Jeffrey Cheah

Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr.
Jeffrey Cheah
Education Footscray Institute of Technology
Occupation Founder & Chairman of Sunway Group
Net worth Increase US$ 1.4 Billion (3 February 2018)[1]
Spouse(s) Susan Cheah Seok Cheng
Children Sarena Cheah Yean Tih
Evan Cheah Yean Shin
Adrian Cheah Yean Sun
Parent(s)
  • Cheah Fah (father)
Cheah Fook Ling
Traditional Chinese 謝富年
Simplified Chinese 谢富年
Hakka
  • Qia3 Fu5 Ngien2
  • Chia Fook Yin

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling (Hakka Chinese: 谢富年; Qia3 Fu5 Ngien2 or Chia Fook Yin) is the founder and current chairman of the Sunway Group, a Malaysian conglomerate operating in 12 industries with core businesses in property and construction.[2] Jeffrey Cheah is Foundation Chancellor of Sunway University in Malaysia.[3] He is also a Founding Trustee of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.[4]

Cheah is the recipient of 10 honorary[5][6] doctorates, most of which in recognition of his outstanding contribution towards education.[7]

Jeffrey Cheah moved to Australia to pursue a business degree at Victoria University (then Footscray Institute of Technology) in Melbourne and after graduating, returned to Malaysia to take a job as an accountant in a motor assembly plant. He soon left this employment, and in 1974, he started his own company, a small tin-mining company with a startup capital of RM100,000.[8] Today, Sunway Group is one of Malaysia's most formidable property-construction conglomerate.[9]

Sunway Group and Bandar Sunway

The Sunway Group grew from a gradual conglomeration of Jeffrey Cheah's business interests. At its heart is the 350-hectare (860-acre; 1.4 sq mi) development Bandar Sunway, in the Petaling district of the state of Selangor. This derelict mining estate was 'resurrected' as a new township, twenty minutes' drive from the centre of Kuala Lumpur, focused around the Sunway Lagoon theme park and the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall, both of which are Sunway Group holdings. Cheah's investment in Malaysian higher education is represented by the two universities of Bandar Sunway: the Malaysian campus of the Australian Monash University and the local Sunway University. The rehabilitation and transformation of the landscape has won the township international awards, including being recognised as Malaysia's first fully integrated green township as certified by the Green Building Index (GBI) of Malaysia.[10] The township, Sunway City (formerly known as Sunway Resort City) also clinched the Low Carbon City award from the Malaysian Institute of Planners for implementing low carbon initiatives within the township.[11]

Educational investment

In 1987, Jeffrey Cheah established Sunway College in Bandar Sunway as a private tertiary educational institute. A major phase in the college's early development was its partnership with Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. The partnership allowed Malaysian students to pursue a preparatory year at Sunway College before being admitted to study at Monash. In 1997, the college has proved financially viable, and Cheah transferred ownership to the Sunway Educational Trust Fund (which was later renamed the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation). This move paved the way for the Monash partnership to take the next step. In 1998, the Monash University Malaysia Campus was opened in Bandar Sunway, in partnership with the trust fund. On 12 August 2004, the Minister for Education granted the institution the status of a university college. In 2006, the Sultan of Selangor installed Jeffrey Cheah as Foundation Chancellor of the university college. In appreciation of his contribution to Monash University Malaysia Campus, the Monash University School of Medicine was named after him in 2007. In January 2011, the institution was further upgraded to a fully independent university.[12]

Under Jeffrey Cheah's leadership, the Sunway Safe City Initiative was implemented. This initiative, which was launched in 2001, has proven extremely effective in combating crime.[13] A partnership between the Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF), the Selangor State Government and the Sunway Group, it has reduced the crime rate and infused the township with a spirit of togetherness and neighbourliness that now serves as an example for other residents' association throughout Selangor. In recognition of Tan Sri Jeffrey's meritorious contribution in the field of social safety and security, he was appointed the Chairman of MCPF Selangor Chapter by the Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts & Heritage in Aug 2008.[14]

Awards, honors and privileged positions

Royal orders and conferments

On 8 March 1988, the Sultan of Selangor made Jeffrey Cheah a Knight Commander of the Crown of Selangor (Malay: Dato' Paduka Mahkota Selangor, DPMS), which entitles its holder to the title Dato'.

In 1995, Jeffrey Cheah was made a Justice of the Peace (JP) by the Sultan of Terengganu. The appointment is purely honorary.

