The short but significant story of the Khean Guan Insurance Company
By Wong Yee Tuan
March 2010 FEATURE
Not many realise that the first non-Western insurance enterprise in South-east Asia was founded in Penang in the late 19th century. This was no strange coincidence. In fact, it was a reflection of the continuing importance of the island as a transport hub long after Singapore was considered the centre for impulses of modernisation in the region.In 1885, the Chinese-owned Khean Guan Insurance Company was established in Penang. This was in response to the growing number of Western insurance companies...
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Wong Yee Tuan
is Fellow and Head of Penang Institute’s History and Heritage Programme. He hails from Malim Nawar and has profound research interest in the history of Penang.
