He was the eldest son of See Eng Wat, a prominent Chinese merchant, the grandson of See Hoot Kee, a leader of the early Hokkien communities in Malacca and Singapore, and the older brother See Ewe Boon, who became the comprador of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in Singapore.
[3] See founded Lat Pau, the first major Chinese newspaper in Singapore, in 1881, despite being proficient in English.
He founded the paper for an unknown reason, possibly either for profit, or to raise social awareness and cultural standards.
[3] Following the death of Municipal Board member Lim Eng Keng, the Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser suggested that See be nominated to join the board in 1892, due to his proficiency in English, as well as his occupation as the editor and proprietor of Lat Pau, which forced him to keep up with the times.
[1] However, he turned down the invitation to be elected as its board member, as he wanted to focus on publishing Lat Pau instead.