Tan Boon Teik, founding chairman of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and the country’s longest serving attorney-general post independence, has passed away.

Tan, who passed away on Mar. 10, was chairman of the SIAC between July 1991 and August 1999.

As SIAC’s first chairman, Tan played a vital role in setting up the centre, which has helped Singapore rise to prominence as a hub for regional and international commercial arbitration. In 1991, the centre saw only two cases, with the number rising to 89 in 1999.

Prior to joining SIAC, Tan held office as the attorney-general of Singapore from 1969 to 1992.  He is survived by his wife, two children and five grandchildren. ALB