Rock Solid: The Corporate Career of Tan Chin Tuan

by Lee Su Yin

TAN CHIN TUAN began his career at the Chinese Commercial Bank Ltd in 1925, aged 17. When he attained the age of maturity, he was appointed Secretary of the bank; and on the eve of its merger with Ho Hong Bank Ltd and Oversea-Chinese Bank Ltd to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd in 1932, Tan had assumed the post of Assistant Manager of the Exchange Department.

In OCBC, Tan rapidly rose to become Manager of OCBC's Property Department and Manager of the bank's first subsidiary, Eastern Realty Company Ltd. Just as the Japanese forces were closing in on Singapore, Tan was made co-Managing Director of OCBC and was sent to Australia and India to protect the bank's assets. Concurrent with his rise in the banking world was his entry into public service, starting with his appointment as Municipal Commissioner in 1939. With the approach of war, he served on the Passive Defence Council and was the Divisional Commander of the Air Raid Precaution Unit.

When the war came to an end, Tan was given priority to return to Singapore to assist in reconstruction, serving as a member of the British Military Administration Advisory Council and the Governor's Advisory Council. Between 1948 and 1955, he sat on the Legislative Council and the Executive Council. In 1951, he was appointed Deputy President of the Legislative Council – the highest post open to an Asian in Singapore at the time. He also served on the Rendel Constitutional Commission.

In 1955, Tan withdrew from public office to devote more time to banking and business. As in public service, Tan scaled heights in his corporate career. Between the mid-1950s and mid- 1970s, he was appointed Chairman of ten blue chip Singapore companies – OCBC, Eastern Realty Company Ltd, Overseas Assurance Corporation Ltd, Raffles Hotel Ltd, Fraser and Neave Ltd, Malayan Breweries Ltd, Robinsons & Company Ltd, Straits Trading Company Ltd, Great Eastern Life Assurance Company Ltd, and Wearne Brothers Ltd. This business empire covered Singapore, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. Upon Tan's retirement from the companies, the last in 1992, he was made their Honorary Life President.

Throughout his career, Tan donated generously to various educational, health and welfare organisations and established the Tan Foundation in Singapore and the Tan Sri Tan Foundation in Malaysia.

This book details all these aspects of Tan Chin Tuan's corporate life and draws from exclusive interviews with Tan, his family and his numerous business associates, as well as his private papers. It is an insider's account that gives not only insight into the mind of Tan Chin Tuan, the corporate giant, but also into his heart.

Size: 140 x 210 mm
Extent: 252 pages + 24 pages plates
Binding: Casebound
Weight: 690 g
ISBN: 978-981-4189-03-0