He was a member of the Legislative Council of Singapore, and was the first lawyer in private practice to be conferred the CMG.

[1] He attended Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, and won the Teacher Scholarship at the age of 12 in 1898.

[1] He won the Queen's Scholarship for 1904, and left for England to study at Downing College in Cambridge.

[1] Chan was nominated to be a member of the Legislative Council of Singapore in place of Song Ong Siang on 29 October 1927.

Fell were appointed temporary unofficial members of the Executive Council in 1935, replacing Tan Cheng Lock and Sir Arnold P. Robinson.

Then governor of the Straits Settlements Sir Shenton Thomas personally conferred the honour on him at his residence.

[7] His funeral was held the next day at Bidadari Cemetery,[8] and was officiated by Reverend Goh Hood Keng.