Edmund Cheng

Edmund Cheng
DUBC PJG BBM(L) BBM
Chairman of the
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
In office
1 July 2018 (2018-07-01) – 1 August 2026 (2026-08-01)
Preceded byLee Hsien Yang
Succeeded byNg Chee Khern
Chairman of the National Arts Council
In office
1 July 2008 (2008-07-01) – 31 August 2013 (2013-08-31)
Preceded byLiu Thai Ker
Succeeded byChan Heng Chee
Chairman of the
Singapore Tourism Board[a]
In office
4 November 1993 (1993-11-04) – 31 December 2001 (2001-12-31)
Preceded byLeong Chee Whye
Succeeded byWee Ee Chao
Personal details
BornSeptember 1952 (age 73)
British Hong Kong
SpouseWong Kit Heng
Children3
Alma materCarnegie Mellon University (MArch)
Northwestern University (BSc)
Canterbury School
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese鄭維榮
Simplified Chinese郑维荣
Jyutpingzeng6 wai4 wing4
Cantonese YaleJehng Wàih-wìhng
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhèng Wéiróng
IPA[ʈʂə̂ŋ.wěɪ.ɻʊ̌ŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJehng Wàih-wìhng
Jyutpingzeng6 wai4 wing4

Edmund Cheng Wai Wing[b] (born c. September 1952) is a Singaporean business leader and arts advocator. He is the deputy chairman of Wing Tai Holdings Limited and chairman of Yellow Ribbon Cares and Singapore Art Museum.

Trained as an architect,[1] Cheng has held chairmanships in the Singapore Tourism Board,[c] Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, and the National Arts Council.

Early life and education

Cheng was born in British Hong Kong in September 1952.[2][3] He has 16 siblings[4], including elder brothers Edgar Cheng and Cheng Wai Keung. His father, Cheng Yik Hung, manufactured garments,[5] and his mother, Chan Lan Yue (17 December 1995), was a homemaker.

In 1963, when Cheng's father came to Singapore to build his garment business, Cheng was sent to Canterbury School. After graduating in 1970, he enrolled in Northwestern University. In 1974, Cheng graduated with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering.[6][7]

In 1979, Cheng migrated to Singapore.[8][9] In 1980, he graduated with a Master of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.[6][7]

Career

Early career

On 11 May 1981, Cheng was appointed as a director of Wing Tai Holdings Limited.[d][10] In 1982, he became a registered architect and worked for local architectural firm Architects 61.[7] In 1984, he was promoted to deputy chairman and deputy managing director of Wing Tai.[7]

In July 1988, Cheng was appointed as a board member of the National Fire Prevention Council.[11] He was attributed in 1989 for diversifying Wing Tai, previously centred on garment manufacture, into property management and development, with over S$200 million (1989) (US$102.55 million) worth of projects.[1]

In December 1990, Wing Tai's stock collapsed following rumours of debt servicing problems and the rejection of garments by customers; Cheng called the rumours "malicious and absolutely without substance".[12] He said:[13]

I have no idea who spread the rumours, but I first heard about them last week. It is not fair for people to spread these rumours without checking first with the company. Some people have taken advantage of the situation today and they would have made 20 to 25 per cent in a day if they had bought the share at 75 cents.

In October 1991, following the release of the 2030 Concept Plan by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Cheng said that he agreed with the plan fully and endorsed one of its goals, which was to decentralise of the Downtown Core by creating four new regional centres.[14]

1993–2001: Singapore Tourism Promotion Board

In January 1993, Cheng was appointed as a board member of Raffles Girls' School.[15] In May 1993, following the death of Leong Chee Whye, he was appointed as acting chairman of the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (STPB).[c][16][17] On 4 November 1993, he was confirmed as STPB's chairman.[18]

The next day, Cheng appointed Masaru Yanagisawa as Singapore's first honorary tourism consul.[19][20] In February 1994, Cheng signed a certificate of affiliation on behalf of STPB with Yanosuke Nunoe, chairman of the Fukuoka Tourism Association, to formalise Singapore as a sister city of Fukuoka.[21]

On 13 March 1995, as STPB chairman, Cheng signed a memorandum of cooperation with the World Travel and Tourism Council, to promote Asia-Pacific tourism projects.[22][23] In August 1995, following the introduction of six-digit postal codes to identify areas in Singapore, instead of district numbers, Cheng said that the desirability of a property depends on its location, environment, and quality, rather than district numbers.[24] In December 1995, Cheng was approached by Sun Yu-Li, a sculptor, for monetary support to transform a 19th-century church into an art venue, named Sculpture Square. Cheng was appointed as its inaugural chairman.[25]

