The leaders of the Hokkien community in Singapore have had a long history of involvement in local charitable activities. Among them, the contributions of Tan Tock Seng (1798–1850) and his family, as well as Tan Kim Seng (1805–1864) have been particularly significant.

Chinese Pauper Hospital

Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the second-largest acute care general hospital in Singapore today, was founded in 1844 by wealthy businessman Tan Tock Seng, the hospital’s sole proprietor.[1]

In the early 19th century, medical facilities in Singapore were not yet well-developed, and diseases plagued the impoverished population. According to a report in The Straits Times on 23 September 1845, there were 36,000 Chinese in Singapore at that time, and one-third of them lived in poverty. About 6,000 people went hungry every year, and over 100 died of starvation or illnesses on the streets.

Between 1843 and 1850, Tan Tock Seng, as a leader of the Hokkien community, provided 1,032 coffins at the cost of 1,073.03 Spanish dollars for those who had starved to death on the streets and had not had a proper burial. It was against this backdrop that Tan Tock Seng Hospital was established in Pearl Hill, beginning first as the Chinese Pauper Hospital. Tan Tock Seng took the lead in donating 7,000 Spanish dollars for its construction in 1844.

Inscription of the origins of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 1845. Photograph taken in 2012. Courtesy of Hue Guan Thye.
This inscription of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital was done in 1845, which records the contributions of Tan Tock Seng and Tan Kim Ching. Photograph taken in 2012. Courtesy of Hue Guan Thye.

The hospital then relocated to Serangoon Road (now the site of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital) in 1861, before moving on 21 April 1909 to its present location near Moulmein Road. In 2001, John Tan Jiew Hoe, the son of Robert Tan Hoon Siang (1909–1991) and fifth-generation descendant of Tan Tock Seng, donated S$100,000 to establish the Tan Tock Seng Hospital Heritage Museum in the hospital to showcase its history. Today, the hospital is a major general hospital. From poor and sick beggars in the 19th century, to present-day patients infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or other infectious diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital has long served groups that have been discriminated by society.

Born in Malacca, Tan Tock Seng had ancestral roots in Zhangzhou, Fujian. He was already financially stable when he came to Singapore in his early years. By the 1840s, he had become a major import and export merchant with commercial ships under his name, and business networks across Southeast Asia, Europe, India, and China.

His eldest son, Tan Kim Ching (1829–1892), expanded the scope of his father’s business — notably introducing Thai rice to the local market and reselling it abroad. He wielded significant social and political influence, and also inherited his father’s philanthropic spirit. He continued to provide money to renovate the pauper hospital, donating 3,000 Strait dollars for new medical equipment and wards. Following in his father’s footsteps, he became a prominent leader in the overseas Chinese community, and was invited to participate in the Legislative Council and the Municipal Commission to assist the British colonial government in planning and managing the development of Singapore.

Improvements to water supply

In the early days of modern Singapore, people relied on wells for their daily water consumption, and water shortages were common. In November 1845, Tan Tock Seng proposed to the colonial government to build two water tanks for the convenience of the public. On 19 March 1846, the Singapore Free Press reported that he had made a joint donation with James Stephens (birth and death years unknown), a European merchant, to set up two water tanks at the Assembly Rooms (now Old Hill Street Police Station).

Ten years later, in 1857, Tan Kim Seng donated 13,000 Straits dollars to the government to develop Singapore’s first reservoir and public waterworks. Tan, a trader and property owner, was another eminent leader of the overseas Chinese community. He came from Malacca, had ancestral roots in Yongchun, Fujian. As a result of Tan Kim Seng’s donation, the people of Singapore enjoyed convenient access to clean water. To recognise his generous contribution, the government built the Tan Kim Seng Fountain in Fullerton Square in 1882. The fountain, which was later moved to Queen Elizabeth Walk, still stands at what is now the Esplanade Park today, bearing witness to the city’s development.

Tan Kim Seng Fountain, 1928–1940. Lee Brothers Studio Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Chinese schools

Tan Kim Seng was also passionate about education. He founded two important Hokkien free schools in Singapore, namely Chong Wen Ge (1849–) and Chui Eng Free School (Chui Eng Si E, 1854–1954).

Rising to prominence after him was businessman Tan Kah Kee (1874–1961), who was equally dedicated to education and charity work. The early Tao Nan School (1906–present), Ai Tong School (1912–present), and Chong Fook Girls’ School (now Chongfu School, 1915–present) were all testaments to his commitment to education. Furthermore, he personally led five disaster relief efforts, including raising funds for the 1961 Bukit Ho Swee fire in Singapore, and for flood relief in Tianjin, China as well as the Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

All in all, the philanthropic endeavours of these pioneers of the Hokkien community have been an indispensable part of Singapore’s development.