B. Govindasamy Chettiar

Balaguru Govindasamy Chettiar (5 September 1889 – 6 April 1948) was a contractor who supplied the Singapore Harbour Board with labourers. He eventually became one of the board's three major contractors. A philanthropist, he helped fund the construction of several local religious buildings and the renovations of the Sri Mariamman Temple, being a member of its management committee.

Early life Govindasamy was born in India on 5 September 1889. His parents came from the villages of Komalammal, which was in Southern India, Thirunaapalli and Udayarpalayam. According to his nephew S. L. Perumal, the entire family was mostly split between these three villages. Perumal also claimed that it was 'tradition' for men in the family to come to Southeast Asia for work. He began working for Mohammed Yusoff, a contractor who supplied labourers to the Singapore Harbour Board, Following the death of Farid Serang in 1933, his son, K. P. Mohammed Yusoff, succeeded him as Govindasamy's partner and the business was renamed the Indian Labour Company. However, his business ended when the Singapore Harbour Board instead turned to hiring labourers directly in early 1948. In February of the following year, he was elected a member of the Hindu Advisory Board of Singapore. Govindasamy was elected the vice-president of the Singapore Indian Association at a general meeting held on 28 February. He was also the association's trustee of immovable properties. However, he resigned from this position by December and was succeeded by K. Raghunathan. In May 1934, he was elected a member of the committee for the Ramakrishna Mission in Singapore. Govindasamy, fellow community leader Vayloo Pakirisamy Pillai, M. Vaithilingam Pillay and A. Tharumalingam Pillay were appointed by the Hindu Endowments Board in May 1935 to serve on the management committee of both the Sri Mariamman Temple on South Bridge Road and the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road. He helped fund renovation works which were carried out on the Sri Mariamman Temple. In July 1941, he was elected a member of the committee of the Southern Indian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. In the 1940s, Govindasamy helped manage the Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple.

Personal life and death Govindasamy was Hindu. He lived on Cantonment Road. Govindasamy died in his home on 6 April 1948. The funeral, held later that day, reportedly "attracted attendees from all races." On Govindasamy's death, all labourers at the Singapore Harbour Board who were of Chinese and Indian ethnicity stopped working for four hours. According to Laura Yan, this was significant not only due to the decline of contractors but also because "unity was fraught between Chinese and Indian laborers on the waterfront." Govindasamy has been posthumously inducted into the Indian Hall of Fame Singapore. He was also awarded the organisation's Navroji Mistri Excellence Award For Philanthropy.