Mr Wee Ee Cheong, UOB’s CEO (5th from left), together with Mr Frederick Chin, Head, Group Wholesale Banking and Markets, UOB (4th from left), and Mr Eric Lian, Head, Group Commercial Banking, UOB (3rd from right), with bidding winners Mr Low Kok Ann, CEO, Hafary Holdings Ltd (2nd from right) and Mr Jeffrey Liew, representing Mr Neo Kah Kiat, BBM, Founder, Chairman, CEO of Neo Group Ltd (extreme left) accompanied by Mr Ching Chiat Kwong, Chairman of Jadeite Properties Pte Ltd (2nd from left), Mr Kelvin Lim, Executive Chairman & Group Managing Director of LHN Limited (extreme right) and Mr Eric Low, Deputy CEO of Oxley Holdings Ltd (3rd from left).
Singapore, 7 February 2025 - UOB, together with about 1,200 business clients, raised more than $2.6 million for charity as part of the Bank’s annual Lunar New Year festive celebrations.
The funds, raised through a series of art workshops and a fundraising gala dinner with clients, will be donated to various charities to support the arts, children and educational causes. These charities include The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, Central Singapore CDC, Lakeside Family Services and Ren Ci Hospital. The proceeds will also go towards assisting local enterprises in their innovation efforts under the UOB-Singapore Management University Asian Enterprise Institute.
Mr Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, UOB, said, “Our tradition of combining art, philanthropy and community engagement reflects our commitment to doing right by our stakeholders. Through the generosity of our clients, we continue to drive meaningful change by supporting children, education and the arts. Together, we are fostering a more inclusive and culturally vibrant society.”
As part of the fundraising efforts, UOB auctioned two pieces of artworks, and the winning bids were made by Mr Low Kok Ann, CEO of Hafary Holdings Ltd and Mr Neo Kah Kiat, BBM, Founder, Chairman, CEO of Neo Group Limited for bids of $250,888 and $238,000 respectively at the fundraising gala dinner on 6 February 2025. More than 40 clients also participated in an art workshop on 23 January 2025, where Mr Wee applied finishing touches to these art pieces.
Titled “Eternal Spring”, the first piece is a commissioned artwork by artist Karina D. Simon, 2022 UOB Painting of the Year award winner. The piece depicts the Chinese character “永” as a bonsai plant in a contemporary art form using coloured pencils on paper. The art piece preserves the core essence of spring – to always inspire and to be a reminder of the positivity of spring, even when seasons change.
The second art piece, titled “Everlasting Blooms”, is a 3-D paper sculpture and carving by established paper artist, Ceres Lau. “Everlasting Blooms” evokes a sense of beauty and vibrancy, transcending the fleeting nature of time. It is a symbol of abundance, wealth and longevity, representing a world filled with opportunities, hopes and vitality.
Mr Low Kok Ann, CEO of Hafary Holdings Ltd, said, “We were inspired to leverage the strength of business and our appreciation of the arts, to contribute collectively to the community. Through UOB’s extensive ASEAN trade network, we will continue to foster strong connectivity not just within the business community but also build a more inclusive society through UOB's commitment to worthy causes such as this initiative."
Mr Neo Kah Kiat, BBM, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Neo Group Limited, said, “In partnering UOB through the years, we have formed not just strong business connections, but also jointly supported the community together. We appreciate these meaningful initiatives that UOB holds annually, which uplift our community and strengthen our business networks and bonds”.
Two other UOB Commercial Banking clients, Mr Ching Chiat Kwong, Chairman of Jadeite Properties Pte Ltd and Mr Kelvin Lim of LHN Group, had both donated $250,000 each to join the Bank’s support for the local community through this annual fundraising effort.
