Dato’ Dr. Lee Kong China (1893-1967) was born in a poor family in An Mei Shan, Fujian Province. At 10, he accompanied his father to sail to the South Seas, looking for a living. He was able to continue his education in English and Chinese with the help of others. Due to his the advantage of his bilingual education, he was employed by a company dealing in Chinese goods, working as an English language clerk in charge of dealing with foreign companies. This also marked his entry into the business world. Later he was employed by a rubber company owned by Tan Kah Kee where he began to shine as an entrepreneur.
Later he founded Nam Yi Rubber Company and venture into pineapple planting and production business, become the Rubber and Pineapple King of the country. He also ventured into the financial industry and served as Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Bank. He was one of the ten richest Chinese businessmen and a well-known entrepreneur, educationist, and philanthropist not only in Singapore and Malaysia, but in Southeast Asia. He contributed significantly towards the building of schools, and cultural and educational causes. In 1958 he was conferred the Honorary Doctorate by the Law Faculty of University of Malaya.
He was the founding President of the ACCCIM (formerly known as Malaya Chinese Chambers of Commerce) when it was founded on February 23, 1947. Amidst the aftermath of the Second World War, his daunting tasks included uniting Chinese chambers of commerce in the various states of Malaya (including Singapore which was part of the Malayan Federation), reviving industrial and commercial activities in the country and carrying out the activities of the ACCCIM. In 1947, under his leadership, the ACCCIM launched a 20-year drive to urge the government to submit claims to the Japanese for atrocities committed against the people of Malaya.
