Lee Kong Chian
Encyclopedia
Lee Kong Chian was a prominent businessman and philanthropist
and the founder of The Lee Foundation
in Singapore. He was one of Southeast Asia
's richest men in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the son-in-law of philanthropist Tan Kah Kee
.
in Fujian
province. He received his early education in privately-run schools in his hometown. In 1903, he came to Singapore to join his father at the age of 10. Lee studied at two defunct schools, namely the Anglo-Indian School and Chongzheng School.
He returned to China
in 1909 to complete his education under a scholarship, but it had to end with emergence of the 1911 Xinhai Revolution
. In China, Lee studied at Chi Nan College in Nanjing
and later the Railway and Mining College in Tangshan
which was then one of the top colleges in China.
Returning to Singapore, he worked as a teacher at Tao Nan School
and as a translator at a Chinese
newspaper. He joined the China Guohua Company, owned by Tan Kah Kee in 1915, and became Tan's protege.
In 1917, Lee was promoted to manager of the Tan Kah Kee Rubber Company. Lee married Tan's daughter Tan Ai Leh in 1920.
, which became the Nam Aik Rubber Company in 1928. His enterprises of rubber planting and manufacture, pineapple planting and canning soon expanded to other parts of Southeast Asia
, including Singapore
-Malaya
, North Borneo
, Indonesia
and Thailand
. He was known as Southeast Asia's Rubber and Pineapple King. He became one of the richest men in the region, with the Lee Rubber Company becoming a multi-million dollar business which he started in 1931.
Lee also went into banking. He became general manager and vice-chairman of Huayi Bank. He was appointed vice-chairman of the corporation when the three Chinese banks merged to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
(OCBC) in 1933.
In 1934, Lee became the chairperson of The Chinese High School, a post he held until 1957. In 1939, Lee founded a school in his homeland known as Guozhuan Primary School in his hometown of Furong and in 1943, he set up the Guoguang Primary School. Lee also donated his rubber factory to become a Chinese school in Kuala Lumpur
which later named as SJK(C) Lee Rubber in Jalan Gombak. He gave lectures in Columbia University
during World War II
while stranded in the United States
. Lee became Vice-Chancellor of the then University of Singapore and donated S$
1 million for the development of a medical college on the college's grounds. Other institutions received financial support from the Lee Foundation
, including the National University of Singapore
, Anglo-Chinese School
, St. Margaret's Secondary School
, Methodist Girls' School
, Singapore Chinese Girls' School
, Tao Nan School
, Anglican High School
and The Chinese High School. The Lee Kong Chian School of Business of the Singapore Management University
was named in his honor.
Like Tan Kah Kee, he poured his wealth into education and other philanthropic work. He set up the Lee Foundation in Singapore in 1952 and in the Malaya
in 1960. In 1965, the Lee Foundation Limited was established in Hong Kong
. Lee spearheaded free public library services for the nation when he donated $375,000 through the Lee Foundation to allow the government
to build the Old National Library
building at Stamford Road
.
When charity depended on the rise and fall of fortunes, the Lee Foundation was set up in Singapore in 1952 and in Malaya in 1960. In 1965 the Lee Foundation Ltd. was established in Hong Kong. Between 1952 and 1993 the Foundation donated sums amounting to $300 million to various causes, regardless of race, language, religion, nationality, geographical location, and with no conditions attached.
Lee's work and generous contributions to education and society were recognised, and duly conferred with an honorary degree in law
by the University of Malaya
in 1958, the title PMN (Panglima Mangku Negara) by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
of Malaysia in 1964. Before that he had been made Dato' by the Sultans of Johore and Kelantan
. He became the chairman of OCBC Bank in 1965 and remained in that position until his death in 1967 at age of 74.
Lee's legacy of philanthropy continues to live in his family, survived by three sons Lee Seng Gee (Chairman of Lee Foundation), Lee Seng Tee
, Lee Seng Wee
(director of OCBC) and three daughters Siok Kheng, Siok Tin and Siok Chee.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and the founder of The Lee Foundation
Lee Foundation
Lee Foundation is a charitable foundation in Singapore created to aid "the advancement of education, medicine and cultural activities; helping the poor; and assisting victims of fire, flood and famine", It also funded other philanthropic work...
in Singapore. He was one of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
's richest men in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the son-in-law of philanthropist Tan Kah Kee
Tan Kah Kee
Tan Kah Kee was a prominent businessman, community leader, and philanthropist in colonial Singapore, and a Communist leader in the People's Republic of China.- Early years :...
