Lim Peng Siang

Lim Peng Siang (林秉祥) or Lin Bengxian (1872–1944) together with his brother Lim Peng Mao of Lin Bingmao, through their Ho Hong Group of companies, founded in 1904, had interests in banking, shipping, parboiled rice, oil mills, cement, coconut and other businesses. President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce from 1913 to 1916 except for 1914 when he was Vice-President. He had close ties with the Hong Kong Fujian Chamber of Commerce and he and his brother Lim Peng Mao (Lin Bingmao) were listed as honourable chairpersons of that association between 1930 and 1941. Member of the Chinese Advisory Board between 1921 and 1941. His Ho Hong group built circa 1910 was the most diversified group in Malaya at the time. Peng Siang Quay in Singapore is named after him.

Lim Peng Siang, the son of Lim Ho Puah and the only daughter of Wee Bin, the founder of Wee Bin & Co. He was born in Amoy, Fujian, China in 1872. After receiving his education in Chinese, he travelled to Singapore when he was still very young. Like his father, Mr. Lim Peng Siang was a naturalised British subject and had been so since 1902. He received private tuition in acquired most of his English education from private tuition. He was a student at the St. Joseph's Institution.

He joined the firm of Wee Bin & Co., which was then under the management of his father, Lim Ho Puah, and eventually rose to its head before setting out to start the Ho Hong Group. He took over the greater part of the firm's business, including the large steamers when the firm of Wee Bin & Co. was liquidated in 1911

In 1914 Lim Peng Siang founds the Ho Hong Steamship Company Ltd. In 1936 Lim Peng Siang sells most of his shares in Ho Hong Steamship to OCBC.

He founded the Chinese Commercial Bank in 1912 together with other members of the Singapore Hokkien business community. Together with Lim Boon Keng, Seow Poh Leng and others he founded the Ho Hong Bank in 1917. In 1932, The Chinese Commercial Bank and the Ho Hong Bank merged with the Oversea-Chinese Bank to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, later known as OCBC.

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