The Promise...fulfilled

 

If you have read the Epilogue: Journey to My Johor Stories, a letter written to my dad documented in My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, you will be familiar with Mr. & Mrs. Cheong, our friends Whye Choon and Swee Gim, who connected me with then MPH Group Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Ng Tieh Chuan.

 

The Cheong's, Whye Choon and Swee Gim with
Dato' Ng Tieh Chuan and wife, Datin Meow Yin
at the book launch of The Promise on Sept 17

When the Cheong’s mentioned about my book project to Dato’ Ng, it marked a dramatic turning point in my book-writing journey when MPH Publishing Kuala Lumpur stepped in to partner with Think City Johor Baru to publish my first book and continued to do so for the trilogy of My Johor Stories books.

 

Nobody, least of all me, expected My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage to go to the Number One spot in the MPH Non-Fiction Bestsellers list in the first week of its launch in July 2017.

 

Thanks to all you readers, this book stayed on the Bestsellers list for consecutive weeks and months, and at year end, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage was counted among the titles in the Best of MPH in 2017.

 

When I was in Kuala Lumpur for the Meet-the-Readers event hosted at the MPH bookstore in 1Utama Mall in October 2017, it was also an opportunity to meet with Dato’ Ng to thank him personally for his support of local writers like me.

 

Ng Tieh Chuan [Standing Centre]
with his brothers and parents
in a formal family photo

The next morning, accompanied by Mr. & Mrs. Cheong, we went to the Sunday service at Bandar Sunway Gospel Centre where I finally met with Dato’ Ng and his wife Datin Meow Yin, after the meeting.

 

This remarkable experience with the Cheong’s and Dato’ Ng in the early part of my book-writing journey, was duly documented in My Version of Great Expectations.

 

Fast-forward to August 2023 – three My Johor Stories books later and Dato’ Ng had already stepped down from his role with the MPH Group – when I received a WhatsApp text message from Dato’ Ng who wanted to call me for a chat.

 

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised but did not hesitate to reply with a welcome for him to call.

 

Tieh Chuan with Meow Yin,
the early years together in Taiping

In our brief chat, Dato’ Ng told me that when his mother was diagnosed with cancer in March 2009, he asked God to let him witness to her and his family one last time.

 

He made a PROMISE to God that upon her salvation, he will share the story of His goodness to him.

 

Born to non-Christian parents, Tieh Chuan heard the good news of salvation at Taiping Gospel Hall and became a Christian in 1972. He faithfully attended all the meetings of Taiping Gospel Hall and took on leadership roles in church events.

 

Taiping Gospel Hall

He often thought that personal stories such as his may not be worth telling and one of his main excuses for not sharing his story was that his conversion and experience as a Christian was quite ordinary.

 

But when he learned that his mother was terminally ill, Tieh Chuan wanted to let his mother know why he trusted the Lord.

 

He was deeply troubled because he was not able to communicate fluently in Hokkien dialect and if he did not make an effort to share the good news of salvation with her, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

 

He and his wife prayed fervently that God would grant him this wish that his beloved mother would come to know and accept the Lord.

 

A copy of The Promise sent to me
for a read and to review!

His family members were also present when he spoke to his mother in Hokkien to share his conversion story, his experiences as a Christian and what God had done for him.

 

Two months later, on 3 May 2009, he received a handphone text message from his brother who said that he had started going to church last Sunday.

 

On June 4, he received the happy news from his brother that their mother wanted to be a Christian and had asked to be baptized. That afternoon, he and his wife were back in Taiping, overcome with joy as they witnessed his mother acknowledging the Lord in her life when she was baptized.

 

On 5 September 2009, his mother slipped into eternity peacefully at the age of 76.

 

Tieh Chuan in his rented room in SS2

In 2023, Tieh Chuan fulfilled his promise to God by documenting his life story and God’s goodness to him in his book simply titled, The Promise.

 

I was delighted that he wanted to send me a copy of this book to read and see if I could write a review to publish in a Christian magazine to share with others, God’s goodness and grace upon him.

 

While many may know him as Dato’ Ng, a successful entrepreneur in the book industry, I read that he struggled through a very challenging journey in his early years and by God’s grace and favour, gained the confidence of people in the higher echelons of society and had the privilege to publish their biographies and books.

 

In his rented room; Note the number of fans
to help with the ventilation inside the room!

In recognition of his achievements in the publishing industry, he was conferred the Ahli Mangku Negara in 1992. Then in 1999, he was honoured with the award, Dato Paduka Mahkota Perak, which carries the title, Dato’.

 

In 2012, he reached the peak of his career when he was received the award for Tokoh Industri Buku Negara.

 

In just 208 pages, Tieh Chuan shared a brief autobiography with highlights of significant events in his journey from his youth to the present day in a faith-walk to inspire others to trust and depend on God.

 

Dato' Ng Tieh Chuan, a montage
of photos taken over the years

On the evening of September 17, some 200 guests – including the Cheong’s – gathered for a relaxing dinner in Kuala Lumpur, hosted for the book launch of The Promise.

 

The invitation read: “See you on Sunday! It will be a night of fun and makan! Casual night with no VIPs, only old friends and no programs. Just makan.”

 

And so, it was a reunion of sorts where the guests gathered were mainly old friends from Taiping, many who have not met for some 40 years.

 

In the Preface, Tieh Chuan said, “I believe that as Christians, our lives must be an open book for others to see Christ through us. Many may not have the opportunity to read the Bible but they can read us.”

