A humble beginning for late tycoon

By NG SU-ANN

MANY of the rich and famous have humble beginnings in the pre-war houses of inner city George Town in Penang.

Among them is the late business tycoon Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew who was a teenager when he arrived in Penang in a small boat from China in 1924.

According to local historian Datuk Khoo Keat Siew, Loh, who could speak only Hok- kien and had virtually no formal education, worked as an apprentice car mechanic upon his arrival in Penang.

"The teenager stayed in a coolie keng (workers' quarters) at 4, Katz Street.

"Loh supplemented his income by washing buses at nights for a meagre 10 sen per vehicle," Khoo said.

4 Katz Street, which was once a coolie 'keng' where Loh lived.

This young man, who was destined to make something out of his life, was not just hardworking but thrifty. He saved almost every sen that he earned, he said.

Many old timers described Loh as a man with fore- sight and a superb memory. Because of his inability to read and write, he depended a lot on his memory.

His adventurous and diligent nature eventually led to his rise to fame and fortune. Also, one must not forget the legacy he left behind as the man responsible for bringing the Honda motorcycles to Malaysia.

After the workers' quarters were closed down, the double-storey house was rented out to several tenants.

The current one is grandmother Gan Ai Tee, 82, who lives there with her two sons.

"In the 1930s, my father brought the family from Singa-pore to live in Penang. We were staying a few doors away from the coolie keng but I don't remember meeting Loh," she recalled.

Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Lee Hack Teik said: "Such inspiring stories of locals who started out from scratch should spur our youths of today to make something out of their lives.

"They may come from destitute families but bear in mind, self-determination and endurance are the keys for one to choot tau (make it big).

"When we fail, remember to get up and try again. Those who don't give up easily are the ones who are likely to triumph at the end."

He said many entrepre-nuers may now be living in mansions and bungalows but they had once lived in the far humbler quarters of inner city George Town.

Apart from Loh, other rags-to-riches examples include Yew Lean Foundry's founder Loh Eng Kim who lived in Noordin Street Ghaut during his youth while manufacturer Teoh Guan Lee used to reside in Weld Quay , he added.