Mengly Jandy Quach ( km, គួច ម៉េងលី, ; born 25 March 1969) is a Cambodian businessman and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
. He is a survivor of the
Cambodian genocide
The Cambodian genocide ( km, របបប្រល័យពូជសាសន៍នៅកម្ពុជា) was the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Communist Party of Kampuchea gener ...
. He is the founder of the
Mengly J. Quach Education
Mengly J. Quach Education is parent company of Aii Language Center (Aii) and American Intercon School (AIS) founded in 2005 by Mengly J. Quach. History
In 2005, Mengly J. Quach founded The Mengly J. Quach Education. Its Aii Language Center and ...
.
Early life
Quach was born in
Battambang Province,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
on 25 March 1969. During and after
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 197 ...
regime, Quach survived the
Dangrek genocide
The Dangrek genocide also known as "the Preah Vihear pushback" is a border incident which took place along the Dangrek Mountain Range on the Thai-Cambodian border which resulted in the death of many mostly Sino-Khmer refugees who were refused as ...
in
Dângrêk Mountains
The Dângrêk Mountains (; km, ជួរភ្នំដងរែក, ; th, ทิวเขาพนมดงรัก, ), also the Dângrêk Range, is a mountain range forming a natural border between Cambodia and Thailand.
Geography
Despi ...
areas: after being pushed back by the Thai Royal Army, his family eventually managed to find refuge in Thailand in their second attempt to escape Cambodia. Quach and his family were resettled in the United States in 1984 from
Khao-I-Dang refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced pe ...
after the war (their first attempt was the journey to
Nong Chan Refugee Camp in 1979). He was raised and educated in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
.
Career
He attended
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
in 1991 for Pre-Med and received his
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degre ...
in General Medicine from
Spartan Health Sciences University in 1998. Quach also completed his medical clerkship at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. He received his Masters in Public Health Practice from the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...
in 2007. Quach was a professor at the Cleveland College in California until 2002.
In 2002, Quach returned to Cambodia where he worked as public health advisor of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) for Partners for Development and taught at the
Pannasastra University of Cambodia and
University of Cambodia.
In 2005, Quach founded
Mengly J. Quach Education
Mengly J. Quach Education is parent company of Aii Language Center (Aii) and American Intercon School (AIS) founded in 2005 by Mengly J. Quach. History
In 2005, Mengly J. Quach founded The Mengly J. Quach Education. Its Aii Language Center and ...
. Its
Aii Language Center
Mengly J. Quach Education is parent company of Aii Language Center (Aii) and American Intercon School (AIS) founded in 2005 by Mengly J. Quach. History
In 2005, Mengly J. Quach founded The Mengly J. Quach Education. Its Aii Language Center an ...
and
American Intercon School
Mengly J. Quach Education is parent company of Aii Language Center (Aii) and American Intercon School (AIS) founded in 2005 by Mengly J. Quach. History
In 2005, Mengly J. Quach founded The Mengly J. Quach Education. Its Aii Language Center an ...
, engage in education, health care, food, media and financial services. By 2022, his educational programs had grown from a single classroom with just four students into one of Cambodia's biggest educational networks, with over twenty school buildings, over 17,000 students, more than 1,750 staff and boasts 50,000 alumni.
Quach was the owner and advisory board of '' ThmeyThmey.com.'' It was launched in 2012 as part of Mengly J. Quash Holdings. In May 2017, Quach resigned from advisory board of Thmey Thmey. In his resignation letter, he said he sold his shares and has no more connection with ThmeyThmey. Quach was an elected Board member of
Transparency International
Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil ...
Cambodia during 2010 - 2013. He was also known by a controversy for criticizing the Cambodia's public health in 2016, saying that nine in ten doctors in the country were sub-par and treated their patients badly. He also commented that Cambodia's system for educating doctors remains weak and the training for doctors in Cambodia is very short. His comments prompted a government-affiliated doctors’ association to demand an apology and retraction. Then, since 2017, his medical license has been denied.