On 1 June 1996, Cheng was appointed as a non-executive director of Singapore Airlines.[26][27] In July 1996, he was appointed as chairman of Union Charm Development, a joint-venture company formed by Wing Tai, Temasek Holdings and other companies,[e] and announced that the joint-venture would bid for all phases of the Union Square development, situated around Kowloon Station.[29]

In February 1997, Cheng announced a summit to attract Japanese tourists to Singapore. He said that the STPB would introduce "aggressive marketing and promotional programmes" in Japan, with industry stakeholders brainstorming ideas for tourism improvement during the summit.[30][31] In August 1997, during a conference at the World Trade Centre, Cheng invited theme park and attraction operators and developers in Asia-Pacific to establish in Singapore and adapt to "Asian conditions" before setting up elsewhere in the region. He said that theme parks and attractions needed to be credible before gaining popularity.[32] In October 1997, Cheng led a 40-person delegation to Japan to discuss with the Japan Travel Bureau on attracting tourism.[33]

On 22 October 1999, during the official opening of Sculpture Square, Cheng said that the impression of foreigners toward Singapore was "too rigid", and that projects such as Sculpture Square "develop the softer side". He hoped that the venue would export Singaporean art and be visited by the international arts community.[25]

On 31 December 2001, Cheng was succeeded by Wee Ee Chao as chairman of STB.[34][35]

Later career

Cheng was appointed as the inaugural chairman of Old Parliament House Limited in January 2003,[36] and DesignSingapore Council in March 2003.[37] In May 2003, Cheng was appointed as chairman of SATS Ltd, replacing Cheong Choong Kong.[38][39] In September 2003, Cheng said that locals should consider the building's design, apart from its price and location, when purchasing a house. According to him, a building with "a good design" retains its value better, "improves the quality of life", and can be sold quicker.[6] On 24 November 2003, he joined the board of directors for Esplanade. In the same month, Cheng was also appointed as chairman of Mapletree Investments. On 3 December 2003, he was appointed as chairman of Esplanade.[40]

In September 2004, Cheng said that landed homes in Singapore should be allowed to be purchased by foreigners. He elaborated that if Singapore wants "to be a world-class city to attract more people", foreigners "must have a stake in the country".[41]

On 1 July 2005, Cheng was appointed as chairman of the National Arts Council, succeeding Liu Thai Ker.[42][43] Cheng said that Singaporeans "often take the arts for granted" and that "buying tickets to watch art shows" would improve their quality of life.[44] He stepped down on 31 August 2013 and was replaced by Chan Heng Chee.[45][46]

On 31 August 2008, Cheng stepped down as chairman of DesignSingapore Council and was succeeded by Robert Tomlin.[47][48] In December 2008, he recommended that design-based learning be taught in schools.[49]

On 19 July 2016, Cheng stepped down as chairman and director of SATS and was succeeded by Euleen Goh Yiu Kiang.[50]

Cheng was appointed as chairman of the Singapore Art Museum in April 2018, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on 1 July 2018,[51] succeeding Jane Ittogi and Lee Hsien Yang respectively.[52][53]

On 1 August 2026, Cheng will be succeeded by Ng Chee Khern as chairman of CAAS.[54][55]

Personal life

Cheng is married to Wong Kit Heng, and they have three children.[56][57]

Awards and decorations

National honours

  • Public Service Star, in 1999.[62]

Foreign honours

Notes

  1. ↑ Known as the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (STPB) from 1993 to 1997.
  2. ↑ Chinese: see Chinese name and romanisation
  3. 1 2 Renamed in 1997 to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
  4. ↑ Listed on the Singapore Exchange with ticker W05.
  5. ↑ Wing Tai had a 30% stake, and Temasek had a 20% stake. The other companies were Straits Steamship Land (10%), Singapore Land (15%), Lai Sun Developments (10%), Worldwide Investments (7.5%), and USI Holdings (7.5%).[28]