.
Early life
Lee was born in the village of Furong of Nan'an CityNan'an, Fujian
Nan'an is a county-level city within the Quanzhou prefecture level city, Fujian province, China. As of 2010 the city has a population of 1,500,000. More than 3,000,000 overseas Chinese trace their ancestry to Nan'an. -History:...
in Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province. He received his early education in privately-run schools in his hometown. In 1903, he came to Singapore to join his father at the age of 10. Lee studied at two defunct schools, namely the Anglo-Indian School and Chongzheng School.
He returned to China
History of the Republic of China
The History of the Republic of China begins after the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the formation of the Republic of China put an end to over two thousand years of Imperial rule. The Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, ruled from 1644 to 1912...
in 1909 to complete his education under a scholarship, but it had to end with emergence of the 1911 Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
. In China, Lee studied at Chi Nan College in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
and later the Railway and Mining College in Tangshan
Tangshan
"唐山"redirects here. For an alternative name of China, see Names of China#TangTangshan is a largely industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has become known for the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and killed at least...
which was then one of the top colleges in China.
Returning to Singapore, he worked as a teacher at Tao Nan School
Tao Nan School
Tao Nan School , is a co-educational primary school in Singapore. One of the five Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan schools, along with Ai Tong School, Chongfu Primary School, Kong Hwa School and Nan Chiau Secondary School, Tao Nan School is among the 30 most popular primary schools listed by the...
and as a translator at a Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
newspaper. He joined the China Guohua Company, owned by Tan Kah Kee in 1915, and became Tan's protege.
In 1917, Lee was promoted to manager of the Tan Kah Kee Rubber Company. Lee married Tan's daughter Tan Ai Leh in 1920.
Career
Seven years later, Lee set up his own rubber smoking house in MuarMuar (district)
Muar District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The name "Muar" is also used for the name of its district, which formerly sub-divided between the Town of Muar and the sub-district of Tangkak. Tangkak sub-district has been upgraded into a full district known as Ledang District in year...
, which became the Nam Aik Rubber Company in 1928. His enterprises of rubber planting and manufacture, pineapple planting and canning soon expanded to other parts of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, including Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
-Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, North Borneo
North Borneo
North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He was known as Southeast Asia's Rubber and Pineapple King. He became one of the richest men in the region, with the Lee Rubber Company becoming a multi-million dollar business which he started in 1931.
Lee also went into banking. He became general manager and vice-chairman of Huayi Bank. He was appointed vice-chairman of the corporation when the three Chinese banks merged to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
The Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited , abbreviated as OCBC Bank , is a publicly listed financial services organisation with its head office in Singapore. OCBC Bank is one of Singapore's leading local banks, with group assets of more than 224 billion SGD. It has one of the highest bank...
(OCBC) in 1933.
In 1934, Lee became the chairperson of The Chinese High School, a post he held until 1957. In 1939, Lee founded a school in his homeland known as Guozhuan Primary School in his hometown of Furong and in 1943, he set up the Guoguang Primary School. Lee also donated his rubber factory to become a Chinese school in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
which later named as SJK(C) Lee Rubber in Jalan Gombak. He gave lectures in Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
while stranded in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Lee became Vice-Chancellor of the then University of Singapore and donated S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
1 million for the development of a medical college on the college's grounds. Other institutions received financial support from the Lee Foundation
Lee Foundation
Lee Foundation is a charitable foundation in Singapore created to aid "the advancement of education, medicine and cultural activities; helping the poor; and assisting victims of fire, flood and famine", It also funded other philanthropic work...
, including the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, Anglo-Chinese School
Anglo-Chinese School
The Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
, St. Margaret's Secondary School
St. Margaret's Secondary School
St. Margaret’s Secondary School is an autonomous government-aided girls’ secondary school in Singapore. It is the first girls’ school in Singapore and is often regarded as the oldest existing girls’ school in the Far East. It is affiliated with St...
, Methodist Girls' School
Methodist Girls' School
Methodist Girls' School is a girls' independent school, consisting of two sections - the Primary School and Secondary School, located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It is affiliated to the Anglo-Chinese School family and the Methodist Church in Singapore...
, Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Singapore Chinese Girls' School is one of the oldest schools in Singapore having been founded in 1899. It is a full school with both primary and secondary divisions, taking in students between the ages of 6 and 16...
