Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling (Hakka, simplified Chinese: 谢富年; traditional Chinese: 謝富年; pinyin: Xiè Fùnián) is the founder and chairman of The Sunway Group of Companies in Malaysia.
Jeffrey Cheah was born in Pusing, a small town outside of Ipoh in Perak. He had his secondary education at SMK Sultan Yussuf in Batu Gajah[1] before leaving to pursue his tertiary education at the Footscray Institute of Technology (now Victoria University) in Melbourne, Australia. He began his career as an Accountant in a motor assembly plant in Malaysia, but soon left it to venture out on his own. In 1974, he founded what is today the Sunway Group of companies.
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Established as a small tin-mining company with a paid-up capital of 100,000 Ringgit, the Sunway Group has grown to become one of Malaysia’s most widely recognized and diversified conglomerates.
The Group’s flagship development, the 350-hectare Bandar Sunway, is one of South East Asia’a best known tourist destinations. Located 20 minutes from Kuala Lumpur, this fully integrated resort township was virtually “resurrected” from a derelict strip of ex-mining land. The rehabilitation and transformation of the landscape has won the township many international awards, including being adjudged the world’s best leisure project by FIABCI (International Real Estate Federation, Paris) in 2002.
Cheah set up Sunway College and Monash University Sunway Campus. These institutions, along with Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Sunway International School were later placed under the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (formerly Sunway Education Trust Fund) which has not only given out scholarships worth more than RM80 million to date, but has reinvested all the profits from these institutions. The profits serve to upgrade facilities and ensure students benefit from a higher quality of education.
Under Cheah's leadership, the Sunway Safe City Initiative was implemented. This initiative, which was launched in 2001, has proven extremely effective in combating crime. 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.
In July 2008, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of his extraordinary and meritorious contribution to the advancement of education in Malaysia and for "service to Australia-Malaysia bilateral relations".[2]
In appreciation of his contribution to Monash University Sunway Campus, the Monash University School of Medicine was named after him in 2007. In 2006, His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor installed Cheah as the Foundation Chancellor of Sunway University College.
Sunway University was established by Cheah in 1986 with the mission of providing more and better education opportunities to youths. By 1997, the College has become very viable and profitable business. It was at this juncture that Cheah took the decision to transfer all his personal shares and ownership of the College into the newly established Sunway Education Trust Fund. By doing so, he has ensured that all profits derived from Sunway University College, which is fully owned by the Trust, and its share of profits from the jointly owned co-venture in Monash University Malaysia, are ploughed back into the upgrading of facilities and human resources.
The Trust also presents deserving students with scholarships worth millions annually. To date, more than RM80 million worth of scholarships have been disbursed. In 2007, the School of Medicine was named after him.[3]
Cheah was voted ‘Property Man of the Year (Malaysia)’ in 1993 and ‘CEO of the Year (Malaysia)’ in 1996. And most recently, in 2005, he received ‘Asia’s Most Innovative Chinese Entrepreneur Award.’
Honorary doctorates from leading universities:
Doctor of the University from: 1. Flinders University, South Australia (1994) 2. Victoria University, Australia (1993)
Doctorates of Law from 3. Leicester University, United Kingdom (1996) 4. Monash University, Australia (1995)
Doctorates of Education from: 5. University of Western Australia (1994) 6. West Michigan University, USA (1994) 7. Oxford Brooks University, United Kingdom (1998)
Doctorate of Business Administration from: 8. Greenwich University, United Kingdom (2001)
Distinguished Appointments 1. Chairman, Malaysian Industry- Government High Technology for Construction and Housing (MIGHT) – Appointment by Prime Minister (1995) 2. Director, National Productivity Centre - Appointment by Minister of Trade (1990) 3. Council Member, Higher Education Council of Malaysia – Appointment by Minister of Education (1996). 4. Executive Council Member, Malaysian Tourism Action Council – Appointment by Minister of Tourism (1996). 5. Council Member, Financial Reporting Foundation – Appointment by Minister of Finance (1997)
Social and Welfare Organizations 1. Vice President, National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (2002) 2. Honorary Chairman, Sin Chew Foundation (2000) 3. Founding Trustee, Malaysian Liver Foundation (1999) 4. President, Malaysian Hakka Association (1997) 5. Honorary Member, Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce (2002) 6. Chairman & co-founder of Asian Strategy And Leadership Institute (ASLI)
Awards 1. Paul Harris Fellow Award 2. Fellow Australian Society of Certificate Practising Accountants 3. Fellow of Institute of Directors 4. CEO of the Year Award 5. Property Man of The Year (FIABCI, Malaysian Chapter)
Royal Conferments