Jeffrey Cheah Conferred Honorary U.K. Knighthood By King Charles III

By Danial Martinus  •  15 Nov 2023 in News

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Sunway Group Founder and Chairman, Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr) Jeffrey Cheah, has been named an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) by His Majesty King Charles III in recognition for his services to higher education, health services, and philanthropy.

The honorary knighthood — or Honorary KBE — is quite a rare and prestigious award for citizens of non-Commonwealth Realm nations. Cheah is the first Malaysian to be conferred the KBE by King Charles III. The award recognises the instrumental role he played in forging high-level links with a number of UK institutions, as well as his contribution towards the bilateral relationship that the U.K. and Malaysia share.

Cheah is the Founder and Trustee of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, which has (to date) disbursed well over RM670 million in academic scholarships to students in need. Additionally, he has endowed many chairs and professorships at a number of world-renowned institutions, like the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in the U.K.

Through his business and philanthropy endeavours, Cheah fostered high-level partnerships between Sunway, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, and renowned U.K. institutions such as the ones mentioned before, as well as Lancaster University, the Royal College of Physicians, the Chevening Awards, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

In partnership with the University of Cambridge, Sunway Group’s flagship Sunway Medical Centre in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur was appointed Regional Site Partner of Cambridge University Clinical Research Centre (CCRC). The partnership led to the naming of the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre at the Cambridge University Biomedical Campus, which played a pivotal role in the U.K.’s response to COVID-19. It also happens to be the largest biotech cluster outside of the United States.

“I am deeply overwhelmed and greatly humbled by the award of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire conferred on me by His Majesty King Charles III. It is particularly welcomed as the honour is bestowed in recognition of services to Higher Education, Health Services and Philanthropy — exactly the sectors in which Sunway Group and Jeffrey Cheah Foundation are making a difference in the world,” Cheah said.

“I consider this honour not just a personal one but an award that recognises the efforts of everyone affiliated with Sunway Group and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation in positively impacting society and our beloved country.”

British High Commissioner to Malaysia, H.E. Alisa Terry, also congratulated Cheah, lauding him for his success as an entrepreneur and his contributions to bilateral relations.

“He is an extraordinary entrepreneur who has built and led the Sunway Group to a successful conglomerate with investments in the U.K. Equally remarkable is how he continues to invest in the future generations through education, healthcare, and philanthropy in Malaysia and the U.K.,” said Terry.

The High Commissioner will present the honorary KBE to Cheah on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III at a later date.