The Sitiawan connection

Thanks to Chang Yi again!

This time she unwittingly linked me to her friend from KL whose family was a neighbour of my maternal grandma in Kampung Koh, Sitiawan.

It all started when I returned Chang Yi's call last Wed. She first revealed to me about an airline booking complaint and shared the biscuit Hui Bah recipe. Then I asked Chang Yi to go support our badminton team this Sunday. I can't, she apologized. Because I will be sending my friend to Brunei - she's visiting her brother Dr Yong.

Wait a minute. I know this Dr Yong - isn't he the good doctor in Brunei? His family and my maternal grandma were neighbours in Kampung Koh, Sitiawan!

So for the first time yesterday Roseline and I met up with Ai Lin and her husband John in Miri. They flew in from KL the night before. We had lunch, and reminisced all afternoon before they departed for Brunei in the evening.

I managed to ask Ai Lin some questions on Sitiawan; but she couldn't recall the "neighbour's connection" because she was much younger. Ok, Ai Lin I understand ... hey, we're talking about the early 1950's!

So how did I get to know all this history? It was picked up though the years during family dinner-time conversations. And through Dr Yong of course, in 1986 when I first met him in Brunei and during subsequent "coffee times".

I enthusiastically related the encounter to Aaron and Abel last night over dinner. But it seemed that the story did not appeal much to my sons. Sigh.

Here are some additional pointers I picked up while browsing online:

- The Foochows arrived in Sitiawan from China in 1903
- Everyone hoped to "make it" and return to China rich
- in 1901 Wong Nai Siong led another group to Sibu and named it Sin Hock Chew or "New Foochow"
- The Foochows were staunch Methodists and church planters
- The early pioneers first grew rice because they didn't know about rubber planting (they later prospered in the latter)
- They emphasized much on education; it was common for children to go to Chinese and English schools on the same day, one in the morning and one the afternoon
- Despite limited opportunities in Sitiawan, many made good through sheer hard work and with a fighting spirit
- The contributions of the Foochows to this country were/are tremendous
(From the book The Foochows of Sitiawan - A Historical Perspective by Shih Toong Siong)

These tough women were also known as "Soldiers of Axes" and "Soldiers of Cangkuls". Like all other immigrants, our foreparents really worked hard. Slaved hard actually. Today many are beneficiaries of a fulfilling life because of our foreparents' labour of love. Photo credit to book The Foochows of Sitiawan - A Historical Perspective by Shih Toong Siong