Ong Seok Kim (; 21 November 1884 – 31 May 1964) was an educationist, social worker, philanthropist and entrepreneur. He was born in Yongchun County, Southern Fujian Province in China and migrated to the then Malaya (now Malaysia) in 1903. As an entrepreneur, Ong began building up his wealth through trading in supplies for tin miners in the Ipoh/Gopeng area in the state of Perak, and later as a local trader in Sitiawan, Manjung District (formerly known as Dindings District), also in Perak. He continued building his wealth through establishing retail shops, and later through investment in rubber estates and commercial properties in Manjung District and as far as Betong in Thailand. The wealth he created would later be used towards various charity and education projects in Manjung District, and in particular, Sitiawan town.Wang & Ong 2013, ch.1 Ong Eng-Joo, Wang Jianshi:王叔金传 一位老华侨的人生历程 马来西亚华文教育先驱、社会工作者及慈善家 王建士 王永裕 著
Early life
Ong was born on 21 November 1884 in China, in Jindou, Yongchun County, Southern Fujian Province. In 1903, he left Nanyang (what South-east Asia was known to the Chinese at that time) at the age of 19. He arrived at Teluk Anson (now known as Teluk Intan), in the state of Perak where he worked as a shop assistant. In 1905, he moved to the Ipoh area, starting his own business as a "thing-tong" man, peddling clothes, toys, and shoes among other things, selling to the tin-mining community in Ipoh and surrounding towns including Lahat, Menglembu, Pusing, Gopeng and Tronoh. Ong then moved to Sitiawan in 1908 where he established several retail shops and in the surrounding area including Changkat Jering. He also invested in rubber estates and commercial properties in the Manjung District and in Betong, Thailand. By the age of 30, Ong was considered a wealthy man.
Ancestry Ong had aliases. He was also known as Wang Rongzan () and Wang Lisheng (). He was part of the 29th generation of the Wang/Ong family which originated from the Three Wangs/Ongs () whose roots had been traced back to the Zhou Ling Wang Emperor (BC 571-545) 2,500 years back. The Three Wangs/Ongs migrated to Fujian Province more than one thousand years ago (in AD 825). One of the Three Wangs/Ongs was Wang Shenzhi () (AD 862-925), the first king of Fujian Province.Wang & Ong 2013, p.17 Ong and his descendants originated from this ancestral line.Wang & Ong 2013, ch.2 At present, there are more than 700 extended family members of Ong spread over many parts of the world. On 5 October 2013, 380 family members from China, Australia, Singapore and Indonesia, joined Malaysian family members in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, to commemorate the golden jubilee anniversary of the passing of Ong in 1964.Chew 2013
Social Contributions to Malaysia Ong contributed to social welfare through charitable works which intertwined with his education projects. He contributed to the Sitiawan area and larger district area through financial contributions and implementation of community projects. He initiated and led the development of community and education projects from start to completion. After initiating such projects, Ong would begin fundraising for those projects in towns in Malaya and Singapore. He approached other businessmen as well as the general public to raise funds.Wang & Ong 2013, p.47
Social Organisation
In 1913, at the age of 29, Ong established the Aik Tee Recreation Association (Aik Tee Soo Poh Seah) in Sitiawan, for the purpose of enabling the migrant community to socialise, exchange news, read books and newspapers, and for the youth to take part in sporting activities.Ong Seok Kim Memorial Education Fund 28th Anniversary Souvenir Publication, 1994. Manjung, Perak, p.10 He was Chairman of the Association for 40 years, from 1915 to 1955. Two years after his death, the Association posthumously recognised his contributions to the community with a lifetime achievement award.'Wang & Ong 2013, ch.3
In 1922, Ong established the Sitiawan Rubber Traders Association. The Association levied 50 cents on every ton of rubber sold in the Sitiawan area, to fund the building of classrooms and school facilities for the Chinese community in the local areas. Ong, as part of the Association, collected, managed and disbursed the money from the levies to the schools.Wang & Ong 2013, p.50
Cemetery In 1927, Ong donated and initiated the acquisition of a piece of land for a Chinese cemetery located along Lumut Road, Lumut. Affordable burial plots were offered to the local community.
Maternity Hospital
In 1930, Ong initiated the establishment of the Sitiawan Chinese Maternity Hospital. In 1936, he purchased and donated six acres (2.4 hectares) of land for the construction of the Hospital which was completed in 1938.
