KUALA LUMPUR,: The late Tan Sri Datuk Dr Ng Teck Fong shall always be remembered as the ‘Big Brother’ of Huazong and the Malaysian Chinese community, said Huazong president, Tan Sri T.C Goh.
“You are our ‘Big Brother’ forever,” he said.
He affectionately proclaimed this while delivering the eulogy for the late Ng at the latter’s funeral service held at the Nirvana Memorial Life Center here, on Tuesday.
Goh who is also the President of Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) said such a tribute i.e the ‘Big Brother’ title, was a befitting one, as that’s how those who knew him well had been addressing him all these years, as a form of respect in recognition of his substantial contribution to Chinese culture and education throughout his lifetime.
In paying his tribute to Ng, Goh acknowledged that Ng’s lifetime struggle and achievement, i.e. from rags to riches, his righteousness in speaking out for the Chinese community, and his contributions to the nation and the Chinese community was an exemplary role model for the entire Malaysian Chinese community.
He affectionately recalled that, whenever he met Ng, whether it was at Huazong or Chinese community functions, besides addressing him as “Tan Sri”, he often also like to address him as “Big Brother Ng”, which he thought was more cordial and befitting his (Ng) well-respected status as Chinese community leader.
Goh who is also the joint-chairman of the late Ng’s funeral service committee further acknowledged that ever since he became Huazong’s president, he has had a close and cordial working relation with Ng and had personally witnessed the latter’s passion in serving the Chinese community.
Ng was the honorary permanent president of Huazong cum Chairman of the Malaysian Chinese Museum.
To better illustrate Ng’s contributions to Huazong and the Chinese community, Goh especially credited Ng for the establishment of the Malaysian Chinese Museum which he (Ng) proposed during the construction of Wisma Huazong, in November 2011. The construction of the museum started in August 2017 and was completed and opened to the public in March 2018. Under Ng’s leadership, careful planning and prudent management, the Museum was awarded with two gold awards by Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) in 2019 namely, the Best Heritage Museum and Best Tourist Attraction (Chinese Museum), for its rich and fascinating contents; recently the Museum was also earmarked as one of the key cultural tourism destinations under the “Kuala Lumpur Cultural Train” programme initiated by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, with the chief aim of promoting Malaysia as a premier destination for cultural tourism.
Besides this, Ng also assisted Huazong with the publication of an encyclopedia titled “A Journey Through History: The Chinese and Nation-Building in Malaysia” which won Malaysia’s highest book award in 2016.
“Our late ‘Big Brother Ng’ was a very positive and creative person who had lived a colourful and successful life,” Goh added.
Also in attendance at the funeral service were, Huazong deputy president, Datuk Ong Seng Khek, its honorary permanent president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah, honorary permanent advisers cum patrons of Wisma Huazong namely Tan Sri Lim Huah Leong, Tan Sri Lim Soon Peng, Tan Sri T.S Law, Tan Sri Kong Hon Kong, Tan Sri Tan Koon Swan, Tan Sri Tee Hock Seng, Tan Sri Tee Tiam Lee, its legal adviser Chang Aik Ming, deputy secretary-general Yong Yew Wei, Central Committee members Dato’ Jeffrey Ng, Dato’ The Eng Hin and Dato’ Lee Teck Hua, among others.-pr/BNN