Philanthropy
Quach started doing his charitable works since he was 10 years old by helping to provide food to poor people in the US. He used to work in a charity that provided free medical services to the poor and homeless while he was a medical student. He stated that his grandparents and parents liked showing kindness to others and helping the most-in-need people.
Quach founded MJQ Foundation in 2005. The majority of its funds are the profits of his businesses. MJQ Foundation has been helping the communities through various programs and projects.
As an ''
oknha'', he has insisted on the importance of virtuous leadership in Khmer society, through many publications in
virtue ethics
Virtue ethics (also aretaic ethics, from Greek ἀρετή aretḗ'' is an approach to ethics that treats the concept of virtue">moral virtue as central. Virtue ethics is usually contrasted with two other major approaches in ethics, consequen ...
and business. In partnership with the Office of
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nat ...
in Cambodia, he defends the idea that businesses should care more about
human rights in Cambodia
The human rights situation in Cambodia is facing growing criticisms both within the country and from an increasingly alarmed international community. After a series of flagrant violations against basic human rights a feeling of incertitude regardi ...
.
Quach is also known for a range of
philanthropic
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
endeavours, from sponsoring spelling contests, to sponsoring education and most recently during the economic crisis caused by the
Covid-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
outbreak. For that reason, Quach has voiced criticism against
crony capitalism
Crony capitalism, sometimes called cronyism, is an economic system in which businesses thrive not as a result of free enterprise, but rather as a return on money amassed through collusion between a business class and the political class. This is ...
and abuse of power by certain ''okhna'' in Cambodia "I think this re-drafting should be considered because some Oknha have used their titles in the past to protect themselves from the consequences of committing immoral acts, which create discontent among the public. We know that some oknhas have committed violence, or had crooked business dealings. Some have even been involved in deforestation. The actions of those who hold this title affects the honour of the King who bestows it."
Personal life
Quach lives in Phnom Penh with his wife and their two daughters.
Recognitions
In 2009, Quach was made Knight Grand Officer in the
Royal Order of Monisaraphon
The Royal Order of Monisaraphon ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសមុនីសារាភ័ណ្ឌ) was founded by King Sisowath of Cambodia on 1 February 1905. It is conferred for accomplishment and outstanding support in the ...
and given the Khmer Royal title of
Oknha by His Majesty King
Norodom Sihamoni. In 2021, he was given the Khmer Royal title of Neak Oknha by His Majesty King
Norodom Sihamoni for his community, charity and philanthropic works. He also received various local and international certificates and awards from around the world.
Selected publications
* Quach, Mengly J. (2020). Quach M. J.,'' Poems from the Heart'', Mengly J. Quach University Press.
* Quach, Mengly J. (2020). Quach M. J., ''The Philosophy Collection'', Mengly J. Quach University Press.
* Quach, Mengly J. (2019). ''Mengly J. Quach's Business Ideas''. Mengly J. Quach University Press.
* Quach, Mengly J. (2018). ''Mengly J. Quach's 108 Ideal Practices''. Mengly J. Quach University Press.
* Quach, Mengly J. (2018). ''Dangrek Mountains …unforgettable''. Mengly J. Quach University Press.
* Dharmendra, Singh K.; Quach, Mengly J. (2016). ''Dr. Mengly, Coffee and Me: Healthy Conversations''. Mengly J. Quach University Press.
* Quach, Mengly J. (2016). ''Dr. Mengly's Business Concepts''. Mengly J. Quach University Press.
* Quach, Mengly J. (2016). ''You Are The Good. Better. Best.'' Mengly J. Quach University Press. ,
Sources
* Oeur S., Torn V., Sem R., Hang P., Yeng Chh., On K., A Collection of Short Stories, My Role Model Oknha Dr. Mengly J. Quach, Mengly J. Quach University Press, January 2020
* Oeur S., Dr. Mengly J. Quach's Poems and Me, Mengly J. Quach University Press, August 2019
* Hang P., ''How I came to know Dr. Mengly Jandy Quach'', Mengly J. Quach University Press, August 2019
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quach, Mengly Jandy
Cambodian businesspeople
University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni
1969 births
Living people
Members of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon
Cambodian doctors
Academic staff of the University of Cambodia