The Philanthropist Series: Dr Lee Oi Kum

“It is important that we change our mindset from I to We, from an individual to the linked paths of many to the same purpose in life.”

-Dr Lee Oi Kum

Having the ability to give is a blessing, and spending time and effort to gift others in need is a selfless choice. In our second feature, we are honoured to have with us Dr Lee Oi Kum to share about her life story and experience.

Dr Lee is a respected figure in the Asia Philanthropic Circle, with a wealth of experience in various organizations. As a member of the Inner Wheel Club of Singapore West since 1980, she has held leadership roles such as President, District Level Chairperson for Singapore and Malaysia, and national representative in the International Inner Wheel Club. Dr Lee is also a board member and country chair for Singapore at the Family Business Network Asia. She is the Founder and Executive Chairperson of BBX Holdings Pte Ltd and comes from a second-generation business family in Ipoh, Malaysia with interests in palm oil plantations, chemicals, and real estate development.

Through a fated connection with the MSC, Dr Lee brought together the Inner Wheel Club of Singapore West and the Family Business Network Asia to organise an extraordinary jukebox musical called “Living with Lucy” to raise fund for MSC’s cause. The show debuted on 24 and 25 February 2023, and both nights saw an astounding full house.

There’s much to learn from Dr Lee, so let’s take a moment off your busy schedule to be inspired by her story.

Could you share with us how you first became acquainted with the Mind Science Centre?

Dr Lee: Mrs Wee Geok Hua, a close friend of mine, established the Wee Sin Tho Memorial Fund with MSC in honour of her late husband. Through her introduction, I met Professor Kua Ee Heok and began to know more about the centre’s meaningful community efforts.

Amongst the community efforts, which initiatives are you particularly interested in contributing towards?

Dr Lee: As someone with an implementing mentality, I was immediately drawn to the Age Well Everyday (AWE) program. This interest was further fuelled as it was a legacy left behind by the late Mrs Teo Poh Yim, who was a friend of mine. The impact of the program on caregivers and the elderly in delaying the onset of dementia was impressive. I believe there is a significant need to expand the AWE program by providing training and support for volunteers to establish more senior activity centres in partnership with the neighbourhood community.

We are immensely grateful for all the efforts by Inner Wheel Club of Singapore West and Family Business Network Asia in organizing the recent musical ‘Living with Lucy’. Please share with us the story of how this musical was conceptualized and realized.

Dr Lee: As an invited guest to MSC’s musical – “The Undefeated Mind” in March 2022, I was moved to laughter and even tears. However, due to COVID restrictions, the audience was small and I commented that it was a shame that not many people were able to enjoy the production. At the same event, Claudia from the Inner Wheel Club of Singapore and her husband, Martin Heck also shared similar emotions and thoughts. Prof Kua then introduced me to Mary Anne Tan, who was responsible for scripting, producing, and staging the musical. We clicked as new friends, and Mary Anne agreed to act as the liaison person to stage the production again if we can come up with a budget for the production.

With stars aligned, I began to learn more about MSC and their need for funds to develop programs for seniors, volunteers and caregivers, based on their research data. After learning about the programs developed for the elderly and aging, I realized that our project could have a greater impact beyond just hosting a musical. As a result, I took on the role of Chairperson for the organizing committee and began enlisting the support of friends who shared our vision.

Our objective at the Inner Wheel Club of Singapore West is ‘from personal service to community service’ and I believe that small is beautiful but little grains of sand can make the mighty ocean. With the support of Inner Wheel Club of Singapore West’s President Maya Mitsis and her committee, we decided to underwrite part of the production costs and collaborate as one of the organizers. In addition, I reached out to my connections in the Family Business Network Asia and secured support from their board to co-organize the event under their interest group – Force for Good.

The collaboration was finalized in October and with the showtime set in February, we had limited time to organize and raise funds for the AWE program. Nonetheless, with the help of the organizing committees, especially Janet Lim, Claudia Heck, Helen Yang and Mary Ann Tsao, we managed to keep to a tight schedule and deliver two amazing show nights!

Every big change starts from small purposeful steps. What is the change you wish to see with the donations raised through the musical?

Dr Lee:

As the tagline of AWE program goes: “Active aging in the community, by the community, for the community” and the quote from Prof Kua that “Dementia may be daunting, but there are ways to slow down the debilitating symptoms”, we were inspired to convey these key messages through “Living with Lucy.”

Our goal was to fill all seats with targeted caregivers, potential volunteers and donors. I am pleased that we had two full-house show nights for the production. Beyond that, the funding we received was heartening, as it showed that the same cause resonated with the donors.

The organizers would like to continue their relationship with MSC by conducting volunteer training workshops and starting more senior activity centres in neighborhood communities to help volunteers, caregivers and the elderly maintain their mental wellness in trying times.

Please share with us a story of people or an event you have encountered in your life that drives your commitment to give a philanthropic contribution for a meaningful cause.

Dr Lee: Good business management and philanthropic activity must go together. Giving back to the community is not just about donating funds, but also about contributing time, expertise, and network to make a difference in people’s lives. Growing up, I learned about my grandfather’s philanthropic efforts to help new immigrants in a small mining town off Ipoh. He provided them with board and lodging for a few months until they found jobs in the tin mines during pre-world war 2 times. He was one of the lucky immigrants who travelled to Malaysia in the earlier days and secured a land lease with tin ore in Perak after many years of hardship. My parents continued this tradition by championing schools and hospitals to be built in the community with the profits from their palm oil plantation business, despite living a frugal and tough life during war times.

I saw the importance of good business management in philanthropy when my mother became the chairperson of an old folks’ home that our family sponsored yearly. She realized that there is a need for a systematic change in running the home. From there, she made several changes, including replacing the board of governors, hiring younger people with key expertise in legal and accounting, firing the corrupted manager, hiring people with the ‘heart’ and implementing a transparent donation accounting system. Within a year, the home only needed 10% of the cash funding to operate and by the second year, they had excess rice, vegetables, and TCM tonic to share with other homes. This transparent and efficient management system attracted more donors, volunteers like Tzu Chi, and NGO’s to contribute, making the project more impactful.

From this experience, I learned that any meaningful project is not just about me, but about encouraging others to contribute and work together as a team. By doing so, the impact of philanthropy can be multiplied, and more people can benefit from it.

A concluding statement

Dr Lee:

My two main belief systems are:

1) The Circular Economy – finding value in waste and avoiding waste. This applies to not only natural resources, but also human resources.

2) A Change Mindset from I to We – I is an individual path, We will be the linked paths of that lead to the same destination.

I urge all who share the same beliefs as me to join me in supporting initiatives that will help to promote mental resilience in the community. If you have the means to contribute, be it time or money, our efforts will have ripple effects to create a mentally and socially resilient community for everyone.

Support MSC’s initiatives - Promote mental resilience across all ages!

The Age Well Everyday Program, Mind Art Experiential Lab, MindGym, and Dementia Asia e-Portal are just a few examples of the impactful programs your donation can help fund. Join us in our mission to build a community that values mental health and resilience. Give the gift of mental wellness today!

To make a philanthropic donation, click HERE.