SINGAPORE — Tributes have poured in for the late Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) president Adrian Tan, who died on Saturday aged 57 after fighting cancer for more than a year.

The acclaim came from across the political spectrum and from those involved in the publishing world, where he gained early success as a best-selling author.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam described Tan as “multi-talented, a true Renaissance man” who died “far too young” and “far too soon”.

"A Renaissance man" refers to a cultured person who is knowledgeable and expert in a range of fields.

Mr Shanmugam, who said he had known him for many years, acknowledged Tan’s efforts to address the long working hours and working conditions of young lawyers as LawSoc president.

He also noted Tan’s “virally popular posts on LinkedIn”, the professional networking site.

“A sharp mind with a wonderful heart,” wrote Mr Shanmugam.  “His passing is a big loss.”

Tan was a partner at TSMP Law Corporation and was appointed Law Society president in January last year.

Known for his active presence on social media, he expressed his opinions on various topics, spanning from the legal field to social issues and the welfare of cats.

BESTSELLING AUTHOR

In the late 1980s, Tan gained recognition as a young writer with his bestselling works, The Teenage Textbook and The Teenage Workbook. The two books were later adapted for both stage and screen.

Workers' Party Member of Parliament Jamus Lim wrote on Facebook of the “profound” impact the books had on him in his teenage years, as he wrestled with the “doubt, insecurities, and fears of adolescence”.

Taking to Twitter, Malaysian comedian Ronny Chieng called The Teenage Textbook his “favourite” Singaporean book. 

He shared an exchange he had with Tan in 2016, where he had thanked Tan for writing the books that deeply resonated with him due to their accurate portrayal of the Singapore education system.

"I wrote the two novels because I wanted to record what it was like to grow up in Singapore during that era," Tan had replied.

Cartoonist and filmmaker Colin Goh described how Tan had “generously” written the foreword to his first collection of Orchard Road strips.

KNOWN AS 'KING OF SINGAPORE' ON LINKEDIN

After his early success as a novelist, Tan later became known for his commentary on a wide range of topics, especially on LinkedIn.

He gained a wide following on the platform for humorously dubbing himself the "King of Singapore," playfully alluding to how he would handle matters in Singapore if he were in charge.

He referred to himself as the “masked litigator, advocate for advocates, socially and emotionally distant law firm partner” on his LinkedIn profile.

Some topics he touched on that went viral included school admissions, migrant workers and raising cats as pets in public housing blocks.

According to Mr Goh Eck Kheng, founder of Landmark Books, Tan had intended to compile the "If I Were the King of Singapore” LinkedIn pieces into a book.

“You will be missed, Adrian Tan. You are truly the King of Singapore,” said blogger Lee Kin Mun (Mr Brown) on Twitter.