MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Great Eastern puts first Singaporean
woman on Mount Everest
“Life is great!” for 28-year-old financial
planner who receives $50,000 sponsorship
to conquer world’s highest peak

Singapore, 7 March 2008: With the support of Great Eastern and fellow life planners, 28-year-old Great Eastern life planner Linda Tan will be putting herself through one of life’s greatest physical and mental challenges –- to be the first Singaporean woman to attempt the world’s highest peak at Mount Everest. She plans to set off on 31 March 2008 and if she is successful, Linda will also be the first Singaporean to summit via the more difficult North Ridge route.

Linda has been undergoing rigorous training in preparation for the climb. However, the obstacles Mount Everest presents are not just physical and mental, but also financial: she needs $50,000 to cover the cost of her expedition. Great Eastern has stepped in to raise the funds required.

Great Eastern’s Managing Director (Singapore), Mr Tan Hak Leh said, “Linda’s perseverance and positive attitude – as an adventurous mountaineer and a successful life planner - is highly commendable and we hope her fellow life planners will be inspired by her can-do spirit. Great Eastern takes pride in making life great for people around us and as we celebrate our centennial this year, we are proud to do our bit in helping Linda reach the peak of her life.”

In addition to a lump sum funding from the Company, the agency network has also helped to raise the fund through the sale of a book entitled "Life's Great Journey – Life’s 100 Great Quotes: Incorporating 100 Years of Life’s Great Moments". Published in commemoration of Great Eastern's centennial, the book is a collection of 100 quotes of great leaders and philosophers including Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi.

When asked how she felt about receiving the funding from Great Eastern, Linda said, "I am really blessed to be part of Great Eastern. The Company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and I am grateful for the chance to send a triumphant birthday greeting from the summit of Mount Everest!”

Life is great when your dream turns into reality
Linda started mountaineering since she was a student at the National University of Singapore. She joined the “Make It Real” student mountaineering programme, and for the past five years, her life has been dominated by training up to six days a week. This involves 40-storey stair-climbing with heavy packs, 10-kilometre runs, hiking in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, overnight walks and frequent gym sessions. She had also forked out her savings to acquire essential snow-and-ice experience in New Zealand, Nepal, China and Xinjiang, steadily increasing her altitude exposure towards her goal of 8,850 metres.

She hopes that being the first female Singaporean to ascend Mount Everest will help her win the battle of mindsets. “During training, I realised that many had low expectations of me, simply because I am a woman. I did not understand that. I hope that my ascent will demonstrate that women are as good as the men! I don’t believe in letting others dictate what we can or cannot do,” Linda explained.

To many who have asked her “Why Everest?”, she said, “When I was introduced to mountaineering, I only knew of the existence of Everest which seemed the epitome of excellence. I locked my sights on it and have never looked back since.”

She added gratefully: “It's been a long, tumultuous journey over the past five years. I went through many experiences, the most frightening one of which was when I tore my ankle ligaments a week before a major expedition. It’s surreal that I'm finally looking at the last lap of my dream: a dream that could not have come true without the support of Great Eastern, and my family and friends who have given selflessly of themselves. Even when I am thousands of miles away from them, I know they are supporting me in spirit.”

Ms Sim Phei Sunn, a team-mate with whom she recently climbed Mustagh Ata (7,546m), said, "Linda is a very brave and endearing girl. She is one of the toughest persons I know. With her immense mental strength and endurance, I am confident that she will be able to push herself to the maximum to achieve her Everest dream."

Members of the public who wish to support Linda's climb can log on to www.lifeisgreat.com.sg for more details.

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Great Eastern Celebrates its Centennial

For 100 years, we have grown with you.
As we journey into the next 100 years and beyond, we remain dedicated to making life great with financial security, good health and meaningful relationships.

Founded on 26 August 1908 by a Canadian, AH Fair, Great Eastern Life Assurance Co Ltd has the distinction of being the oldest and most established life insurance company in Singapore and Malaysia. It began with only 15 staff and assets of $70,000 and was shaped by big names, including Lee Kong Chian, Runme Shaw and SQ Wong. Tan Chin Tuan became Chairman in 1969 during which the Company expanded to become the market leader in the region. The Company continued to strengthen under the chairmanship of Howe Yoon Chong and Michael Wong Pakshong.

In November 1999, Great Eastern Holdings Ltd was incorporated and became the holding company of Great Eastern Life. Overseas Assurance Corporation Ltd, incorporated in 1920 as the first composite insurer in Singapore, merged with Great Eastern Holdings in December 2000.

Today, Great Eastern is the largest insurance group and the market leader in Singapore and Malaysia, with $46.5 billion in assets and 3 million policyholders, with two successful distribution channels - the tied agency force and bancassurance.

The Company also operates in China, Indonesia and Brunei, with representative offices in Beijing, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It will be starting operations in Vietnam by the middle of the year.

Great Eastern is a subsidiary of OCBC Bank, Singapore’s longest established bank with assets of $175 billion and a network of over 460 branches and representative offices in 15 countries and territories. Great Eastern’s subsidiary, Lion Capital Management, is one of the largest asset management companies in Southeast Asia.

Great Eastern is proud to have consistently achieved strong financial performance, and delivered value to its shareholders and customer service excellence to its policyholders. With its core values of integrity, initiative and involvement in the way it manages its business, Great Eastern believes that everyone can enjoy a better quality of life and have peace of mind as a result of sound financial planning. It also believes that leading a healthy lifestyle and cultivating meaningful relationships with family and friends are essential for a fulfilling life.

Website: www.lifeisgreat.com.sg

For more information, please contact:

Margaret Lim
AVP (Corporate Communications)
Great Eastern Life Assurance Co Ltd
Tel: 6248 2103
E mail: margaretlim@lifeisgreat.com.sg

OR

Charmaine Lim
Assistant Corporate Communications Manager
Great Eastern Life Assurance Co Ltd
Tel: 6248 2547
Email: charmainelzy@lifeisgreat.com.sg