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Draft:Lee Hee Seng

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Lee.
Edward Lee Hee Seng
DUBC PJG
Chairman of the Housing and Development Board
In office
2 April 1971 (1971-04-02) – 1 April 1975 (1975-04-01)
Preceded byPang Tee Pow
Succeeded byMichael Fam
Chairman of the Public Service Commission
In office
1 August 1988 (1988-08-01) – 1 August 1998 (1998-08-01)
Preceded byTan Teck Chwee
Succeeded byAndrew Chew
Personal details
Born
Lee Hee Seng

(1927-04-11) 11 April 1927 (age 97)
Singapore, Straits Settlements, British Malaya
Died4 February 2012(2012-02-04) (aged 84)
Singapore
Alma materAdministrative Staff College
Raffles Institution

Edward Lee Hee Seng DUBC PJG (11 April 1927 – 4 February 2012) was a former Singaporean banker, and chairman of the Public Service Commission from 1988 to 1998.[1][2] He was also chairman of the Housing and Development Board from 1971 to 1975.[3][4]

In 1995, Lee succeeded Lien Ying Chow as chairman of the Overseas Union Bank, and was an important stakeholder in the bank, up till the merger with United Overseas Bank (UOB). He retired from UOB in 2003.[5]

Early life and education

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Lee received his early education at St. Patrick's School.[6] Later, Lee attended Raffles Institution and graduated in 1946 with a School Certificate.[7][8] He was also a graduate at the Administrative Staff College.[6]

In 1954, Lee was the first Malayan to pass the final examination conducted by the Building Societies' Institute, and was appointed as associate of the institute.[9][10]

Career

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Upon graduation, Lee joined the Commonwealth Development Corporation and was seconded to the Federal and Colonial Building Society (now known as the Malaya Building Society Berhad). In 1955, he was appointed as secretary of the society. In 1964, he was promoted again and served as general manager.[11][12] Lee left the society in 1971 and returned to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur.[2][6]

Housing Development Board (1971–1975)

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On 2 April 1971, Lee was appointed as chairman of the Housing and Development Board (HDB), after the position was vacant since August 1970 following the resignation of Pang Tee Pow.[3][13][14] In August 1971, New Zealand Minister for Housing John Rae was brought to tour new HDB flats in Queenstown by Lee, along with Minister for Law and National Development Edmund W. Barker.[15][16] In February 1972, Lee and Barker accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to tour a housing estate in Toa Payoh.[17][18][19] During a review conducted at the end of 1972, HDB built a record 20,525 units of shops and flats, with a further 36,560 units under construction.[20][21] HDB also raised its 5-year target from 100,000 to 125,000 units.[22] Lee elaborated in his review:

The standard of public housing provided by the Housing and Development Board is not only among the highest in Asian countries, but is also comparable to European and American standards.
Owing to boom conditions the values of properties in the Republic have risen substantially in the past three years. The selling prices of housing developed by private enterprise are no longer related to income and are beyond the reach of many middle-income earners who now look to the Board to provide them with homes.[20]

On 1 April 1975, Lee stepped down as chairman of HDB, and was succeeded by Michael Fam.[4][23] In 1976, in recognition of his contributions to HDB, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.[24][25][26][27]

Overseas Union Bank (1974–2003)

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On 1 April 1974, Lee was appointed as a director of Overseas Union Bank (OUB), after Lien Ying Chow spent three years convincing Lee to join the bank.[28][29][30] Lien felt that OUB had to transition from a traditional Chinese family-owned bank to a meritocratic and modern bank, and that was one of Lee's first tasks as director.[1][31] Lee prepared OUB for a public listing, and on 21 August 1975, OUB began trading on the Stock Exchange of Singapore.[32][33][34] However, at a debut price of S$3.00 per share, shares were traded to as low as S$2.54.[35]

In May 1978, as part of modernising the bank using technology, Lee was appointed chairman of Associated Data Processing, a private limited company with a paid-up capital of S$1 million. The computer company was set up by OUB, along with Asia Commercial Banking Corporation (ACB), Far Eastern Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank. Each of the banks contributed to 25% of the capital.[36][37] This was the first time that local banks joined forces to form such a company, providing real-time access and transactions to accounts between the banks.[38][39][40][41] Lee explained further:

