Born in Singapore, Tan was the only child of Tan Guan Chua, a member of the Chinese Advisory Board and the
Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce committee. He was educated at the
St. Joseph's Institution school, leaving in 1928. He won a scholarship to attend
St Joseph's Academy in
London, where he became friends with
Ong Hock Thye. After returning from India, Tan became involved in politics. He was appointed to the Advisory Council in 1946, serving until the following year, The elections saw the PP win three of the six elected seats. In the
1951 elections Tan ran in the
Tanglin constituency, receiving 80% of the vote against his
Labour Party rival, with the PP winning six of the nine elected seats. In 1954 he was part of the nine-man panel led by
George William Rendel that reviewed the territory's constitution, The PP won only four of the 25 seats, with the Labour Front winning 10. As a result, Marshall became the island's first
Chief Minister. Tan had been one of the founders of the Tan, Rajah & Cheah law firm in 1947, He served as president of the
Singapore Olympic Sports Council from 1951 until 1962, and as chairman of
The Straits Times press between 1974 and 1982. He died of heart failure at age 80 on 6 March 1991. ==Legacy==