| Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng, 1874-1961)
He spent his fortune not on himself or his family, but on education, for education, not business, was his abiding concern. He founded and financed several schools and other educational institutions in his native Jimei as well as in Singapore. In 1921 he set up Xiamen University where Lim Boon Keng was first Vice-chancellor, and maintained it for 16 years even during his financially difficult years, before the Chinese government took it over in 1937. Among the schools he founded in Singapore are Singapore Chinese High, Daonan, Aitong, Chongfu, Huachiao and Nanyang Girls’ High. Besides Chinese schools he also made contributions to Anglo-Chinese School and Raffles College. He was also active in campaigning for educational and social reforms in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Tan Kah Kee was held in high regard as community leader. He was twice chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and helped reorganize the Hokkien Huay Kuan (Hokkien clan association). In 1923 when he was general manager of the Ee Hoe Hean (Yihexuan) Club, the so-called Millionaires’ Club of Singapore, he launched the Chinese newspaper, Nanyang Siang Pau (Nanyang Shangbao). In the years of China’s struggle against the Japanese invasion he provided leadership in organizing the various Relief Funds. His role as community spokesman, however, ended after World War II when the Singapore Chinese community was split into the pro-Communist and pro-Kuomintang camps. Tan Kah Kee’s sympathies lay with the Communists when he saw the corruption of the Kuomintang at the time. He returned to China in 1950, where he held various posts under the Communist government. He died in Beijing in 1961, and was accorded a state funeral. Tan Kah Kee began writing his memoirs, Nanqiao huiyilu [The memoirs of an overseas Chinese of the South Seas], in 1943 while taking refuge in Java from the Japanese. From his memoirs one could see that he placed more importance on his involvement in education, social reform and politics than on his business undertakings, and the work is a most valuable source for the history of the Chinese community of that time. It was first published in Singapore in 1946 by Tan Kah Kee himself and has since gone through several reprints. Tan Kah Kee became an overseas Chinese hero and legend not merely because of his phenomenal success in business, but chiefly because of what he did for the community, in Singapore and in China. His success derived not only from his enormous energy and drive, his sharp and analytical mind, his shrewdness and courage to take risks, but also from his firm belief in giving to others. He was an example and inspiration to the younger talents he helped nurture. Among these were Lee Kong Chian and Tan Lark Sye. He is still an inspiration today. In 1986 the Nobel Laureate Prof C.N. Yang set up the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award, and in 1992 three Nobel Laureates, Prof C.N. Yang, Prof Samuel C.C. Ting and Prof Li Yuan Tseh together with Prof Chang-lin Tien, former Vice-chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, and Prof Wang Gungwu, former President of Hong Kong University initiated the Foundation of the Tan Kah Kee International Society whose aim is to promote education and culture for the advancement of mankind in accordance with the Tan Kah Kee spirit. References: Tan Kah Kee, The Memoirs of an Overseas Chinese of the South Seas (in Chinese). Taiyuan: Shanxi Guji chuban she,1996.
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