Singaporean national Peh Hock Peng, 45, yesterday hit the Changi Airport million-dollar jackpot in the ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ 2012 Grand Draw.

 

The latest and third Millionaire Draw was held last year from May to November 2012, culminating in the grand finale at Changi Airport yesterday where five finalists, including two from Singapore, two from China and one from Australia made it to the Grand Draw.

 

Hundreds of visitors and shoppers looked on in anticipation as the five finalists went head-to-head in a battle of luck to determine the winner, with Peh Hock Peng finally drawing the key to the winning door, triggering a dramatic shower of confetti and fanfare, declaring him the winner of the million dollars on the spot.

 

Responding to his win, he said: “I’ve never been so happy in my life. I never ever imagined that it would be me. There are so many entries, and what are the chances I’d be selected as a finalist? And earlier, on the stage, I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I can’t believe I did. This is so wonderful, just great!”

 

A frequent traveller, Peh Hock Peng has flown through Changi Airport about 20 times in the past year, mostly for work. In August 2012, before catching his flight to Chennai for business, he bought over S$200 ($163) worth of cosmetics for his wife at the Perfumes and Cosmetics store at Terminal 2’s Departure Transit Mall. It was this purchase that turned out to be the winning ticket to his million-dollar windfall.

 

Commenting, Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of CAG said: “In managing the airport, one of CAG’s core priorities is to grow Changi Airport’s retail business and our revenue from non- aeronautical operations – all for the ultimate objective of growing the air hub. Healthy business in our retail stores and F&B outlets is important to ensure our continued ability to keep aeronautical charges for airlines and airport users competitive.

 

 

‘RETHINKING THE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE…’

“Exceeding our airport users’ expectations of a compelling retail offer and an exciting shopping experience is also integral to our efforts to strengthen Changi’s attractiveness as an air hub. It is in this spirit that we develop dynamic and engaging campaigns to enhance the shopping experience and spur the growth of our retail business.

 

“’Be a Changi Millionaire’, is one such example of our continuing efforts to rethink the travel experience, and one which we are heartened to note, has been well-received by both our concession partners and shoppers alike.”

 

The ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ Draw is the most popular retail promotion ever held at Changi Airport. For ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ 2012, CAG received an overwhelming response of 2.1m lucky draw entries over the six-month promotion period, 2.5 times its inaugural run in 2010, which had registered 830,000 entries. The top three nationality groups which participated in the 2012 Draw were Singaporeans, Chinese nationals and Indonesians.

 

As a result of the positive response from shoppers and passengers, CAG has confirmed that it will be organising the fourth ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ Draw later this year.

 

[Top image: Mr Peh and his family receive the S$1m ($812,882) cheque from Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group. Above: An ecstatic Mr Peh].