Leong Fee

Leong Fee is the Hakka name for Liang P'i Joo (1857-1911), a Kar Yin Hakka from Guangdong Province in China came to Malaya in 1876. He arrived in Penang and half a year later moved to Perak where he began to make his fortune in tin. He was a tin miner, businessman, a visiting Justice for Kinta (1892), the first Chinese Member of the Federal Legislative Council (1909) [Generations: The Story of Batu Gajah By Tak Ming Ho, Perak Academy Published by HO TAK MING, 2005; ISBN 983405565X, ISBN 9789834055653; pp. 105, 113, 117, 119, 120, 132] a Penang state senator, a member of the Perak State Council, a Chinese Vice-Consul to Penang (1902 to 1908) and a philanthropist. [Days Gone By: Growing Up in Penang By Christine Wu Ramsay, South Yarra: Macmillan, 2004] He married the daughter of millionaire-philantrophist Hsieh Yung-kuan, the Chinese Vice-Consul to Penang before him. [The Official Website of Tourism Penang by The Penang Tourism Action Council] He was a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. [http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/han%20chin%20pet%20soo.html Virtual Malaysia, The official ePortal of Tourism Malaysia]

In 1902 he opened a mine in Tambun. One year later Tambun held the world record for the largest production of any time. [ [http://bp2.blogger.com/_OWhdrX10bSQ/RpxoiSPb-EI/AAAAAAAACK8/x6uwaBQz3NU/s1600-h/DSCN6516.jpgIpoh Echo, July 2007] ]

Leong Fee Mansion

Built on Leith Street around the 1900's as a personal residence, it now belongs to the Christian Brothers and has been leased to an art school, Akademi Seni Equator. [ [http://www.pbase.com/johnglines/image/22476557 John Glines] ]

Ipoh Chinese Tin Miners Club

Leong Fee founded the club in 1893. His son, Leong Yin Khean alias Liang En-Chuen, continued to sponsor the lodge after his father's death and eventually sold the house cheaply to the club. [The Official Website of Tourism Penang by The Penang Tourism Action Council] He was a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. [http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/han%20chin%20pet%20soo.html Virtual Malaysia, The official ePortal of Tourism Malaysia]

References

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