Introduction

Mr Tan Kah Kee was a great man, full of kindness. We all know his name, but do we know about him as a person? This blog has been created to provide information about Mr Tankk, useful for those that study in schools built by Mr Tankk, and many more who just want to know more.

Biography

Tan Kah Kee was born in Jimei, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, and went to Singapore in 1890, when he was 16 years old, to work for his father's rice store.

After his father's business collapsed in 1903, Tan started his own business and built an empire from rubber plantations and manufacturing, sawmills, canneries, real estate, import and export brokerage, ocean transport to rice trading. His business was at its prime from 1912-1914, where he was known as "Henry Ford of Malaya".

By the 1920s, he thus came to preside over a huge business empire which extended into most East and Southeast Asian cities, employed over 10,000 persons. It spanned areas as diverse as rubber plantation and manufacturing, shipping, import and export brokerage, real estate and rice trading.

Monument?

A great monument for Mr Tan Kah Kee would be simply a heart. It can be placed beside the Merlion at Sentosa, although it need not be as big as the merlion statue.

This simple idea is originated from a simple concept---- what Mr Tan Kah Kee stood up for and his characteristics. The heart would symbolize Mr Tan Kah Kee's kindness, and all the sacrifices he made for others. It would also represent the good moral values and virtues My Tan stood up for when he was in the Hokkien Community.

Putting the monument beside the Merlion statue would help people to remember what the great Mr Tan did for our country, and maybe a board containing brief information of Mr Tan can be put beside the monument, to let tourist know about Mr Tan.

Reflection

Through this activity, i myself have learned more about Mr Tan Kah Kee, the founder of my school, HCI. I find this activity very meaningful and useful. After reading up about Mr Tan Kah Kee, i am truly greatly for all the things he had done for us, even sacrificing his welfare for us Singaporeans. Thus i feel that a truly great man deserves an even greater monument to remember him by.

Contributions

His business success put him in the forefront of the leadership of the Hokkien community from which he originated. He held advanced views about social reform and criticised several outmoded practices then prevalent, such as gambling, opium-smoking and ritual extravagance.

By doing this, he helped promote good values and morals in Singapore, just like Mr Lim Boon Keng, who tried to stop opium smoking from destroying the lives of the chinese.



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.

Mr Tan Kah Kee greatly helped the education system as now more children could go to school. When more children are educated, they may grow up to work as professional skilled workers, which would greatly help boosts Singapore's revenue.

Bibliography

http://www.huayinet.org/biography/biography_tankahkee.htm

http://www.tkk.wspc.com.sg/tkk/biography/bio_eng.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Kah_Kee