Khoo Yang Tin 邱扬阵

KHOO YANG TIN

Khoo Yang Tin was born in 1857 in China, with ancestry in Sinkang Village, Hai Teng District, Fujian Province. He came to Singapore in the late 19th century and in 1892, he founded a rice trading business under the style chop Aik Chiang. 

Khoo Yang Tin’s business was affluent and diversed. He also invested in real estates and plantations with substantial investments in Saigon and other Southeast Asian countries. Khoo Yang Tin was best known for his role as a financier, where he held the directorship in the Oversea-Chinese Banking Cooperation (OCBC). The Oversea-Chinese Banking Cooperation Ltd. was formed in 1932 with the merger of three banks, Chinese Commercial Bank (est. 1912), Ho Hong Bank (est. 1917) and Oversea Chinese Bank (est. 1919). Khoo Yang Tin was known as its founding shareholder. In which the his family had a major role in behind. 

Khoo Yang Tin and his family lived in a humble live and shy from publicity. It is little known to public that he was a generous philanthropist, who had provided various financial aids to educational institutions and welfare organizations in both China and Singapore. The Khoo Yang Tin Scholarship was created by his descendant, Khoo Choon Tin in his honour for the Anglo-Chinese Junior College in Singapore. One of his sons, Khoo Teck Puat (1917 - 2007) had donated SG$50,000.00 to the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, Penang in 2002 for the establishment of the Khoo clan museum. 

Khoo Yang Tin died in 1943. He has 13 sons and nine daughters through his various wives. 

Yeo Kim Chiam

Wive:

Yeo Kim Chiam (1881 – 1983)

Sons:

Khoo Teck Soon

Khoo Teck Chuan

Khoo Teck Puat

Khoo Teck Imm 

Khoo Teck Quee

Daughters:

Khoo Tiam Tee

Khoo Ai Tee

Khoo Suat Ngoh

Khoo Suat Khim 

References:

The Straits Times, 31 March 1983, p. 39

The Straits Times, 6 October 1985, p. 10

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 14 November 1914, p. 12

Lee, K.H. (2003). Dahles, H., et al. (Eds.). Capital and Knowledge in Asia: Changing Power Relations. (p. 167) 

Gomez, E.T. (1999). Chinese Business in Malaysia: Accumulation, Ascendance, Accommodation. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press (pp. 75-77)

Tan, Y.W. (2003). Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi: The History and Architecture. Penang: Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi (p. 48)

Straits Chinese British Association (SCBA)

Tchan Chun Fook posting with the SCBA regalia
Source: Song, Ong Siang. (1923). One Hundred Years’ History of the Chinese in Singapore. London: John Murray

Singapore Branch
Founded on 17 August 1900 now known as Peranakan Association Singapore

List of Presidents
1900 - 1904 Tan Jiak Kim
1905 - 1907 Dr Lim Boon Keng
1913 - 1916 Koh San Hin
1917 - 1919 Lee Choon Guan
1920 - 1921 Dr Lim Boon Keng
1921 - Song Ong Siang
1924 - 1925 Wong Siew Qui (SQ Wong)
1926 - 1930 Wee Swee Teow
1930 - 1932 Dr Lim Han Hoe
1933 - 1939 Tay Lian Teck
Dr Yap Pheng Geck
1948 - 1992 Ong Tiang Wee (TW Ong)
1992 - 1996 Dr George Tay
1996 - 2009 Lee Kip Lee
2010 - present Peter Wee

**The "Singapore Branch" is still under research. Information will be updated from time to time.

The early members of SCBA in 1900
Source: Song, Ong Siang. (1923). One Hundred Years’ History of the Chinese in Singapore. London: John Murray

Malacca Branch
Founded on 25 September 1900 now known as Persatuan Peranakan Cina Melaka

List of Presidents
1900 - 1903 Lee Keng Liat
1904 - 1928 Chan Kang Swi
1929 - 1934 Tan Cheng Lock
1935 - 1938 Loh Kim Swi
1939 - 1941 Ong Bak Hin
1946 - 1950 Ee Yew Kim
1951 - 1954 Khoo Kim Lian
1955 - 1977 Ee Yew Lin
1978 - 1988 Khoo Peck Wan
1988 - 1993 Chin Thian Soo
1994 - 2007 Jimmy Khoo Seng Kiong
2008 - 2017 Phua Jin Hock
2017 - present David Tan

