It is my pleasure to announce the awardee of the Tom Tsiang Memorial Prize for 2019, Dr Ka Sing Chua. This prize commemorates the contribution of Dr Tom Ching Tang Tsiang who played a key role in the establishment of the Chinese Medical Society and ACMAV. It is awarded to a member who has made a lasting contribution to ACMAV and the community which furthers the aims and interests of ACMAV. The Prize is supported by an endowment from his family after his death in December 2008.

This year’s recipient, Dr Ka Sing Chua, is a longstanding member of ACMAV who has held a wide variety of positions and community roles supporting doctors and the Chinese community of Victoria. Born in Johor, Malaysia in 1949 Dr Chua moved to Australia in 1969, studying medicine at Monash University and graduating in 1975. He has practiced as a General Practitioner in the same location in Mitcham since 1978 with a loyal patient base.

His community roles have included work with the Chinese Unity Association in 1977, and Presidency of the Chinese Association of Victoria in 1984-85, between 1991-94, and again in 2016-18, where he was also Principal of the CAV Chinese School for ten years. He has also sat on the Whitehorse Division of GP Board from 1999 to 2005.

Dr Chua has wide-ranging interests including currently serving on the National Committee for the Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia), as a delegate for the United Nations Association of Australia to The Hague Appeal for Peace International Conference in 1999, president of the World Huaren Foundation, as Councillor to AMA Victoria, and also featuring a brief run for Federal Parliament in 1998.

Ka Sing has demonstrated the value of ACMAV members representing the positive values of the medical profession and advocating for the community that we live in and serve. I am proud to award this prize to him.

A/Prof Jason Chuen
ACMAV President