He is currently the chairman of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation and has recently had a cameo appearance on MediaCorp TV Channel 5 television sitcom The Yang Sisters as San Poh.
After completing his studies at the Methodist Boys' School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Cheong obtained a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Mathematics from the University of Adelaide in 1964.
[1] He began his career as a mathematics lecturer in the University of Malaya (1968), eventually becoming associate professor and serving as head of the department.
In 1998, Fortune named him Asian Businessman of the Year, noting that SIA had an "unbroken 27-year record of profitability through turbulent economic times.
He is now a Director of several companies, including Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, Great Eastern Holdings Ltd, Great Eastern Life Assurance Company Ltd and Overseas Assurance Corporation Ltd.[2] On August 31, 2014, Kong retired as the chairman of OCBC Bank veterans board of directors.