, Tao Nan School
Tao Nan School
Tao Nan School , is a co-educational primary school in Singapore. One of the five Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan schools, along with Ai Tong School, Chongfu Primary School, Kong Hwa School and Nan Chiau Secondary School, Tao Nan School is among the 30 most popular primary schools listed by the...
, Anglican High School
Anglican High School
Anglican High School is an autonomous, Special Assistance Plan and Government-aided co-educational secondary school in Tanah Merah, Singapore.- History :...
and The Chinese High School. The Lee Kong Chian School of Business of the Singapore Management University
Singapore Management University
The Singapore Management University was officially incorporated on January 12, 2000, and was Singapore's first private university funded by the government...
was named in his honor.
Like Tan Kah Kee, he poured his wealth into education and other philanthropic work. He set up the Lee Foundation in Singapore in 1952 and in the Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
in 1960. In 1965, the Lee Foundation Limited was established in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Lee spearheaded free public library services for the nation when he donated $375,000 through the Lee Foundation to allow the government
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
to build the Old National Library
National Library, Singapore
The National Library in Singapore is located on an 11,304-square metre site between Bugis Junction and the Bras Basah Complex at 100, Victoria Street...
building at Stamford Road
Stamford Road
Stamford Road is a one-way road in Singapore within the planning areas of Downtown Core and Museum. The road continues after the traffic light junction of Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Drive and Raffles Avenue towards Orchard Road. It then ends at the junction of Fort Canning Road, Bencoolen Street...
.
When charity depended on the rise and fall of fortunes, the Lee Foundation was set up in Singapore in 1952 and in Malaya in 1960. In 1965 the Lee Foundation Ltd. was established in Hong Kong. Between 1952 and 1993 the Foundation donated sums amounting to $300 million to various causes, regardless of race, language, religion, nationality, geographical location, and with no conditions attached.
Later life
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
by the University of Malaya
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya is located on a campus near the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and is the oldest university in Malaysia. It was founded in 1905 as a public-funded tertiary institution...
in 1958, the title PMN (Panglima Mangku Negara) by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
of Malaysia in 1964. Before that he had been made Dato' by the Sultans of Johore and Kelantan
Kelantan
Kelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
. He became the chairman of OCBC Bank in 1965 and remained in that position until his death in 1967 at age of 74.
Lee's legacy of philanthropy continues to live in his family, survived by three sons Lee Seng Gee (Chairman of Lee Foundation), Lee Seng Tee
Lee Seng Tee
Dr Lee Seng Tee FBA is a businessman and philanthropist from Singapore.Born in Singapore in 1923, Lee is the second son of Lee Kong Chian and grandson of Tan Kah Kee. He is a Director of the family's Lee Group of Companies, a Singapore-based conglomerate of firms in industries that include rubber,...
, Lee Seng Wee
Lee Seng Wee
Lee Seng Wee is a billionaire from Singapore, having a net worth of US$1.9 billion in 2004. He is the son of Lee Kong Chian. He studied at the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario, where he received a Master's degree...
(director of OCBC) and three daughters Siok Kheng, Siok Tin and Siok Chee.
Legacy
- Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, National Library, SingaporeNational Library, SingaporeThe National Library in Singapore is located on an 11,304-square metre site between Bugis Junction and the Bras Basah Complex at 100, Victoria Street...
- Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre - Nanyang Technological UniversityNanyang Technological UniversityNanyang Technological University is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore with the biggest campus in Singapore and the world's largest engineering college. Its lush 200-hectare Yunnan Garden campus was the Youth Olympic Village of the world's first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in...
's largest lecture theatre. - Lee Kong Chian School of BusinessLee Kong Chian School of BusinessThe Lee Kong Chian School of Business is Singapore Management University's business school. Started in 2000, the school was the first to be established under the Singapore Management University's charter. It is a research-driven school, with a blend of education that focuses on academic research...
of Singapore Management UniversitySingapore Management UniversityThe Singapore Management University was officially incorporated on January 12, 2000, and was Singapore's first private university funded by the government... - Lee Kong Chian Wing, University Hall, National University of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeThe National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
- Kong Chian Administration Centre, Hwa Chong InstitutionHwa Chong InstitutionHwa Chong Institution is an independent school in Singapore for students aged 12 to 18 covering both secondary and pre-university levels. A Ministry of Education-designated FutureSchool, it operates under the Special Assistance Plan for bilingualism, and offers the Integrated Programme and also...