A Biography of Ong Seok Kim

Authors Wang Jianshi, the 17th son of Ong Ong Eng-Joo, the 25th son of Ong Seok Kim, was born in Sitiawan. Seok Kim, was born in Sitiawan. He In 1947, at the age of 11, Jianshi was educated at St Francis School and followed his elder brother Jianque to Anglo-Chinese School in Sitiawan, China where he resides permanently. Perak State, and later in University He graduated in history from of Science Malaysia in Penang, and Xiamen University, Xiamen. Jianshi Macquarie University in Sydney, taught logistics and philosophy at Jiangxi Communist Australia. He worked as a town planner and economist in Labour University in Nanchang City from 1959 to 1982; the public and private sectors in Kuala Lumpur for more and at Huaqiao University in Quanzhou from 1982 to than a decade. In 1988, Eng-Joo and his family migrated 1987. He was an editor of the department’s news bulletin to Australia. In Sydney, he worked as an environmental from 1987 till his retirement in 1996. planner for a local council and later for the New South Wales Government for two decades. In latter years, he established his own consulting firm and practised as an environmental planner. 王叔金 Preface i e make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give W - Winston Churchill ii Biography of Ong Seok Kim 王叔金 NO OTHER WAY OUT A Biography of Ong Seok Kim A PIONEER IN CHINESE EDucatION IN MALaySIA, SOCIAL WORKER AND PHILANTHROPIST Wang Jianshi • Ong Eng-Joo Consultant and Editor Lena Khaw SIRD Strategic Information and Research Development Centre Petaling Jaya, Malaysia 王叔金 Preface iii First published in 2013 by Strategic Information and Research Development Centre No. 11, Lorong 11/4E, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Email: [email protected] Website: www.gerakbudaya.com Copyright © 2013 Wang Jianshi and Ong Eng-Joo All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Wang, Jianshi No Other Way Out : A Biography of Ong Seok Kim : A Pioneer in Chinese Education in Malaysia, Social Worker and Philanthropist / Wang Jianshi, Ong Eng-Joo; Consultant and Editor; Lena Khaw. ISBN 978-967-5832-95-6 1. Ong, Seok Kim, 1884-1964. 2. Chinese--Education--Malaysia--History. 3. Social Workers--Malaysia--Biography. 4. Philanthropists--Malaysia--Biography. I. Ong, Eng-Joo. II. Khaw, Lena III. Title. IV. Series. 370.92 Cover design and layout by Janice Cheong Printed by Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd 2, Jalan Meranti Permai 1, Meranti Permai Industrial Park, Batu 15, Jalan Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia. iv Biography of Ong Seok Kim 王叔金 heir (the Chinese immigrants) energy and enterprise have made the Malay States what they are today and it would be impossible to overstate Tthe obligation which the Malay Government and people are under to these hardworking, capable, and law-abiding aliens . In all the early days it was Chinese energy and industry which supplied the funds to begin the construction of roads and public works, and to pay for all the other costs of administration . They brought all the capital into the country when the Europeans feared to take the risk; they were the traders and the shopkeepers. Their steamers first opened regular communication between the ports of the colony and the ports of the Malay States. - Sir Frank Swettenham British Malaya – An Account of the Origin and Progress of British Influence in Malaya, London: John Lane The Bodley Head, 1906, p. 232 王叔金 Preface v 王叔金 ONG SEOK KIM 1884 - 1964 vi Biography of Ong Seok Kim 王叔金 To 王叔金 ONG SEOK KIM For your contributions, carried out with passion, dedication, compassion, honesty, integrity; for your belief in humankind in the 50 years (1912-1962) of charity works, in particular Chinese education, in Dindings (now known as Manjung) District, State of Perak, Malaysia, that is and will be a continued inspiration to your family - present and future generations - and the community at large. 