A Lifelong Learner in Sustainability
August 1, 2025
Key Takeaways
- Inspired by Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah’s enduring commitment towards education and sustainability, independent non-executive director and former senior managing director of Sunway Construction Group Datuk Kwan Foh Kwai walks the talk of lifelong learning by graduating with a Master in Sustainable Development Management at the age of 72.
If there is anything one can learn from Datuk Kwan Foh Kwai, is that learning does not stop with retirement.
While many would be content to spend their retirement relaxing, Datuk Kwan, former senior managing director of Sunway Construction (SunCon), could not stay idle for long, as he had always been active throughout his career.
“Working in Sunway, it was imprinted on us that education is very important. Lifelong learning is very much a part of Sunway’s culture. We would not only encourage staff to further their knowledge by taking on their master’s degree or doing their MBA, but sponsor them if they were willing too,” said Datuk Kwan, who worked in SunCon for 24 years before retiring as Advisor in 2020.
With more than four decades of experience working in the construction industry in both public and private sectors, Datuk Kwan was much aware of the construction industry’s adverse impact on the environment, which motivated him to pursue the Master in Sustainable Development Management at the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development (JSCSD), Sunway University.
“I was keen to learn more about sustainable issues and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because as a builder, I know that the construction industry contributes a third of greenhouse gas emissions.
said Datuk Kwan.
“I have been greatly influenced by Sunway and its chairman. We need to walk the talk together. I hope to play my little part to walk the talk and share whatever I have learnt with others,” he said.
He credited Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah for the latter’s foresight in both education and sustainability, evidenced by the establishment of JSCSD in 2016.
Student life at 72
While the Master in Sustainable Development Management programme piqued his interest, Datuk Kwan had reservations about going back to school after more than 40 years earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Hons) from University Malaya (UM) in 1977.
“I needed to have enough courage and determination to return to study. Doing a master’s degree is quite different from being an MD; there is a lot of time spent in self-study. Dr. Hendry Ng [the former head of department at JSCSD] gave me a lot of encouragement, saying that I could take my time to complete the programme. This comforted me.
said Datuk Kwan.
With Ng’s encouragement and sponsorship from the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, Datuk Kwan enrolled into the master’s programme in July 2021.
Adapting to the online nature of the course proved challenging for Datuk Kwan but he took it in good stride, purchasing an iPad for coursework, determined to “adapt, perform well and not fail”.
“While I tried to excel in every subject, I did not do well in some because I had a handicap [technologically]. For example, online assignment tests required you to answer the questions in a fixed time and I fumbled at times when I typed, but I managed to overcome them,” he said.
Being a retiree meant he could devote more time to his assignments compared to his full-time working course mates. This worked out well for him, as not only did he typically take a longer time to complete his assignments; he also could continue pursuing his other personal interests, such as running for the presidency of the Perak Chinese Assembly Hall, a non-profit NGO that liaises between registered Chinese associations and guilds of the Chinese community in Perak to foster closer ties and greater understanding.
At SunCon, Datuk Kwan had the support of his team for the paperwork; being a postgraduate student, his challenges were having to do his own research, write research papers and assignments, as well as design PowerPoint slides.
On the plus side, his tenure in SunCon led him to excel in subjects that required case studies demonstrating sustainability in business.
“For the Sustainable Enterprise subject, I had to research Sunway and SunCon’s journey in sustainability and integrated reporting. As a businessperson, I could easily quote examples and share what Sunway has done – this helped me in a way,” he said.
A heart for sustainability
Describing the course as well thought out and interesting, Datuk Kwan said he thoroughly enjoyed his master’s journey, as it broadened his perspective on the subject matter of sustainability.
“If I can learn some things from experts in the field, I can become a better person by applying it whenever possible. If I have the chance to advise others, we can do things differently by considering ESG, or the SDGs. Whether halving carbon emissions by 2030 or achieving Net Zero by 2050, these are challenging tasks that we must work together to overcome,” he said.
While there is now a greater awareness on sustainable development in the construction industry, Datuk Kwan believes that the government can do more to incentivise greater participation among industry players.
He suggested the inclusion of ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) performance as a consideration in the awarding of sizeable tenders by both government and large corporations. This is now made easier with the practice of integrated reporting among listed companies, he added.
“To be fair, we need to give everyone time to change for the better. The construction industry is very competitive, so there must be means of incentivising players to change for the better because they also need to meet their bottom line. There should be a balance,” he said.
Learning never stops
Growing up in Ipoh, Datuk Kwan learnt the value of education at a young age, as this also meant securing good career prospects.
Hailing from a poor family, his father was a plumber, also the sole breadwinner. Datuk Kwan relied on financial assistance from his teachers at SMJK Yuk Choy, Ipoh, as well as earnings from his part-time job as a temporary teacher to help fund his tertiary education at UM.
Upon retirement, Datuk Kwan – who is the current Deputy Chairman of the Board of Governors at his alma mater – donated a large portion of his EPF savings to the school building fund, as a way of giving back to society through education.
Since 2007, Datuk Kwan has played a pivotal role in raising funds for his alma mater, which was in dire need of upgrading works. SMJK Yuk Choy is also one of the schools adopted by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.
With his postgraduate degree, Datuk Kwan said he is better equipped to mobilise his fellow retirees – many whom are armchair critics – to participate in environmental issues.
“Learning something new is always a plus point. Those of us who are retirees must not remain in the old school of thought. Times have changed; we must know more about our environment. We talk about climate change and flooding – but what are we doing about it? We need to act now before it is too late,” he said.
“Our generation had prospered from development but in the next 100 years, people may suffer because we contributed to the [environmental] damage. We need to be responsible and do our part in encouraging and motivating the younger generation to do better – this is our job,” he said.
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