Lee Kong Chian

Lee Kong Chian (zh-cp|c=李光前|p=Lǐ Guāngqián), 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 50's and 60's, and also the son-in-law of philanthropist Tan Kah Kee.

Early life

Born in the village of Furong of Nan’an County in Fujian Province, he had his early education in privately-run schools in his hometown. In 1903, he came to Singapore at the age of 10, to join his father. 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. While 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 had 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.

Tan was impressed with Lee's grasp of the English Language, and at the same time he had a vision to expand his rubber business overseas. Thus in 1917, the young Lee Kong Chian was promoted as a manager of the Tan Kah Kee Rubber Company. The older man not only tutored the younger in business skills, but also gave his daughter Ai Lay's hand in marriage to him in 1920.

Career

Seven years later, Lee set up his own rubber smoking house in Muar, 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 later 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 Kong Chian also went into banking. He became general manager and vice-chairman of Huayi Bank, and when the three Chinese banks merged in 1933 to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), he was appointed vice-chairman of the corporation.

In 1934, he became the chairperson of The Chinese High School which post he held until 1957. During his tenture, the school attempted to close several times as well as several difficult obstacles and it maintained quality education. 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 donate 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 the 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, Saint Margaret's School, Methodist Girls' School, Singapore Chinese Girls' School, Tao Nan 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 then independent 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 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.

Later life

Lee Kong Chian'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 Kong Chian's legacy of philanthrophy 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.

Legacy

*Lee Kong Chian Reference Library
*Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre - Nanyang Technological University's largest lecture theatre.
*Lee Kong Chian School of Business of Singapore Management University
*Lee Kong Chian Wing, University Hall, National University of Singapore

References

*cite web | title = Feature Article: Dr Lee Kong Chian | work = Singapore Management University | url = http://www.smu.edu.sg/aboutsmu/smuhub/aug2004/microsite/FeatureArticle_02.html | accessdate = 24 May | accessyear = 2006