 20 years.

Datuk Lam recalled his upbringing during the Japanese Occupation. Born in Kampar,

Perak, he was brought up by his grandparents in his early years. He cherishes happy

memories of his tin-miner grandfather, who taught him to love farming.

When he was about 11, he helped his mother in her cooking chores. That early training

stood him in good stead for he can whip up appetising dishes for family and friends.

“My specialty is vegetarian curry!” he claimed.

When he was 12, he cycled 48km from Lahat to Bruas, and back again, to grow rice. “I

remember tigers prowling around and my maternal uncle had to beat the gong to drive

them away!” he reminisced.

After his secondary education in the Anglo Chinese School, Ipoh, Datuk Lam started

work as a resettlement-cum-liaison officer in government service in Grik, Perak. In 1955,

at the age of 24, he joined an insurance company, but later he also took over his father’s

tin mine in Taiping.

The mine was filled with boulders and the enterprising pioneer introduced heavy

machinery in his mine and he turned around loss-making mines in Perak, Selangor, Johor

and Pahang in the 1960s and 1980s.

Datuk Lam’s motto is never to give up a challenge but to persevere to the end. “Of course

you must have luck and blessings from the Almighty!” he remarked.

In 1960, the far-sighted Datuk Lam started a fruit plant nursery in Balakong, Selangor, as

a hobby, supplying marcotted plants (limau nipis) to Government land schemes. This

hobby led him to become a successful orchard grower in Bukit Tinggi, Pahang.

His organic fruit farm grows mangosteens, guava, cempedak, avocados, durians and

Chinese chestnuts. Friends who have tasted these fruits vouch for their outstanding

quality.

Some members of Selangor Gardening Society during a durian-tasting event, with
Datuk Lam (3rd from right), in 2015

Datuk Lam (in white shirt), showing members of
Selangor Gardening Society around his farm in 2015

Incidentally, the Federal Experimental Station in Serdang (Universiti Pertanian) named

the seedless guava after him: Bentong No. 9 Lam Peng Chong (LPC).

Datuk Lam still retains an impeccable memory for facts and a photographic memory for

faces. He is fit as a fiddle through strict discipline.

He gets up at about 5.30am daily and does two hours of mixed yoga. However, if he is

short of time, he does one hour of stepping exercises instead, by walking up and down the

18-step staircase in his house 26 times each way.

When it comes to food, Datuk Lam is self-disciplined, eating lots of fruits, nuts and seeds

for their high antioxidant content. He faithfully takes exactly three almonds a day, just the

right amount to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, he says. He also allows himself only a half a

cup of tea or coffee, not more than three times a week.

Although he attends many formal functions in hotels which feature rich food, he is a true-

blue Malaysian who prefers hawker food like nasi lemak, chicken rice and porridge.

He believes that character building starts from young and a child with a tough and rough

upbringing will become a well-adjusted person. Best known for his 3-D principles of

discipline, determination and dedication, he advises young people to have self-discipline

with a workable hobby and to have a savings programme once they start work.

“Never chase after money. Let money chase after you – be patient!” he advised. “And if

you have a lot of money, please be charitable!”

He philosophically said that life is cyclical. “Do not fear growing old,” he said. “Do

something good each day. If you cannot do a lot of good, at least do a little!”

Datuk Lam’s wife, Datin Leepin, is also active in social work. Her charitable, church and

social activities give her great satisfaction. Their daughter, a philosophy and graphic

design graduate, lives in Australia with her husband and one-year-old daughter.

Lam finds charitable work rewarding and rejuvenating. While enjoying the fruits of his

labour, he does not forget to contribute time, money and energy to society.

Thanking God for his success, he said that he would continue working, as long as he is

physically and mentally able to. 

....................................................................................................................................

This article was published in the Star (Malaysian newspaper) on Monday April 24, 2006.

Photos are added here.

Datuk Lam, a warm, nature-loving and compassionate businessman, was active in his 70s, when this article was published. Now in 2016, at 80, he is just as active, doing his charitable work at the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory centre and spending time on his farm.

Update on 17th June 2019

Dato (Dr) Lam Peng Chong at age 87, passed away on Saturday, 15th June 2019, leaving behind his beloved wife, To'Puan Yap lee Pin, his daughter Lam Jun-Ann, son-in-law Alistair Charles Lehman and granddaughter Aria Ming Lehman. May his soul rest in peace.