Tan Sri (Dr) Tan Chin Tuan not only had a formidable reputation for business, he was also one of the island’s best-known philanthropists. Since 2005 the foundation bearing his name has been housed in the restored mansion and run by his family. His granddaughter, Chew Gek Hiang, estimates hundreds of millions of dollars have gone to charitable causes since 1976 when the foundation was first formed. She meets her siblings and her mother, who chairs the foundation, once a month in the mansion to seek consensus in deciding which projects to give to.

Madam Hirnie Tahir lost her cashier job when her degenerative eye disease became worse last year. Her former husband was in jail and she needed money for her four children, aged five to 11.

Then came a surprise one-off gift of $200 from the Community Justice Centre (CJC).

Min Chyi, 17, tried to add some colour to Mr Tay Ah Sai’s life yesterday, as she helped the 83-year-old paint the Lion King character Mufasa.

One dream starred the Merlion. Another featured a robot with a square head; yet another conjured up fishes and a light blue sea.

As Chew Kwee San tells it, council meetings at the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation (TCT Foundation) are lively sessions with multiple conversations going on at the same time.

To instill harmony between communities – regardless of race, religion or different expectations. That is the message a theater group is advocating through their performance at the Ace Festival which will start tomorrow.