Flanking the portrait of Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh are Ignatius Chew and Carol Lee (Mrs Universe 2013) with members of the YLCO clan at the YLCO Museum in Ipoh. Photos: Ignatius Chew
“Give me all your money! Give me everything! Hurry Up! Otherwise, your son will die!” demanded the angry Japanese captain. He drew out his samurai sword to threaten the family. The intimidating sight of the sword as well as the hostile look of the Japanese officer terrified the family.
During a recent visit to the YLCO (Yeoh Lim Chew and Oh) Clan Museum in Ipoh, its director Ignatius Chew related to me the kidnapping of his uncle by the Japanese during WWII.
His grandfather was the late Chew Boon Juan, one of the richest men in Malaysia before the war. There is a road named after him in Ipoh today.
Born to a Taoist priest, Boon Juan left his fishing village in Fujian, China, for Malaya in 1892 when he was only 17. Starting off as a cook, he worked and saved hard to build his business in tin mining, provision shops and entertainment within a short time.
Through painstaking effort, he managed to operate his challenging but highly profitable Gunung Lanno tin mine for many years. By age 33, he was already a self-made millionaire and so retired early in life. He built a big bungalow at Chamberlain Road in Ipoh. It is being used by the SMK Raja Perempuan today. He also acquired many other properties in Penang and other towns too.
In his lifetime, he took on four wives who bore him six sons and 10 daughters. Many of his sons went on to become successful businessmen. The family’s fame and wealth soon attracted the attention of the greedy Japanese.
Deeply worried by the kidnapping of his beloved son, Boon Juan paced up and down his house the whole day. Facing the threat of instant death, Ignatius’ aunt hurriedly took out all her jewellery – given to her as wedding gifts – and surrendered them to the captain.
The late Chew Boon Juan.
According to Chinese belief, those wedding gifts would’ve been the family heirloom to be passed down from one generation to another. It was heartbreaking to her but she knew she had no choice as she needed to save her beloved brother.
However, the Japanese officer was not satisfied with what was given to him. He demanded more and the family members were at their wits’ end as to how to satisfy the captain’s demand.
Fortunately, Ignatius’ grandmother was a shrewd woman. She had the foresight to hide her big box of expensive jewellery in a well, owned by a trusted family friend, before the Japanese invasion. The well was located opposite the True Jesus Church today at nearby Jalan Voon Thean Soo in Ipoh. The area has since been developed into a new housing estate in the 1970s.
The late wife of Chew Boon Juan.
Secretly, Ignatius’ family took out the box from the well and passed some jewellery to the Japanese captain. Heaving a big sigh while shaking her head, Ignatius’ grandmother muttered to herself quietly: “Poh choy, dong joy! (Break one’s treasure to stop a disaster)”. After being satisfied with the ransom paid, the captain finally ordered the release of the uncle.
About a year later, the Japanese came again to cause trouble to the family. Driven by avarice, they kidnapped the grandfather Boon Juan this time. Fortunately, Ignatius’ uncle was a successful businessman with Kinta Rubber Works during the war. He had to work hard to raise the money to pay the ransom demanded by the Japanese.
After two kidnappings, the family had to be very careful as they were being watched by the Japanese constantly. Ironically, the family took up the Japanese dealership for Honda motorbikes and cars in Perak state after the war.
Initially, Japanese cars were considered inferior compared to Western models. However, within a short time, Japanese cars soon proved to be more reliable and economical than Western models. This helped the Ban Hoe Seng company of the Chew family to become one of the fastest growing auto companies in the country.
Today, Ignatius remains as the director of the company. However, the debonair gentleman, more commonly referred to as “Uncle Chew”, is devoting more time to establishing his YLCO Museum.
Uncle Chew explained, “The YLCO Clan has produced many talented and distinguished leaders in various fields around the world. Among them are medical Professors Yeoh Ghim Seng and Yeoh Kian Hian of Singapore as well as Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh and Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik."
It should be an enriching visit for anyone as the museum enables us to appreciate not only the clan’s rich history but also its contributions to the various countries their clan members reside in.
