Ee Peng Liang

Joseph Ee Peng Liang
Born(1913-11-26)26 November 1913
Kallang, Singapore, Straits Settlements
Died24 August 1994(1994-08-24) (aged 80)
Katong, Singapore
NationalitySingaporean
Occupation(s)Businessman and philanthropist
Known forFounding member and President of the Singapore Council of Social Service

Joseph Ee Peng Liang, K.St.J (Chinese: 余炳亮; pinyin: Yú Bǐngliàng; 26 November 1913 – 24 August 1994) was a businessman and a philanthropist.[1] He was the founding member and President of the Singapore Council of Social Service as well as the Community Chest.

Known as the “father of charity” in Singapore, Ee Peng Liang was well known for his charitable nature and voluntary work, for which he received numerous accolades. Ee also held key appointments in over 50 public organisations ranging from Christian welfare agencies, reformative institutions, public welfare bodies, and even women’s and Malay/Muslim associations.[2]

Early life

Ee was born to a poor ethnic Hokkien Peranakan family in 1913 and grew up at the Kallang gasworks area of Singapore in a family of eight siblings.[3] His parents were named Ee Seng Watt and Lim Choon Neo.[4]

Education

Ee was educated at St Joseph’s Institution and later was qualified as a chartered accountant. In 1947, Ee set up Ee Peng Liang & Co., which started out serving family businesses and grew to serve a sizeable portfolio of clients including public companies. His firm eventually merged with the then Turquand, Youngs & Co. and Ernst & Whinney in 1974 and 1986 respectively, to become part of Ernst & Young.[5]

Career

While working as an accountant, Ee began volunteering at Boys’ Town, of which he was later appointed chairman in 1955. In 1947, he became secretary of the Good Shepherd Sisters’ Marymount Vocational Centre. In 1953, he founded and became vice-president of the Singapore Council for Social Service, and then president in 1958. He has won numerous accolades for his humanitarian work, including the Public Service Star which he received in 1964 and the Meritorious Service Medal which he received in 1967.[6]

Personal life

He married Mary Seow in 1936 and had five children (Theresa, Lawrence, Cecilia, Agnes and Gerard). In 1996, his daughter Theresa Ee-Chooi published a memoir about her father. Gerard Ee is the current President of National Council of Social Service and has been the CEO of NKF since 2005.

On 24 August 1994, Ee died of heart failure at his home in Katong, at the age of 81. His funeral was attended by, among others, former President Wee Kim Wee, who was also his closest friend, and then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

References

  1. ^ "Ee Peng Liang honoured by Catholic Church". The Straits Times. 23 December 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  2. ^ "Temasek dedicates endowments to Dr Ee Peng Liang and Dr Balaji Sadasivan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  3. ^ "singapores mr charity ee peng liang dies at age 81". ucanews.com.
  4. ^ "Ee Peng Liang". National Library Board Singapore. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  5. ^ "Our history - EY - Singapore".
  6. ^ "Ee Peng Liang". Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2012-09-04.


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