The Cheongs' link to the Wongs of Johor

It all started in 2013 with More than a Museum, my feature on the Johor Baru Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery. And when Peter Cheong read it, he wrote to my Editor at the Travel Desk of The New Straits Times in his attempt to contact me.

On the bridge across Sungai Segget, [Left to Right]
Catherine, Pat and Peter Cheong

I finally got his message and I learnt that Peter was in search of more info on his mother’s side* of the family which is linked with the Wong family in JB.

*In the Chinese community, traditionally the woman would be known by her husband’s surname after they were married. For instance, Peter’s mother was Ms Wong who became Mrs Cheong.

We met for the very first time when he came to JB for a visit later that year.

On our tour of the JB Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery, I soon discovered that his mother’s father was Wong Siew Qui, better known as S Q Wong.

Dato’ S Q Wong (1888 to 1980) was a son of Wong Ah Fook, a prominent Johor pioneer whose memory is honoured by our city’s main road named after him.

I remember after our visits to the Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery and the Johor Baru Chinese Heritage Museum, Peter declared that he learnt a great deal more about his ancestry on that day than in his entire lifetime!

Peter Cheong and Catherine
at the entrance to the Johor Baru
Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery

The book by historian Datin Patricia Lim about their great-grandfather, Wong Ah Fook – Immigrant, Builder and Entrepreneur was another valuable source of info and Peter did not hesitate to get a copy to learn more about his family heritage.

The next morning, I took him to meet with his long-lost cousin, Datin Patricia, and they shared a meaningful time together.

There was a lot to discover about each other as her grandfather was Wong Siu Nam, eldest son of Wong Ah Fook while Peter’s grandfather Wong Siew Qui, was Wong Ah Fook’s second youngest son.

When I witnessed their warm interaction, I was absolutely thrilled that I had the privilege to connect these cousins who knew next to nothing about each other until my story was published in NST Life & Times Travel!

Peter, whose family had moved from Singapore to Canada, clearly had a heart for heritage and he wanted his daughters to know more about their family’s rich heritage in JB.

So in 2014 he visited JB again with his daughter, Natasha, and I had the privilege to show them a bit more about JB’s culture and heritage.

Peter did not forget the taste of the Nasi Padang spread at Adam’s so we went there to eat again.

Recently Peter came to JB again, this time with Catherine, his younger daughter, to share with her their family heritage which is proudly preserved in the Johor Baru Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery.

That's me, sharing some info with the visitors in the Gallery

It was a short walk from Jalan Dhoby (where we had a sumptuous meal at Adam’s Nasi Padang in Qin Garden kopitiam) with Catherine, her father and his friend, Pat.

We walked along Jalan Segget to cross the bridge that spanned across Sungai Segget and crossed Jalan Wong Ah Fook to reach Jalan Siu Nam where the JB Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery is located.

It was significant that the three roads Jalan Siu Nam, Jalan Siu Koon and Jalan Siu Chin that link Jalan Wong Ah Fook to Jalan Meldrum in this area traditionally known as Kampung Wong Ah Fook, were named after Wong Ah Fook’s three sons.

It was also important to tell Catherine about the building which houses the Gallery, that was a gift from Wong Ah Fook to the Cantonese community and was used as a guild house for the early immigrants here.

If its walls could speak, it would tell us so much about the people and activities that took place here including being used as the first school for children in the Cantonese community, a hospital, a retirement home as well as a funeral parlour.

Catherine with portraits of Wong Ah Fook and his wife

I was glad to observe that like her sister, Natasha, Catherine too had an interest in her family heritage and delighted in hearing about the achievements of her great-great-grandfather Wong Ah Fook and her great-grandfather S Q Wong.

It was meaningful to introduce Catherine to the portraits of Wong Ah Fook and his wife and let her read the information plaques that preserved the memory of her great-grandfather, S Q Wong.

Immediately below that of S Q Wong, the Gallery had also preserved information about two of my grand-uncles, Wong Peng Soon and Wong Peng Long.

Then I had the privilege to explain to Catherine about my family’s connection to the Wong family, which was through our grandmother, whose aunts were the mothers of these Wong brothers (her cousins).

Peter and Catherine at the information plaque on S Q Wong
with info on Wong Peng Soon and Wong Peng Long below

Earlier on, I had presented a copy of my Book 2, My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People to Peter so I told Catherine that she could read more details from my story featured under Memories on Our Family Ties.

Catherine could also read from the book, Wong Ah Fook – Immigrant, Builder and Entrepreneur by Datin Patricia, who mentioned Wong Peng Soon, the most famous of the Wong brothers who achieved international fame for the nation for his superior skills in badminton.

In her book, Datin Patricia recalled visiting the Wong family in JB and described the large pond in front of the family house at Jalan Ah Siang – just as how my grandmother described it to me.

She also wrote: “In the garden, there was a makeshift badminton court where sand and gravel showed through the worn grass. This was the training ground of several badminton champions, the most famous of them being his son, Wong Peng Soon…”

This badminton court – I’m proud to say – was created by my Ah Kong or grandfather, who made sure that its dimensions met with international standards and it was Ah Kong who trained the Wong brothers in the finer points of badminton!

Peter with Cheng Chee Tong [Left]

In the Gallery, we had the pleasure to meet with the curator, Cheng Chee Tong, who was with his team, working on the expansion of the gallery in the new wing upstairs.

This gave me the privilege to introduce Cheng to Peter and Catherine and I had fun explaining their family’s link to the Wong family in Johor.

Back in 2013, after I first met Peter, shared with him about his family heritage and connected him to his long-lost cousin in JB, I gave my Editor an update on the exciting happenings and was delighted to receive her reply.

She said: Hi Peggy, I am so happy to hear the news. Our work goes beyond writing, and when we can do something like what you did, it’s very heart-warming indeed. Keep up the good work, Peggy!

Her words of encouragement meant a great deal to me.

Unknown to me, her encouragement set the stage for me to go forward with publishing the series of My Johor Stories non-fiction books that are not only a written legacy for our family to reconnect again but also a precious legacy for all the other personalities and families featured in my books.

At MPH Bookstore in JB City Square, Peter got hold
of My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage

After our interesting and informative tour of the Gallery, we took another walk along Jalan Wong Ah Fook to Johor Baru City Square mall for Peter to get a copy of, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage from the MPH bookstore here.

Peter went headlong into the bookstore to ask the sales assistant for my book by its title and he was pleasantly surprised when the sales assistant led him directly to the shelf where my books were prominently displayed!

While Peter paid for the book, some members of the retail team who are familiar with me, explained that the shelves were recently rearranged in the store…  

I could then uncross my fingers with much relieve because there was still some stock of Book 1 for Peter! It was all good.

The Johor Baru Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery is at No. 24 Jalan Siu Nam, 80000 Johor Baru. Opens from 9am to 5pm.

*My Johor Stories, the books. My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage and My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People, are available from MPH bookstores nationwide and online from www.mphonline.