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Mencius Koay

29 November 2025  ·

Ancient History  · Symphonic Planet  ·

The Man Who Came With Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew – But Died in Poverty.

In the early 1900s, two young men arrived in Penang from Hui’an County, Fujian, Southern China, in the same batch, both escaping poverty, both seeking a better life.

One became Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew, “Mr. Honda” – one of Penang’s wealthiest men. The other was my cousin’s father, a man with the surname T. (for privacy’s sake, I won’t reveal the surname)

He died in poverty!

Like Loh Boon Siew, Uncle T left Hui’an County, Fujian when he was only 17 years old, alone, chasing hope in a foreign land. While Loh Boon Siew built an empire, Uncle T became a trishaw rider, pedaling from morning till night, day after day, year after year.

Every evening, he’d come home exhausted. His wife, my maternal grandma’s younger sister – would have rice or broth ready with some salted fish, potatoes, or peanuts with soya sauce.

I remember watching him wallop three plates of rice with such appetite, joking with us kids, smiling through the exhaustion. A kind, jovial man, sometimes sharing food with us.

Every morning, he’d give his children 20 cents each, money earned from endless hours pedaling that trishaw under the hot sun. He raised nine children on a trishaw rider’s income.

Despite everything, Uncle T never went back to China once to see his family in Hui’an County. Why? Because he couldn’t afford it. And none of his nine children cared enough to pay for his trip!

As he grew old and sick, his children were indifferent. The daughter who took care of him was cruel and unfilial. I heard she made him crawl to get his food.

This man, who worked himself to the bone for nine children, died miserably, alone, abandoned by the very people he sacrificed everything for.

Not Every Story Ends in Success!

We love reading success stories. Rags to riches. Hard work pays off. Dreams come true. But the reality… not everyone who works hard becomes Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew.

Some work just as hard, sacrifice just as much, and die with nothing.

Uncle T came to Penang from the same county, in the same batch as a man who became a legend. But while Loh Boon Siew’s name is remembered, T’s is forgotten, except by those of us who saw his kindness, his laughter, and his endless labour.

Not all children turn out educated, successful, or grateful.

Not all hard work leads to wealth.

Not all kind hearts are rewarded.

Our Chinese diaspora stories are filled with heartbreak and stupendous sacrifices we can’t even comprehend.

Continue reading “Same Origin, Different Fate” →