Koh Seow Chuan (b. 1939, Singapore–) is a founder of DP Architects, one of Singapore’s most established architecture firms. He is also an internationally renowned philatelist and a prominent heritage philanthropist. His architecture of the Esplanade – Theatres ...

Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied (b. 1792, Hadhramaut, Yemen–d. 6 November 1852, Singapore) was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who came to Singapore shortly after Stamford Raffles set up a trading post on the island in 1819. He contributed to the development of ...

Tan Lark Sye (陳六使) (b. 1897, Tong An County, Fujian, China–d. 1972, Singapore) was the founder of Aik Hoe Rubber Company, a rubber exporting firm. He was also chairman of the Hokkien Huay Kuan and the founder of the former Nanyang University (Nantah).

Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan (Dr) (b. 21 November 1908, Singapore–d. 13 November 2005, Singapore), nicknamed “Mr OCBC”, was a prominent Peranakan philanthropist, and often credited as the man who built the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).

George Lien Ying Chow (b. 2 August 1906, Guangdong, China–d. 6 August 2004, Singapore) was an entrepreneur, banker and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder of Overseas Union Bank (OUB), one of Southeast Asia’s largest banks before it was acquired by ...

Runme Shaw (Tan Sri) (Dr) (b. 1901, China–d. 2 March 1985, Singapore) was a pioneer in the film and entertainment industry in Singapore and Malaysia. He founded Shaw Brothers with his brother, Run Run Shaw. Besides being a film magnate, Runme was also a well-known ...

Tan Chay Yan (b. December 1871, Malacca–d. 6 March 1916, Malacca), also known as Tan Chay An or Chen Qixian, was the first rubber planter in Malaya. He pioneered an industry that transformed the region’s fortunes, and used his wealth to support causes such as ...

Tan Kah Kee (b. 21 October 1874, Jimei, Tong’an, Quanzhou, Fujian, China–d. 12 August 1961, Beijing, China) was a prominent Chinese businessman and philanthropist, nicknamed the “Henry Ford of Malaya”. He contributed extensively to the financing of schools and ...

Seah Liang Seah (b. 1850, Singapore–d. 14 September 1925, Singapore) was a wealthy local-born Chinese merchant who was known for being the Chinese representative on the Straits Settlements Legislative Council. He was a keen proponent of British rule and co-founded ...

Eu Tong Sen (b. 23 July 1877, Penang, Malaya –d. 11 May 1941, Hong Kong ) was a businessman and philanthropist who established his fortune in Malaya, and subsequently Hong Kong and southern China. The foundation of his business empire was established through tin ...

Chen Su Lan, Dr (b. 1885, Fuzhou, Fujian, China–d. 5 May 1972, Singapore) was one of Singapore's first local medical graduates and is best remembered as a philanthropist and social reformer. In the 1920s and 30s, Chen led a campaign against opium addiction, which ...

Jacob Ballas (b. 21 January 1921, Iraq–d. 18 January 2000, Singapore) was a pillar of the Jewish community in Singapore, a successful stockbroker and well-known philanthropist. The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens was named after ...

Tan Tock Seng (b. 1798, Malacca, Malaysia–d. 24 February 1850, Singapore) was an entrepreneur and philanthropist of Hokkien descent. Tan started out as a humble vegetable seller and rose to become one of Singapore's most eminent philanthropists and a leader of ...

Navroji R. Mistri (b. 3 June 1885, Bombay, India–d. 29 October 1953, Singapore) was a prominent Parsi entrepreneur who made his fortune selling soda water in Singapore. Known as the “godfather of the poor” or the “bachelor godfather” of Singapore’s poor children, ...

Syed Omar bin Mohamed Alsagoff (b. 1852, Singapore–d. 18 May 1927, Soekaboemi, Java), was the head of Alsagoff and Co. Ltd. and leader of the local Mohamedan community.

P. Govindasamy Pillai (b. 1887, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India – d. 1980), popularly known as PGP, was a well-known and successful South Indian businessman who established the string of PGP stores. He was also a noted philanthropist, the biggest donor to Perumal ...

Haji Ambo Sooloh (b. 1891 – d. 1963) was a prominent Malay businessman of Bugis descent. A philanthropist and one of the founders of the Malay newspaper Utusan Melayu, he was an active leader of the Malay community from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Lee Cheng Yan, also known as Lee Cheng Yam, (b. 1841, Malacca, Straits Settlements–d. 18 May 1911, Singapore), was a merchant and philanthropist. He was one of the founders of the Straits Steamship Company (part of Keppel Corporation today), and helped start a ...

Lim Chwee Chian (林推迁) (b. 21 January 1868, Haicheng, Fujian, China–d. 12 February 1923, Singapore) was a merchant and philanthropist. He was also a known leader of the Ngee Heng Kongsi, a Chinese secret society, in Singapore. Lim was probably one of the founders ...

Lee Choon Guan (b. 1868, Singapore–d. 1924, Singapore) was a Straits Chinese businessman and philanthropist. Together with Lim Peng Siang, Lim Boon Keng and other Chinese merchants, Lee founded the Chinese Commercial Bank in 1912. Also actively involved in public ...