Aw Cheng Chye

Aw Cheng Chye
Born	Template:Birth date Rangoon, British Burma
Died	August 22, 1971(1971-08-22) (aged 47) Santiago, Chile
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, corporate leader, benefactor
Known for	Chairman of Haw Par Brothers (Private) Limited and Haw Par Brothers International Limited; philanthropy; leadership in sports and public organizations

Aw Cheng Chye (1 January 1924 – 22 August 1971) was a prominent Singaporean entrepreneur, millionaire, corporate leader, and benefactor. He was the son of businessman Aw Boon Par and held the position of chairman at Haw Par Brothers (Private) Limited as well as Haw Par Brothers International Limited until his unexpected passing in Santiago, Chile.

Early life

Born in Rangoon, British Burma, Aw Cheng Chye was of Hakka Chinese heritage. Upon his father's death in 1944, he inherited a portion of his father's estate.

Business career

During the 1950s, Aw Cheng Chye collaborated with his uncle Aw Boon Haw in overseeing the family's business ventures in Singapore. Starting in 1951, he served as a director of Public Insurance while Aw Boon Haw acted as chairman. Throughout the 1960s, he maintained his roles as shareholder and director and also held a directorship at the affiliated company Public Life Assurance. In the same year, he acquired shares in Sin Poh Amalgamated (Hong Kong), joining other family members such as his brother Aw Cheng Taik and niece Sally Aw.

Following the death of Aw Boon Haw in 1954, Aw Cheng Chye assumed the chairmanship of Haw Par Brothers (Private), which managed most family holdings except for Hong Kong-based newspapers overseen by Sally Aw. A legal dispute resolved in 1967 resulted in Haw Par Brothers (Private) regaining control over Hong Kong assets that had been incorrectly regarded as part of Boon Haw's personal inheritance; Sally Aw compensated the company with S$1.7 million.

In 1961, Aw Cheng Chye facilitated the proposed sale of the Haw Par Mansion and its gardens in Hong Kong, properties owned by the holding company but occupied by Sally Aw until 1998.

By July 1969, he transitioned most assets of Haw Par Brothers (Private) into a public entity named Haw Par Brothers International Limited, excluding the Haw Par Mansions and only partially including shares of Chung Khiaw Bank. He took Sin Poh (Star News) Amalgamated private again in June 1971. That same month saw Slater Walker gain control over the listed company, while Haw Par Brothers International divested a 49.8% interest in Chung Khiaw Bank to United Overseas Bank amid employee resistance to foreign acquisition. Shortly thereafter, Lee Chee Shan, president of Chung Khiaw Bank and Aw Cheng Chye’s sister-in-law, retired.

Aw Cheng Chye passed away on 22 August 1971 during a holiday in Santiago de Chile. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew publicly extended condolences.

At the time of his death, he served as chairman of Haw Par Brothers International and was a director at Chung Khiaw Bank alongside numerous other corporations and public institutions including the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

His leadership roles included director at Robinson & Co. from 1963, chairman of Rothmans Singapore starting in 1966, and heading Life Record Industries from 1969. Under his guidance, Rothmans contributed S$100,000 to the Singapore Sports Council, demonstrating his commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Public organization

Aw Cheng Chye played significant roles within various public organizations. In 1967, he was involved with the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association (now SATA CommHealth) and acted as vice-president of the Singapore Red Cross Society—ranking just below Kwa Geok Choo, spouse of the prime minister. His philanthropy extended to generous contributions toward hospitals, the Red Cross, St John Singapore, and blood donation initiatives.

During the 1960s, he held honorary chairmanship and council membership at St John Singapore and served as honorary chairman for Thong Chai Medical Institution. As vice-chairman of the Singapore Nanyang Khek Community Guild during that decade, he donated S$40,000 toward constructing its new premises in 1969 and supported affiliated groups in Johor state. As a director within the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, he backed the 1959 Singapore Constitution Exposition and financed excavation efforts for wartime casualties.

Throughout the 1960s, Aw presided over the Singapore Scout Association and held honorary chairman then member status at the Singapore Tourist Association. Appointed by government authorities to Nanyang University’s council from 1970 until his demise, he also served as vice-chairman on its fundraising committee for the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. His donations included S$25,000 for school construction alongside other gifts benefiting Nanyang University.

In arts and cultural spheres, Aw acted as trustee for Kreta Ayer People's Theatre and honorary president of the Photographic Society of Singapore while sponsoring photography awards. His generosity extended to supporting the Singapore Buddhist Federation; he contributed S$60,000 towards a new building for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and chaired various charitable events.

As a director at Haw Par Brothers (Pte.), he authorized temple development on company property and provided funds for disaster relief efforts plus social causes such as support for the Singapore Association for the Blind.

Overall, Aw Cheng Chye upheld his uncle Aw Boon Haw’s philanthropic tradition while actively participating in leadership across numerous organizations and promoting community advancement.

