Tan Kin Lian PBM BBM (Chinese: 陈钦亮; pinyin: Chén Qīnliàng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Khim-liāng; Hokkien pronunciation [tan˨˦ kʰim˦˦ liaŋ˨˨]; born 9 March 1948) is a Singaporean businessman who served as the chief executive officer of NTUC Income between 1977 and 2007.
Tan Kin Lian | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
陈钦亮 | |||||||
 | |||||||
| Born | 9 March 1948 | ||||||
| Alma mater | Raffles Institution | ||||||
| Political party | Independent | ||||||
| Other political affiliations | People's Action Party (1977–2008) | ||||||
| Spouse | Tay Siew Hong | ||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陳欽亮 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈钦亮 | ||||||
| |||||||
| Website | tankinlian | ||||||
On 7 June 2011, Tan announced his intention to stand for the presidency in the 2011 presidential election. He was unsuccessful in his bid, losing with 4.91% of the vote to Tony Tan.
On 11 August 2023, Tan announced his intention to stand for the presidency again in the 2023 presidential election, with former presidential candidate Tan Jee Say acting as his proposer.[1] He was unsuccessful in his bid, losing with 13.87% of the vote to Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Business career
editCEO of NTUC Income
editTan began his career as a clerk in an insurance company,[2] before becoming an actuary and subsequently the general manager of NTUC Income in 1977, at the age of 29. He was subsequently re-designated as the chief executive officer and remained in this position until April 2007.[3][4] Under his leadership, the company grew from having S$28 million in assets in 1977 to more than S$17 billion in assets and over one million policyholders in 2007.[4][5]
Tan ran NTUC Income with the aim of providing the best value to the policyholders. This meant lower fees for insurance agents, encouragement of direct selling practices which bypassed the agents altogether,[6] and low operating expenses—throughout his 30-year term as CEO, Tan flew in economy class, even on long haul flights. This management style clashed with some of NTUC Income's board members, who preferred the company to be run on a more commercial or professional basis, and even advocated it to be privatised. The board asked Tan to step down after completing his 30-year term at the helm.[7]
Other positions
editTan's portfolio in 2007 mentioned more than 60 directorships and other corporate appointments.[8] Of these, the most notable was as Chairman of International Co-operative & Mutual Insurance Federation from 1992 to 1997,[9][10][11] an international organisation which at that time represented 123 insurance groups in 65 countries, employing 260,000 people.[12][13] The total assets of the members of this international federation totalled US$1.5 trillion in 1997.
Post-retirement interlude
editSince retiring from NTUC Income in 2007, Tan has provided free financial advice and opinions on current affairs through his blog,[14] and had established the Financial Service Consumer Association (FISCA) to educate people about long-term financial security.[15][16] During the 2008 financial crisis, he organised public rallies for people who lost their money due to investing in Lehman Brothers' Minibond products.[17] The rallies resulted in a petition to Singapore Government, signed by 983 investors.[18]
He has been active in social media in more recent times, and is especially "active on his public Facebook page which has a following of over 9,000 fans" where he posts regularly on his life as well as on political and social developments.[19] He has also posted extensively on Forest City apartments in Malaysia, having bought a property there.[20]
Political career
editA former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) for 30 years, he left the party in 2008 due to his inactivity, and disagreement with the party's value system. He also served as the party's branch secretary at Marine Parade for three years and was picked by Goh Chok Tong in 1977, to test a pilot scheme for setting up block committees, now known as Residents' Committees (RC).
For the first ten years, Tan was active in Marine Parade constituency but became inactive for the next 20 years, after moving to Upper Thomson and later Yio Chu Kang.[21]
2011 presidential election
edit
Tan had already expressed his interest in becoming the president of Singapore in 2008.[21]
On 7 June 2011, Tan announced that he would be contesting in the 2011 presidential election. Following his announcement, he promised to donate a significant part of the S$4 million presidential salary to a specially formed charity and circulated several statements outlining his position on the role of the president, including a controversial statement on safeguarding the reserves.[22] The statements drew a mild rebuke from senior members of the Singapore Government, who attempted to publicly clarify that the elected president has only "custodial powers" and not "executive powers". In response, Tan issued another statement, where he agreed with the limitations but nevertheless stressed that "the president does not need to be armed with strong executive powers to make an impact. A well qualified and properly elected President will make his impact through the power to persuade, to influence, to counsel, to convey feedback and if necessary, to articulate informed positions on specific issues".[23]
On 7 July 2011, Tan submitted the presidential eligibility forms.[24] Tan had submitted his application for the Certificate of Eligibility under a Special Clause, citing his experience as CEO of an insurance cooperative with a shared capital of S$500 million and assets of S$17 billion. He was granted the Certificate of Eligibility on 11 August 2011 along with the other three candidates.
