Toh Soon Huat’s building up the coffers at Sian Chay Medical

Tea with Towkay

Who: Soon Huat Toh – Chairman of Sian Chay Medical
Where: Nam Kee Pau, Centrepoint
What (we ate): Big Pau, Chee Cheong Fun, Kopi

Two months ago, Toh Soon Huat led the 118-year old Sian Chay Medical – which provides free TCM treatment and highly subsidised medication – to raise over $8m in its inaugural TV charity show.

You would think that is quite a bit, but with the publicity came more demand for its clinic services. He told me he will only retire when he has amassed 5 years worth of reserves, so that his successor can focus on running the organisation.

Mr Toh has been busy restructuring and raising funds for Sian Chay since he stepped down as head honcho in the corporate world 5 years ago. Despite not taking any salary in Sian Chay, I see him working way harder than his time in listcos Novena Holdings, the furniture retailer he founded, or manufacturer Jubilee Industries.

Look forward to more regular kopi sessions like in the past. That just means that he is moving closer to his target for Sian Chay, which is great news for the 300,000 patients who seek medical help every year.