References

  1. 1 2 Siow, Doreen (23 January 1989). "The man behind S'pore's biggest garment producer". The Straits Times. p. 23. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 22 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  2. ↑ "Cheng brothers run business empire in S'pore, HK and China". The Straits Times. 6 March 1995. p. 39. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. ↑ Pang, Gek Choo (1 September 1997). "Gone native and now contributing to new home". The Straits Times. p. 28. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  4. ↑ "Obituary". The Straits Times. 19 December 1995. p. 34. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. ↑ Tay, Tsen-Waye (8 December 2004). "Wing Tai Group founder Cheng Yik Hung dies at 93". Today. p. 24. OCLC 46474542. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. 1 2 3 Kalpana Rashiwala (25 September 2003). "Champion of design". The Business Times. p. 8. OCLC 464696647. Factiva STBT000020030925dz9p0000h. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Edmund Cheng Wai Wing". Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Archived from the original on 26 May 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Pang, Gek Choo (6 September 1997). "The 12 foreign-born statutory board chairmen". The Straits Times. p. 5. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  9. ↑ Almagro, Marc (5 January 2022). "Industrial SAM". PORTFOLIO Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 May 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Board of Directors". Wing Tai Holdings Limited. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "11 new directors for fire prevention council". The Straits Times. 2 July 1988. p. 21. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  12. ↑ Koh, Elaine (5 December 1990). "Wing Tai denies talk of debt servicing problems". The Business Times. p. 1. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 22 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  13. ↑ Siow, Doreen (5 December 1990). "Price of Wing Tai shares collapses following rumours". The Straits Times. p. 40. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 22 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  14. ↑ Koh, Elaine (30 October 1991). "Future shape". The Business Times. p. 13. OCLC 464696647. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  15. ↑ "MCD's Deputy Secretary named chairman of RGS' board of governors". The Straits Times. 17 January 1993. p. 20. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020050604dp1h00ra7. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  16. ↑ "Wing Tai's deputy MD acting STPB head". The Straits Times. 15 May 1993. p. 26. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020050604dp5f014yu. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  17. ↑ "Edmund Cheng to act as STPB chief". The Business Times. 15 May 1993. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  18. ↑ "Edmund Cheng of Wing Tai confirmed as STPB head". The Business Times. 6 November 1993. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Factiva stbt000020011121dpb60030m. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  19. ↑ "Japan businessman is S'pore's first Honorary Tourism Consul". The Business Times. 6 November 1993. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Factiva stbt000020011121dpb60030i. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  20. ↑ "STPB to appoint tourism consuls abroad". The Straits Times. 6 November 1993. p. 26. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020050604dpb601o28. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  21. ↑ "Fukuoka becomes Singapore's fourth sister-city in Japan". The Straits Times. 20 February 1994. p. 27. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 23 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  22. ↑ "STPB to help promote tourism in Asia-Pacific". The Straits Times. 13 March 1995. p. 2. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  23. ↑ "STPB, majlis pelancongan setuju kerjasama" [STPB, tourism council agree to cooperate]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 13 March 1995. p. 1. OCLC 53812840. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  24. ↑ Wee, Agnes (19 August 1995). "Property sector likely to drop use of district numbers". The Business Times. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  25. 1 2 Parvathi Nayar (22 October 1999). "From rat-trap to art venue". The Business Times. p. 27. OCLC 464696647. Factiva stbt000020010911dvam007df. Archived from the original on 17 April 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  26. ↑ "SIA gets three new non-exec directors". The Straits Times. 18 May 1996. p. 47. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  27. ↑ "SIA names three new non-exec directors". The Business Times. 18 May 1996. p. 7. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  28. ↑ "Wing Tai-led group to bid for all phases of HK project". The Straits Times. 19 July 1996. p. 72. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  29. ↑ Quak, Hiang Whai (19 July 1996). "Wing Tai-led group to bid for rest of HK station project". The Business Times. p. 15. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  30. ↑ Wee, Agnes (18 February 1997). "Aggressive plan to woo Japanese tourists". The Business Times. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  31. ↑ "'Woo free and easy Japanese travellers'". The Straits Times. 18 February 1997. p. 27. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  32. ↑ "Test new ideas in S'pore, STPB urges theme park operators". The Straits Times. 28 August 1997. p. 44. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  33. ↑ "Team keeping S'pore Fever up in Japan". The Business Times. 