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Monday, January 28, 2008

A Good Man - Lau Pang Hung

Elsewhere I have written about Lau Kah Tii who arrived in Sibu in 1901 with the first batch of Foochow settlers. He later became the Foochow Kang Chu after Wong Nai Siong left. He lived in Ensurai or Wong Shu Lai and acquired a large fortune. He eventually built the largest mansion ever built by a Foochow in his time : three storey tall and equivalent to about 10 modern shophosues in width.

  Lau Pang Hung is the youngest son of Lau Kah Tii, and that makes the former one of my uncles as he is my mother's first cousin.

It is very interesting to know that a second generation immigrant can be so softspoken, kind and generous like Lau Pang Hung. Every one who knows him would regard him as an admirable person as he spent many years as a teacher in Sarikei and has been a good Church leader all his life.

Uncle Pang Hung is very appreciated by many as an examplary husband too. Recently he celebrated his 80th birthday together with his lovely wife, Ting Ching Yu, a very pleasant, quiet and humble Foochow lady. She is one of the happiest and quietest women I have ever met. And deep down in my heart, I understand that it has been the loving relationship between she and my uncle that has contributed to her inner beauty and exceptional character.

As a father, my uncle has been very examplary too. We the younger generation have to learn from the two of them how they have been able to bring up a good Christian family, how they have kept their own faith and their children's faith strong.

My mother Lau Hung Chuo and her siblings have always regarded him and his wife as very close relatives. The couple have always been patient, kind and caring through the hard times and the good times. They have never been the bullies that some people have known to become. My mother has always said that this cousin of hers is always respectful of all the older relatives. He is generous and magninamous to the younger ones especially the less well to do.

Perhaps it is because of his innate nature and his wisdom that this good Christian uncle has been able to teach well. His large number of students from Sarikei will vouch that he is one of the best men they have ever met.

In a way, the Foochow community is very blessed by such a good man - hor nen. And as an immigrant, my uncle has definitely contributed a great deal to the state of Sarawak in his quiet ways - as a person, as a teacher, as a social leader and as a father.

(Note: There are not many second generation of the Foochows early immigrants left as they are all in their seventies and eighties now. And the third and fourth generations have probably moved away to other parts of Malaysia and even overseas like Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The history of this immigrant group would be harder to write in my opinion.)

(Note : you can also read a Chinese account, which is accompanied by photographs in http://mengleiwong.blogspot.com)

13 memories:

I Am Sarawakiana said...

Meng Lei, hope you like this posting...

We are all intertwinned like the roots of potatoes!! :) )::) :) :)

pck said...

I've read 天鵝江畔’s earlier posting on Lau Pang Hung . It is a pleasant surprise to learn that Lau Pang Hung is your uncle and his wife is 天鵝江畔’s aunt.
The world we live in is a small world, so is the online world !!

I Am Sarawakiana said...

Dear Ikan Sembilang,
And before Jan 2008 I have only read of Wong Meng Lei's name on papers and books. And I have not even met him or you in person yet!!

Pleasant surprises all around!!

God bless,
sarawakiana

I Am Sarawakiana said...

Dear Ikan Sembilan, after writing another post, I feel that I am at a disadvantage because I only know your nick name.

Are you from Sibu?

Yan said...

One of their daughters is one of my best friends!

Yes, they are very very loving couple. We just shared about it the other night when Shian came back for the birthday celebrations.

Have just sent Shian the link.

I Am Sarawakiana said...

P. Thank you for linking me up with my cousins. 'Thank you for dropping by too.

My mother always has the best regards for Uncle P.H. and his wife.

pck said...

I am not from Sibu but I did live there for a number of years when I was a kid. My mother used to rent a room in a shophouse owned by a Cantonese goldsmith in Blacksmith Road. It was then that I came to know some of the interesting personalities of Sibu town. Yes, I remember Lau Mang, the artist with scruffy look, who went from shop to shop trying to sell his red-paper chun lian when the CNY came around. Someone I remember particularly well was Dr. Xavier, the first Indian doctor in Sibu. He made a great impression on me because he was the first Indian I had ever seen in my life and, more so, every time my mother brought me to see him, he would always give me that dreaded injection. In those days when there were no antibiotics, an injection was the ‘best medicine’ to cure every child’s ailment!

Wish You & Your Family Xin Nian Kuai Le !

I Am Sarawakiana said...

Thank you. I grew up with the Xavier daughters actually as we went to school together.
Dr. Xavier saved many lives, as all doctors should/would.

The Cantonese goldsmith family - the Song family?

Their daughter is married to my classmate and one of the sons is my classmate too.

What a small world.

I Am Sarawakiana said...

to all my dear readers

Xin Nien
kwai le,ru yi, pin ang.

God bless always

Unknown said...

Mr. Lau Pang Hung was my teacher during primary school time at Methodist Anglo Chinese School in Sarikei between 1980 to 1985. One of his daughters was my classmate.

Can anybody here provide me her contact....I have not seen or met her since out graduation time in Primary Six at 1985. I learned from one of our classmate that she is now a practicing doctor in Sibu. Her name is Lau Kung Yung.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
I Am Sarawakiana said...

will try to find out. thank you for visiting this blog

 

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