Ee Peng Liang

Who was Ee Peng Liang?

Ee Peng Liang, K.St.J was a businessman and a philanthropist. 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.

He was educated at St Joseph’s Institution and later was qualified as a chartered accountant. In 1947, Ee Peng Liang 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.

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.