Press Release

• First and only Malaysian honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award by Fortune Times for sterling contribution to humanity

Sunway Group Founder and Chairman and Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Founder and Trustee Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah AO has been honoured by Fortune Times, a leading Singapore-based Chinese business magazine with circulation in Asia at its 5th Fortune Times Awards (时代财智大奖) Ceremony and Gala Dinner at St Regis Hotel Singapore recently. 

He received the Asia’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 from Singapore Member of Parliament and Business China CEO Tin Pei Ling. Business China is a non-profit organisation spearheaded by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry which aims to harness the support of the public sector and private enterprises to strengthen cultural and economic ties between Singapore and China.

Cheah was acknowledged for establishing a legacy during his lifetime through the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and recognised for his demonstration of extraordinary passion, vision, innovation, and leadership in the development and sustained growth of the Sunway Group which has expanded its operations to Singapore and other parts of Asia. Jeffrey Cheah Foundation has awarded more than RM482 million in the form of scholarships and grants to thousands of deserving students. It is his goal to give out more than RM1billion in his lifetime.

Cheah is the only Malaysian to be recognised along some of Asia’s most high-profile entrepreneurs – China’s Sasseur Group Founder and Chairman Xu Rongcan (Asia’s Top Entrepreneur Award 2019), Singapore’s Royal Group of Companies Co-Chairman Bobby Hiranandani (Asia’s Young Entrepreneur Award 2019), and Singapore’s TENWIT Consultants Pte Ltd Managing Director Dr. George Zhou (Asia’s Top Achievement Award 2019). OUE Limited also received the Recognition Award 2019. 

The selection was made by a distinguished panel of judges comprising Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Singapore Committee Chairman Professor Michael Goutama, EY Singapore’s Singapore and Brunei Managing Partner Max Loh, Singapore’s Hong How Group Chairman Daniel Teo, London Institute of Banking and Finance President Michael Chow, BPW Federation (Singapore) Former President Kimmis Pun, Lanzhou University Alumni Association Singapore President Zhang Jun, and Fortune Times Singapore Editor-in-Chief Annie Song. 

The recent recognition follows Cheah’s third listing in Forbes Asia’s 2019 Heroes of Philanthropy last week, British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce UK-Malaysia Business Personality of the Year, Asian Association of Management Organisation’s (AAMO) Asian Leadership Award, Sin Chew Education Award’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and EdgeProp.my’s Editor’s Choice Award for Malaysia’s Exemplary Leader of Sustainable Development 2019 this year. Cheah was also appointed the Chairman of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Malaysia chapter this year. 

Cheah is the founder and chairman of Sunway Group, one of Malaysia’s largest conglomerates with core interests in real estate, construction, education and healthcare. Its 12 business divisions operate in 50 locations worldwide supported by a team of more than 16,000. Through his leadership, the purpose-driven Sunway Group propagates and drives towards advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Cheah established the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation in 2010 which was converted from the Sunway Education Trust established in 1997. He transferred his equity in Sunway Education Group’s (SEG) learning institutions worth several billion ringgit to the Foundation in perpetuity. The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation is the largest education-focused social enterprise in Malaysia, which owns and governs Sunway Education Group and its 16 learning institutions. 

Committed to advancing the sustainable development agenda, the Foundation endowed USD 10 million to the United Nations to establish the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development at Sunway University.