Chee Swee Cheng

Chee Swee Cheng (1866 — 22 August 1938) was a prominent Peranakan businessman and banker in Singapore and North Borneo.^[1]

Chee Swee Cheng

Early life and education

Chee was born in Malacca in 1866, where he received his education. He was the grandson of prominent merchant Chee Yam Chuan.^[2]

Career

Chee came to Singapore at the age of 16 and became employed at Lim Tiang Wah & Co. as a cashier. He was employed at Leack, Chin Seng & Co four years later.^[2] In 1890, he became a trustee of the Keng Teck Whay society.^[3] In 1900, he became a partner of the General Spirit and Opium Farm in North Borneo. He was later appointed the farm's manager. He was then given 5,000 acres of land by the local government for planting, which he used for cultivating tapioca and later rubber, as well as establish a sawmill.^[2] He also founded two scholarships, established several brickfields and developed many shophouses.^[4] He then returned to Singapore and established an ice factory.^[2]

In 1917, Chee co-founded the Ho Hong Bank in Singapore, and served as the bank's director.^[5] When the bank merged with the Chinese Commercial Bank and the Oversea-Chinese Bank to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation in 1932, he became the first chairman of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation.^[6]

Personal life and death

Chee built the Chee Family Mansion in Malacca in honour of his father.^[7] He was a philanthropist, and frequently donated to several local institutions, including the St. Andrew's Mission Hospital and the Child Welfare Society.^[8]

He died on 22 August 1938.^[5]