Chet Singh, pioneer of Penang’s electronics boom, dies at 90

 The former PDC chief helped attract multinational manufacturers to Penang, laying the foundation for Malaysia’s electronics industry.

Chet Singh served as the first general manager of Penang Development Corporation from 1971 to 1991. (Facebook pic)

GEORGE TOWN:

Chet Singh, who helped turn Penang into a major electronics manufacturing hub, died today. He was 90.

His death was announced through a funeral notice posted on Gurdwara Sahib Bayan Baru’s Facebook page.

Chet was the first general manager of Penang Development Corporation (PDC), serving from 1971 to 1991.

He worked closely with then chief minister Lim Chong Eu to bring foreign investors to Penang, which was struggling with unemployment following the loss of its free port status.

Their efforts helped attract companies such as Intel, AMD, Hewlett-Packard and National Semiconductor to Penang, laying the foundation for the electronics industry, which remains a major contributor to the country’s economy.

Chong Eu credited Chet with the state’s industrial success. “He is the father of Penang’s industrialisation, not me,” he was quoted as saying in an account published by The Edge in 2010.

Chet was also associated with Gerakan, the party that governed Penang for nearly four decades, and served as a senator representing the state from 1996 to 1999.

Former chief minister Koh Tsu Koon recalled how Chet helped him attract investors after he took office in 1990.

Koh said Chet accompanied him on his first investment mission to Silicon Valley in the US, introducing him to major investors and advising him on persuading them to expand their operations in Penang.

Despite his stern appearance, Chet had a heart of gold and was always willing to help the poor and disadvantaged, Koh said.

Chet later worked with Lim Guan Eng’s DAP-led administration, serving as a special adviser to the state government.

He oversaw the development of industrial estates and new townships, including Bayan Baru, and helped establish the Penang Skills Development Centre to train workers for the growing manufacturing sector.

Guan Eng described Chet as “one of Penang’s finest sons”. “He had left an indelible mark on Penang’s industrial footprint,” he told FMT.

He recalled how Chet persuaded him to approve the construction of a Sikh temple in Bayan Baru and said he hoped Chet’s family would find comfort in remembering his contributions to Penang and its people.

A wake will be held at Chet’s family home in Minden Heights from 9.30am tomorrow, followed by his last rites at the Batu Gantung Crematorium at 3pm. - FMT