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Tan Kah Kee Foundation
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Tan Kah Kee Foundation

An overseas Chinese legend, Mr. Tan Kah Kee’s legacies have inspired many in Southeast Asia (SEA) and China. Mr. Tan was a Chinese-born Singaporean businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was an active community leader, and a prominent figure in the overseas Chinese community in the 20th century.

Tan Kah Kee Foundation

On 12th January, Mr. Oon Jin Teik, one of Mr. Tan’s fourth-generation descendants and formal council member of the Tan Kah Kee Foundation (TKKF), visited Li Foundation and was engaged in an interactive dialogue with the team.

Mr. Oon is a Singapore National breaststroke and freestyle swimmer who competed in three events at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He is the formal CEO of Sports Singapore and CEO & COO of the Singapore Sports Hub. Li Foundation believes that sports changes lives and has been actively participating in sports-related charity activities, which resonates strongly with Mr. Oon, who has been engaged in sports his whole life.

Mr. Oon shared the history and vision of TKKF. The Tan Kah Kee Scholarship Trust Fund was established in 1968 following the receipt of donations during a memorial service held in Singapore for Mr. Tan Kah Kee, who passed away in China in August 1961. The organization was restructured and renamed the Tan Kah Kee Foundation in 1982 when the foundation was granted Institution of Public Character (IPC) status by the government and was allowed to raise an endowment fund of S$8 million to foster education. Though the name has changed, the main objective remains — that is, to carry on the charity works and to foster the Tan Kah Kee spirit in entrepreneurship and dedication to education.

Tan Kah Kee Foundation

The two annual conference activities of TKKF are the awarding of the Tan Kah Kee Postgraduate Scholarship and the holding of the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award. Both awards aim to acknowledge and reward the achievements of young generations in Singapore who excel in creativity and innovation.

Mr. Tan earned the praise of ‘倾家兴学’, which means liquidating the family fortune for the sake of promoting education, setting an example for the future generation to follow. Apart from donating most of his assets and earnings to aid China, Mr. Tan also set up funds in SEA and contributed to establishing schools, including Xiamen University.

Mr. Tan is revered and respected by people in SEA and China. Singapore named a MRT station on the Downtown Line in his honor as the founder of Hwa Chong Institution. Mr. Tan’s selfless dedications and sacrifices to serve society throughout his life will always be a life lesson for everyone.

Tan Kah Kee Foundation
Tan Kah Kee Foundation

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