In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, Tan said that his main reason for running: "Many people said they want voice, they want to be heard. I think I probably represent the person who has got ears to listen and is able to think independently."[citation needed] Tan thinks the role of the elected president should be expanded and suggested, for example, having the president's office produce an annual report detailing the country's reserves.[citation needed]
In response to rumours circulating that Tan would be dropping out of the presidential race early, he refuted such claims and expressed that he would be filing his nomination papers as planned.[25] After submitting his nomination forms on 17 August 2011, he made his nomination day speech in four of the official languages of Singapore; English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. He was the only one who did so.[citation needed]
Tan advocated on the need for the burden of National Service (NS) to be shared by all segments of the society, including females and non-citizens.[26][independent verification needed]
Tan's symbol is a "Hi-5". He explained "the raised hand signifies willingness to do public service, while the five fingers signify his values of honesty, fairness, positive attitude, courage and public service."[27]
He garnered the lowest number of votes among the four candidates, with 4.91% of the vote. His failure to achieve at least 12.50% of the vote, contributed to his loss of S$48,000 deposits.
2023 presidential election
editOn 8 July 2023, Tan was asked about his plans to re-contest the presidential election. During then, Tan shared that he was still undecided, in part due to his "disheartening" results from the 2011 presidential election.[28]
Tan officially announced on 30 July 2023 that he had submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility for the 2023 Presidential Election.[29]
Tan announced his official bid for the presidency on 11 August 2023.[30] Tan Jee Say, a presidential candidate in the 2011 presidential elections, mentioned in the press conference of Tan Kin Lian on 11 August 2023 that Mr Tan (would) "make a good president, a courageous, genuine, and humble one."[31]
Tan was issued the certificate of eligibility on 18 August 2023.[32] On 21 August 2023, Tan was subjected to online criticism after the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) issued a statement on his past track record of making statements on Facebook that were "objectifying women". AWARE questioned why Tan was issued the certificate, to which the Presidential Election Committee stated that they were unaware of his statements prior to issuing him the certificate.[33] Tan also accused the ruling party, the People's Action Party, of being behind what he alleged to be a smear campaign.[34] Tan later removed the social media posts containing the allegation on 23 August 2023.[35]
On 2 September 2023, results of the election was released. It was revealed that Tan lost the election with the least votes. Tan won just 13.87% of the votes but managed to keep his deposit by meeting the minimum threshold of 12.50% of total votes.
Honours
edit
Singapore:
Public Service Medal (1983)[36]
Public Service Star (2004)[36]
Personal life
editTan is married to Tay Siew Hong and they have three children together.[37]
He enjoys making puzzles like Sudoku, Logic9[38] and Shape Quiz,[39] and online games like Family Life and Business Simulation[40] which stimulate creative abilities and teach risk management.
Friendship with Ong Teng Cheong
editTan was close to Ong Teng Cheong, the fifth president of Singapore. When Ong was elected as President, Tan presented him a set of orchid motif ties in different colours, which were commissioned by NTUC Income and made in the United Kingdom.[41] Ong liked the tie in red color and used it on a number of important occasions, including Nomination Day and his inauguration as the president of Singapore.[41] He also wore it for his presidential portrait which was displayed in government offices and other organisations.[41]
Tan was involved in several initiatives introduced by Ong, such as the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT), the first Singapore expedition to Mount Everest, and the President's Star Charity. Tan promoted the SDT performances to the policyholders of NTUC Income and later joined the board of directors, where he served for 12 years.[42] NTUC Income became one of the main sponsors of the Mount Everest expedition.
