Former POSB chief executive Bertie Cheng dies of Covid-19 at 84

Mr Bertie Cheng Shao Siong, who was the chief executive of POSB for 23 years, died yesterday morning of Covid-19. He was 84.

He was unvaccinated against the coronavirus, his elder son Melvin Cheng, 46, told The Straits Times.

"It was not that he was against vaccines altogether. He was worried about the potential side effects and wanted to wait for version 2.0 of the vaccine to emerge… when the kinks of the first version had been ironed out," he said.

His death was an unexpected blow to his family. Mr Melvin Cheng, who works in the financial industry, said his father rarely fell ill and had cut back on going out during the pandemic.

"Despite being in his 80s, he was able to drive, exercise and was mentally sharp," he said.

Mr Cheng had tested positive for the virus late last month after getting a sore throat and was sent to the National University Hospital when his oximeter reading fell dangerously low. He was in hospital for three weeks before he died at 1.45am yesterday.

He had pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Mr Melvin Cheng said his father was a hard worker who never neglected his family. "He always came back late on weekdays, but on weekends, he devoted himself to the role of a father. He often took us swimming and golfing."

His father was not one to scold or put pressure on his children, he added. "After my sons were born, my father doted on them. He frequently took them out to restaurants and never forgot a birthday."

As POSB chief, Mr Cheng introduced several initiatives such as Giro payment, the popular Save As You Earn scheme and Credit POSB, a subsidiary that helped finance the homes of many Singaporeans.

DBS chairman Peter Seah said Mr Cheng will be remembered as one of the pioneers who built Singapore and created a key institution.

"He is truly Mr POSB and has shared his experience most generously with us. We in DBS owe him a big thank you."

Mr Cheng is survived by his wife and two sons.