The Ngee Ann Kongsi () is a charitable foundation located in Singapore and governed by the Ngee Ann Kongsi Ordinance of 1933.
It is one of many
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese.
Terminology
() or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, refe ...
Kongsi, or clan associations, that were set up by immigrants from China in the late 19th century.
The foundation's name, Ngee Ann, is the old name for
Chaozhou
Chaozhou (), alternatively Chiuchow, Chaochow or Teochew, is a city in the eastern Guangdong province of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, and the Sou ...
, which may also be transliterated as
Teochew. The
Teochew people reside in the eastern part of
Guangdong province,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, a distinct racial group sharing the province with other communities such as the
Cantonese and
Hakka people.
The Ngee Ann Kongsi was founded in 1845 by
Seah Eu Chin
Seah Eu Chin (; a.k.a. Siah U-chin, Seah Uchin or Seah You Chin; 18051883) was an immigrant from South China to Singapore, later becoming a successful merchant, a prominent descendant of Seah Clan and leader in the Overseas Chinese communit ...
to look after the religious and humanitarian needs of Teochew immigrants in Singapore. It was set up within
Yueh Hai Ching Temple
Yueh Hai Ching Temple (Traditional Chinese , Simplified Chinese ), also known as the Wak Hai Cheng Bio from its Teochew dialect, Teochew pronunciation, is a Chinese temple in Singapore located in Raffles Place in Singapore's Downtown Core, central ...
, a national monument of
Singapore. Now a nonprofit organization, Ngee Ann Kongsi contributes to Singaporean society through educational and other charitable projects.
The Ngee Ann Kongsi also provides a tertiary bursary and scholarship towards deserving Teochew students. Students that display good academic results, leadership skills and strong co-curricular records are eligible for the scholarship, while students with good academic results and have financial needs can apply to the Kongsi for bursary.
Assets
The Ngee Ann Kongsi partially or fully owns and operates the following properties:
Educational Institutions
*
Ngee Ann Primary School
Marine Parade is a planning area and residential estate located in the Central Region of Singapore. Straddling the tip of the southeastern coast of Pulau Ujong, Marine Parade serves as a buffer between the Central and East regions of the c ...
*
Ngee Ann Secondary School
*
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
* Ngee Ann Academy (formerly known as Ngee Ann – University of Adelaide Education Centre)
Cultural Institutions
* Ngee Ann Cultural Center
* Ngee Ann Traditional Chinese Medicine
*
Yueh Hai Ching Temple
Yueh Hai Ching Temple (Traditional Chinese , Simplified Chinese ), also known as the Wak Hai Cheng Bio from its Teochew dialect, Teochew pronunciation, is a Chinese temple in Singapore located in Raffles Place in Singapore's Downtown Core, central ...
Commercial Properties
*
Ngee Ann City, a large shopping centre
* Teochew Funeral Parlor at Ubi Road
* Teochew Memorial Park at Yishun Ring Road
Yueh Hai Ching Temple
Before clan associations were organised, temples were the focal point of social activity for Chinese emigrants. In 1845, management of Yueh Hai Ching Temple was taken over by the Ngee Ann Kongsi, which acquired the current temple site. Between 1852 and 1855, the temple building was constructed using funds from the Teochew community. It is the oldest Teochew temple in Singapore.
Ngee Ann Cultural Centre
The Ngee Ann Cultural Centre was set up in 1998 to promote Singaporean awareness of Chinese culture, particularly Teochew heritage. It promotes involvement and engagement of the Teochew artistic community by offering exhibition space, facilities and organisational resources for local and international artistic and cultural activities.
Ngee Ann Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre
The non-profit Ngee Ann Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre was set up in November 2000 by Ngee Ann Kongsi with an investment of $1 million over three years. The centre offers traditional medicine through a partnership with China's Longhua Hospital, whose registrars and specialists provide their services, as well as alternative treatments such as herbal remedies and acupuncture. The Kongsi also continues to research various areas of healthcare, such as meeting the needs of an aging population and exploring the field of alternative medicine.
The current 39th Chairman of the TCMC is Phua Bah Lee, a former Member of Parliament and a director Metro Holdings Ltd and Singapura Finance Ltd.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Through the efforts of Dr Lien Ying Chow, who was President of the Kongsi three times in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Ngee Ann Polytechnic began in 1963 as Ngee Ann College, based at the Teochew Building. The college later moved to the Kongsi's land in Clementi, changing its name to Ngee Ann Technical College, before taking on its current name in 1982. Ngee Ann Polytechnic is now internationally acclaimed for its academic excellence and close industry links. Approximately 14 thousand full-time and 5000 part-time students attend classes in more than 20 fields of study, offered by 14 academic departments, at the 36-hectare campus. It is the second-oldest polytechnic in Singapore.
Historically, the Kongsi contributed 75% of its yearly surplus to the polytechnic; to date, it has donated about $100 million to the polytechnic. However, in accordance with an amendment to the Ngee Ann Kongsi (Incorporation) Ordinance, passed in July 2007, the Kongsi has reduced its donation to 25% of the yearly surplus, while the remaining amount will be donated to other educational institutions in Singapore.
Educational institutions that have benefited from this change include:
* School of the Arts (SOTA) – S$12 million
*
School of Science and Technology, Singapore – S$8.1 million
*
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
– S$3 million
*
Nanyang Technological University
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a national research university in Singapore. It is the second oldest autonomous university in the country and is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in the world by various inte ...
– S$3 million
*
Singapore Management University – S$3 million
*
National Junior College – S$500,000
*
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus
*
Autism Resource Centre
Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) or ARC(S) is a non-profit organisation based in Singapore and registered in year 2000. It was started by professional and parent volunteers dedicated to serving children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder ( ...
*
Jurong Junior College
Locations
Ngee Ann Kongsi's wholly owned divisions (Ngee Ann Property & Management Pte. Ltd. and Ngee Ann Development Pte. Ltd.) are both housed within Ngee Ann City's Tower A, whereas Ngee Ann Kongsi, Ngee Ann Education Holdings Pte. Ltd., Ngee Ann Knowledge Center, Ngee Ann Cultural Center Pte. Ltd., and Ngee Ann - Adelaide Education Center are situated within the Teochew Building (formerly Tuan Meng High School).
References
External links
Official Website of the Ngee Ann KongsiOfficial Website of the Ngee Ann PolytechnicOfficial Website of the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan
{{Coord, 1.2957, 103.8434, display=title
Chinese diaspora
Non-profit organisations based in Singapore