During the last two years of Ong Teng Cheong's term, Tan chaired the President's Star Charity event to raise funds and to promote the Singapore Dress.[43] When Ong's wife died, shortly after the second charity dinner, Tan organised 1,000 messages of condolences from Singaporeans, submitted through the Internet, and presented the book to Ong.[44]
References
edit- ^ "Tan Kin Lian launches bid for Presidential Election, stresses desire for candidate outside 'establishment". CNA. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Tan Kin Lian: From leaving school and supporting his family to representing 'ordinary people'". CNA. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Lorna Tan (10 September 2007). "New Income chief creates new buzz". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ a b "Transition – NTUC Income" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2011.
- ^ "NTUC Income – About Us". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ Dhaliwal, Rav. Income sets up info centre for walk-in customers. The Straits Times, 25 December 1990
- ^ Wong Lim Hoh, Robin Chan. Ex-Income Chief asked to quit co-op. The Sunday Times, 7 August 2011
- ^ "CV of Tan Kin Lian up to 2007". Archived from the original on 26 March 2012.
- ^ Kooi Cho Teng. NTUC Income general manager to chair world body. The Business Times, 16 June 1992
- ^ Income GM first Asian to head world insurance co-op. The Straits Times, 16 June 1992
- ^ "International Co-operative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) (1997)". Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ "ICMIF". Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ "ICMIF – Who We Are". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ "Tan Kin Lian's Blog". Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ "New consumer watchdog to look after interests of retail investors". Channel NewsAsia. 25 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "FISCA". Archived from the original on 2 July 2011.
- ^ Shiyin, Chen (18 October 2008). "Singapore Investors to Seek Compensation on Lehman Minibonds". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "Petition to Singapore Government – 983 Signatures". 8 October 2008. Archived from the original on 10 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ "Tan Kin Lian Rants about Doctor Explaining to Him the Risk of Colonoscopy – Internet Goes Crazy". Yahoo News. 5 March 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Lian, Tan Kin (7 September 2017). "Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Why I bought an apartment in Forest City". Tan Kin Lian's Blog. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Tan Kin Lian eyes presidency". The Straits Times. Singapore. 23 November 2008. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
- ^ "Safeguarding the Reserves".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Statement by Tan Kin Lian – role of the Elected President".[permanent dead link]
- ^ Han, WeiChou (7 July 2011). "Presidential hopefuls Tony Tan and Tan Kin Lian submit papers". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Tan Kin Lian says he will not drop out of race". asiaone.com. 14 August 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ "Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Burden of National Service". Tankinlian.blogspot.com. 23 August 2009. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ See, Sharon (18 August 2011). "PE: Candidates unveil election symbols". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
- ^ "Tan Kin Lian in two minds about contesting upcoming presidential election - Singapore News". 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Former candidate Tan Kin Lian applies for eligibility certificate for 2023 Presidential Election". CNA.
- ^ Correspondent, Goh Yan HanPolitical (11 August 2023). "Tan Kin Lian, former NTUC Income chief executive, launches presidential bid". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Citizen, The Online (11 August 2023). "Tan Jee Say endorses Tan Kin Lian for President: A courageous, genuine, and humble choice for Singapore". The Online Citizen Asia.
- ^ "Ng Kok Song, Tan Kin Lian, Tharman Shanmugaratnam qualify as presidential candidates; George Goh ineligible". CNA. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "Presidential Elections Committee 'not aware' of Tan Kin Lian's social media posts before issuing eligibility certificate". CNA. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "Singapore kick-starts presidential campaigning amid 'pretty girls' controversy". South China Morning Post. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "Tan Kin Lian takes down smear campaign allegations". www.businesstimes.com.sg. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". www.techinasia.com. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- ^ "My granddaughters – Vera and Nadya". 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ "Learn Sudoku, Logic9". 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ "Shape Quiz – New Layout". YouTube. 21 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Online Portal for various games and applications developed by Tan Kin Lian". Archived from the original on 29 August 2011.
- ^ a b c Koh, Veronica. Singapore's very own – the President's Tie. The Straits Times, 25 December 1993
- ^ Cheah Ui-Hoon. Have dance, will travel. The Business Times, Singapore, 19 June 1999
- ^ Record $400,000 raised so far.. The Straits Times, 25 August 2001
- ^ Tan Kin Lian. LETTER – Fly flag at half-mast for First Lady's funeral. The Straits Times, 3 August 1999
External links
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