Lee Choon Seng

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Lee Choon Seng 李俊承

Portrait circa 1936
Born 1888
Yong Choon, Fujian, China.
Died June 5, 1966 (aged 78)
Singapore.
Occupation Chinese community leader, Buddhist pioneer, philanthropist.
Spouse Ng Tze Hui
Children 3

Lee Choon Seng (simplified Chinese: 李俊承; pinyin: Lǐ Jūnchéng; 1888—1966) was a Chinese community leader and philanthropist during the pre-independence era of Singapore. He was known for his various initiatives in helping the Chinese community and Sun Yat-Sen's revolutionary cause in China. He was one of the early Buddhist pioneers responsible in promoting the growth of Buddhism in Singapore for setting up or supporting various Buddhist institutions such as the Singapore Buddhist Federation, Singapore Buddhist Lodge and Poh Ern Shih Temple.

Contents

[edit] Life

Portrait of Lee's father, Lee Lip Chai, circa early 1900s.
Portrait of Lee's father, Lee Lip Chai, circa early 1900s.

Lee was born in 1888 in Yong Choon (永春) county, Fujian province of China. His siblings consisted of an elder stepbrother and a younger sister. His father, Lee Lip Chai (1854—1914) was born in the county of Yong Choon too during the reign of Emperor Daoguang. Lee senior was orphaned at an early age and was brought up by relatives who were poor. As a result, he did not have much education and sufficient funds to marry until he was 32. His wife, Madam Ng Tze Hui later bore him 2 sons.[1]

In order to seek better fortunes, Lee Lip Chai emigrated to South East Asia and managed to find employment in Negri Sembilan, Malaysia. With his hard-earned savings, Lee Lip Chai started a horse-driven transport service to ferry passengers and goods and a provision shop later. With his increasing wealth, Lee Lip Cha initiated a series of charitable acts both in his hometown and overseas such as the setting up of a clan association, schools, construction and repairing of bridges and roads et cetera. As such, he was later bestowed the honorific title Respectable Sir of Tao Yuan by his community.[2]

During his formative years, Lee witnessed and participated in many of his father's charitable projects for their community that would subsequently ingrained deeply on the mind of the younger Lee.[3] In his youth, Lee joined his father in Negri Sembilan in helping to run their family business. Eventually he was sent to Singapore to set up another branch called Thye Hin Limited. He had a natural acumen for business and so started up a biscuit factory called Thye Hong Biscuit, as well as a property firm, Thye Ann Investment. He became successful in various business endeavours and was highly regarded as a Chinese community leader in Singapore till his demise on 5 June 1966.[1]

[edit] Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation

In later years, Lee turned his sights to banking when he and his business associates found out that many newly arrived Chinese businessmen had difficulties in obtaining loans from the established Western banks because they demanded a “collateral security”, which most of them did not qualify due to insufficient assets locally. So Lee and his associates started together a few local Chinese banks, one of which was Ho Hong Bank which bankrolled their customers based on mutual trust and kinship.[4]

Lee became the Managing Director of Ho Hong Bank in 1931 when it ran into difficulties and underwent a management change. He held the position until Ho Hong Bank merged with two other banks to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC). He then became a director in the First Board of Directors of OCBC until his death in 1966 as the Chairman of the Bank.[5]

[edit] Sun Yat Sen Villa

The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (孙中山南洋纪念馆) at Tai Gin Road, Singapore.
The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (孙中山南洋纪念馆) at Tai Gin Road, Singapore.

Lee was an ardent supporter of the Kuomintang in their struggle against the Japanese and later the Communists in China. He was involved in secret meetings with Dr Sun Yat-Sen in the early 1900s, the "Father of Modern China" in Wan Qing Yuan (now Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall) in Singapore and in the raising of funds in South East Asia amongst the Chinese diaspora to support Dr. Sun’s movement for the creation of a Chinese Republic in China.[6]

In 1937, Lee, together with five other Chinese community leaders (Messrs Lee Kong Chian, Lee Chin Tian, Tan Ean Kiam, Chew Hean Swee and Yeo Kiat Tiow), bought the Wan Qing Yuan at Tai Gin Road. (Dr. Sun had stayed at the villa on three occasions) and presented it to China's trade representative office in Singapore to be preserved as a historical site.[7]

During the Japanese Occupation (February 1942 — September 1945), the villa was used as a communications centre by the Japanese army. After the war, it functioned briefly as a branch for the Kuomintang till 1951. After that, it was handed over to the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry which renovated and turned it into a place of historical interest for the public in 1964.[8]

[edit] Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Lee Choon Seng, (6th from left front row) attending the official opening of the new Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce building at Hill Street on 20 September 1964.
Lee Choon Seng, (6th from left front row) attending the official opening of the new Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce building at Hill Street on 20 September 1964.

