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Lee Kong Chian

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In thisChinese name,thefamily nameisLee (Li).
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato'
Lee Kong Chian
PMNSPMJSJMK
Lý quang tiền
Born(1893-10-18)18 October 1893
Nan'an,Fujian,Qing Empire
Died2 June 1967(1967-06-02)(aged 73)
Singapore
Other namesLee Geok Kun
Known forPhilanthropic work
SpouseTan Ai Leh
Children6 (includingLee Seng TeeandLee Seng Wee)
ParentLee Kuo Chuan (father)
RelativesTan Kah Kee(father-in-law)
Lee Kong Chian
ChineseLý quang tiền
HokkienPOJLí Kong-chiân
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Guāngqián
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLei5Gwong1-cin4
Southern Min
HokkienPOJLí Kong-chiân
Tâi-lôLí Kong-tsiân
Lee Geok Kun
ChineseLý ngọc côn
HokkienPOJLí Gio̍k-kun
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Yùkūn
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLei5Juk6-gwan1
Southern Min
HokkienPOJLí Gio̍k-kun

Tan Sri Dato'Lee Kong ChianPMNSPMJSJMK(Chinese:Lý quang tiền;pinyin:Lǐ Guāngqián;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Lí Kong-chiân;18 October 1893 – 2 June 1967), also known by his aliasLee Geok Kun(Chinese:Lý ngọc côn;pinyin:Lǐ Yùkūn;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Lí Gio̍k-kun), was a prominent Chinese Singaporean businessman and philanthropist based inMalayaandSingaporebetween the 1930s and the 1960s. He was the founder of theLee Foundationand one of the richest men inSoutheast Asiain the 1950s and 1960s. He was also a son-in-law ofTan Kah Kee,another well-known Chinese businessman and philanthropist based in Southeast Asia. He is affectionately known today as the "founding father" ofOversea-Chinese Banking Corporation.[1]

Early life and career

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Lee was born in Furong Village inNan'an,Fujian,towards the end of theQing dynasty.His father was Lee Kuo Chuan (simplified Chinese:Lý quốc chuyên;traditional Chinese:Lý quốc chuyên;pinyin:Lǐ Guózhuān;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Lí Kok-choan).

Lee received his early education in private schools in his hometown. In 1903, at the age of 10, he came to Singapore, then a British colony, to join his father. He studied at the defunct Anglo-Tamil School, andChung Cheng High School.

Lee returned to the Qing dynasty in 1909 to complete his education under a scholarship, but had to end it in 1911 when theXinhai Revolutionbroke out. In China, Lee studied at Chi Nan College inNanjingand later the Railway and Mining College inTangshan,which was one of the top colleges in China at that time, and a forerunner of the present-daySouthwest Jiaotong UniversityandNorth China University of Science and Technology.[2]

Upon returning to Singapore, Lee worked as a teacher atTao Nan Schooland as a translator at a Chinese-language newspaper company. He also worked as an assistant field surveyor with the Public Works Department.[3]In 1915, Lee joined the China Guohua Company owned byTan Kah Kee,and became Tan'sprotégé.He was promoted to the manager of the Tan Kah Kee Rubber Company in 1917. Three years later, he married Tan's daughter, Tan Ai Leh (simplified Chinese:Trần ái lễ;traditional Chinese:Trần ái lễ;pinyin:Chén Àilǐ;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Tân Ài-lé).

Business career

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Seven years later, Lee set up his own rubber smoking house inMuar,Johor,Malaya, which became the Nam Aik Rubber Company in 1928.[4]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 multimillion-dollar business which he started in 1931. His brother George Lee joined him at the company.[5]Besides establishing himself as a rubber tycoon, Lee diversified his business interests to include sawmills and the trading of pineapple, coconut oil, biscuits and raw material. He also set up Lee Pineapple, Lee Produce, Lee Sawmills, Lee Printing and Lee Biscuits.[6]

Lee also went into banking. He was vice-chairman ofChinese Commercial Bank(CCB) and played a central role in facilitating the merger of the Oversea-Chinese Bank, theHo Hong Bankand the CCB to form theOversea-Chinese Banking Corporation(OCBC) in 1932, becoming the largest bank in Singapore. Lee served OCBC as vice-chairman from 1932, and assumed chairmanship of OCBC in 1938, holding this post until his death in 1967.[1][6]

Philanthropy

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Like Tan Kah Kee, Lee poured his wealth into education and other philanthropic efforts.[7]He set up theLee Foundationin Singapore and Malaya in 1952 and 1960 respectively. In 1965, the Lee Foundation Limited was established in Hong Kong.

Lee also spearheaded free public library services for Singapore when he donated S$375,000 through the Lee Foundation to allow the Singapore Government to build theOld National Librarybuilding atStamford Road.The old building was eventually demolished and replaced by a much largernew building,a project that also received substantial financial backing from the foundation. The reference library that occupies the 7th to 13th floors of the new building was named in his honour.[8]

Education

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Lee had a particular interest in the field of education and various institutions have been beneficiaries of donations from him or the Lee Foundation, includingSingapore Management University,National University of Singapore,Anglo-Chinese School,St. Margaret's Secondary School,Methodist Girls' School,Singapore Chinese Girls' School,Tao Nan SchoolandAnglican High School.After his death, the foundation continued this legacy and expanded into funding scholarships and bursaries offered by both educational institutions and government agencies.

