The Singapore Standard more commonly known as Singapore Tiger Standard or Tiger Standard, was a Singapore newspaper that was published in English language. The newspaper was founded by millionaire Aw Boon Haw, who was famous for his Tiger Balm and Star Newspapers. Singapore Standard was the sister newspaper of Hongkong Tiger Standard, as well as Sin Chew Jit Po of Singapore and Malaysia, which were published in Chinese. Aw Boon Haw also founded many newspapers in other location. Shortly after the Colony of Singapore gained its self-governance, Sin Poh Amalgamated, the publisher, stopped to publish the newspaper in 1959. It was reported that Aw Cheng Taik, a relative of Aw and former managing director of Singapore Standard, founded another "Tiger Newspaper" in August 1959 in Kuala Lumpur in the Federation of Malaya, which published in Chinese language. "Kuala Lumpur Tiger" was stopped to publish either in 1961, due to financial difficulties. Singapore Standard, the Federation of Malaya edition was also published by the same press for nearby Federation of Malaya.
History
Singapore Standard was founded by millionaire Aw Boon Haw in 1950. Despite born in Burma, he was ethnic Hakka Chinese. According to Joe Conceicao, a former member of parliament of Singapore, the newspaper reflected the Chinese entreprenetiral interests. The foundation of the newspaper was shortly before the closure of Malaya Tribune , an English newspaper. However, shortly after its foundation, his son, Aw Hoe, who helped to found The Standard newspapers as well as Sing Tao Daily, died during a plane crash in January 1951. Other sons and relatives of Aw Boon Haw then filled the positions to manage Singapore Standard. Aw Boon Haw died in 1954, which Hong Kong Tiger Standard fall to the hand of his daughter Sally Aw and his grandson Aw Toke Tone, which Sally Aw had a bitter relationship with her Singapore-based family members, regarding the heritage of Aw Boon Haw in Hong Kong. It was reported that the last managing director of Singapore Standard was Aw Cheng Taik, nephew of Aw Boon Haw and son of the late Aw Boon Par. Nevertheless, under Aw family, Singapore Standard became one of the most circulated English newspaper in the colony of Singapore, which Singapore Standard was credited as "№2", by its competitor The Straits Times in April 1959. In the eve of Singaporean general election, May 1959, former Singapore Standard and The Straits Times editor S. Rajaratnam, who was a politician of People's Action Party at that time, attacked Singapore Standard was ‘less intelligent’ and ‘anti-Merdeka’ in April 1959. PAP also attacked The Straits Times in April, as well as mentioning Singapore Standard. Despite the State of Singapore Act was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1958, the de facto self-governance of Singapore was achieved after May 1959 election, which PAP became the ruling party and still the ruling party at present. Shortly after PAP gained the power, Aw family decided to close down the newspaper on 31 July 1959, without announcing any reason. Singapore Union of Journalists expressed ‘deep concern’ on the closure, saying nearly all the staff did not know the closure until on the same day of the press release of Singapore Standard on 31 July. It was reported that the staff of the newspaper submitted the claim of additional severance package, but the management board refused to increase it.
Masthead and name
The masthead of the newspaper featured the name Singapore Standard, as well as the Tiger trademark of Aw Boon Haw's Eng Aun Tong in between the two words, making the common name of the newspaper was Singapore Tiger Standard. In some version, the Chinese name 星洲虎報, literally "Singapore Tiger News" was also shown. The sister newspaper in Hong Kong, was still called 英文虎報 as its Chinese proper name, literally "English Tiger News", despite its official name in English was just The Standard.
