The Emergency and Chinese New Villages

 

The 2nd Leong Sin Nam Memorial Lecture

"The Emergency and Chinese New Villages" by Prof (Dr) Gary Lit Ying Loong

Opening Speech by Dr Leong Oon Keong:

Good afternoon, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to our Legacy Today Event Space at 15 Clarke Street. Clarke Street is now known as Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil. This shophouse was built by my grandfather, the late Mr Leong Sin Nam. I was born at the end lot of this row of shophouses.

This Legacy Today Event Space is one of our CSR Projects dedicated to preserving and celebrating our past, while also envisioning and shaping our future in Perak.  I wish to thank my wife Dr Lim and my 2 sons, for being so patient with me, while being away from home to get 15 Clarke Street up and running.  I also wish to pay tribute to my father and mother, the late Mr Leong Yeow Nyean and Mdm Chee Swee Ngoh who endorsed these projects with a gift to the community. We are expanding our outreach by acquiring next door to become an eatery.  We are currently looking for an F&B operator to collaborate with us.

By holding Events at 15 Clarke Street, we hope to inspire and educate future generations about our rich heritage. Carefully selected Events provide opportunities for engagement and dialogue on various challenges faced by our community.

This Event Space will also provide an avenue for young artistes, painters and craftsmen to exhibit their skills and products.  Today our young artist is Mr Daniel Lam Voon Phin who teaches and coaches young boys and girls how to play the piano and keyboard. Please contact him, if you have children wishing to learn how to play the piano or keyboard.

This Event Space also provides opportunities for social and charity projects.  You may wish to take home a bookmark and make a donation of any amount to the Perak Chest Society.  Your donation will help sponsor Caregivers to Respi-Care 2023.

There are several upcoming events, namely:- 1. Archaeological Discoveries in Bible Land 2. Perakian Contribution to the Founding of the Republic of China.

Our Photo Gallery exhibits images from years 1880 to 1940, a very eventful 60-year period, which is also the lifetime of Mr Leong Sin Nam.

This period encompassed the history of British Malaya, the Federated Malay States and the Rulers, Imperial China under the Qing Dynasty with the Last Emperor Puyi, the Chinese Diaspora, Dr Sun Yat Sen and the Chinese Revolution, the Nanyangs and the Rise of the Tin Industry in Malaya.

To discover the rich history from each picture on display, please scan the QR code provided.  Please also remember to visit our Blog for historical updates.

If you are a Perak History enthusiast, please let me know.  We hope to assist the Perak Tourism Board to popularise two Ipoh Heritage Trails, namely the The Cantonese Heritage Trail which encompasses Jalan Leong Sin Nam and The Sun Yat Sen Trail. 

Today, we are very privileged to have Prof (Dr) Gary Lit Ying Loong, from Singapore, to deliver the Second Leong Sin Nam Memorial Lecture.

Professor Dr Gary Lit obtained his BSc degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS), under the Singapore Public Service Commission Merit Scholarship in 1979.  He later pursued his MBA and MSc in UK and obtained his PhD from the University of Melbourne in Australia.  After retiring from the Nanyang Technology University, he became a visiting professor to several universities in Asia and Europe.  Besides conducting lectures and seminars, he has given numerous interviews with major newspapers and TV stations in Asia and Europe.

He has written a well acclaimed book “If the Skies Were to Fall”.  He will be sharing some very interesting stories from his book and you will be totally thrilled.

You may wish to purchase a copy of his book after the talk and have it autographed.

Today’s talk by Professor Gary Lit is on “The Emergency and the Chinese New Villages”.  He will bring to live the happenings during that time.  

The Emergency and Chinese New Villages by Emily Lowe

Ipoh Founded by Hakka Made Vibrant by Cantonese

This presentation is by Dr Richard Ng who is an Ipoh City Councilor.  

There are several facts which I find very interesting:

• Paloh Ku Miu was the Chinese Temple located near the Kinta River Jetty where the Chinese immigrants arrived.  The deity was brought from Penang to Ipoh by Leong Fee.  Leong Fee came to Malaya during the 1st wave of Chinese Migration.
• The table on Chinese ethnicity in the late 1800's and early 1900's showed that the Cantonese outnumber the Hakkas in Ipoh.
• The Hakkas were mainly tin miners whereas the Cantonese were mainly traders. 
• In the early days the Ipoh settlement was mainly located on one side of the Kinta River.  On the other side of the river the Chinese reared pigs.  The pig styes produced an overwhelming offensive stench for the settlement depending on the direction of blowing wind.  The British relocated the pig styes far away from the settlement and Yau Tet Shin bought up the land to build houses.  This was the beginning of the New Town of Ipoh across the other side of the Kinta River. 
• The Cantonese Trail has many interesting heritage sites. Very importantly it also included many business sites in the City.  These sites will be of great interest to the people of Guangzhou who are also Cantonese.  They will be willing to explore Ipoh to find out why their clansmen migrated to this place in the early days.  

