Mdm. Moy Ooi Thye: On a Lifelong Mission of Making a Positive Impact in the Field of Education

Mdm. Moy Ooi Thye, the winner of the Nanyang Education Excellence Award (Individual) 2022 has devoted 40 years of herself to her alma mater Ave Maria Convent Ipoh specifically and Chinese education in general.

Currently, Mdm. Moy is the Honorary Life Chairperson of the Ave Maria Convent Alumni Association (AMCAA), a member of the Board of Directors of Ave Maria Convent (Primary & Secondary) and the Group Manager of Great Eastern Life Insurance.

Now in her seventies, Mdm. Moy was born in Buntong New Village and attended Buntong Primary School until Standard Six. She could not have continued her education to the secondary level had she not received assistance and encouragement from her family and teachers like her Buntong Primary School teacher Mdm. Kwan Siew Hao and headmaster Mr. Leong Chee Peng. They helped enrol her at SMJK Ave Maria Convent Ipoh.

With her excellent grades, she was exempted from paying school fees. She graduated with MCE (Malaysian Certificate of Education), and was employed as a clerk in the Ipoh General Hospital. Whilst working, she spent two years taking the Diploma in Life Insurance Marketing from the Institute of Insurance, Malaysia and took another 8 years to obtain a bachelor’s degree in financial planning in 2002. To this day, Mdm. Moy stresses that all these achievements would not have been possible if she had not continued with her secondary education at Ave Maria Convent.

She recalled how she and Datin Lee Xin Chooi were instrumental in setting up the Ave Maria Convent Alumni Association (AMCAA) in 1982. In 1984, Mdm. Moy took over as the President until 1997 when the Alumni resolution at that time did not allow a President to be re-elected for more than two consecutive terms. The President’s position went to Mdm. Chong Lai Chun who only served for 1 term.

In 1999, the association amended their constitution to remove the non-re-election of the President for more than two terms, and Mdm. Moy was once again elected as President and had served the Alumni since, until her retirement in August 2023. Her new role at AMCAA is now Honorary Life Chairperson.

The Past Presidents of Ave Maria Convent Alumni Association are as follows:-

Permanent Honorary President: The late Lee Xin Chooi (1982 – 1992)
1st President: Susan Yip (1982 – 1983)
2nd President: Teo Ee Tao (1983 – 1984)
3rd President: Moy Ooi Thye (1984 – 1997)
4th President: Chong Lai Chun (1997 – 1999)
5th President: Moy Ooi Thye (1999 – 2023)

Mdm. Moy has served the Alumni Association for more than 40 years. In her 36 years tenure as President, she has organised a number of educational events such as the following:-

1. 1990 & 1993 – Two large scale ballet performances were held at the Ipoh Town Hall to raise scholarships for needy students.
2. 1996 – A Career and Education Fair for further education held at the AMC School Hall, Ipoh attracting over 1000 participants with the then MCA Treasurer, Dato’ Lee Chee Leong as the guest of honour.
3. 2001 – A full-day Physical and Mental Health Workshop was held in a Hotel Ballroom with Psychiatrist and Councillor as Speaker and Facilitator.
4. 2006 – A large scale ‘Orchestra Music Gala Night’ graced by a member of local and foreign musicians was held at Syeun Hotel Ipoh to raise funds for schools and NGOs.
5. 2008 – A lecture on ‘How to be a Happy Teacher and Parent’ was given by well-known Mr.& Mrs. Chong Jit Cheng.
6. 2017 – ‘Proud of You’ – Outstanding Alumni Association Awards Dinner was held at Kinta Riverfront Hotel Ballroom with RM100,000 donated to the alma mater.
7. 2009 & 2019 – Organised ‘Medical Seminars and health examination’. The 2019 edition was officiated by Dr. Lee Boon Chye, the then Deputy Minister of Health.
8. 2021 – launched the Ave Maria Alumni Association Education fund to assist 38 students with the purchase of computers, mobile phones, internet facilities and tuition fees, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
9. Financial support for school projects. In 2023, assisted Ave Maria Convent Primary School in a fundraising campaign to repair and upgrade the swimming pool. The Alumni donated RM50,000 while Mdm. Moy personally donating RM10,000 towards this project.
10. Since 1994, every year, Mdm. Moy has personally sponsored the awards for Standard Six Exemplary students as well as the Outstanding students in different fields of the Primary School.

Mdm. Moy does not deny that she has encountered various difficulties in her role as President of the Alumni. However, with the support and assistance of the Committee Members as well as her personal philosophy of wanting to help and contribute or share, she has managed to overcome those challenges.

According to her, all work when carried out wholeheartedly, brings a great sense of satisfaction and personal fulfilment. “When I was a child, I changed the direction of my life because of a few words of encouragement from my teacher, Madam Kwan. Therefore, I want to be able to share this positive attitude with the students for them to get this positive energy and have a good life.”

As the Honorary Life Chairperson of AMCAA, Mdm. Moy still continues to participate in their activities. One need not be a President to contribute to their alma mater or Chinese education in general. “When we do good deeds from the heart, we will usher in good rewards.” Mdm. Moy says that education is the foundation of the country. The Chinese community attaches great significance to the development of education. She hopes that the new generation can continue to maintain the mission of Chinese education, because “education changes life, knowledge changes destiny.”

She suggests that the new generation interested in serving the Chinese education can do so by becoming teachers or participating in the Chinese education organisations so as to contribute to the Chinese community.

“With the rise of China, more and more non-Chinese ethnic groups in our country are learning Chinese. This is absolutely good for the development and the future of Chinese education,” Mdm. Moy added.

When serving as Deputy Minister of Education I, Dato’ Dr. Mah Hang Soon had said that the suspension of the merger plan of the low enrolment primary schools is good news for the Chinese community.

Mdm. Moy encourages all Form 5 students to continue taking Chinese as a subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). The fear of not scoring a distinction for the subject should not deter them from taking the subject.

Outstanding mentor in the insurance industry

In addition to her leadership roles at the Ave Maria Convent Alumni Association, Madam Moy is also an outstanding mentor in her career. She is the Group Manager of Great Eastern Life Insurance Company and had served as Vice President of the Perak NAMLIFA (National Association of Malaysia Life Insurance and Family takaful Advisors).

She has also been appointed by NAMLIFA as a moderator of the USA-LUTC (Life Underwriter Training Council) Programme coaching weekly training courses for young insurance agents from various insurance companies.

Other positions of responsibility that she has held include the following:-

– Former Deputy Chairlady of the Women’s Wing of Perak Chinese Assembly Hall Ipoh
– Former Committee Member of the International Professional Women’s Association, the Soroptimist International Ipoh.
– Former Committee Member of the Ipoh Chinese Women’s Association

Awards bestowed to date

1) 2005 – Top 10 Outstanding Mums awarded by Ipoh City and Country Club

2) 2006 – Top Ten Outstanding Leaders in Malaysia Life Insurance Industry (IEA) Insurance Excellence Award (the only woman to receive the award)

3) 2008 – One of 5 Finalists as outstanding women for the Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Award (35 ladies nationwide were nominated)

4) 2017 – Received the Flower Bud Education Spirit Award from the Education Department

5) Qualified for the Prestigious Life Insurance International Million-Dollar-Round Table (MDRT) for several consecutive years

6) In General Insurance, she was the STAR Club member (Million Dollar Achiever) for a few consecutive years

7) 2022 – Nanyang Education Excellence Award – Individual Category