Other Organisations Ong was also involved in other social and welfare organisations, most of which were in leadership positions. These include Founder and Vice-Chairman, Sitiawan Traders Association for several decades; Committee Member, local government hospital, 1928–50; Founder/Donor/Trustee, Sitiawan Chinese Maternity Hospital, mid-1930s-mid-50s; Chairman, Sitiawan Retail Shop Traders Association, 1937; Chairman, Perak Chinese Disadvantaged Persons Association, Sitiawan Branch, 1937-1941; Chairman, Malayan Chinese Association, Sitiawan Branch, 1950–51; Chairman, Chinese Chin Woo Sports Club, Sitiawan Branch; Chairman, Ayer Tawar Hokkien Association for two years; Member, Perak Hokkien Association, Ipoh, 1946; and Chairman, Founding Committee, Nanyang University Association of Dindings District.Wang & Ong 2013, p.58
Social Contributions to China
In the early years, Ong had regular contact with his family in China. This was closely related to filial piety to his family in that country. He returned to his village, Jindou, Yongchun County where he was born, nine times between 1903 and 1925 to see his family. On the 10th visit to China in 1940, he was a part of the Tan Kah Kee ()-led Malayan Comfort Mission to China.Nanyang Siang Pau. Kuala Lumpur, 14 February 1940, p.16Nanyang Siang Pau. Kuala Lumpur, 20 April 1940, p.13Nanyang Siang Pau. Kuala Lumpur, 18 July 1940, p.6 His early education in Confucianism () and Mencius () formed the basis of his strong ties to his country of origin. Ong initiated fundraising activities in Malaya when his homeland was in need of help. When North China's () provinces of Henan (), Shandong (), Shaanxi () and Hebei () experienced severe drought and famine in 1920 and 1921, Ong, as Chairman of the Sitiawan Fundraising and Disaster Relief Committee, carried out fundraising activities to aid the victims. In 1931, after years of drought and severe flooding in China, he, again as Chairman of the Sitiawan Fundraising and Disaster Relief Committee, raised money and materials in aid of victims. In 1936, when natural disaster struck Central China with widespread flooding affecting Hebei (), Hunan (), Jiangxi (), Wuhan () and Chongqing () caused by the Yangtze and Huai Rivers () bursting their banks, Ong, again as Chairman of the Sitiawan Fundraising and Disaster Relief Committee, raised money and materials in support of the victims.Nanyang Siang Pau. Kuala Lumpur, 2 September 1935, p.8Nanyang Siang Pau. Kuala Lumpur, 21 May 1938, p.14 When the Sino-Japanese War () broke out in 1937 between China and Japan, Ong organised a boycott of Japanese goods.
Contributions to Education Ong was the founder/pioneer of four schools in the Manjung district, namely, Chung Cheng Primary School in Sitiawan; Nan Hwa High School in Sitiawan; Ping Min Free School in Lumut; and Dindings High School in Lumut. These four schools are now renamed SJK (C) Chung Cheng, SMJK Nan Hwa, SJK (C) Ping Min and SMJK Dindings, respectively. In 1961, Nan Hwa High School was split into SMJK Nan Hwa, a public school and Nan Hwa Private High School. Thus, from the original four schools that Ong founded/pioneered, there are now five schools operating in Manjung District. Details of the founding of these schools are found in the book, Wang Jianshi, Ong Eng-Joo: No Other Way Out - A Biography of Ong Seok Kim. Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2013.Wang & Ong 2013, ch.6
Chung Cheng Primary School, Sitiawan
Chung Cheng Primary School was better known in its early days until the 1950s as the “Hokkien School”. Ong was elected as Secretary of the School Board in 1920 and remained in that position until 1927 when he was elected Chairman. He served on the board for more than 30 years, with 20 years (1927-1934; 1936-1939 and 1945-1955), as Chairman.SJK (C) Chung Cheng, 70th Anniversary Souvenir Magazine, 1920-1990. Sitiawan, Perak, p.34 During the period, Ong was involved in the development of Chung Cheng - the hostels, the school hall, classrooms and the establishment of the high school section. He raised funds for the school. Fundraising brought Ong to towns in many parts of Malaya, to Singapore and Betong, Thailand. After the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941, Ong continued going around Malaya collecting donations, visiting Betong, Grik, Lenggong, Kuala Kangsar, Taiping and Keroh to raise funds for the school. It is estimated that he approached and raised funds from more than 10,000 donors in more than 70 towns; some he visited on several occasions.Wang & Ong 2013, p.81
Nan Hwa High School, Sitiawan
Before 1935, there were four dialectic schools in Manjung District, each with its own junior high school section catering for their own clan - Chung Cheng for the Hokkien, Kuok Min for the Kutien, Uk Dih for the Hockchew (Fuzhou) and Min Teik for the Hockchia. In 1935, Ong and local community leaders launched a proposal to merge the junior high school section of the four schools to form a Junior and High School. The community leaders chose the name "Nan Hwa" to remind students that their ancestors migrated from China to settle in Nanyang. A meeting was convened in late 1935. At the meeting, Ong was elected the first Chairman of the School and Chairman/Secretary of the School Building Construction and Building Fundraising Committee.Nanyang Siang Pau. Kuala Lumpur, 9 December 1935, p.9Nanyang Siang Pau Kuala Lumpur, 28 May 1936, p.9 Efforts were then made to find a neutral venue. Ong personally donated $3,000 to purchase a piece of land along Kampung Koh Road. This is the site where SMJK Nan Hwa now sits. In addition, he donated money to build three classrooms.Wang & Ong 2013, p.88