Sungei Merah - Huang Jeng Ann - the First Foochow Chemistry Graduate

The Wong family of Sungei Merah was foremost and well respected under their matriarch who ruled the family with a very firm hand. the Patriarch was Wong Ping Chuang who arrived in Sibu with Wong Nai Siong, together with his wife, whom every one called affectioately Ping Chuang Soh. Later, we children called her Moo Moo.

The sons were smart and the daughters pretty.

In 1928 

fire razed Sibu and most of the bazaar was gone in a matter of hours, since the shophouses were wooden.

However a heartwarming legend lived on . There were perhaps other good stories but this particular story was well circulated.

Old Jeng Ann Moo (Mother of Jeng Ann) was sleepless and she could not understand why . So the next day she walked all the way to Sibu and visited Hock Chu Huo where Wong King Huo was the towkay. She decided to take out all her money from his safe. The towkay was surprised by the request but he adhered to the maxim that his customers were always right.

Old Jeng Ann Moo went back to Sungei Merah with her cloth bag of cash. That night she slept well with the knowledge that her cash was safe with her and under her pillow. She woke up to a day when news broke out that Sibu had been turned to ashes.

It was this kind of background that Huang Jeng Ann was born into. He lived a good life with a mother who tapped rubber and who made a lot of money, bought a lot of land. He and his brothers were like little princes in a dynastic household, and they were the envy of the young generation of Sg. Merah.

They were educated in both English and Chinese, a rare choice, for English was only for selected students from good families.

Jenn Ang and his brothers were sent to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing to study. They all graduated with degrees. Jenn Ang being the eldest became one of the the first Foochow Sibu young men with a university degree. His graduated  in Chemistry.

Jenn Ang returned in 1937 and started off as a teacher of Tung Hua School in Sibu and then was appointed Principal in 1938.

Pin Chuang Moo Moo was well respected and held her formidable position as one of the leading business persons and landowners in Sibu before the Second World War. She held on to her rubber plantations of many acres and employed many tappers to work on her land.