Penang Branch
Founded in 1920 now known as Persatuan Peranakan Cina Pulau Pinang

List of Presidents
1920 - 1924 Lim Eu Toh
1925 - 1927 Quah Beng Kee
1928 - 1929 Lim Keong Lay
1930           Lim Eow Thoon
1931 - 1932 Heah Joo Seang
1933           Lim Keong Lay
1934           Lim Cheng Ean
1935           Koh Sin Hock
1936 - 1937 Lim Cheng Ean
1938           Cheah Inn Kiong
1939 - 1945 Dr Lim Chwee Leong
1946 - 1948 Lee Tiang Keng
1949           Lim Huck Aik
1950           Chew Boon Ee
1951 - 1952 Ong Joo Sun
1953 - 1960 Heah Joo Seang

1961 - 1982 Koh Sin Hock

1983 - 1986 Ang Cheow Kooi

1987           Law Joo Keun

1988 - 2009 Dato' Seri Khoo Keat Siew

2010 - present Dato' Tan Gin Soon

Sir Run Run Shaw 邵逸夫

Sir Run Run Shaw, GBM, Kt, CBE

Sir Run Run Shaw as he is known in the West was born in 1907 in Ningbo, China as Shao Ren Leng. Run Run Shaw was the youngest of seven children of Shaw Yuh Hsuen 邵玉軒 (1867 - 1920) and Wang Shun Xiang (1871 - 1939). He was widely known among Chinese diaspora for the Chinese entertainment industry with a Hong Kong-based television station, Television Broadcasts Ltd (TVB).

Run Run Shaw spent his childhood mostly in Shanghai, and received English education from the Shanghai YMCA School. Run Run Shaw career began in 1925, when he joined his eldest brother Runje Shaw's film company in Shanghai. Two years later he left Shanghai for Singapore to join his another brother, Runme Shaw's business involving distributing films in Malaya and Singapore. During the Japanese Occupation, the Shaw brothers' studio in Shanghai was badly destroyed, thus forcing the entire operations relocated to Hong Kong, where they were known as Shaw Brothers Studios. 

Throughout 1940s until 1970s, the Shaw brothers were collectively known in both Malaya and Singapore as the largest proprietors in cinemas. Almost every Malayan towns had cinemas associated with the Shaws. In 1957, Run Run Shaw returned to Hong Kong and focussing mainly in Chinese entertainment. He reorganised the company and setup a permanent film production site at Clearwater Bay known as Shaw Movie Town. The Shaw brothers also ventured in producing Western films when competition became fierce in the 1970s. By the millennium, the Shaw brothers sold their collection of 760 classic productions to Celestial Pictures Ltd, and invested USD180 million project on film production facilities at Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. 

In his later years, Run Run Shaw was known as a generous philanthropist. He had donated more than USD15 billion through his Sir Run Run Shaw Charitable Trust and the Shaw Foundations. He also founded the Shaw Prize, to award scientists in three research areas, astronomy, mathematics, and lift and medical sciences for their important discoveries and contributions towards human development.

Run Run Shaw died peacefully on 7 January 2014, leaving behind his wife, four children, nine grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. His funeral was attended by various Chinese Statesmen, including China's President Xi Jinping. He was cremated at the Cape Collinson Crematorium in Chai Wan, Hong Kong.

Wives:

Lily Wong Mee-chun (1902 - 1987)

Mona Fong Yat-wa (b. 1931)

Sons:
Shaw Vee Meng 邵維銘 (b. 1938)
Harold Shaw Vee Chung 邵維鍾

Daughters:
Violet Shaw So Man 邵素雯
Dorothy Shaw So Wan 邵素雲

Siblings:
Runje Shaw 邵仁傑
Runde Shaw 邵仁隸
Tan Sri (Dr) Runme Shaw 邵仁枚 (d. 1985)

Portraits of Prominent Overseas Chinese in Straits Settlements and British Malaya

Part 2