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The Anglo-Chinese School Board of
Governors (ACS BOG) has announced the retirement of the
Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, Dr Lee Li Eng and Mr Lau
Cheng Hock, and the appointment of Rev Malcolm Tan, Mr
Hugh Lim and Mr Choe Peng Sum to the Board for the June
2018 – May 2022 term.
Over the years, ACS has been very
blessed with dedicated leaders on the ACS BOG serving
the ACS family of schools faithfully in accordance with
the vision and mission of The Methodist Church in
Singapore and the policies of the educational
authorities. Their prudent leadership and guidance are
largely responsible for the school’s remarkable growth
to its current family of seven schools (six in Singapore
and one in Indonesia) with a total student population of
over 10,650.
 The
Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, Principal of Trinity
Theological College, is perhaps the longest serving BOG
member ever with 28 years of service. He was appointed
to the BOG in 1990 when the Methodist Church leadership
decided to take more interest in the direction of all
its mission schools. Sharing with the ACS Echo, Rev
Ngoei said:
“As the first Director of
Ministry in the Schools, my primary role was to lay the
foundations for work that must be handled wisely and
sensitively in a multi-religious context in our schools.
This was achieved with the cooperation of the principals
and the flourishing ministry of our chaplains and
ministry staff who have touched the lives of countless
students over the decades.”
“As most Board members have
been old boys of the school, one of the roles of clergy
members is to advise on the ethos of the Methodist
Church when the need arises. The symbiotic relationship
between church and school must be nurtured. In many ways
we are indebted to the old boys for their love of ACS
and their commitment to its cause. The large talent pool
and willingness to spend time for the betterment of
succeeding generations of students is exemplary. This
‘ACS spirit’ is well documented and is one of the
reasons why many parents wish their children to study at
ACS.”
When Rev Ngoei first joined the
Board, the ACS family had two primary schools, one
secondary school and one junior college. Since then, the
family has grown with the addition of ACS (Barker Road)
in 1994, ACS (International) in 2005 and ACS Jakarta in
2006. What was most memorable was the birth of the
second secondary school, ACS (Barker Road), as Rev Ngoei
recalls:
“It was an ‘unexpected
miracle’ and is a story that has an oral tradition which
should be recorded for posterity. Although ACS has been
unfairly perceived as exclusive, the Board worked hard
at developing ACS (Barker Road) to provide opportunities
for as many as possible to benefit from an ACS
education. We have been consistent in practising our
Christian values and our conviction to counter elitism
led to the establishment of ACS (Barker Road)."
"Over the years, the demand
for an ACS education has resulted in fewer places
allocated to those directly connected to ACS such as
Methodists. While this policy is not welcomed by church
members, it does open doors to outreach work among our
students. Indeed, we are reminded of Bishop Oldham’s
mission to share the faith with all ACS students, if it
is done outside of curriculum time and presented
respectfully and sensibly. Ultimately, our wish is that
ACSians will move on in life to make a qualitative
difference in their circle of family, friends and
colleagues, as well as to society at large. The Best is
Yet to Be!”
 Dr
Lee Li Eng, JP, PBM, BBM (ACS Pre-U Class of
1956) is another stalwart of the BOG who managed her
time so well to serve on the board for 24 years despite
her busy career. She was the former CEO of Kwong Wai
Shiu Hospital for 30 years before retiring in 2005 and
active in various community and church work, including
terms on the boards of ACS (Independent), ACS
(International) and the Singapore Council of Women’s
Organisations.
Dr Lee found her tenure on the
BOG fulfilling although at times challenging. She
remembers well the difficulties the Board faced in
introducing the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme, the joy when ACS (Independent) was the first
school in Singapore to launch it in 2004, and the school
going on to produce outstanding results year after year
to become the world’s leading IB school.
“I enjoyed the privilege of
working with a great team of members on the board who
have the school’s interest at heart. There were times
when we do not agree with each other because of the
complicacy of issues but at the end of the day, we
always put our individual views aside to agree on a
solution that benefits the school most”, she
shared.
Mr Lau Cheng Hock
(ACS Pre-U Class of 76) is a true-blue ACSian. Despite
his many responsibilities as the Chief Investment
Officer and Managing Director Investments with Aris
PrimePartners Asset Management Pte Ltd, and additionally
sitting on several other boards including The ACS
Foundation, he had found time to give back to the alma
mater and make a difference to the community.
 According
to Mr Lau:
“My stint on the Board has
been rewarding, albeit demanding at times. With the
challenging environment where many stake holders are
involved, much time and effort went on behind the scenes
whenever there were major issues to resolve and
decisions to be taken. I am thankful for the opportunity
to work with such a wonderful team at the BOG. I truly
appreciate their understanding and patience in executing
their duties and take off my hat to fellow members like
the Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Ngian and Dr Lee Li Eng for their
exemplary leadership and stamina to serve on the BOG for
so many years.”
The ACS family of schools is
grateful to Rev Ngoei, Dr Lee and Mr Lau for doing so
much for ACS. As Mr Richard Seow,
Chairman of the ACS BOG sums it up:
“We give thanks to God
for providing the ACS Family with the wise and dedicated
counsel of Foong Nghian, Lee Eng and Cheng Hock on the
Board of Governors. Their service has made a meaningful
difference to ACS and we will be forever grateful to
them for the many contributions and sacrifices they have
made as Governors.”
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