David Gee Cheng
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = David Gee Cheng
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| honorific_suffix =
| image = David Gee Cheng.jpg
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| smallimage =
| smallimage_alt =
| alt =
| caption =
| order =
| office = Deputy Minister for City Planning and Construction
| status =
| term_start = 27 August 1964
| term_end = 21 May 1966
| president = Sukarno
| predecessor = office created
| successor = Rachmat Wiradisuria
| prior_term =
| pronunciation =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|9|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Shanghai, China
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2005|9|16|1915|9|1|df=y}}
| death_place = Hawaii, U.S.
| death_cause =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| citizenship =
| nationality = Chinese
Indonesian (1961{{spnd}}1972)
American (since 1972)
| party =
| otherparty =
| height =
| spouse =
| partner =
| relations =
| children = 3
| awards = 20px Medal for Contributing in the National Development (1964)
| parents =
| mother =
| father =
}}
David Gee Cheng (1 September 1915{{spnd}}16 September 2005) was a Chinese-born Indonesian and American engineer and real estate developer who became the Indonesian Deputy Minister for City Planning and Construction from 1964 until 1966.
Early life
Cheng was born in Shanghai on 1 September 1915 from Tsi Fei and Wai Wen (Liang) Cheng. He studied at St. John's University in Shanghai and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1939.{{cite book |last= |first= |author-link= |date=1982|title=Who's Who in the West, 1982–1983|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fgH4nsAFap4C|location= |publisher=Marquis Who's Who |page=127 |isbn=9780837909189}}
Career
Cheng arrived in Indonesia in 1945{{cite book|last=Setiono|first=Benny G.|author-link=|date=2008|title=Tionghoa Dalam Pusaran Politik|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CH0p3zHladEC|location=|publisher=Trans Media|page=941|isbn=9789797990527|access-date=11 March 2022|archive-date=20 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520125757/https://books.google.com/books?id=CH0p3zHladEC|url-status=live}} and later became the President of the National Housing Development Corporation in 1956. On 16 September 1959, Cheng applied for naturalization as an Indonesian citizen. His application was accepted by a presidential decree on 23 August 1961.{{cite act |type=Presidential Decree |index=467 |date=1961 |article= |article-type= |legislature= |title= |trans-title= |page= |url=https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Home/Details/162745/keppres-no-467-tahun-1961 |language=Indonesian }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302072629/https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Home/Details/162745/keppres-no-467-tahun-1961 |date=2 March 2022 }}
Cheng was appointed by President Sukarno to head the new Department of City Planning and Construction as a deputy minister in the Dwikora Cabinet on 27 August 1964.{{cite book|last=Wibisono|first=Christianto|author-link=|date=2019|title=Kencan Dengan Karma|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QhKVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65|location=|publisher=Gramedia Pustaka Utama|page=65|isbn=9786020628967|access-date=11 March 2022|archive-date=20 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320084303/https://books.google.com/books?id=QhKVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65|url-status=live}} According to minister Oei Tjoe Tat, Cheng was appointed by Sukarno after successfully straightening Hotel Indonesia's building foundation.{{cite book|last=Tat|first=Oei Tjoe|author-link=|date=1995|title=Memoar Oei Tjoe Tat: pembantu Presiden Soekarno|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W4ZwAAAAMAAJ|location=|publisher=Hasta Mitra|page=139|isbn=9789798659034|access-date=11 March 2022|archive-date=20 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320084347/https://books.google.com/books?id=W4ZwAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}} Due to his obscurity and the lack of information about him, rumors began to spread about him. Fadjar magazine said that Cheng was unable to speak Indonesian and has unclear nationality, while journalist Bagja Hidayat claimed that Cheng was a "Hong Kong intel man".{{cite book |last=Hidayat|first=Bagja|author-link= |date=2014|title=#Kelaselasa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HpFeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT115|location= |publisher=Tempo Publishing|page=115|isbn=9786021410592}}
During his tenure as minister, Cheng was involved in the construction of the Semanggi Interchange. Cheng and {{ill|Sutami|id}}, the state minister for construction assessment, presented their proposals to President Sukarno. Afterwards, Cheng and Sutami argued with each other about their proposals, with Sukarno observing them. Sukarno later chose Sutami's proposal as a blueprint for the interchange.{{cite book|last=Lesmana|first=Tjipta|author-link=|date=2009|title=Dari Soekarno Sampai SBY|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E544kKzpSYIC|location=|publisher=PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama|pages=33–34|isbn=9789792242676|access-date=11 March 2022|archive-date=11 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311180923/https://books.google.com/books?id=E544kKzpSYIC|url-status=live}}
Cheng retained his post as deputy minister following two subsequent reshuffles of the cabinet.{{Cite journal|date=September 1966|title=Continuity and Change: Four Indonesian Cabinets since October 1, 1965, with Scattered Data on Their Members' Organizational and Ethnic Affiliations, Age and Place of Birth|url=https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/53399|journal=Indonesia|volume=2|page=213|via=eCommons|access-date=3 March 2022|archive-date=3 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303163814/https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/53399|url-status=live}} Despite not being a Sukarno loyalist, he was eventually deposed from his post on 21 May 1966 and was replaced by Rachmat Wiradisuria. He was the last Chinese to ever held a cabinet-level post until 1998, when The Kian Seng (Bob Hasan) took office as Minister of Trade and Industry in Suharto's short-lived Seventh Development Cabinet.{{cite book|last=Kurniawan|first=Hendra|author-link=|date=2020|title=Kepingan Narasi Tionghoa Indonesia: The Untold Histories|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6D6DwAAQBAJ|location=|publisher=PT Kanisius|page=222|isbn=9789792164794|access-date=11 March 2022|archive-date=20 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320084450/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6D6DwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}
Cheng left Indonesia for the United States in 1966. He arrived on 18 October 1966 and pursued a postgraduate degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He graduated with a degree in 1967. He later resided in Hawaii and became a naturalized US citizen on 26 January 1972.
Cheng became a real estate developer in Hawaii. From 1968 to 1970, Cheng became the development director of the Hawaii Council Housing Action (HCHA) in Honolulu. He was involved in the construction of the Waimānalo townhouse community.{{cite news|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96759263/waimanalo-townhouse-plan-urged/|access-date=3 March 2022|title=Waimanalo townhouse plan urged|page=15|work=The Honolulu Advertiser|date=7 July 1970|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302073646/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96759263/waimanalo-townhouse-plan-urged/|url-status=live}} He later founded the David Gee Cheng Development Corporation in 1971 and became a member of the Transportation Committee in the Oahu Development Conference. Cheng died on 16 June 2005 at the age of 90.
Personal life
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheng, David Gee}}
Category:20th-century American businesspeople
Category:20th-century Roman Catholics
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:Businesspeople from Honolulu
Category:Chinese emigrants to Indonesia
Category:Chinese emigrants to the United States
Category:Government ministers of Indonesia
Category:Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni
Category:Indonesian people of Chinese descent
Category:Indonesian Roman Catholics