Lien Ying Chow
Lien Ying Chow | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Dabu, Guangdong, China |
| Died | August 6, 2004 (aged 98) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, banker, diplomat |
| Known for | Co-founder of Overseas Chinese Union Bank (Overseas Union Bank) |
| Notable work | Founder of Wah Hin and Company; founder of Lien Foundation; Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia |
George Lien Ying Chow (2 August 1906 – 6 August 2004) was a prominent Singaporean entrepreneur and one of the founders of Overseas Chinese Union Bank—later known as Overseas Union Bank—which eventually merged with United Overseas Bank in 2001.
Early life
Born on 2 August 1906 in Dabu, Guangdong, China, Lien became an orphan at the age of ten. At approximately fourteen years old, he relocated to Singapore with very modest financial means. After spending eight years in Singapore, he utilized his savings to establish Wah Hin and Company, a trading enterprise, in 1928.
Career
Lien assumed the presidency of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1941. Prior to the Japanese occupation of Singapore, he escaped to Australia due to his role as a supplier of food and beverages to the British Army. He was also the proprietor of Singapore's Mandarin Hotel and served as Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia during the 1960s. As a co-founder of Nanyang University, Lien played a significant role in education and finance by founding Overseas Union Bank, which merged with United Overseas Bank in 2001. In 1980, he established the Lien Foundation and was honored with the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1981. Additionally, in 1972, he was appointed as the inaugural chairman of the Preservation of Monuments Board under the Ministry of National Development.
Personal life
Lien maintained close relationships with notable figures such as Tunku Abdul Rahman, then-Prime Minister of Malaysia, and held connections with members of the Thai royal family and government officials. He was married four times: his first wife, Wee Siew Kim, passed away; subsequent marriages to Mok Mei Lan and Kay Leong ended in divorce; in 1964, he wed Margaret Chan Wen Hsien. He fathered eight children—seven with Wee Siew Kim and one with Mok Mei Lan.
Death
Passing away on 6 August 2004 at age 98 due to pneumonia, Lien was acknowledged by the Los Angeles Times as a "self-made Singapore banking tycoon." Ming San Tee described him as a distinguished business figure whose reputation extended into many households.
Awards and decorations
- Meritorious Service Medal, awarded in 1964
- Third Class of the Order of the Crown of Thailand, received in 1965
Legacy
- In February 2016, Men With A Mission, an SG50 documentary broadcast by Singapore's Mediacorp, featured Lien Ying Chow among five key contributors to Singapore’s progress.
- Both Lien Ying Chow Drive at Nanyang Technological University and Lien Ying Chow Library at Ngee Ann Polytechnic are named to honor his contributions.