List of Hwa Chong Institution people



The following is a list of notable staff and alumni from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) and its predecessor schools, The Chinese High School (TCHS) and Hwa Chong Junior College (HCJC).

Notable staff

 * Chen Wen Hsi (陈文希), Singaporean pioneer artist; taught art at TCHS.
 * Lao She (老舍), writer; taught at TCHS in 1929
 * Lee Kong Chian (李光前), businessman and philanthropist; served as chairman of TCHS's board of directors from 1934 to 1956
 * Lim Hak Tai (林学大), founder and first principal of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts; taught art and mathematics at TCHS
 * Liu Kang (刘抗), oil painter; taught art at TCHS
 * Tan Kah Kee (陈嘉庚), businessman and philanthropist; founded TCHS in 1918
 * Tan Keong Choon (陈共存), businessman and philanthropist; Tan Kah Kee's nephew; founded HCJC and served as the first chairperson of its management committee from 1974 to 1996
 * Quah Chin Lai (柯进来), businessman and philanthropist; served as director in 1950s - 1960s.

Heads of State

 * Ong Teng Cheong (王鼎昌), fifth President of Singapore; graduated from TCHS in 1955

Active Singaporean Politicians

 * Baey Yam Keng (马炎庆), Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport, former Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth; graduated from HCJC in 1988
 * Chee Hong Tat (徐芳达), Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance (Singapore) and Ministry of Transport (Singapore), graduated from TCHS
 * Grace Fu Hai Yien (傅海燕), Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and former Leader of the House; graduated from HCJC in 1981
 * Koh Poh Koon (许宝琨), Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Manpower (Singapore); graduated from HCJC in 1990
 * Lim Wee Kiak (林伟杰), MP for Sembawang GRC; graduated from TCHS in 1984 and from HCJC in 1986
 * K Muralidharan Pillai, MP for Bukit Batok SMC; graduated from HCJC in 1985
 * Sim Ann (沈颖), Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Communications and Information; graduated from HCJC in 1993
 * Tin Pei Ling (陈佩玲), MP for MacPherson SMC; graduated from HCJC in 2001
 * Tan Kiat How (陈杰豪), Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of National Development
 * Hazel Poa, Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP)
 * Denise Phua, MP for Jalan Besar GRC & Mayor of Central Singapore District
 * Tan Wu Meng, MP for Jurong GRC, Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry
 * Henry Kwek, MP for Kebun Baru SMC, graduated from TCHS
 * Louis Chua, MP for Sengkang GRC
 * Melvin Yong, MP for Radin Mas SMC & Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC, graduated from TCHS in 1988
 * Sitoh Yih Pin, MP for Potong Pasir SMC
 * Ang Wei Neng, MP for West Coast GRC

Retired Singaporean Politicians

 * Jek Yeun Thong (易润堂), former Minister for Labour, Minister for Culture, Minister for Science and Technology, and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and to Denmark; studied at TCHS but was expelled from school by the British colonial government in 1950
 * Ker Sin Tze (柯新治), former Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and the Arts
 * Yeo Guat Kwang (杨木光), Assistant Director-General of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) and former MP; graduated from TCHS in 1977
 * Ng Chee Meng (黄志明), former Minister in the Prime Minister's Office; eighth Chief of Defence Force; graduated from HCJC
 * Lee Yi Shyan (李奕贤), former MP for East Coast GRC; graduated from HCJC in 1980
 * Sam Tan Chin Siong (陈振泉), former Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development; graduated from HCJC in 1976
 * Leon Perera, former NCMP and MP for Aljunied GRC; graduated from HCJC

Singapore Armed Forces personnel

 * Aaron Beng Yao Cheng (孟耀诚), current Chief of Defence Force; graduated from HCJC in 1999.
 * Goh Si Hou (吴仕豪), former Chief of the Singapore Army; graduated from HCJC in 1996.
 * Hoo Cher Mou (符策谋), former Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF); graduated from HCJC in 1984
 * Ng Chee Khern (黄志勤), former Chief of the RSAF; graduated from HCJC in 1983
 * Ng Chee Peng (黄志平), former Chief of the Republic of Singapore Navy
 * Ng Yat Chung (伍逸松), Chief Executive Officer of Neptune Orient Lines; fifth Chief of Defence Force; graduated from HCJC in 1979