In April 1996, the Sultan of Perak, Jeffrey Cheah's home state, made him a Knight Grand Commander of the Crown of Perak (Malay: Dato' Seri Paduka Mahkota Perak, SPMP), which entitles its holder to the title Dato' Seri.

On 1 June 1996, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the 'King of Malaysia') awarded Cheah Commander of the Order of Loyalty of the Crown of Malaysia (Malay: Panglima Setia Mahkota Malaysia, PSM), which entitles its holder to the title Tan Sri.[15]

On 10 July 2008, Jeffrey Cheah was made an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for "service to Australia–Malaysia bilateral relations, particularly tertiary education through the development of collaborative student transfer programs and the establishment of a Monash University campus in Malaysia".[16]

Honorary doctorates

Jeffrey Cheah has been awarded the following ten honorary doctorates, by universities in Australia, the United States, United Kingdom and Malaysia.

Year University Award
1993 Victoria University, Australia Doctor of the University
1994 Flinders University, South Australia Doctor of the University
1994 University of Western Australia Doctor of Education
1994 Western Michigan University, United States Doctor of Education
1995 Monash University, Victoria, Australia Doctor of Laws
1996 Leicester University, United Kingdom Doctor of Laws
1998 Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom Doctor of Education
2001 Greenwich University, United Kingdom Doctor of Business Administration
2013 Lancaster University, United Kingdom Doctor of Laws
2016 University of Malaya, Malaysia Doctor of Education

Government advisor positions

  1. Director, National Productivity Centre, appointed by the Minister of Trade (1990).
  2. Chairman, Malaysian Industry-Government High Technology for Construction and Housing (MIGHT), appointed by the Prime Minister (1995).
  3. Executive Council Member, Malaysian Tourism Action Council, appointed by the Minister of Tourism (1996).
  4. Council Member, Higher Education Council of Malaysia, appointed by the Minister of Education (1996).
  5. Council Member, Financial Reporting Foundation, appointed by the Minister of Finance (1997).

Business honours

  1. 'Property Man of the Year (FIABCI, Malaysian Chapter)' (1993).
  2. 'CEO of the Year (Malaysia)' (1996).
  3. 'Asia's Most Innovative Chinese Entrepreneur Award' (2005).[17]
  4. Chairman & co-founder of Asian Strategy And Leadership Institute (ASLI).
  5. Paul Harris Fellow Award.
  6. Fellow Australian Society of Certificate Practising Accountants.
  7. Fellow of Institute of Directors.
  8. Lifetime Achievement Luminary Award (2016)[18]

Social and welfare organisations

  1. President, Malaysian Hakka Association (1997).
  2. Founding Trustee, Malaysian Liver Foundation (1999).[19]
  3. Honorary chairman, Sin Chew Foundation (2000).
  4. Vice-President, National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (2002).
  5. Honorary Member, Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce (2002).
  6. Fellow Benefactor, University of Cambridge (2015).[20]

Places named after Jeffrey Cheah

References

  1. ↑ "40 Richest Person in Malaysia". The Star Online. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Sunway Group: Chairman's Profile". Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Sunway University: The People: The Chancellery". Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "'Make Jeffrey Cheah Foundation tax-free'". Free Malaysia Today. 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  5. ↑ "Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, AO Sunway Group Malaysia". Sunway Group. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  6. ↑ Yusof, Mahbob. "Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah conferred the Honorary Doctorate of Education from Universiti Malaya - Newspaper Clipping - University of Malaya Library". www.umlib.um.edu.my. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  7. ↑ "Founder and Chancellor Jeffrey Cheah Receives Honorary Doctorate". StudyMalaysia.com. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  8. ↑ "From Wasteland To Wonderland". www1.channelnewsasia.com. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  9. ↑ "Enriching lives, building the future - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  10. ↑ "Driving real estate development in Malaysia". Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  11. ↑ "Developer wins low-carbon city award for Sunway City - SMEBiz News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  12. ↑ "Sunway University: Our story". Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "Bandar Sunway a safe city success story - Community | The Star Online". Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  14. ↑ "Speakers | Forbes Global CEO Conference". 2014.forbesglobalceoconference.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  15. ↑ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
  16. ↑ "Australian Government: It's an Honour". Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "Board of Directors of Sunway Reit". www.sunwayreit.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  18. ↑ "Sunway Group and Grab founders honoured at Channel NewsAsia Luminary Awards". Channel NewsAsia. 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  19. ↑ "Foundation Board of Trustees". www.loveyourliver.org.my. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  20. ↑ "Sunway Ties Up With Cambridge". The Star. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Security Check Required". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  22. ↑ "Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre (Project Capella)". University of Cambridge Estate Management.
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