Chan Kye Choo 陈继祖

CHAN KYE CHOO (KC Chan SR.) 陈继祖

Chan Kye Choo was born in Ipoh to Chan Kang Choon. He received English education at St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh. In 1923 he left for London to study law and was called to the English Bar at Middle Temple on 17 November 1927. After four years lived in Wandsworth, London, he returned to Ipoh in 1928, and started to initial as KC Chan. And some time later he was known as KC Chan Sr. and married daughter of Leong Fee in 1932. In 1934, together with Ho Pan Thong son of Ho Yuk Phooi, they established a legal firm, Chan, Ho & Co, premised at 29 Station Road, Ipoh and 40 Kota Road, Taiping. In 1902, he was also a partner in Messrs. C.S. Seng & Co. (Chew Seah Seng). During the Japanese Occupation in Malaya, KC Chan was an official leader of the Chinese community in Perak. He was the President of the Perak Turf Club and Honorary Secretary of the Perak Chinese Amateur Dramatic Association. His son, Colonel KC Chan Jr. was also a lawyer called to the English Bar in Middle Temple and to the Malayan Bar in 1956. One of his prominent cousins was Leong Yew Koh, the first Governor of Malacca who was also a lawyer.

Chan Mah Phee 曾广庇

CHAN MAH PHEE

Chan Mah Phee son of Chan Ee Shin was born in 1848 to a poor family in Tong'an, Fujian, China and received no formal education. In 1870, he left his native land and first arrived in Singapore, where he spent two years there. After ten years of hard work, in 1883 Chan Mah Phee established a provision shop known as Taik Leong & Co. at 75 Strand Road, where the firm engaged with food, rice, oil, and tobacco trading. His business prospered and extended to a larger premise, where Chan Mah Phee purchased a property at 57 Strand Road. 

In between the years 1894 and 1899, he was known as an important figure in rice trading in Burma. He was then famed for being one of the largest property owners in Rangoon; shops and houses were rented to people with business interest and fertile lands were used for planting paddy. Chan Mah Phee was unable to converse in English, but he gained respect from people of all classes and was best known for generous in doing charity. He was the principal donor to the Rangoon Hokkien Association which was built in 1903 and a main supporter of the Chan Clan Temple. In 1911, he donated $20,000 to build a school in his native homeland. In the late 19th century he built a hospital in Rangoon and a road was named after him (Ahlone). Chan Mah Phee also financed the development in his homeland by building the Long Shan Girls School and Tong'an Hospital.  

Chan Mah Phee also showed his concern to the flood disasters in his native land, where from time to time without hesitation a large sum of money was remitted for relief work in the China floods and famine. Chan Mah Phee was a devoted Buddhist, he built a shrine at the Shwe Dagon Pagoda and financed the cost of constructing the Waso Kyoung at Dedaye.

He married Ma Aye Mya, daughter of Oo Oung Ba, a farmer of Dedaye, where he had three sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Chan Chor Khine was a prominent leader in the Hokkien community, he was given a seat in the Rangoon State Council for the first and fourth terms. In April 1934, Chan Chor Khine shot himself at his house in 82 Park Road, Brightlands, he was then 50 years old. One of Chan Mah Phee’s sons had married Lim Chin Tsong’s daughter. Without a doubt, Chan Mah Phee is a fine example of single-handed built millionaire. He died on 30 September 1920. 

References:
林锡星 (2001). 缅甸华叠精英与知名侨领概述 (Miǎndiàn huá dié jīngyīng yǔ zhīmíng qiáo lǐng gàishù). Southeast Asian Studies
Wright, A. (1910). Twentieth century impressions of Burma: its history, people, commerce, industries, and resources