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...
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.
