Thavamani Kumar, Law Library Head

On 1 January 2001, the NUS Law Library was renamed the C J Koh Law Library. It is named after the late philanthropist and lawyer, Mr Koh Choon Joo, better known as Mr C J Koh. This was made possible by the late Mr Koh who pledged $5 million in November 1997 for the Law Library to embark on an extensive renovation and extension project. The University has received $4 million of this donation to date.

Renovations at the C J Koh Library began in July 2000. Phase One has just been completed with the basement of the Library being entirely renovated. The library offices and library collections on the entrance floor have been moved to the basement. Phase Two of the renovation works involving the renovation on the Entrance Level and the extension of the Law Faculty has just begun. This phase of the building works is expected to be completed by the end of 2001. When completed, users can look forward to a brand new library with improved facilities and better ambience. In addition, the library entrance will be relocated to face the car park area. The building will be more prominently featured and will thus make it easier for library users and visitors to locate the library. The new physical arrangement and enhanced ambience will give the library a distinctive identity reflecting the quality and uniqueness of the library and its collection.

The late Mr Koh’s generous nature can be seen in his many donations to various educational institutions. To NUS alone, he has donated nearly $8 million. This includes the $5 million pledge for the Law Library building, $200,000 for two law scholarships, $2 million to set up the C J Koh Professorship in Law (launched in October 1996), a donation of $500,000 to the NUS Endowment Fund to initiate the acquisitions of law books for the C J Koh Collection at the Law Library and $30,000 to kick-start this collection.

Mr C J Koh was born in Indonesia in 1901, the second son of Mr. Koh Ijin Keng. His father, a merchant from Iegal, Java, Dutch East Indies, sent him to England at the tender age of six for his education. He stayed with a Welsh family and did his early studies in North Wales. He later proceeded to London, where he was admitted to the Middle Temple on 17 March 1925. Our research shows that Mr C J Koh was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple on 26 January 1928. He was described in the Middle Temple records as being 28 years old, a headmaster, holding a B.A. (Wales) and being resident at 5 Talgarth Road, West Kensington, W14. Upon being called, Mr Koh came to Singapore and joined Sir Ong Siang Song in his law firm and practised law till he set up his own practice.

Mr Koh is remembered as a quiet and reserved individual. He enjoyed writing poetry and fiction. He read the works of great philosophers, like Socrates and Aristotle and even kept a scrap book with his thoughts on these philosophical works and his own observations on life. He was an enthusiastic artist and avid art collector. In his retirement years, he completed 400 oil paintings, some of which will be displayed in the new C J Koh Law Library. A self-taught artist, Mr Koh only stopped painting when he was too old to do so.

As a lawyer, he inspired great loyalty among his clients, so much so that they always insisted on him being their lawyer when they needed legal advice. He also served as a magistrate in the Juvenile Court in Singapore in an honorary capacity at the age of 50. This remarkable and unassuming gentleman passed away peacefully on 6 September 1997, at the ripe old age of 96.