Portraits of Prominent Overseas Chinese in Singapore and Johor

Khoo Hun Yeang 邱汉阳

Khoo Hun Yeang

Khoo Hun Yeang was born in Penang in 1860 to Khoo Thean Teik. His father was a prominent figure in Penang and Perak. Khoo Hun Yeang was educated in Penang and joined his father's business in coconut plantation in Province Wellesley.  He managed the business successfully for 10 years and returned to Penang to assist her father's interest in the Penang Opium and Spirit Farm in which he remained for another 6 years. 

Khoo Hun Yeang later commenced business on his own account in Penang under the firm chop Chin Lee & Co., trading in tin and general trades. In 1899 he joined the Singapore Opium and Spirit Farm, and was appointed managing director of the farm from 1902 until 1906. He relinquished his interest in the Singapore farm and went to Kuching to venture in the construction industry. 

Khoo Hun Yeang was the Vice-Chairman of the Penang Chinese Town Hall, a Board Member of the Kek Lok Si Temple and the Cheng Hoon Giam Temple (Snake Temple). The main street, Khoo Hun Yeang Road, in which he built in Kuching was named after him. He died in Medan in 1917 and was buried in Kampung Bahru, Penang, at his family burial ground. He was survived by a principal wife Ong Gek Chai (王玉钗), 8 sons, his two elder sons Khoo Siew Jin (b. 1884) and Khoo Siew Ghee were prominent merchants in Singapore.

Chan Chew Koon 曾秋坤

Baron Chan, FRCPCH, MBE
© Gary Lee; Universal Pictorial Press and Agency Ltd

Chan Chew Koon was the first Chinese Lord appointed to the House of Lords in Great Britain. Chan Chew Koon or Michael Chan was born on 6 March 1940 in Singapore. He was educated at Raffles Institution, Singapore and studied medicine at Guy's Hospital.

Michael first served as lecturer and pediatrician at the University of Singapore (now National University of Singapore). Shortly after his return to Singapore, in 1974 he continued his studies in Von Willebrand's disease (a study on the symptoms similar to hemophilia) under the supervision of Professor Roger Michael Hardisty at the University of London's Institute of Child Health. In 1976, Michael then posted as lecturer and pediatrician at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (University of Liverpool). He remained for almost 18 years before appointed as the director of Ethnic Health Unit in National Health Service. 

Michael was an active social activist concerning the rights of minorities in Great Britain. He was an advisor to the Secretary of State for the Home Department and a commissioner of Commission for Racial Equality, a non-departmental public organisation in the UK which aimed to solve racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Michael also held various important positions in the field of race relations in the UK, and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1991. 

In 2001, he was appointed member of the peerage and became Lord Chan of Oxton in the County of Merseyside. Michael married Irene Chee Wei Len in 1965 and has a son, Stephen Chan and daughter, Ruth Chan. He died on 21 January 2006. 

A Pictorial History of the Overseas Chinese: Song Ong Siang Chinese Portraits Collection

One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore 
One of the highly sought after reference materials in Chinese studies in the Straits Settlements would be the classical One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore compiled by Song Ong Siang (later Sir). This 602-page book was first published in 1923 by John Murray, London and later reprinted by the University Malaya Press (1967) and Oxford University Press (1984). 

The objective of the compilation is to document all influential Chinese in Singapore since its inception as a British Colony in 1819. Hundred of Chinese community leaders, merchants, politicians, etc. are discussed in an anecdotal flow beginning with the history of Singapore as a British Colony. The stories of the Singapore Chinese business interests and contributions to the development of early Singapore are embodied in this book. There are over 100 Chinese individual portraits and family photographs featured in this hard-bound book.

Below is the list of individuals with their portraits featured in the book. 

