Most people know Peter Ng Meng Cheng as a successful businessman on the go and the chairman of Singaporean Club Cambodia (SCC). However, only a few know that Ng Meng Cheng also puts a smile on many Cambodians’ faces – quite literally: He is vice chairman of Operation Smile Cambodia (OSC), an NGO that dedicates itself to the surgical correction of cleft lips; free of charge for the patients.

“I wish to see Cambodian people with cleft lips and cleft palates to be able to smile like people who do not have this in-born condition,” Ng Meng Cheng says, explaining his motivation for helping.

He emphasised that “as of mid-2014, more than 500 Cambodian people have received cleft lip and cleft palate treatment by Operation Smile Cambodia”.

“Usually, for one case of cleft lip and cleft palate surgery, the costs are high and a large part of the budget comes from the director committee [of SCC] and members and other charitable people who take part and support this activity. This is how we manage to created a fundraising program that supports this humanitarian activity.”

Of course Ng Meng Cheng knows that the success of Operation Smile Cambodia relies on a strong and active donor community.

“I would like to thank all friends that help to support all the humanitarian activity and I especially want to thank the board of directors and members of SCC for the most active support in physical force, spirit and properties. If there were no good SCC team, the humanitarian activities helping all Cambodian people couldn’t go as smoothly as they presently do.”

And indeed the donor community’s active engagement has been rewarding. Since its founding in 2002, Operation Smile Cambodia has treated over 1,600 children.

But also in his business life Ng Meng Cheng ’s efforts are blessed with success – and he is a man who thinks big.

Ng Meng Cheng arrived in Cambodia in the early 1990s. He recalled that:

“I specialise in transportation and logistics. Thus, I am interested in the Sihanoukville port, because the infrastructure there was old and dilapidated, requiring initial development, before opening the sea route to link other countries,” Ng Meng Cheng says, as he explains his profession.

Back in 1992, Ng Meng Cheng established a company in Cambodia called Camsin Corporation’s Logistic to provide the services of developing and repairing some parts of Sihanoukville port. “Camsin was the first company to receive the licence and letter of appreciation from the Ministry of Public Work and Transport at that time for our quality service and productivities.”

As if this wasn’t enough of an achievement, Ng Meng Cheng is the director of Colben Energy in Cambodia.