Apart from simplifying branch accounting and record-keeping functions, the computer systems will provide faster counter services for customers.[39]

On 17 October 1978, Lee was appointed as one of the directors of the Nanyang Press, publisher of the Nanyang Siang Pau.[42][43][44] On 28 July 1979, Lee was appointed by President Benjamin Sheares as a justice of the peace.[45] On 12 February 1980, Lee was appointed as a member of the Public Service Commission (PSC).[6][46][47]

In July 1980, Lee was promoted to become managing director of OUB.[48][49] Under his leadership, OUB established wholly-owned subsidiaries in Toronto and Sydney,[50][51][52][53] restructured its operations,[54][55][56] and acquired the International Bank of Singapore.[57] After a decade of managing OUB, the bank's profits grew 25% annually.[58] In June 1988, Lee was promoted to group deputy chairman of OUB.[59]

On 1 August 1988, Lee succeeded Tan Teck Chwee as chairman of PSC.[60][61][62] To concentrate on his new role, Lee gave up his directorships in publicly-listed companies, and only retaining the position of group deputy chairman of OUB and managing director of the hotel-managing arm of OUB.[63]

Personal life

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Lee was a Catholic.[64]

On 4 February 2012, after battling cancer for nine years, Lee died.[1]

Awards and decorations

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Ng, Magdalen (5 February 2012). "Banking stalwart dies at age 84". The Straits Times. p. 18. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b Lee, Hee Seng (4 August 2008). "Oral History Interview". nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b "HDB gets a new chairman". Singapore Herald. 2 April 1971. p. 4. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  4. ^ a b "New chairman for Housing Board". The Straits Times. 18 March 1975. p. 21. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  5. ^ Tan, Mindy (6 February 2012). "A banking giant who played many roles". The Business Times. p. 9. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d "New member for the PSC". The Business Times. 13 February 1980. p. 12. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  7. ^ "CAMBRIDGE EXAM SUCCESSES". Singapore Free Press. 3 April 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  8. ^ "CAMBRIDGE EXAM. RESULTS". The Straits Times. 7 May 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Mr. Lee passes building test". The Straits Times. 18 July 1954. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  10. ^ "MR. LEE GETS HIS CERTIFICATE AND CHAIRMAN'S CONGRATULATIONS". The Straits Times. 23 December 1954. p. 10. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  11. ^ "THE GENERAL MANAGER". The Straits Times. 29 March 1965. p. 3. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  12. ^ "NEW MAN AT THE TOP". The Straits Times. 24 February 1964. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  13. ^ "New chief for housing board". Eastern Sun. 2 April 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  14. ^ "Di-lantek jadi pengerusi". Berita Harian (in Malay). 5 April 1971. p. 12. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  15. ^ "NZ minister tours HDB flats in Queenstown". The Straits Times. 28 August 1971. p. 19. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  16. ^ "Menteri dari New Zealand jumpa Barker". Berita Harian (in Malay). 28 August 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  17. ^ "SUNSHINE WELCOME!". The Straits Times. 19 February 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  18. ^ "10,000 alu2kan Ratu di-Toa Payoh". Berita Harian (in Malay). 19 February 1972. p. 10. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  19. ^ Lok, Jian Wen (9 September 2022). "Highlights of Queen Elizabeth's 3 visits to Singapore". The Straits Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Housing standard 'highest in Asia'". New Nation. 14 April 1973. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  21. ^ Magiar Simin (15 April 1973). "1972—satu lagi tahun kejayaan dim sejarah binaan..." Berita Harian. p. 6. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  22. ^ Ng, Evelyn (15 April 1973). "HDB raises 5-year target from 100,000 to 125,000". The Straits Times. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  23. ^ "Dilantik sebagai Pengerusi Lembaga Perumahan". Berita Harian. 19 March 1975. p. 8. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  24. ^ a b "Pingat kebanggaan bagi pekerja sosial Joko". Berita Harian (in Malay). 29 January 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  25. ^ a b Lee, Philip (29 January 1977). "Four get nations top service awards". The Straits Times. p. 7. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  26. ^ a b "The Top Four—medals for their services to the nation". New Nation. 29 January 1977. p. 3. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  27. ^ a b "The outstanding four..." The Business Times. 29 January 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  28. ^ "PEOPLE IN BUSINESS". The Straits Times. 29 April 1974. p. 14. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  29. ^ Chia, Jean; Chan, Sue Meng (17 March 1995). "An extraordinary entrepreneur who just loves what he is doing". The Straits Times. p. 46. