Jong Soy Leong Faculty Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

​As the founder of Mandarin Optical, Mr Jong Soy Leong had built up an optical shop in 1957 and further diversified the business from retailing to distribution, providing ophthalmic instrumentation and optical products to the eye care profession. The organisation was since renamed to Mandarin Opto-Medic Co Pte Ltd in 1977 to become the one-stop eye care provider that serves opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists today.

Coming from a humble family background, Mr Jong was born in 1937 to an impoverished family in Sarawak during the Japanese occupation period and had to work to support his family at the tender age of 14 where he apprenticed for an optical shop during the day and attended part-time evening courses conducted by British optometrists. Through sheer perseverance and diligence, Mr Jong completed the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) accounting certification and learnt to read and write Japanese, which fuelled his journey into the eye care industry.

Having missed formal education during his early years, Mr Jong was passionate in helping young eye healthcare workers to elevate their professional standards through empowering them with the latest skills and knowledge. He tirelessly organised multiple overseas learning trips to established universities, invited skilled mentors to conduct refraction and related courses, and arranged for advanced training courses for the upskilling of local healthcare workers. During the 1980s, he had also actively and generously sponsored opticians to attend overseas optometry courses for skills advancement.

As a compassionate person, Mr Jong had never turned a blind eye whenever help was needed from him. To him, it was a sense of moral duty that was rooted in his personal belief that charity in whatever form, creates a ripple for the betterment of the society. Throughout his life, even to his very last days, Mr Jong had always carried a deep affinity for the eye care industry, to which he had devoted his entire life to nurturing and supporting.

With the passing of Mr Jong in 2022, his family was committed and determined to continue the legacy that has been started by Mr Jong and uphold his passion in extending his devotion towards the eye care industry. "Fearless, determined, compassionate and a Philomath" – was a description of Mr Jong by his family. The Jong Soy Leong Faculty Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences was established in memory of Mr Jong with a generous donation from the Jong family.

The Jong Soy Leong Faculty Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences aims to recognise Assistant and Associate Professors who have made significant contributions in academic medicine and support emerging talents in their early/mid academic career under the EYE Academic Clinical Programme (ACP). This Faculty Professorship will allow the named holder to pursue leadership in Ophthalmic teaching and support ground-breaking research and innovation, in line with the EYE ACP's goal to provide the best-in-class eye care to our patients.