Citation for the CC Tan Award

Mr Menon with his award together with Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, SC

Mr CR Rajah, SC accepting on behalf of Mr Menon the CC Tan Award from 
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, SC

The CC Tan Award inaugurated in 2003 is named after the late Mr Tan Chye Cheng, the first President of the Law Society of Singapore and founding partner of the law practice Tan Rajah & Cheah.

Mr CC Tan embodied and exemplified what is best of the legal profession — honesty, fair play and personal integrity.

The Law Society presents this award to a member of the Society who exemplifies these ideals and can be a role model for each of us, whether we may be a junior or senior member of 
the Bar.

It is with great honour that I read the citation for this 
year’s recipient.

Our recipient of the Award was called to the Bar on 26  January 1962. From his early years as a law undergraduate and as a young lawyer in practice, Mr TPB Menon was blessed to have great mentors of the Singapore legal profession that he could emulate. Mr Bashir Mallal, the gifted editor of the Malayan Law Journal, his pupil master the respected chancery lawyer Mr Eric Choa, founding partner of the law firm Oehlers & Choa and the late Justice Punch Coomaraswamy, who whilst in practice drafted the Legal Profession Act (Cap 161) that gave birth to the Law Society in 1967.

From each of these mentors, Mr Menon learnt that being a lawyer was not about the business of law but the profession of law. He also learnt that as a member of the Bar you had a duty to give back to your profession and so he was imbued early on in his career with the passion to serve the Bar — a passion that still continues 42 years later.

It was extraordinary that in 1964 as a young lawyer of only two years practice and at the tender age of 27 years he was elected a member of Council of the Society and continued to have the support of his peers to serve on Council of the Society until 1983, a total of 19 continuous years.

The pinnacle of the profession’s respect for him saw him hold the elected office of the President of the Law Society for an extraordinary four years, a record shared only by one other President, Mr Graham Starforth Hill.

The list of contributions and prestigious offices held by Mr Menon when printed run into many pages. But tonight, the Society honours and pays tribute simply to Mr Menon the lawyer and man who represents all that is respected of our legal profession. One who does not fear to speak the truth and stand up for what is right, a man whose personal integrity is beyond reproach and embodies in his every action as a practitioner fair play, the mark of a true lawyer.

I must also add as is the case of many a true role model, Mr Menon is a man of great humility and his first reaction to the bestowing of this award by the Society on him was that he was not worthy of such an honour. He told me that he didn’t want a fuss.

Mr Menon unfortunately could not join us tonight as he is currently abroad and so conveys his apologies. I guess this way he avoids the fuss, but not of course the honour. It gives me great pleasure to call upon Mr CR Rajah, SC, last year’s recipient of this award to receive the CC Tan award on Mr Menon’s behalf.