Stephen Chew has spent many years supporting multicultural and multifaith communities through volunteering and community leadership. Drawing on his own experiences as a migrant to Australia, he has worked to create opportunities for people of different backgrounds and ages to connect, participate and feel included.
Stephen Chew at the headquarters of ECCV’s member association Zee Cheng Khor Moral Uplifting Society.
Volunteering has been at the heart of Stephen Chew’s life for decades. From helping newly arrived young people find work experience to creating opportunities for seniors to stay active and connected through the organisation he leads, the Zee Cheng Khor Moral Uplifting Society (ZCK).
Stephen embraces the idea that contributing to the community is the best way to empower people and nurture a sense of belonging.
Born in Malaysia to a Chinese father, Stephen moved to Australia in the 1970s amid political uncertainty and race riots in Malaysia.
“My parents were worried and wanted us children to be safe”, the multifaith leader says. He arrived in Ballarat on his own: “At that time, [Australia] was a different country because there were so few of us”.
Although very homesick at first, Stephen remembers feeling warmly welcomed by the local community. He became friends with other Malaysian students and, later, when he moved to Melbourne, he connected with other migrants from different countries. “I was very lucky. I played soccer with Greeks and Italians – I was even featured in the Greek newspaper”.
At the time, he was boarding with a Greek family and learnt to speak Greek. He still speaks fondly of their generosity and strong sense of family.
Life as a migrant student was not easy, and Stephen worked a variety of jobs to support himself. He eventually found his passion within the Scout movement, where he worked for several decades. During that time, he developed a placement program that gave over 300 international students valuable first-hand experience in the Australian job market. Through this work experience, they learnt English and gained practical skills, while also helping the organisation.
“Because of my background, I understood what these international students were going through. It was very rewarding – many still contact me after all this time”, Stephen says.
Supporting others in this way left a lasting impression, sparking a deep commitment to community and connection that would continue to shape his life.
After his retirement in the early 2000s, Stephen established the Zee Cheng Khor Moral Uplifting Society (ZCK), a way to reconnect with his Chinese culture and to create a welcoming space to bring together people from all backgrounds, ages and faiths.
His skills in community engagement, administration and volunteer management helped him establish solid foundations for the association, which promotes world harmony through interfaith dialogue and moral education.
“When we talk about harmony, we need to think globally but act locally. It starts from me and you. Otherwise it won’t happen”.
Today, the association is made up largely of senior members and runs regular cultural functions, educational programs and leisure activities that are free and open to everyone.
“We embraced what other communities were doing across Australia, opening our doors and our hearts to everyone”.
Volunteers play a key role in making these events possible. “All volunteers feel they are involved, valued and are proud to participate”.
“We listen to each other, value our differences and find the commonalities, while appreciating all contributions, big or small”.
For Stephen, ageing well is about staying connected – emotionally, spiritually and socially. He believes older people thrive when they feel valued, included and able to contribute to their communities. “If everyone is successful, it means the world is a better place for us all.”
Read Stephen’s and other seniors’ stories in the
June 2026 edition of ECCV eMagazine, Multicultural Ageing.