Year 1932, GROUP PHOTOGRAPH OF FOUNDING OF OCBC SHOWING:
FRONT ROW: KHOO SOO HONG (SECOND FROM LEFT), TAN CHIN TUAN (FOURTH FROM LEFT), YEO THIAN SIEW (FIFTH FROM LEFT), TAN ENG KIAM (SIXTH FROM LEFT), ONG PIAH TENG (SEVENTH FROM LEFT).
BACK ROW: YAP PENG GEK (LEFT), KWA SIEW TEE (THIRD FROM LEFT), CHEW HOCK LEONG (SIXTH LEFT) AND MR TEO (RIGHT)
Powerful and Influencial Figure
Little known Kwa Siew Tee (柯守智), Kwa Geok Choo's (LKY wife) father was immensely rich and one of the most powerful man in Singapore. He had been appointed the Municipal Commissioner in 1947, and Public Service Commissioner in 1953. Both are extremely powerful position and in theory, held the power to appoint and dismiss top civil servants.
Forex Trader
Kwa was a senior bankster in OCBC doing things related to forex trading. Banksters do not produce anything, they simply feed on productive host economy. Wonder PAP's perpetual policy to increase asset price screwing the working class, is due to all these bankster relative.
Inter-marriage between powerful families
- Kwa Siew Tee's wife Wee Yew Neo, is daughter of Wee Theam Seng, a senior OCBC Bankster.
- Kwa Siew Tee's brother-in-law is Tan Chin Tuan, who married Helen Wee, another daughter of Wee Theam Seng.
OCBC Alumni
OCBC influences on Singapore are comparable to Goldman Sachs on USA. A large disproportional number of powerful office holders are connected to OCBC. To name a few below.
Lee Kuan Yew PM
- father-in-law OCBC senior bankster
Yong Pung How Chief Justice
- 1976-1982 work in OCBC
Teo Chee Hean Deputy PM
- father Teo Cheng Guan OCBC chairman 1989-1991
Tony Tan Deputy PM
- family is one of OCBC founders
2nd Generation Kwa, many illustrious figures
2 out of 3 survivng sons of Kwa Siew Tee hold perm sec position and many of important appointments. One of the son-in-law was made minister in LKY's cabinet. The 3rd generation are less prominent in public office but do not under-estimate their hidden wealth and influences.
Sons
Kwa Soon Hock 柯顺福
-Died Young
Kwa Soon Lock 柯顺禄
-Killed by Japanese
Kwa Soon Siew 柯顺寿
- no info
Kwa Soon Chuan 柯顺全
-Perm Sec and many other top appointments
Kwa Soon Bee 柯顺美
-Perm Sec and many other top appointments
Daughter
Kwa Geok Neo 柯玉娘
-
Kwa Geok Lan 柯玉兰
- married Yong Nyuk Lin 杨玉麟 who later became minister of various ministries
Kwa Geok Choo 柯玉芝
- married LKY, PM of Singapore
Kwa Geok Lian 柯玉莲
- married Earnest Lau, a school principal
Kwa Geok Eng 柯玉英
- no info
Kwa's family and LKY road to power
Without the Kwa family network of powerful families, it is questionable whether LKY can emerge as the leader of PAP in 1950s given then, there are many other extremely capable and charismatic leaders in the party. The nexus of Kwa family probably also helped LKY to win the trust of British, which handed over to him the control of security apparatus. That is the key LKY is able arrest his political opponents.