 

Tieh Chuan with the Tunku,
the nation's first Prime Minister

The Promise is a powerful testimony of what God can do to turn disadvantages into opportunities to deliver His promise and give Tieh Chuan a future and a hope. Many times, Tieh Chuan’s faith was sorely tested and through the conflicts he faced, his faith turned into a personal possession.

 

Written from his heart in simple language and supported by a collection of precious photographs, Tieh Chuan shared about his family, growing up in Taiping and his education at St. George’s Institution there.

 

Late one night, shortly after receiving his Form Five examination results and before leaving Taiping for Petaling Jaya to further his studies, he knelt in prayer to ask God to PROMISE him that, “should I stumble and fall, or backslide as a Christian in the future, that HE would catch me before I hit the ground and not let go.”

 

In that era when higher institutions of education were only available in the capital city, young people like Tieh Chuan who were seeking further education, moved to Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya from all over the country.

 

A personal note from the Tunku

When he ran short of money, he was forced to stop his studies and had to find a job. It was such a difficult time that he even had to be stingy with spending on food.

 

After attending 35 interviews, he landed his first job as an office boy with a small book publishing company. His daily tasks included menial jobs like cleaning the office and toilets, washing cups, wiping tables, wrapping and packing books, and loading and unloading books.

 

In the early years, he literally worked from the ground up, working his way to become the van driver before going on to be a travelling salesman for books.

 

With many setbacks and disappointments, it was not a smooth-sailing journey but Tieh Chuan was determined to learn everything there was to know about publishing books. In the production department, he observed and offered help to any staff.

 

Armed with the right attitude, he soon learned to do paste-ups on the manuscripts for new books, did typewriting on the IBM electric typewriter and also did typesetting.

 

Tieh Chuan [Right] with Tun Musa
Hitam [Centre] and Dr Bruce Gale

After 16 months in his first job, he was dealt another blow when the company had financial problems and he lost his job. With many failed attempts to find a new job, a friend advised him to start his own business. While his business partnership had a promising start, this venture ended in failure.

 

It was in early 1978 when Tieh Chuan experienced a new beginning in his job as sales representative with one of the biggest book distribution companies in Malaysia and Singapore. This marked the start of his career in book publishing.

 

His first breakthrough in publishing kicked off with the publication of the Malay edition of Living Crafts of Malaysia by Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard, Mekarnya Seni Pertukangan Malaysia, launched in March 1981.

 

In 1980, Tieh Chuan initiated a book project to document the history of Taiping Gospel Hall, the place where he heard the good news of the Gospel. This book, Reminiscences – Taiping Gospel Hall, 1880 to 1980, was published in 1981.

 

One of the most memorable days of Tieh Chuan’s life must be the book launch event for, Lest We Forget, the first book he published for Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the nation’s first Prime Minister, launched on 8 February 1983 to coincide with his 80^th birthday.

 

Tieh Chuan with Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad at his book launch event

In 1984 when he established his own business, Pelanduk Publications, which focused on publishing books on Malaysia by Malaysians, Tieh Chuan had the honour and privilege to publish the Tunku’s authorized pictorial biography titled, Tunku: A Pictorial Biography, Vol 1 (1903 – 1957) launched on 25 August 1984.

 

His book publishing career continued to soar with publishing many quality books that featured biographies, memoirs and historical records of prominent personalities like Datuk Onn Jaafar before the founding of UMNO, Sultan Azlan Shah, Tun Musa Hitam, Tan Sri Lee Siow Mong, Tan Sri Dr. Tan Chee Koon, Tun Dr. Daim Zainuddin and Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

 

We know that God was at work in Tieh Chuan’s life because He produces in the ordinary something that was so extraordinary and inspiring.

 

Blessed with a son and a daughter, Tieh Chuan and Meow Yin wanted them to attend Sunday School and be brought up in a church environment. Their children grew up in Bandar Sunway Gospel Centre, an outreach project of the Petaling Jaya Gospel Hall, the church he and his wife joined when they first came from Taiping.

 

It was always satisfying to receive recognition for one’s efforts and for his contributions to the publishing industry, Tieh Chuan was honoured by business awards, a federal honour from the nation’s King, a state honour from a Sultan and the appointment as a Justice of Peace.

 

The Promise is available in
English and Chinese versions

In The Promise, Tieh Chuan said, “I recount the above awards in this book, not so much to impress readers, as to illustrate the point that it is possible for Christians to gain public recognition without the need to get ahead by putting others down or engaging in the sort of dubious practices that so often tempt businessmen.”

 

“It had not always been easy, but I have always tried to conduct my business affairs in a way that would be pleasing to God.”

 

As Tieh Chuan kept his faith and obedience to God through some of the roughest times in his life, God’s unseen hands were guiding him. Even though he stumbled along the way, God remained faithful and vindicated him with countless blessings.

 

Dato' Ng Tieh Chuan with
his wife, Datin Meow Yin

In keeping with Tieh Chuan’s aim to share the good news of the Gospel and God’s grace, all proceeds from the sale of this book will go towards the Good News Community Church, Senior Citizens Ministry.

 

The English version of The Promise has also been translated into Chinese.

 

Priced at only RM20.00 each, The Promise is truly a labour of love.

 

Get your copies of The Promise available from Canaanland Christian Bookstores in Selangor and online from canaanland.com.my

 

Canaaland Christian Store, 23-25 Jalan PJU 1A/41B, Pusat Dagangan NZX, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, and Canaanland @DUMC Dream Centre, 2, Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13, 46200 Petaling Jaya.

Note: Old photographs from The Promise used with permission from Dato' Ng Tieh Chuan.