Since 1927, Lee was actively involved with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce (now Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry) as General Secretary initially and progresed on to become their President in 1931. He continued to serve the Chamber of Commerce in various capacities till 1967 owing to poor health as one of their Honorary Presidents.[9]

During the Japanese Occupation, the Overseas Chinese Association (OCA) was set up in March 1942 to act as a bridge between the Japanese military administration and the Chinese community to serve Japanese interests. Despite that, the OCA tried its best to alleviate the hardship of its community. The OCA was lead by Dr. Lim Boon Keng, with its headquarters at the old Chinese Chamber of Commerce at Hill Street. Lee was one of the 6 members representing the Hokkien group.[10]

[edit] The 'Endau Incident'

During an OCA assignment to the Endau Settlement in Malaya to persuade the new Chinese settlers to return to their work on the rice farms and rubber plantation. As the settlers were constantly threatened or killed by the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) until they were afraid to venture outdoors to work. Lee's convoy was ambushed by the MPAJA and shot at — everyone was killed except Lee. A bullet hit a Buddhist medallion which he was carrying on his chest, thus saving his life. This close shave with death would later re-affirmed his Buddhist faith that would spurred him on to more fervent contributions to Buddhism which culminated in the funding and construction of Poh Ern Shih Temple (报恩寺) after the war.[11]

[edit] Poh Ern Shih Temple

The old Poh Ern Shih Temple before it was demolished in 2003 to make way for a new and bigger building.
The old Poh Ern Shih Temple before it was demolished in 2003 to make way for a new and bigger building.

Venerable Hong Choon (宏船长老; 1907—1990), the eminient abbot of Kong Meng San Temple (光明山普觉禅寺) acted as a spiritual mentor not only in developing Lee’s spiritual path resulting in his conversion to Buddhism from Taoism but also in his various Buddhism inspired projects locally and abroad.[12]

Chwee Chian Hill and the surrounding area was the scene of the fiercely fought Battle of Pasir Panjang during World War II in Singapore. As such, many Japanese and British soldiers and innocent civilians died in the crossfire and bombings. On an advice from Venerable Hong Choon, Lee purchased Chwee Chian Hill from the British colonial government to build a Buddhist temple called Poh Ern Shih (“Temple of Thanksgiving” in the Hokkien dialect) that is dedicated to the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (地藏菩萨) with a noble aim of liberating the spirits of the people who were sacrificed during the Japanese invasion. Poh Ern Shih was incorporated by Lee in 1950 under the Singapore Companies Act as a limited Company without shares. The freehold land consisted of 46,938 square feet in area.[13] On April 1954, Lee officiated its opening:

“ In former days, here, you had all the gun-emplacements and pill-boxes. In its place now, we have turned it into a serene and magnificent Buddha’s land... Let this earthly place be a happy land for the masses of living beings and let them all enjoy peace and happiness. Herewith we declare open this TEMPLE OF THANKSGIVING with all our best wishes and intentions as set above.[14] ”

[edit] Singapore Buddhist Lodge

The Singapore Buddhist Lodge (新加坡佛教居士林) was officially set up on 30 June 1934 but had a fixed address only in September 1934 when Lee donated a double storey house at 26 Blair Road for its use. He also contributed an additional S$1,000 for furniture and other expenses, a considerable sum at that time. At the point of setting up, the Lodge had only a small membership of over hundred but most of the members were from the Chinese social elite.[7]

But the membership gradually grew to over 2000. To meet the needs of the larger member base, Zhang Jia Mei and Zhong Tian Shui decided to rent bigger premises at 17 Kim Yam Road in 1946. In 1950, the 8th President of the Lodge, Zhang Shu Yuan and Lee donated S$10,000 and started a fund-raising drive to purchase the rented premises. Since then, the Lodge continued to increase its membership with spiritual guidance provided by Venerable Hong Choon.[15]

[edit] Singapore Buddhist Federation

After the war, the growth in the number of Buddhist temples and Buddhists doubled that of pre-war period. However, there was no single umbrella organisation that could claim to represent all Buddhist temples and monasteries. Each temple, headed by a chief monk or a management committee conducted its own affairs in its own way and relied on itself for financial support.