1. Boey Ah Sam 
2. Chan Kim Boon 
3. Chan Sze Jin 
4. Chan Sze Onn 
5. Chao Kim Keat 
6. Cheang Hong Lim 
7. Cheong Ann Bee 
8. Cheong Chun Tin 
9. Cheong Swee Whatt 
10. Chia Ann Siang 
11. Chia Guan Eng 
12. Chia Hood Theam 
13. Ching Keng Lee 
14. Chao Chuan Ghiok 
15. Chao Giang Thye 
16. Eu Tong Sen 
17. Foo Teng Quee 
18. Gan Eng Seng 
19. Gaw Boon Chan 
20. Goh Hood Keng 
21. Goh Lai Hee 
22. Hoo Ah Kay 
23. Hoo Ah Yip 
24. Hoo Keng Tuck 
25. Kiong Chin Eng 
26. Koh Eng Hoon 
27. Koh San Hin 
28. Kow Soon Kim 
29. Kum Cheng Soo 
30. Kung Tuan Cheng 
31. K.Y. Doo 
32. Lee Cheng Yan 
33. Lee Choo Neo 
34. Lee Choon Guan 
35. Lee Hoon Leong 
36. Lew Yuk Lin 
37. Lim Boon Keng 
38. Lim Chwee Leong 
39. Lim Han Hoe 
40. Lim Ho Puah 
41. Lim Keng Kiat 
42. Lim Koon Yang 
43. Lim Kwee Eng 
44. Lim Leack 
45. Lim Nee Soon 
46. Lim Peng Siang 
47. Low Ah Jit 
48. Low Boon Pin 
49. Low Cheang Yee 
50. Low Kway Soo 
51. Low Peng Yam 
52. Michael Seet 
53. Ng Sing Phang 
54. Oei Tiong Ham 
55. Ong Ewe Hai 
56. Ong Sam Leong 
57. Ong Tek Lim 
58. S.C. Yin 
59. Seah Cheng Joo 
60. Seah Chiam Yeow 
61. Seah Eng Choe 
62. Seah Eu Chin 
63. Seah Liang Seah 
64. Seow Poh Leng 
65. Song Hoot Kiam 
66. Song Ong Joo 
67. Song Ong Siang 
68. Song Tiang Kay 
69. Tan Beng Gum 
70. Tan Beng Swee 
71. Tan Boon Chin 
72. Tan Chay Yan 
73. Tan Cheng Tuan 
74. Tan Chin Hoon 
75. Tan Choon Bock 
76. Tan Jiak Kim 
77. Tan Jiak Ngoh 
78. Tan Keong Saik 
79. Tan Kheam Hock 
80. Tan Kim Ching 
81. Tan Kim Wah 
82. Tan Kong Wee 
83. Tan Poh Neo 
84. Tan Soo Bin 
85. Tan Soo Guan 
86. Tan Soo Jin 
87. Tan Teck Guan 
88. Tan Yeok Nee 
89. Tan Yong Siak 
90. Tay Geok Teat 
91. Tay Ho Swee 
92. Tay Sek Tin 
93. Tchan Chun Fook 
94. Teo Hoo Lye 
95. Teo Lee 
96. Teo Teow Peng 
97. Thong Siong Lim 
98. Wan Eng Kiat 
99. Wee Ah Hood 
100. Wee Bin 
101. Wee Boon Teck 
102. Wee Guat Kim 
103. Wee Kim Yam 
104. Wee Swee Teow 
105. Wong Ah Fook 
106. Wong Siew Qui 
107. Wong Tuan Keng 
108. Yeo Swee Hee 
109. Yow Ngan Pan

Lim Leack 林烈

Lim Leack

Lim Leack or Lim Liak was born in 1804 in China with ancestry in Jingli (鏡里). He migrated to Straits Settlements in 1825. In his early time he commenced general trading under the firm Chop Hiap Chin, in which engaged principally in tin and tapioca.

In 1824, Singapore was officially established as a British Crown Colony, eyeing on the business opportunity in the new colony, Lim Leack moved there and co-founded a well-known firm, Messrs. Leack, Chin Seng & Co. The company's early founders were Lim Leack and Tan Chin Seng (son of Tan Oh Lee). It was later joined by Chee Yam Chuan. The Messrs. Leack, Chin Seng & Co., supplied various Chinese food and stuffs to the early Chinese immigrants, and was then known in Singapore as the single largest importer of goods from China. In which, stood on par with Wee Bin & Co. and Yap Whatt & Co. The firm was located at No. 29 Market Street, Singapore. 

In 1851, in partnership with a prominent Straits Chinese merchant, Tan Chin Seng, they opened a branch of Leack, Chin Seng & Co. in Malacca engaged in  logistic and steamship. Apart from this, the firm in Malacca was also an exporter of tin and tapioca to China. However, in engaging the business in China, Leack, Chin Seng & Co., represented itself as a British trading company by raising the Union Jack in their vessels.

Lim Leack also had the interest in property investment, in 1828 he bought three land lots in Singapore. In 1855, he purchased a 9-acre land at Tiong Bahru from the British East India Company and left it for his descendants. The land was later claimed by the Singapore government for development in 1927.

Lim Leack's family was also known for their staunch support to Tengku Kudin during the civil war in Selangor (1867 - 1874). The relation between the Lim family with the local Malay elites is an exemplary of early social and political engagements of different ethnics in the then Malaya. However, this formation is mainly driven for the purpose of ensuring continuous economy monopolization. In which, the Lim family had the interest in tin mining concession in Selangor.   

When Lim Leack died on 22 August 1875 in Hong Kong, his eldest son Lim Tek Hee (also spelled as Lim Teck Ghee) took over his business interests and inherited a considerable amount of his wealth under the Estate of Lim Leack dated on 28 June 1863.

The contributions of Lim Leack towards the economy growth of early Singapore's foundation was considered invaluable. In 1941, Lim Liak Street in Tiong Bahru Estate, Singapore was named in honour of him. 

Wife:
1. Yeo Im Neo (d. 1887)

Sons:
1. Lim Teck Ghee (d. 1892) married Tan Poh Neo (1839 - 1910)
2. Lim Teck Whee (d. 1883) married Wee Watt Neo (1842-1924)
3. Lim Teck Chiang
4. Lim Tang Hun (adopted) married Wee Hoon Neo

Daughters:
1. Lim Lan Neo

Grandchildren:
1. Lim Chan Sin son of Lim Teck Whee
2. Lim Chan Siew (1877-1931) son of Lim Teck Whee

Great Grandchildren:
1. Lim Chin Chye (1896-1955) son of Lim Chan Siew
2. Lim Eng Chiang
3. Lim Eng Hock
4. Lim Eng Chye
5. Lim Ong Seng
6. Lim Teo Gek Neo

Great Great Grandchildren
1. Lim Bock Chwee


Revisions:

1st revision on 15 January 2013, with family information from Mr Lim Soon Hoe.

2nd revision on 23 January 2013 on Lim Leack's business sketch.

3rd revision on 18 August 2013 on the descendants. 

Note: This article is an ongoing research with S.H. Lim. The contents may be altered from time to time.