Tee Tua Ba

Tee Tua Ba (b. 17 June 1942, Singapore–)¹ is a diplomat and a former commissioner of police. Over the course of his 30-year career in the civil service, Tee filled leadership roles in the Marine Police (now known as the Police Coast Guard), Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Singapore Prison Service and Criminal Investigation Department (CID), among others. After his tenure as commissioner of police from 1992 to 1997, Tee retired from the police force² and was appointed Singapore’s high commissioner or ambassador to a number of states including Brunei, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Cyprus. He has been the non-resident ambassador to Switzerland since February 2013 and chairman of the Singapore Red Cross Society since 2008.

Education
Tee studied at Serangoon English School (1949–59), Victoria School (1959–60) and then Raffles Institution (1960–61),³ obtaining a full certificate in the Cambridge Higher School Examination in 1961.⁴ In 1966, he graduated from the University of Singapore (now National University of Singapore) with a Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree and was called to the Singapore Bar.⁵

Civil service career
Instead of embarking on a career in the legal profession, Tee chose to pursue his ambition and joined the police force in 1967 as an assistant superintendent of police.⁶ In 1968, Tee took part in a police operation to apprehend kidnapper Loh Ngut Fong⁷ and his gang from a house off Yio Chu Kang Road. The operation, which involved more than 300 police personnel, ended in a shootout and Loh’s death.⁸ In 1971, Tee was promoted to deputy superintendent of police.⁹

Tee was the officer-in-charge of the Marine Police during the Laju hijacking off Pulau Bukom on 31 January 1974.¹⁰ After a failed attempt to blow up oil tanks at a refinery on Pulau Bukom, four men armed with guns and explosives hijacked a ferryboat and took five members of the crew hostage. Two men were from the Japanese Red Army, while the other two were members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Tee, unarmed, initiated contact with the hijackers and was involved in negotiations with them over the following week. He was said to be instrumental in persuading the hijackers to surrender their arms and release the hostages in exchange for the Singapore government’s facilitation of their safe passage to Kuwait.¹¹ Due to his calm and competent management of the crisis, Tee’s abilities were brought to the attention of the police force’s top management.¹²

Subsequently, Tee held several key appointments and ascended swiftly through the ranks, including:

1976–1978: Commander (Areas) of Police Divisions¹³
1978–1981: Director, Central Narcotics Bureau¹⁴
1981: Deputy Commissioner (Operations); Director, CID¹⁵
1982–1987: Deputy Commissioner of Police¹⁶
1987–1992: Director of Prisons¹⁷
1992–1997: Commissioner of PoliceTee retired as Commissioner of Police in 1997.¹⁸

In his various leadership roles, Tee initiated a number of institutional and cultural reforms. As head of the Prisons Department, he emphasised the need to counsel and rehabilitate prisoners rather than to use punishment.¹⁹ He also sought to inject flexibility into the rigid hierarchy that then characterised the Prison Service and introduced the Prison Scheme of Service to attract and retain talented officers.²⁰ As commissioner of police, Tee introduced a set of core values for policemen to allow them greater initiative and discretion.²¹ This was done to empower staff and abolish the “play it safe” and top-down culture in favour of a more proactive mentality. Tee was also credited for reducing Singapore’s crime rate during his tenure as commissioner.²²

Tee’s experience in safeguarding Singapore’s internal security led him to be part of the three-member panel tasked to investigate the escape of Mas Selamat Kastari, leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group, from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in 2008.²³ Tee’s expertise was again put to good use when he was appointed as a member of the committee of inquiry that investigated the Little India riot that occurred on 8 December 2013.²⁴

Diplomatic career
After his retirement as police chief, Tee served in various diplomatic positions.

1997–2001: High commissioner to Negara Brunei Darussalam²⁵
2002–2006: Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, with concurrent accreditation to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Cyprus
2008–2012: Non-resident Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates²⁶
2013–present: Non-resident ambassador to Switzerland²⁷

Other appointments
Tee was appointed as chairman of the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) Society in 2008 at the recommendation of then Singapore President S. R. Nathan. As chairman of the SRC, Tee looked to promote a spirit of volunteerism and a passion for humanitarian work amongst Singaporeans.²⁸

Tee has also held directorships in various companies and institutions. He was the director of Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (or SCORE; 1972–92), member of the Singapore Sports Council (1993–96) and director of the Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation of Singapore (now known as Certis CISCO; 1992–97).²⁹

Awards
Tee has received a number of awards during his three decades with the civil service. These include:

1974: Public Administration Medal (Silver)³⁰
1981: Public Administration Medal (Gold)³¹
1986: Gold Medal of Honour, Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association³²
1994: Darjah Panglima Setia Makhota (Commander of the Order of the Crown of Malaysia)³³
1996: Royal Malaysia Police Order for Valour Medal³⁴
1998: Meritorious Service Medal³⁵