22 October 1997. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 5 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  34. ↑ "New chief for tourism board". The Straits Times. 1 January 2002. p. 6. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  35. ↑ Tan, Andrea (1 January 2002). "Wee Ee Chao is new chairman of STB". The Business Times. p. 1. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  36. ↑ "Parliament to house the arts". The Straits Times. 23 January 2003. p. 3. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva stimes0020030123dz1n000hd. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  37. ↑ Tan, Audrey (21 March 2003). "Edmund Cheng to chair panel for design push". The Business Times. p. 11. OCLC 464696647. Factiva stbt000020030321dz3l00065. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  38. ↑ Quah, Michelle (20 May 2003). "SIA chief to step down as chairman of Sats". The Business Times. p. 5. OCLC 464696647. Factiva stbt000020030520dz5k00066. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  39. ↑ "Edmund Cheng to head Sats". The Straits Times. 20 May 2003. p. 15. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  40. ↑ "Edmund Cheng is Esplanade chairman". The Straits Times. 3 December 2003. p. 12. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020031203dzc30001g. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  41. ↑ Kalpana Rashiwala (23 September 2004). "Let foreigners buy landed homes". The Business Times. p. 15. OCLC 464696647. Factiva STBT000020040922e09n0000g. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  42. ↑ Cheah, Ui-hoon (14 June 2005). "Liu Thai Ker steps down as NAC chairman". The Business Times. p. 4. OCLC 464696647. Factiva STBT000020050613e16e00006. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  43. ↑ "Edmund Cheng to be NAC chairman". Today. 14 June 2005. p. 6. OCLC 46474542. Factiva TDAYSG0020050613e16e0001g. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  44. ↑ Chow, Clara (9 July 2005). "It's payback time". The Straits Times. p. 3. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020050708e1790002k. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  45. ↑ Helmi Yusof (31 August 2013). "Heng Chee to take helm at arts council". The Business Times. p. 17. OCLC 464696647. Factiva STBT000020130830e98v0000e. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  46. ↑ Kok, Melissa (31 August 2013). "Chan Heng Chee to head arts council". The Straits Times. p. 2. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020130830e98v0000f. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  47. ↑ Tay, Suan Chiang (6 September 2008). "New chair for design council". The Straits Times. p. 113. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020080905e4960001w. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  48. ↑ "DesignSingapore gets new chief". The Business Times. 3 September 2008. p. 10. OCLC 464696647. Factiva STBT000020080902e4930000r. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  49. ↑ Tay, Suan Chiang (2 December 2009). "Teach design in schools". The Straits Times. p. 53. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  50. ↑ Karamjit Kaur (24 May 2016). "Sats full-year net profit up 12.7% to $221m". The Straits Times. p. 9. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020160523ec5o003eu. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  51. ↑ Choo, Felicia (22 June 2018). "Mapletree chairman to helm CAAS board from July". The Straits Times. p. 5. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020180621ee6l002xn. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  52. ↑ Ho, Olivia (5 April 2018). "Edmund Cheng succeeds Jane Ittogi as Singapore Art Museum chair". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020180405ee45000un.
  53. ↑ Nisha Ramchandani (22 June 2018). "Edmund Cheng to replace Lee Hsien Yang as CAAS chairman". The Business Times. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  54. ↑ Gupta, Shikhar (15 July 2026). "Ng Chee Khern to succeed Edmund Cheng as CAAS chairman from Aug 1". The Business Times. OCLC 464696647. Archived from the original on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  55. ↑ Ong, Chelsea (15 July 2026). "Former Air Force chief Ng Chee Khern to take over as chairman of CAAS from Aug 1". CNA. Archived from the original on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  56. ↑ "Obituary". The Straits Times. 19 December 1995. p. 34. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  57. ↑ Tan, Gabrielle (27 August 2019). "2019 FULL YEAR UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND DIVIDEND ANNOUNCEMENT". Singapore Exchange. p. 17. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  58. ↑ Raguraman, Anjali (9 August 2026). "Chief Justice, former head of Council of Presidential Advisers receive top National Day honours". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  59. ↑ Kuek, Renee (9 August 2026). "Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, former CPA chairman Eddie Teo receive Singapore's highest civilian honour". CNA. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  60. ↑ "National Day Awards". The Straits Times. 10 August 2015. p. 5. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Factiva STIMES0020150809eb8a002j4. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  61. ↑ "Here's the list of this year's National Day Award winners". The Straits Times. 9 August 2010. p. 4. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  62. ↑ "THE PUBLIC SERVICE STAR (BINTANG BAKTI MASYARAKAT)". The Straits Times. 9 August 1999. p. 33. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 27 May 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
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