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

Biblical Archaeology Discovery Group

Biblical archaeology can be a very useful topic for Bible discussions, as it can help to provide context and historical background for the events and stories in the Bible. Biblical archaeology is the study of archaeological evidence related to the Bible, including the places, people, and events described in the text. It can help to shed light on the historical accuracy and reliability of the Bible, and can also provide a deeper understanding of the culture and context in which the Bible was written.

By discussing biblical archaeology, Bible study groups can learn more about the customs, practices, and beliefs of the people in Bible times, and can gain a better understanding of how the Bible was shaped by historical events and cultural influences. It can also be an interesting way to explore the connections between the biblical text and the material evidence that has been discovered through archaeological excavations.

Some potential topics for discussion could include the archaeological evidence for the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the excavation of biblical cities such as Jerusalem and Jericho, and the search for evidence of the historical Jesus. Overall, biblical archaeology can provide a fascinating and informative lens through which to explore the stories and teachings of the Bible.

The Silver Scrolls are older than the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Silver Scrolls are two small amulets made of real silver. They were discovered in 1979 at Ketef Hinnom, an archaeological site southwest of the Old City of Jerusalem. The major importance of these scrolls is that they are the oldest copies of scripture, older than the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

They contain a variation of the Priestly Blessing, found in Numbers 6:24-26. The scrolls were dated paleographically to the late 7th or early 6th century BCE, placing them in the First Temple period.

The Priestly Blessing is a Hebrew prayer found in Numbers 6:22-27. The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace".

The Silver Scrolls provide evidence that the bible text has been copied multiple times over the millennia and has remained unchanged. 

Silver Scroll documentary