Family
Tee is married to Adelene Kong and they have two sons.³⁶



Author
Terence Foo



References
1. Singapore. Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, “Appointment of Singapore’s High Commissioner To Cyprus,” press release, 25 June 2002. (From National Archives of Singapore document no. 2002062501)
2. D. Miller, “Goodbye, Police Commissioner Tee,” Straits Times, 1 July 1997, 24. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Tee Tua Ba, oral history interview with Jason Lim, 26 May 2001, transcript and MP3 audio 30:35, Reel/Disc 1 of 2, National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 002323)
4. “Cambridge Higher School Certificate Exam Results,” Straits Times, 28 February 1962, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
5. “14 Called to the Bar in Singapore,” Straits Times, 15 December 1966, 13. (From NewspaperSG)
6. “Brunei Posting for Ex-Police Chief,” Straits Times, 6 August 1997, 39. (From NewspaperSG)
7. “Youths on the Fringe,” Straits Times, 21 May 1993, 34. (From NewspaperSG)
8. Hoe Pei Shan, “He Faced Off Against Terrorists, Triads,” Straits Times, 25 May 2015. (From NewspaperSG)
9. Felix Soh, “New Police Chief Man behind Big Drug Bust, Prison Reforms,” Straits Times, 30 June 1992, 22. (From NewspaperSG)
10. Leslie Fong, “The Laju Affair,” Straits Times, 17 February 1974, 8. (From NewspaperSG)
11. “Three Men Who Had To Deal with the Bukom Bombers,” Straits Times, 17 February 1974, 13. (From NewspaperSG)
12. “N-Day Honours for Laju Heroes,” Straits Times, 9 August 1974, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
13. Soh, “New Police Chief Man behind Big Drug Bust, Prison Reforms.” 
14. “CNB Chief expected To Rejoin Police Force,” Straits Times, 5 March, 1981, 8. (From NewspaperSG)
15. “CID Chief: New Breed of Young Dangerous Thugs,” Straits Times, 12 September 1981, 11. (From NewspaperSG)
16. “Senior Police Officer To Join Prisons,” Straits Times, 26 November 1987, 14. (From NewspaperSG)
17. Kar Tiang Low, Who’s Who in Singapore (Singapore: Who’s Who Publishing, 2003), 410. (Call no. RSING 920.05957 WHO)
18. D. Miller, “Goodbye, Police Commissioner Tee,” Straits Times, 1 July 1997, 24. (From NewspaperSG)
19. Ng Wan Ching, “New Style of Prison Officer,” Straits Times, 3 March 1990, 8. (From NewspaperSG)
20. Soh, “New Police Chief Man behind Big Drug Bust, Prison Reforms.” 
21. “Policemen Given Core Values To Guide Their Actions,” Straits Times, 4 April 1995, 26. (From NewspaperSG)
22. D. Miller, “Robbery and Murder Rates Hit 30-Year Low,” Straits Times, 22 March 1997, 23. (From NewspaperSG)
23. Chong C. K. “Some Findings About Escape won't be Revealed,” Straits Times, 17 March 2008, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
24. Singapore. Ministry of Home Affairs, “Appointment of a Committee of Inquiry into Little India Riot on 8 December 2013,” press release, 13 December 2013.
25. Leslie Koh, “Top Award for Ex-Police Chief,” Straits Times, 9 August 1998, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
26. Singapore. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Appointments of Singapore’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Switzerland,” press release, 27 February 2013.
27. Singapore. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Appointments of Singapore’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Switzerland.”
28. T. Tan, “Red Cross Gets New Chairman,” Straits Times, 19 December 2008, 61 (From NewspaperSG); “Patron and Council,” Singapore Red Cross Society, accessed 17 May 2016.
29. Singapore. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Appointments of Singapore’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Switzerland.”
30. “N-Day Honours for Laju Heroes.”
31. K. Bala, “New Millitary Honours for Outstanding SAF Officers,” Straits Times, 9 August 1981, 25. (From NewspaperSG)
32. Kar, Who’s Who in Singapore, 410.
33. “KL Civilian Award for Police Commissioner,” Straits Times, 5 October 1994, 25. (From NewspaperSG)
34. “Brunei Posting for Ex-Police Chief,” Straits Times, 6 August 1997, 39. (From NewspaperSG)
35. Koh, “Top Award for Ex-Police Chief.” 
36. “Egypt, UK Get New Singapore Diplomats,” Today, 5 January 2002, 2. (From NewspaperSG)



The information in this article is valid as at 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further resources on the topic.