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  30. ^ Goh, Eng Yeow (9 February 2012). "Ex-OUB staff pay final tribute to banker". The Straits Times. p. 11. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  31. ^ Lim, Richard (12 August 2001). "How Lien courted Lee to helm OUB". The Straits Times. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  32. ^ "OUB plans SES listing". The Straits Times. 18 June 1975. p. 15. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  33. ^ "OUB listing 'a chance for public'". The Straits Times. 1 July 1975. p. 15. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  34. ^ "OUB debut tomorrow". The Straits Times. 20 August 1975. p. 15. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  35. ^ "Disappointing OUB debut". The Straits Times. 22 August 1975. p. 14. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  36. ^ Teo, Lian Huay (4 May 1978). "Computer to link up 42 bank branches". New Nation. p. 4. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  37. ^ "4 bank tubuh syarikat untuk licinkan gerakan". Berita Harian (in Malay). 5 May 1978. p. 3. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  38. ^ "JOINT COMPUTER CENTRE". The Business Times. 5 May 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  39. ^ a b "Computer link for 42 branches of four banks". The Straits Times. 5 May 1978. p. 17. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  40. ^ "Four banks share computer to boost services". The Straits Times. 16 July 1978. p. 9. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  41. ^ Lee, Hee Seng (19 April 1979). "Three is a crowd but four is a team". The Business Times. p. 23. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  42. ^ "Banker Lien appointed Nanyang Press chairman". The Straits Times. 18 October 1978. p. 8. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  43. ^ "OUB chief 'to head' Nanyang". New Nation. 23 September 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  44. ^ "Pengerusi". Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  45. ^ "21 are made Justices of the Peace". The Straits Times. 29 July 1979. p. 8. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  46. ^ "Pengarah eksekutif bank dilantik ke PSC". Berita Harian (in Malay). 13 February 1980. p. 8. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  47. ^ "Banker is PSC member". The Straits Times. 13 February 1980. p. 11. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  48. ^ "MOVING UP AT OUB". The Straits Times. 17 July 1980. p. 10. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  49. ^ "New OUB managing director". The Business Times. 14 July 1980. p. 12. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  50. ^ "OUB opens subsidiary in Toronto". The Business Times. 6 September 1982. p. 16. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  51. ^ "OUB in Canada". The Straits Times. 6 September 1982. p. 17. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  52. ^ "OUB Australia to open on March 3". The Business Times. 25 February 1986. p. 6. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  53. ^ "OUB unit opens in Sydney today". The Straits Times. 3 March 1986. p. 17. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  54. ^ "OUB sets up two new divisions". The Business Times. 1 October 1982. p. 1. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  55. ^ "OUB REVAMP". New Nation. 1 October 1982. p. 14. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  56. ^ "Overseas Union Bank restructures its operations". The Straits Times. 2 October 1982. p. 19. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  57. ^ Soh, Tiang Keng (2 June 1983). "IBS to complement OUB's operations". The Business Times. p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  58. ^ Lim, Richard (1999). Building a Singapore bank: the OUB story. Singapore: Overseas Union Bank.
  59. ^ Ong, Catherine C. (4 June 1988). "OUB to get new chief executive". The Straits Times. p. 19. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  60. ^ "Lee Hee Seng to head Public Service Commission". The Business Times. 15 June 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  61. ^ "Lee Hee Seng dilantik jadi Pengerusi PSC". Berita Harian. 15 June 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  62. ^ "Lee Hee Seng appointed new PSC chairman". The Straits Times. 15 June 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  63. ^ "Lee Hee Seng gives up positions". The Business Times. 3 August 1988. p. 17. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  64. ^ Chan, Robin (9 February 2012). "An inspiring man 'with a heart of gold'". The Straits Times. p. 11. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  65. ^ "Hakim dan pengerusi PSC terima pingat tertinggi". Berita Harian (in Malay). 9 August 1989. p. 1. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  66. ^ "Banker and judge top N-Day awards list". The Straits Times. 12 August 1989. p. 1. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  67. ^ "PSC chairman and judge receive their N-Day awards". The Straits Times. 11 November 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 7 January 2025.



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