Govindasamy Pillai Part 1: Brief Biography

P. Govindasamy Pillai, or popularly known as PGP, was born in Koorainadu, Mayavaram, Tanjore District,Tamil Nadu, India in 1887 and died in 1980. He was a successful businessman and a well-known philantropist. He was donated a lot to Perumal Temple and he was also a founder-member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce set up in 1937. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission and was a Justice of the Peace in 1939.

He ran away from home in his teens and came to Singapore by ship in 1905. He searched long and hard for a job and finally found one at a provision store. Unfortunately, he had to work throughout the day and past midnight. He was not paid; only given food and a place to stay. However, this job provided him with the knowledge that he would need to run a business.

He went back to India in 1929 with his new wife. When he returned to Singapore, he was dismayed to find out that he had lost his job as the owner of the provision store had passed away and the store was put up for sale. He took the advantage of the situation by buying the shop with some money he had borrowed from the chettiars (Indian moneylenders).

He originally named the shop Dhanalakhshmi Stores but later changed the name of the store to P. Govindasamy Pillai Stores or PGP Stores. He sold oils, spices and grains. He lived frugally and saved up enough money to start more shops. He also invested in properties.

He and his family managed to escape the second-world-war but he had to start from scratch when he came back to Singapore in 1945 as all of his goods and properties had been taken away. However, he did not give up. He expanded his business over the Causeway and prospered.

He retired in 1963 and his family managed the store until 1998, when it had to close down due to enormous debts. When he died of a heart attack at the age of 93, an Indian community leader said,” The Indian community will mourn the loss of a grand patriarch of old whose like Singapore will not see again.” Govindasamy Pillai's shared what he had with the poor. He always maintained that more Indians should settle in Singapore.

References:
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/singapore/facts_old_singapore/353/singapore8217s_tamil_pioneer_mr_p_govindasamy.php
http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_262_2005-01-13.html