Tan Tock Seng Hospital galvanized public attention during the SARS epidemic, when many of the hospital's medical staff gave their all to help those who were infected by the dreaded virus - some giving their lives in the process. Their heroic conduct won Tan Tock Seng Hospital the respect and recognition of the nation.
These doctors and nurses were valiant in their efforts to curb the disease that ravaged the lives of ordinary Singaporeans, just as was the founder of this hospital, Mr. Tan Tock Seng.
The hospital is his legacy to Singaporeans from all walks of life, and it is now one of the busiest and technologically advanced medical care facility in Singapore.
Tan Tock Seng – The Businessman
A famous merchant and philanthropist, Tan Tock Seng started out as a small businessman selling fruits, vegetables and fowl. His big break came as a result of his joint-business venture of land speculations 
with J.H Whitehead of Shaw. Tan Tock Seng soon became a big investor in prime land, an investment strategy that eventually led him from rags to riches.
Apart from his business acumen, he was skilled at settling disputes amongst Chinese. As a result of that, he was the first Asian to be conferred the Justice of Peace, a powerful position recognized by the authorities.
He also contributed to the construction of the Thian Hock Keng Temple, a popular place of worship located at the former Chinatown seafront.
The Captain of The Chinese
Known as the Captain of the Chinese, he was also very adept at interacting with people and making use of his relationship with people around him.
He also sympathized with the poor and the sick, and contributed to cover the medical expenses of the poor. As such, many found themselves in debt of his kindness, and developed a deep sense of gratitude towards Tan Tock Seng.
The Hand To The Sick
"Tan Tock Seng felt sorry for those who were without shelter and clothes, and those who were sick but were unable to afford medical care. So he took it upon himself to find some place that could offer shelter and care to those unfortunate countrymen who were suffering from loathsome diseases and had nowhere to turn to." 
~ Stone Inscription at Tan Tock Seng Museum (1845)
His Legacy Today
Today, Tan Tock Seng Hospital serves as a worthy reminder of the man who helped build the nation and provided medical care to the needy at a time when the living conditions were dire.
He has made quite a big leap from selling fruits and vegetables to a wealthy and successful investor. These businessmen presented in this blog never seize to impress me. Like I have said before in my other post that one after another has made greater and vital contributions to the development of Singapore. They all have shared one thing, a big heart and a calling to help people. I can not find any greed in Tan Tock Seng’s actions or in the other businessmen’s. There are not so many people with such wealth who are willing to distribute it further unselfishly.
ReplyDeleteIt also seems that he was in the right line of business, what I have seen in Singapore is that the wealthiest people here are usually involved in land and real-estate investments.
What about soft skills? I think it was his personality and ability to move and motivate people as a leader that really attributed to his success and wealth. The skill of interacting with people, body language and networking skill cannot be taught in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteNow the question is... why are some so capable of this skill? While others achieve a near perfect GPA and cannot hold a conversation? How does management leverage both skills in the workplace? Which skill is crucial for respective job descriptions?