Seow Poh Leng (1883 - 1942) one of the first few Peranakan Babas[1] at Emerald Hill,[2] was a prominent and successful Singaporean banker, founding member of the Ho Hong Bank, member of the committee of the Straits Settlement (Settlement of Singapore),[3] philanthropist and benefactor of public development works.

He failed to win the much-coveted prize, and attributed his failure to the fact that he had to divide his time between his duties as a pupil teacher and preparing for the examinations.

His chequered career included stints as a chemist's assistant, schoolmaster, lawyer's clerk, stock-broker, insurance agent and company liquidator.

HHB was the first Straits Chinese institution to enter the field of worldwide banking and established connections with London, New York City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Batavia and many others, in order to facilitate direct trade between the Chinese in Malaya and people in other parts of the world.

[10][11][14][15][16] According to government archives, Seow was responsible for the development of a row of nine terrace houses along Cairnhill Road.

[19] He was also involved with the Singapore and South Malaya Boy Scouts Association since its inauguration, holding the position of secretary and treasurer, and did much to interest parents in the movement.

He was a lover of Shakespeare and named his seaside bungalow in Siglap "Titania" and his house on Emerald Hill Road, "Oberon.

[23] Apart from The Hawker Bill, in which he played a major role, he was also associated with other subjects he believed to be of importance to the common man like championing pedal rickshaws[24] and the abolition of water meter rents.

[26] In 1903, a bill was drafted by the Chinese Protectorate to provide licensing of hawkers and setting aside spaces where hawking was allowed.

[28] In 1931, the Governor of Singapore appointed a committee "to investigate the hawker question in Singapore and to make recommendations as to any change in policy in this respect which may be considered advisable", consulting and taking evidence from the Municipal Health Officer, the police, Superintendent of Town Cleansing, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Clerical Union, Teo Chew guilds, Indo-Ceylon Club and the Straits Chinese-British Association.

[28] Seow championed the plight of hawkers who he felt were being treated callously and without any regard for the social benefits they were bringing, or for their own precarious economic situation.

[28] Seow's family lived in a shop house along Emerald Hill Road opposite Dr Lim Boon Keng, whom he had worked for on a part-time basis.

[32] One evening, Lilian was out riding in the family's horse carriage and happened to pass by Bidadari, the Christian cemetery.

[35] An alumnus of the Anglo-Chinese School, Seow instituted a medal in 1936 to be awarded to the top ACS boy at the Senior Cambridge/GCE "O" Level Examinations.