In the long run, such trend was not healthy as growth and resources are limited.

On 31 July 1949, Lee invited representatives from all Chinese temples to the Singapore Buddhist Lodge to discuss the formation of an umbrella organisation. On 30 October 1949, the Singapore Buddhist Federation (新加坡佛教总会) was officially registered with 5 guiding principles as follow:

  1. To promote world peace
  2. To promote the Dharma
  3. To expand Buddhist education
  4. To carry welfare services
  5. To raise the quality of the Sangha members

Its Management Committee consisted of 5 Sangha members and 5 lay members. Lee was elected as the chairman while Venerable Hong Choon was the vice-chairman. When Lee step down due to old age in 1964, Venerable Hong Choon succeeded him as Chairman.[16] During its first 10 years of formation, some of SBF notable achievements are:[16]

  • Success in having Vesak Day gazetted as a public holiday in 1955.
  • Between 1955 - 1956, it succeeded in getting government approvals to set up a Buddhist cemetery of about 110 acres (0.45 km²) at 16 milestone Chua Chu Kang Road.
  • Management and running of Maha Bodhi School and Mee Toh School in 1950 and 1953 respectively.

[edit] The Chinese Temple in Sarnath

In early 1930s, Lee heard from Venerable Tao Chiai after the latter return from a pilgrimage to India, that he would like to restore a dilapidated Chinese temple in Sarnath that was built by a Chinese Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, in the 8th century AD. It is located beside the famous Deer Park where Sakyamuni Buddha gave his First Sermon after his Enlightenment. Unfortunately Venerable Tao Chiai died before he could accomplish this task. However, Lee offered to provide his personal funds to his chief disciple, Venerable Teh Yue to help him to continue the restoration project. He went on a pilgrimage to India with Venerable Teh Yue and brought along an English engineer, A. H. King to assess and assist in the restoration works. This Temple still stands today in Sarnath and it is called simply The Chinese Temple in Sarnath.[17]

[edit] See also

Singapore Portal

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Lee, "Historical data on Lee Choon Seng".
  2. ^ Lee, "Lee Lip Chai".
  3. ^ Lee, "Acts of Philanthropy in China".
  4. ^ Lee, "Banker".
  5. ^ Cui, pp. 138—9.
  6. ^ Lee, "Supporter of the Kuomintang and Dr Sun Yat Sen".
  7. ^ a b Ong, "Chinese Mahayana Lay organisations", pp. 49—50.
  8. ^ "From Villa to Memorial", The Straits Times, 25 February 1995. 
  9. ^ Lee, "Active Role in Singapore Chamber of Commerce".
  10. ^ Ong, "Japanese-Occupied Singapore", pp. 64—5.
  11. ^ Lee, "The Endau Incident during the Japanese Occupation".
  12. ^ Lee, "His Contribution to Buddhism".
  13. ^ Poh Ern Shih: History. Poh Ern Shih. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  14. ^ Lee, "The Inaugural Speech by Our Founder/Patron Mr Lee Choon Seng on 11th day of April 1954".
  15. ^ Ong, "Growth of lay organisations", p. 77.
  16. ^ a b Ong, "Formation of the Singapore Buddhist Federation", pp. 87—8.
  17. ^ Lee, "The Chinese Temple in Sarnath".

[edit] References

  • Ong, Y.D. (2005). Buddhism in Singapore—A Short Narative History. Singapore: Skylark Publications. ISBN 981-05-2740-3. 
  • Lee Boon Siong (2007). "History of Lee Choon Seng"—Poh Ern Shih Heritage Exhibition. Singapore: Poh Ern Shih.
  • Cui, Guijang (1994). The Chinese in Singapore: Past and Present. Singapore: Select Books. ISBN 9971-0-0401-1. 

[edit] External links

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