Kan Yuet-keung

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Kan.

Cho-yiu Kwan
Succeeded bySir Quo-wei Lee
Personal details
Born(1913-07-26)26 July 1913
Hong Kong
Died14 September 2012(2012-09-14) (aged 99)
Hong Kong
Spouse(s)
Ida, Lady Kan
​
​
(m. 1940; died 1999)​
EducationDiocesan Boys' School
Alma materUniversity of Hong Kong (BA, 1934)
London School of Economics (LLB, 1937)
Occupationpolitician, banker, solicitor
Kan Yuet-keung
Hanyu Pinyin
Jiǎn Yuèqiáng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationGáan Yuht kèuhng
JyutpingGaan2 Jyut6 koeng4

Sir Yuet-keung Kan

JP (Chinese: 簡悅強, 26 July 1913 – 14 September 2012) was a Hong Kong banker, politician and lawyer who was successively appointed Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council and Executive Council in the 1960s and 1970s. He also served as chairman of the Bank of East Asia
for 20 years.

Biography

Early years

Kan was born on 26 July 1913 in Hong Kong to a wealthy family which is descended from

Life Science
and Medicine in 2004.

Kan studied in

Morrison Hall. He graduated from the University in 1934 and obtained a BA degree. As an alumnus of the Morrison Hall, he once recalled that "Morrisonians have always had such wonderful team spirit!"[2] He then moved to the United Kingdom for further study and read law in the London School of Economics
. He worked briefly in a firm in England after graduation and returned to Hong Kong in 1938, where he became a practising solicitor.

Business career

Kan had a fast-growing career in law, business and banking in Hong Kong. He once worked as a senior partner of the famous local

Harbour Centre Development Limited for some time. Besides, Kan had taken over his family banking business, and served as chairman of the Bank of East Asia
from 1963 to 1983.

From 1970 to 1975, he was appointed as the chairman of the

International Toy Fair for the first time. Kan left the Council in 1975 but was re-appointed in 1979. In his second tenure, he kept on visiting different countries and promoting trading benefits of Hong Kong. On the other hand, the Council tied up closer relationship with Japan by setting up a new office in Osaka in 1979 and establishing an Economic Cooperation Committee with the Japanese government. In 1980, he also led a business tour to visit Canton. Kan finally retired from the Council in 1983. [citation needed
]

Public service

As early as 1957, Kan was appointed as a councillor of the

Urban Council and served as a member of the government's Public Service Commission from July 1959 to June 1961.[3]

He was appointed an

Queen's Birthday Honours.[4] He left the Urban Council in 1961 and became an unofficial member of the Legislative Council.[5][6] He was named chairman of the government's Transport Advisory Committee
.

A cross-harbour Star Ferry

During his chairmanship of the Transport Advisory Committee in 1966, the

Kowloon Riots
afterwards.

Apart from his membership in the Legislative Council, he was additionally appointed as an unofficial member of the

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours.[10]

After the riot, Kan was further promoted to the status of the senior unofficial member of the Legislative Council in 1968.[11] Afterwards, he began holding a variety of public posts including the chairmanships or the memberships of the School Medical Service Board, Public Service Commission, Social Welfare Advisory Committee, the Legislative Council's Finance Committee, etc.

Kan was knighted in the 1972 New Year Honours,[12] and travelled to Buckingham Palace to receive the accolade in July.[13] He retired from the Legislative Council that same year, but continued to serve on the Executive Council.[14][15] In 1974, he was appointed senior unofficial member of the Executive Council. Soon afterwards, the price of rice in Hong Kong rose drastically and it resulted in a general inflation. To solve the problem, the government appointed Sir Yuet Keung as the first ever chairman of the Consumer Council in the history of Hong Kong.[16]

In 1978, a strike began by local civil servants. He was called to hold talks with the strikers and successfully reconciled the dispute. When

British Government intended to give up over the issue of sovereignty, Sir Yuet Keung felt the future of Hong Kong was less assured. After the visit, he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE),[17] and retired from the Executive Council in 1980, choosing to fade out from the politics of Hong Kong
.

Later years

Kan was appointed life member of Court of the

Pro-Chancellor
of the Chinese University.

In retirement, Kan lived in Hong Kong but had almost withdrawn from public life. He died on 14 September 2012, aged 99.[18] His funeral was quietly held at Hong Kong Funeral Home on 18 September 2012.[19] He is interred in the ossuary at Hong Kong Cemetery.

Family

Kan married his wife Ida in 1940. They have two sons and a daughter.

Honours

Orders

Honorary degrees

Other public posts held

  • Member of the Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1963–1967)
  • Chairman of the Chung Chi College Board of Trustees[21] (1964–1968)
  • Chairman of the Council of the Chinese University (1971–1982)
  • Life member of Court of the University of Hong Kong (appointed 1 February 1972)[22]
  • Life member of the Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (appointed 1983)
  • Pro-Chancellor of the Chinese University (1983–1996)

Footnotes

  1. ^ 简悦威：首届邵逸夫生命科学奖得主 Archived 28 November 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Xz6.2000y.net. Retrieved on 31 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Sharing of Alumni (in chronological order)". Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). hku.hk
  3. ^ http://www.psc.gov.hk/tc_chi/ann_rep/files/00repc.pdf (PDF) Archived 29 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 31 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b "No. 41727". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 June 1959. p. 3721.
  5. ^ "No. 42387". The London Gazette. 16 June 1961. p. 4496.
  6. ^ "No. 43312". The London Gazette. 1 May 1964. p. 3773.
  7. ^ "No. 44014". The London Gazette. 7 June 1966. p. 6598.
  8. ^ "No. 44615". The London Gazette. 18 June 1968. p. 6800.
  9. S2CID 154693338
    .
  10. ^ a b "No. 44326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1967. p. 6288.
  11. ^ "No. 44615". The London Gazette. 18 June 1968. p. 6799.
  12. ^ a b "No. 45554". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1971. pp. 1–2.
  13. ^ "No. 45731". The London Gazette. 21 July 1972. p. 8753.
  14. ^ "No. 45589". The London Gazette. 3 February 1972. p. 1378.
  15. ^ "No. 45747". The London Gazette. 8 August 1972. p. 9448.
  16. ^ Annual Report 2002-2003 Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine. (PDF). consumer.org.hk. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  17. ^ a b "No. 47869". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1979. p. 7.
  18. ^ Kan, Yuet Keung (retrieved on 1 November 2013)
  19. ^ 〈簡悅強逝世終年99歲〉，《信報財經新聞》A13，2012年9月19日。
  20. ^ Sir Yuet Keung Kan has been the longest serving Justice of Peace since 2007. See lists of Hong Kong Justices of Peace Archived 6 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Sir Yuet Keung Kan played an important role in the foundation of the Chung Chi College. Under his assistance after the World War II, the College was recognized by the government as a qualified higher education institute. He also participated in the drafting of the Written Provision of the College and helped to build new campus for the College in Ma Liu Shui.
  22. ^ Membership of the Court of the University of Hong Kong Archived 9 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Hku.hk. Retrieved 31 December 2011.

References

External links

  • Profile, supertrader.com. Accessed 10 August 2023.
Business positions
Preceded by Chairman of the Bank of East Asia
1963–1983 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council
1968–1972 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir S. N. Chau
 Chairman of Hong Kong Trade Development Council
1970–1975 		Succeeded by
T. K. Ann
New creation Chairman of
Hong Kong Consumer Council

1974–1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir Albert Rodrigues
 Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council
1974–1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
T. K. Ann
 Chairman of Hong Kong Trade Development Council
1979–1983 		Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
1971–1982 		Succeeded by
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