The presentation is rather long but I am sure it will be worth your time going through the whole presentation. 

 

Urban Farming & Gardening Community

Learn how to obtain a licence from Ipoh City Council to do Urban Farming and Community Gardening.

Never tired of setting up a Christmas tree.

Christmas always brings back very fond memories of family and friends.  And I never forget Christ who makes it all possible.

This old Christmas tree from home now has a new location at 15 Clarke Street.

These are the new decor for the tree. 

Difference between a Successful Life and a Significant Life

What is the difference between a successful life and a significant life?

“The happiest people in the world are not the richest, best looking or most powerful; they are people who find value, meaning and purpose in selfless service and making a positive difference in the lives of others.”
-Michael Josephson

Success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to your maximum potential, sowing seeds that benefit others.

John Maxwell writes about 5 differences:-

Five Differences Between Success and Significance
1. Motives
With success, my motives may be selfish; with significance, my motives cannot be selfish.
2. Influence
With success, my influence is limited; with significance, my influence is unlimited.
3. Time
Success can last a lifetime; significance can last several lifetimes.
4. Focus
Success asks, “How can I add value to myself?” Significance asks, “How can I add value to others?”
5. Reward
If I pursue success, my joy is the result of my success; if I pursue significance, my joy is the result of others’ success.

Success is usually the steppingstone to significance. There has to be a certain amount of success in people’s lives before they are willing to take the step to significance, where they ask themselves, “What else is there in life beyond professional and monetary success?”

You are invited to the Inaugural Leong Sin Nam Annual Lecture

World TB Week 2018

Having a company culture is important.

Culture is the set of shared attitudes, goals, behaviors and values that characterises a group. In a company it adds up to how things get done and influences the entirety of the employees experience and thus the customer experience.

Sketching Workshop II

Something new in the market - pencil brush. An excellent product for sketching.

IMPACT

Programme starts in May. A time to learn and share. Come and join us.

Urban Sketchers Ipoh opening speech

Salutations

Mr Chin Kok Yan - Chairman, organising committee, Urban Sketchers Ipoh

Mr Phang Chew and Mr Rene Enriquez – sketch artists who will be conducting the Workshops.

On behalf of the Board Members of YMCA Lahat Road, I wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone present here today.

Special Occasion

This is indeed a very special occasion and a great honour for me to be invited by Urban Sketchers Ipoh to launch their impressive Exhibition. Thank you. I must congratulate Mr Chin and his team for working so hard to put up this Exhibition. The sketches are very beautiful. These sketches will immortalise buildings and structures which may be torn down in future. The sketches will then remain as permanent records for our younger generations to appreciate.

Mr Chin will tell you much more about the Vision and Mission of Urban Sketchers Ipoh during his speech.

Today is also a very special day. It is Easter Sunday. Jesus Christ is alive today because he conquered death some 2000 odd years ago. He was nailed to a cross, died and raised from the dead again. He is alive today and remains faithful to His promise of eternal life.

15 Clarke Street

This building is named 15 Clarke Street. Leong Sin Nam built this row of shophouses. My parents and I used to stay at the corner shop after the Japanese Occupation. My early childhood was spent in this neighbourhood.

Upstairs we have the Leong Sin Nam Hall and the Leong Yeow Nyean Library.

Starting next year, every January, the Leong family will be organising the Leong Sin Nam Memorial Lecture and Exhibition. The Leong Sin Nam Exhibition will run for 2 weeks.

TO BE is the name of the registered company here.

YMCA Lahat Road will be conducting its activities here. Please get hold of a YMCA brochure before you leave. You can obtain up to date information from our website and do follow us in Twitter. We shall be starting the IMPACT and DISCOVER programmes next month. Please come and join us. You are encouraged to become YMCA members.

THIS SPACE AND THE HALL ABOVE ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE TO ANY NGO OR CHARITABLE ORGANISATION WISHING TO HOLD EXHIITIONS TO SHOWCASE THEIR NOBLE CAUSES.

SJK Min Tet

In a short while I shall be inviting 3 top achievers from SJK Min Tet School to receive their prizes sponsored by the Leong Educare Trust. Next year onwards the prizes will be given away during the LSN Memorial Lecture. Leong Sin Nam founded the school in Falim and my father Leong Yeow Nyean was very supportive of its activities.

Thank you.

Urban Sketchers Ipoh Exhibition

Urban Sketchers Ipoh Exhibition opening programme

11 am
Arrival of Guests

11.20 am
Welcome Speech by Dr Leong Oon Keong
Appreciation speech by Mr Chin Kok Yan
Souvenir Presentation
Prize giving to SJK Min Tet
Close
Refreshments

Urban Sketchers Exhibition press conference

Exhibition will start this Saturday and the official opening is on Easter Sunday. Come and join us. Sketches by artists young and old.

Book Library @ 15 Clarke Street

Donating 120 volumes of children books to 15 Clarke Street to start a Book Library.  A project by TO BE, a newly set up company.  Hope the children will be enriched with knowledge.