王叔金 Preface vii viii Biography of Ong Seok Kim 王叔金 Contents Preface xi Chapter THREE Chapter FIVE Acknowledgements xiv List of Maps and Charts xvii Contributions to Society 47 The Man Himself 129 List of Appendices xviii 3.1 Aik Tee Recreation Association 5.1 A Self-Portrait 129 List of Photos xix (Aik Tee Soo Poh Seah) 47 5.2 Filial to Family 130 List of Attachments xxiii 3.2 Sitiawan Rubber Traders Association 50 5.3 The Businessman 3.3 Sitiawan Chinese Cemetery, Lumut Road, - His Pain and His Gain 135 Chapter ONE Pundut 51 5.4 Character and Philosophy of The Man 138 3.4 Sitiawan Chinese Maternity Hospital 52 5.5 Loyalties and Support to Motherland 141 The Start of Things to Come 1 3.5 Social Contribution to China 52 5.6 Japanese Occupation 1.1 In the Beginning 1 3.6 Other Charity Organisations 58 - Refusal to be a Traitor 143 1.2 The New Beginning at Teluk Anson, Perak 8 5.7 The Family Man 149 Chapter FOUR 5.8 Man of Compassion and a Big Heart 152 Chapter Two 5.9 Letter to His Children 154 Contributions to Education 69 5.10 Twilight Years 156 Ancestry, Family Structure and 4.1 Chung Cheng Primary School, Sitiawan 70 5.11 The Planner Right to the End 160 17 Family Profiles 4.2 Perceptions on Ong Seok Kim in His Charity 5.12 Summary 162 2.1 The Royal Roots - Ancestral Ties: Works for Chung Cheng Primary School 76 Tracing the Roots 17 4.3 Nan Hwa High School, Sitiawan 85 Chapter SIX 2.2 Ong Seok Kim 22 4.4 Ping Min Free School, Lumut 98 2.3 The First Family 27 Epilogue - In Memory of Ong Seok Kim 181 4.5 Dindings High School, Lumut 101 2.4 The Second Family 27 4.6 Services to Other Schools in Manjung 2.5 The Third Family 31 110 2.6 Some Observations 32 District, Perak; and Betong, Thailand 2.7 Family Profiles 32 4.7 In Essence 110 2.8 Wang/Ong Generation/Middle Names 33 4.8 Some Perspectives 112 王叔金 Preface ix x Biography of Ong Seok Kim 王叔金 Preface his book has been five years in the making. This - Seok Kim’s (and our) ancestors and his descendants, so biography of Ong Seok Kim (王叔金), which that the family has information of other family members Tcentres on his life and community and education and the connections between them. In fact, that was the works, is based on Wang Jianshi’s (王建士) (author wish of Seok Kim, as expressed in his 1962 Memoirs, and 17th son) rewrite and update of the original 1962 stressing the importance of support among his children Ong Seok Kim Memoirs (王叔金回忆录) which was and the importance of being close to family members, written by Seok Kim two years before his passing on especially those in China. However, in order not to detract May 31, 1964. Jianshi’s memoirs of his father have been from the extraordinary life and educational and societal revised several times, the latest being version seven in contributions of Seok Kim, it was decided to detail the 2012 as more information of the man became available. family in a separate book entitled Ong Seok Kim Family Book 2013 (王叔金家庭书2013). The other author - Ong Eng-Joo (王永裕) (25th son) - immersed himself into the project on his retirement three In the production of this book, many of Seok Kim’s photos years ago. The initial plan was to further update and were borrowed from family members. The photos were expand the Ong Seok Kim Memoirs, detailing his life, scanned, retouched and fixed for damages so that they are his ancestry, his philosophy, his education and charity suitable for inclusion into the book. works, his legacy and to a limited extent, his family. But as the project got underway, it became important that In the collection of data, Aik Tee Recreation Association sufficient information was included of his whole family (益智韦报社), one of the founders of which was Seok 王叔金 Preface xi Kim and for which he was Chairman for 40 years, was educationalists and students in the schools that Seok Kim approached for documents and photos of Seok Kim. But pioneered/founded and together with his descendants in unfortunately most were destroyed during the Japanese China and those not proficient in English, will benefit and Occupation. The five schools - S.R.J.K. Chung Cheng, be inspired by his life, his philosophy and his charity and S.R.J.K. Ping Min, S.M.J.K. Nan Hwa, Nan Hwa High societal works. We have targeted the translation work to School (Private) and S.M.J.K. Dindings - for which Seok be completed by end of 2013 and the book to be published Kim was the founder/pioneer, were then approached. Old in mid-2014. school magazines, some edited and published by Seok Kim, were borrowed and scanned. Relevant photos were then This book is part of a larger scheme that we are cropped, retouched and fixed for inclusion into the book. undertaking to preserve and publicise our heritage, in particular the contributions of Seok Kim to Chinese The schools had permitted photos to be taken outside education and charity covering a period of almost 50 and within its premises.

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