Two prominent Teochew groups settle dispute over Teochew building after 6 years
Hands have been shaken and agreement has been signed.
Amber Tay
Two rival Teochew groups, the Ngee Ann Kongsi and Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, have ended their long-drawn dispute over the Teochew Building at 97 Tank Road after six years.
Both groups announced their settlement on Dec. 7, and the continuation of the delayed redevelopment of the Teochew building.
They also expressed their gratitude towards Minister Edwin Tong, the Chairman of the Chinese Community Liaison Group, for his "invaluable advice" and for leading the discussions between both parties.
An amicable, full and final settlement
The Ngee Ann Kongsi is a Teochew philanthropic organisation that places great focus on preserving the Teochew cultural heritage, while the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan is a Teochew clan association and is the second largest clan association after the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan.Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister For Law, was presented as a Guest of Honour at the ceremony to sign the agreement.
Tong's leadership in the discussions was instrumental to the groups being able to have an "amicable, full and final settlement of the dispute", a joint media release by both parties noted.
Tong said that both parties approached the discussions in a very fair and open-minded spirit, conscious of the larger responsibilities they have in fostering current as well as future relations.
Both groups are confident that the settlement will promote the preservation of Teochew culture and heritage in Singapore.
As part of the settlement agreement, both parties agreed to keep the terms strictly confidential.
Disputes began over redevelopment of the Teochew Building
The rival groups have disagreed over the redevelopment of the Teochew Building at 97 Tank Road, according to The Straits Times.The Ngee Ann Kongsi had requested Huay Kuan to vacate the building so it could be redeveloped for education, cultural exhibitions and community activities.
Huay Kuan said it was a unilateral decision and refused to concede to the request.
Lawsuits were filed against each other, with Ngee Ann Kongsi serving an originating summons on the Huay Kuan for the office space it occupied in the building and the Huay Kuan countering the case with the claim that they own the land.
Historical meaning of Teochew Building
The building holds special historical meaning for the Teochew community in Singapore.A building that is almost 60 years old, many Teochew families have memories of attending school and community events held at the building.
Ngee Ann Polytecnic, back then known as Ngee Ann College, was also founded there.
The public dispute between both organisations began in 2017.
