Cycle & Electric was founded in 1943 by Tan Ai Meng in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation. Mr Tan, a signalling specialist formerly with the Singapore Harbour Board, set up the company on Bras Basah Road to provide electrical repair and maintenance services to the community.
Starting a business during the occupation required practical necessity as much as commercial judgment. The equipment that needed fixing didn’t stop needing fixing because the political situation was dangerous. Mr Tan’s decision to put his technical skills to work for local clients rather than serve the occupation authorities defined both the character and the purpose of the company he founded.
The name Cycle & Electric would eventually be shortened to Cyclect in 1973 when the company rebranded and expanded. But the founding story — a technically trained individual, a practical problem, a commitment to reliable service — remains the baseline against which Cyclect’s subsequent 80 years should be understood.