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Mr Chua Chor Teck (1939
- 1986)
When he signed
on as an apprentice at the age
of 16, very few people could
have imagined that Mr Chua Chor
Teck would win academic honours
and rise through the ranks to
become Keppel Group Managing
Director, a billion-dollar shipping
and marine industrial conglomerate
with diversified interests.
For his services
to the marine industry and the
labour movement in Singapore,
he was awarded the Bintang Bukti
Masharakat (Public Service Star)
in 1976 and Friend of Labour
Award in 1980. Most notably,
he was the Chairman of the Singapore
Polytechnic Board of Governors
since 1980.
Born in Lim
Chu Kang, Mr Chua was the son
of a farmer. With his three
brothers and two sisters, he
helped his father with the usual
dawn-to-dusk work of growing
vegetables and raising poultry.
In 1956, he entered night school
and at the same time progressed
in his career.
In 1965, he
was awarded a scholarship to
pursue a Naval Architecture
course at the University of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. At that
time, he was also married to
his childhood sweetheart, Alice.
He graduated in 1968 with 1st
Class Honours, winning also
the Burrill Gold Medal.
On his return
to Singapore, and into the formative
years of the Shipbuilding and
Repair Industry, Mr Chua worked
with Keppel Shipyard. His talents,
dedication, robust courage and
quiet strength were recognised
early and he progressed rapidly
from Ship-Repair Manager in
1969 to Managing Director in
1973. The next 10 years were
boom years and Mr Chua was instrumental
in building up Keppel into a
billion dollar group with very
wide interests.
Those who were
fortunate to work with Mr Chua
were quick to find him unassuming,
approachable, honest and sincere.
On close association, they would
come to realise how steady,
caring and committed to high
quality work and good leadership
he was. Invariably, all would
come to respect and trust him.
He died of
a tumour in the liver at the
age of 47. His untimely death
was a loss to his family, his
country and all who knew him.
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