 Khoo was born in 1956 in the <unk> state of Malaysia . He received his formal education at St. Xavier 's Institution before leaving for Singapore in 1974 , to continue his pre @-@ university education at St. Joseph 's Institution . After completing his studies in 1978 , he worked as a journalist with The Star in Kuala <unk> until 1980 when he joined Malaysia 's largest sugar refinery , Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Company <unk> , as a personnel manager . 