In 1934, Lee became the chairman of the Board of Directors ofThe Chinese High School(nowHwa Chong Institution), a post he held until 1957. In 1939, Lee founded Guozhuan Primary School in his hometown, Furong Village. In 1941, Lee donated his properties in River Valley, Singapore for the establishment of Nan Chiau Teachers' Training College (nowNan Chiau High School). He gave lectures inColumbia Universityduring theSecond World Warwhile he was stranded in the United States. Lee became the vice-chancellor of the University of Singapore (now theNational University of Singapore) and donated S$1 million for the development of a medical college on the college's grounds.

Later life

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Statue of Lee Kong Chian in front of Kong Chian Administration Centre,Hwa Chong Institution.

Lee's work and generous contributions to education and society were recognised. He was conferred an honoraryDoctor of Lawsby theUniversity of Malayain 1958. In 1964, Malaysia'sYang di-Pertuan Agong(head of state),Putra of Perlis,awarded Lee the titlePanglima Mangku Negara(PMN), hence Lee was known by the honorificTan Sri.Prior to that, Lee had been madeDato'by the Sultans ofJohorandKelantanin 1957 and 1959 respectively. In 1965, Lee was conferred another honorary degree,Doctor of Letters,by the University of Singapore.[9]

Legacy

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Lee died in 1967 and is survived by three sons and three daughters.[10]

Places named after Lee Kong Chian

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Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre, Nanyang Technological University

Places named after Lee Kong Chian's father

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There are also some places named after Lee's father, Lee Kuo Chuan, including:

  • Kuo Chuan Avenue, a road in Singapore'sMarine Paradedistrict
  • Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School
  • Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School
  • Heritage Centre,Hwa Chong Institution(High School Section), previously known as Kuo Chuan Art Centre
  • Lee Kuo Chuan Stadium, Anglican High School
  • Lee Kuo Chuan Hall, Church of the Ascension Singapore
  • SRJK (C) Kuo Kuang ( quốc quang quốc dân hình hoa văn tiểu học ) No. 1 and SRJK (C) Kuo Kuang No. 2 - Two Chinese medium primary school in Skudai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, named after the combination of middle names of Lee 'Kuo' Chuan and Lee 'Kong' (Kuang) Chian.

Honours

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Honours of Malaysia

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References

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  1. ^ab"OCBC - About Us - Group Business - Milestones".www.ocbc.com.Archivedfrom the original on 17 January 2024.Retrieved21 July2023.
  2. ^"GOING ON TRIP ROUND THE WORLD".The Straits Times.11 August 1935.Archivedfrom the original on 1 May 2021.Retrieved3 September2017.
  3. ^"LEE KONG CHUN TO BE NEW VARSITY'S FIRST CHANCELLOR".Archivedfrom the original on 1 May 2021.Retrieved3 September2017.
  4. ^Suryadinata, Leo (2012).Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II.Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 537.ISBN9789814345217.Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2024.Retrieved3 September2017.
  5. ^"Publisher George Lee dies, aged 69".The Straits Times.12 October 1965.Archivedfrom the original on 3 September 2017.Retrieved3 September2017.
  6. ^ab"Lee Kong Chian".National Library Board- Singapore Infopedia.Archivedfrom the original on 17 January 2024.Retrieved30 January2019.
  7. ^"Giving to the School".Lee Kong Chian School of Business.Archivedfrom the original on 10 January 2015.Retrieved8 January2015.
  8. ^"Lee Kong Chian Reference Library".National Library Board.
  9. ^Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman."Lee Kong Chian".Singapore Infopedia.Singapore National Library Board.Retrieved8 January2015.
  10. ^"Lee Kong Chian dies at 75".The Straits Times.3 June 1967.Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2022.Retrieved3 September2017.
  11. ^"Lee Kong Chian - School of Medicine".Archivedfrom the original on 12 July 2018.Retrieved12 December2019.
  12. ^"Lee Kong Chian School of Business".Archivedfrom the original on 9 January 2015.Retrieved8 January2015.
  13. ^"Thành yêu xuất tịch canh tử niên giáo hữu hồi giáo tân xuân đoàn bái"(in Chinese).Archivedfrom the original on 24 June 2021.Retrieved23 June2021.
  14. ^"SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT".Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia).Archivedfrom the original on 29 September 2018.Retrieved20 January2021.
  15. ^"About Lee Kong Chian – Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering & Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman".lkcfes.utar.edu.my.Archivedfrom the original on 27 February 2021.Retrieved20 January2021.
  16. ^"90 RECEIVE SULTAN'S C-DAY AWARDS".eresources.nlb.gov.sg.Singapore:The Straits Times.12 February 1960.OCLC556448185.Archivedfrom the original on 6 February 2021.Retrieved1 February2021.
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