Sports

From 1954 to 1955, Aw Cheng Chye held the presidency of the Singapore Chinese Football Club, which operated as a subsidiary of both the Singapore Amateur Football Association and the Malaysian Chinese Football Association (M.C.F.A.). In 1957, he was appointed vice-chairman of the Malaysian Chinese Sports Association, and by 1962, he served as vice-president of the Singapore Chinese Swimming Club. Demonstrating his commitment, he donated S$2,000 to the swimming club in 1964 and was honored with the title of honorary president that same year. During the 1960s, Aw also acted as honorary president for the Basketball Association of Singapore.

In 1954, Aw was elected vice-president of the Singapore National Olympic Council and simultaneously presided over the Singapore Amateur Boxing Association. At the time of his passing, he held the position of honorary chairman for the Malaysian Chinese Football Association.

His leadership extended to several Chinese martial arts organizations, where he was granted honorary chairmanships. These included the Singapore Chin Woo Athletic Association, Singapore Pak Hock Pai Athletic Association, and 崇正國術體育會.

Aw was widely recognized for his generous support of sports events, lending his name to numerous competitions such as a golf tournament in 1967, the "Aw Cheng Chye Shield" at the Merdeka Weightlifting Tournament, as well as tournaments in sepak takraw at Nanyang University, boxing, wrestling, and chess. In 1958, he sponsored a "Tiger Balm" football cup that was subsequently renamed the Aw Cheng Chye Cup.

His longstanding backing also extended to Cuesports Singapore and contributions to the Singapore Table Tennis Association. Additionally, he supported an early form of what became the Singapore Weightlifting Federation, serving as its honorary chairman in 1963.

Beyond sponsorships, Aw made significant donations toward major sporting events. He contributed S$3,000 to The Festival of Sport fund and supported Singapore’s delegation at the 1965 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, followed by S$500 for the 1969 edition. For fundraising efforts related to the 1970 British Commonwealth and Asian Games, he donated a vehicle. His philanthropy further reached smaller organizations such as a local swimming club and the national women’s football team of Singapore.

Legacy

The building in Singapore formerly named after Aw Cheng Chye, now known as the Sin Chew Jit Poh Building, was under ownership by Haw Par Brothers (Private) during the 1970s. In tribute to Aw Cheng Chye’s contributions, Haw Par Brothers International launched an annual scholarship worth S$20,000 at the University of Singapore in 1972.

In that same year, Aw Kow—the eldest adopted son of Aw Boon Haw—filed a lawsuit against Haw Par Brothers (Private) Limited for denying him access to company financial records. He accused Aw Cheng Chye of diverting company funds for personal use. The legal dispute concluded in 1977 with a ruling favoring Aw Kow.

John and May Chu Harding’s autobiography Escape from Paradise recounts that Aw Cheng Chye’s move to take Haw Par Brothers International public faced opposition from certain family members. May Chu Harding was a great-granddaughter of Aw Boon Par and granddaughter of Lee Chee Shan—the latter having been president of Chung Khiaw Bank until his retirement in 1971.

Following Aw Cheng Chye’s death in 1971 and subsequent family control changes, Haw Par Brothers International’s business empire was gradually dismantled. The Thai branch responsible for manufacturing "Tiger Balm" liniment was divested in 1972 after key family directors stepped down. That same year saw United Overseas Bank announce intentions to purchase remaining shares of Chung Khiaw Bank. This development led minority shareholders to publicly call for a government inquiry over potential conflicts involving related-party directors.

Awards

• Conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Fairleigh Dickinson University

Honorary titles

• Officer (O.St.J) of the Order of Saint John (St John Singapore) from 1959 until his passing
• Recipient of the Dato Paduka Mahkota Johore (D.P.M.J.) distinction within the Order of the Crown of Johor between 1963 and 1968
• Awarded the Dato Sri Paduka Mahkota Johore (S.P.M.J.) honor in the Order of the Crown of Johor, held from 1968 until his death
• Holder of the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (BBM) award

Personal life

Aw Cheng Chye was united in marriage with Tay Chwee Sian (), also referred to as Datin Aw Cheng Chye. Their family included three sons—Aw Toke Soon (), Aw Toke Ghee (), Aw Toke Ho—and a daughter named Aw Ai Sim.

After the 1975 transaction involving Sin Poh (Star News) Amalgamated’s divestment of Sin Chew Jit Poh (Singapore) publishing rights, Tay Chwee Sian alongside Aw Toke Soon maintained control shares until 1978. Subsequently, they surrendered these shares and their director nomination privileges within Sin Chew Jit Poh (Singapore) Limited.

Aw Ai Sim chose to establish her profession in veterinary medicine.

Daw Saw, Aw Cheng Chye’s mother and widow of Aw Boon Par, died in 1983.

Mirroring his father’s beliefs, Aw Cheng Chye practiced Buddhism and held an honorary directorship at the Singapore Buddhist Lodge during the 1960s.