Bursary and Prize in honour of Singapore’s longest-serving Attorney-General

In honour of the late former Attorney-General (AG), Mr Tan Boon Teik, and to commemorate his 25 years of dedicated service and contributions in shaping the legal landscape of Singapore as AG, SMU has established a memorial fund in his name.  A total of about S$230,000 has been raised to date.  The Fund will be used to establish the S$5,000 Tan Boon Teik Bursary and the S$1,500 Prize for Top Student in Constitutional and Administrative Law.

Holding his post from 1969 to his retirement in 1992, the late Mr Tan was the longest-serving AG of post-independence Singapore.  He played a pivotal role in spearheading the formation of the Singapore Academy of Law and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.  He also served as the Chairman of the Insurance Corporation of Singapore and of the Singapore Petroleum Corporation.  Despite his heavy responsibilities as the Public Prosecutor and the Government’s principal legal officer, he found time for the arts.  A talented pianist himself, he was the founding Chairman of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and steered the orchestra for many years.

[Photo: The late Mr Tan Boon Teik was the longest-serving Attorney-General of post-independence Singapore. (Photo courtesy of The Straits Times)]

At a donor appreciation lunch hosted by SMU President, Professor Arnoud De Meyer, on 17 April 2013, Professor Tan Sook Yee, wife of the late Mr Tan Boon Teik, said: “My family and I feel extremely honoured for this generous tribute.  Boon Teik himself would have been thrilled for his name to be associated, through the generosity of his friends, with the advancement of learning in Singapore, and in particular with the stirring of interest in constitutional law.”

In memory of Mr Tan and to honour his love for music, the Tan Boon Teik Bursary recipient must demonstrate, other than financial need, an involvement in performing arts.  The first recipient of the Bursary is one such talented young SMU undergraduate.  A second-year law student, Theong Li Han not only excels in her law studies, she has also been very committed in her musical pursuits – she started learning the piano when she was six, and also picked up guzheng and erhu when she was in school.  She was a member of the Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra, and was selected to give a solo erhu performance in 2008.

“I appreciate and treasure the opportunities my father worked so hard to give me, so I strive to work hard in everything I do so as to pave the way to a better future for them and myself,” Li Han wrote in her bursary application.

[Photo: Li Han performing a western piece on the erhu for the guests present at the appreciation lunch.]

She performed Czardas by Vittorio Monti on the erhu for the guests at the event, but not before expressing her gratitude to the Tan family and the donors present: “With this bursary, my father now does not have to worry as much about the expenses incurred in my academic pursuits.  I greatly appreciate the generous support extended by the donors as this will allow me to continue pursuing my aspirations without putting the financial burden on my family.”

“This strengthens my conviction to not only aspire to be a good lawyer, but also a good person. Though my abilities as a law student are limited, I hope to contribute back to society in the little ways I can such as by doing an internship at the Legal Aid Bureau, and helping out at pro bono clinics. It would be very satisfying to contribute to these worthy causes, and I certainly hope that in time to come, I would too be equipped with the capabilities to support deserving students in their pursuits,” she said.

Among the guests who were present for the event were Professor Tan Sook Yee, her daughter, son, sister and niece; Former Chief Justice Mr Chan Sek Keong and Mrs Elizabeth Chan; and Judge of Appeal Justice Chao Hick Tin.

[Featured photo: Li Han (2nd from left) with Professor Tan Sook Yee (1st from left) and her family.]