Shao Weiming
Shaw Vee-Meng, born in Singapore, with ancestral roots in Zhenhai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, is a renowned Chinese Singaporean entrepreneur primarily engaged in real estate and department store businesses. He is the eldest son of Hong Kong film mogul Run Run Shaw.
Biography
Shaw Vee-Meng was born on January 30, 1932, in Singapore. His ancestral home is Zhenhai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province (now known as Zhenhai District). He is the eldest son of film mogul Run Run Shaw. Following the traditional custom of large Ningbo families, Shaw Vee-Meng was raised by his uncle, Shaw Renmei (his father's elder brother), in a practice known as "cross-raising," where brothers would raise each other's children.
Shaw went to the United Kingdom for his education, studying law and graduating from the Faculty of Law at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford. He obtained his legal qualification at Gray's Inn, London. After returning to Singapore, he assisted his uncle and adoptive father Shaw Renmei in managing the family business. He currently serves as Chairman of the Shaw Foundation.
Shaw Vee-Meng has always been low-profile. In November 2006, however, he made a rare public appearance at the Asia Pacific Film Festival to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his father Run Run Shaw.[1]
Philanthropy
Shaw Vee-Meng has donated over 300 million Singapore dollars to support hospitals, elderly care homes, schools, arts organizations, and charities in Singapore. He places particular emphasis on elderly welfare and has remarked: "Singapore's population is aging rapidly, yet we do not have enough care homes for the elderly. Like my father (Run Run Shaw), I am very concerned about issues affecting the elderly."[2]
He is the longest-standing and most generous individual donor to the National University of Singapore (NUS), having donated over USD 10 million by 2013.
Positions
- Chairman of the Shaw Foundation
- Honorary President and Trustee of the Singapore Sam Kiang Huay Kuan[2]
- President of the Alliance Française de Singapour (since 1983)[3]
- Vice Chairman of the Singapore Heart Foundation
- Patron of the Singapore Crime Prevention Council
- Patron of the Asian Civilisations Museum Singapore
Honors
- In 2011, Shaw Vee-Meng was awarded the Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour by the French government, in recognition of his significant contributions to promoting French culture and philanthropy. The medal was presented by the French Ambassador to Singapore. He became the third recipient in Singapore's history to receive the honor.[3]
- Honorary Director of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- 1993: Appointed Fellow of St Catherine's College, University of Oxford
- 1994: Awarded the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) by the Singapore government
- 2003: Conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the National University of Singapore
Family
In 1959, Shaw Vee-Meng married Kwok Pik Yu, daughter of Singapore mining tycoon Kwok Hung. They had one daughter, Shaw Shuqin. However, Shaw and Kwok have since divorced.[4]