Others

 * Lim Chin Siong (林清祥), trade union leader; leftist politician of the PAP and Barisan Sosialis; studied at TCHS but was expelled from school by the British colonial government in 1952
 * Yam Ah Mee (杨雅镁), former Chief Executive Director of the People's Association; former Chief of the Land Transport Authority; Returning Officer in the 2011 General Election
 * Goh Meng Seng, leader of People's Power Party
 * Lim Tean, Secretary General of Peoples Voice

Business and entrepreneurs

 * Shou Zi Chew, CEO of tech company TikTok.
 * Jessica Tan, Executive Director and Co-CEO of Ping An Group.
 * Calvin Cheng Ern Lee, former Nominated Member of Parliament and Chairman of Retech Group; graduated from TCHS and HCJC
 * Min-Liang Tan, founder of tech company Razer.
 * Olivia Lum Ooi Lin (林爱莲), founder of Hyflux; graduated from HCJC in the 1980s, former Nominated Member of Parliament
 * Tan Chin Hwee (陈竞辉), CEO (Asia-Pacific) of Trafigura; graduated from HCJC
 * Brandon Wade, founder of online dating websites; he studied at HCJC
 * Wee Cho Yaw, Chairman of United Overseas Bank; studied at TCHS but his studies were disrupted by the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore in 1941–1942
 * Kenny Yap Kim Lee, founder of Qian Hu Corporation
 * Tan Chin Hwee, businessman and business academic, member of Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST) set up under the Future Economy Council (FEC)
 * Quah Leong Guan (柯良元), Businessman of Hiap Leong Kee & Co Ltd graduated from TCHS in 1940.

Academics, scientists and writers

 * Chen Xujing, historian, sociologist and university administrator
 * Koh Buck Song, poet, writer and journalist; graduated from HCJC
 * Madeleine Lee, poet
 * Colin Cheong, award winning writer
 * Thio Li-ann, former Nominated Member of Parliament

Sportspeople

 * Benedict Tan, gold medal winner for sailing at the 1994 Asian Games and four-time SEA Games gold medalist; former Nominated Member of Parliament; medical director at the Singapore Sports Medicine Centre; graduated from HCJC
 * Soh Rui Yong, long-distance runner who holds four national records in Singapore, winning gold at the SEA Games in 2017; graduated from TCHS

Arts, entertainment and media personalities

 * Film, television and theatre:
 * Anthony Chen, film director; graduated from TCHS
 * Sharon Au, former MediaCorp actress; graduated from HCJC
 * Adam Chen, MediaCorp actor; graduated from TCHS and HCJC
 * Chua Lam, food critic, columnist and television personality
 * Kuo Pao Kun, playwright, theatre director and arts activist; attended TCHS in the 1950s
 * Ng Hui, MediaCorp actress; graduated from HCJC
 * Alan Tern, MediaCorp actor; graduated from TCHS and HCJC
 * Nelson Chia, co-founder of Nine Years Theatre
 * Woon Tai Ho, veteran media practitioner, TV producer, art collector and writer, founder of Channel NewsAsia
 * Music
 * Bevlyn Khoo, jazz pop singer songwriter
 * Choo Huey, music conductor; graduated from TCHS in the late 1940s
 * Eric Moo Chii Yuan, singer-songwriter; studied at TCHS
 * Joel Tan, stage name Gentle Bones, singer-songwriter; graduated from HCI in 2012
 * Liang Wern Fook, music composer; graduated from HCJC
 * Lorraine Tan, singer-songwriter and founder of My Singapore Music Charity Education Project; graduated from HCJC
 * Lydia Tan Di Ya, female champion of singing contest Project SuperStar Season 2; graduated from HCJC
 * Ng Chee Yang, champion of singing contest Campus SuperStar Season 1; graduated from HCI in 2007
 * Tan Boon Wah, singer-songwriter
 * Tan Wee-Hsin, music conductor and violist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra; graduated from TCHS and HCJC
 * Arts
 * Grace Quek, better known as Annabel Chong, web designer, artist and former pornographic actress; graduated from HCJC
 * Ho Ho Ying, expressionist painter and art critic; attended TCHS in the 1950s
 * Tan Swie Hian, artist; graduated from TCHS in 1964

Others

 * Jane Lee, first woman from Southeast Asia to scale the Seven Summits; associate with McKinsey & Company; graduated from HCJC
 * Lee Kin Mun, better known as mrbrown, blogger and political critic; graduated from HCJC