Sibu Tales : Wong Nai Ping, Wong Nai Siong's Brother

One of Wong Nai Siong's brothers, Wong Nai Ping, stayed on in Sibu and kept a very low profite. Very few people know about this.

Wong Nai Ping's only surviving  great grandson is now in Miri and is a towkay of a glass and aluminium business. He and his family have been doing well.

According to Wong, his first home was a wooden hut in Sg. Merah with his grandparents, a home that was not very far from Sing Ang Tong. However he does not remember why his family did not continue to be Methodists.

But he definitely still has the Foochow pioneering spirit. After his mother died at a young age of 42, he apprenticed himself first as a kampua assistant with Heu Ming Ung at a road side stall and that did not earn him much except a few bowl of noodles.

Then he worked for Chieng Lee Kui, a glass and aluminium shop owner where he learned all the skills he needed very quickly. The Chieng shop is still there in Sibu. He had to earn more money because when he could not survive on so little an allowance. He slept on the glass cabinet at night acting as night watch man.

In 1967 he was b ut 16 years old, he had a single air fare to Brunei, and RM72 in his pocket, and probably only two cents in his other pocket. He was putting his life on the line, to look for a job in the land of golden opportunities. His special skill was glass cutting. And he was tired of earning RM90 per month in Sibu.

He got a job in Brunei within days and the rest is the history of a Foochow man who made his fortune in glass and aluminium windows in Brunei and Miri.

This is a typical Foochow rags to riches story and he does not want to have his name printed on paper. He told me that he could tell me his story but I cannot use his real name.