Standing tall amongst them, Tan Kah Kee made his wealth in rubber and other businesses. He devoted his life to the promotion of education for the masses, believing that ‘the prosperity and strength of a country depends on the capability of its people, and the development of the people depends on education itself’. He was responsible for setting up over 100 schools in his lifetime, and in Singapore these include Ai Tong, Chongfu, Konghua, Nanyang Girls, and Hwa Chong Institution.

Tan Kah Kee was the leader of the Japanese Resistance movement and in 1938 launched major fundraising campaigns to assist China in opposing the invading forces.