A Tribute of Gratitude

This website was made possible through the extraordinary generosity of the sponsors listed in our Sponsors section.

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Their support has enabled me to bring this platform to life and has given me the opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who, in one way or another, has contributed to my books, the History and Stories of the Hinghwa People project, and this website.

I am profoundly grateful to former Singapore Minister for Defence Dr. Ng Eng Hen for graciously writing the Foreword to my first and second book. My sincere appreciation also goes to Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, whose invaluable encouragement during the early stages of my writing journey gave me the confidence to persevere. I am equally thankful to Mr. Edwin Tong, then Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, for officiating the launch of my inaugural book at the Furama RiverFront Hotel on 3 June 2022.

I am also deeply honoured that many distinguished leaders and eminent members of the Hinghwa community generously permitted me to use their photographs in my books. My heartfelt appreciation goes to:

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• Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore

• Dr. Ng Eng Hen, former Minister for Defence, Singapore

• Dato' Dr. Amin Liew Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II, Brunei Darussalam

• Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, former Federal Minister, Malaysia

• Mr. Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Singapore

• Mr. Ong Ye Kung, then Minister for Education, Singapore

• Ms. Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development, Singapore

• Mr. Philip Ng, Chief Executive Officer, Far East Organization

• Mr. Matthew Ong, Co-Founder, Learning Playground Language Centre

• Mr. Ng Kim Choon, President, Hin Ann Huay Kuan, Singapore

• Mr. Ng Chee Hwa, Deputy Chairman, Hin Ann Huay Kuan, Singapore

• Dato' Sri Ngoh King Hua, former President, Federation of Heng Ann Associations, Malaysia

• Datuk Lim Wei Fook, President, Federation of Heng Ann Associations, Malaysia

• Mr. Rudy Susanto, President, Perhimpunan Hin An, Jakarta

• Mr. Ong Eng Bin, former Chairman, OCBC Malaysia

• Dato' Alan Tong, widely known as Malaysia's "King of Condos"

My heartfelt thanks also go to the Singapore Puxian Hinghwa Network for publishing my first book, and to its Publication and Editorial Committee, ably led by Advisor Mr. Andrew Tjioe. I am especially grateful to Ar. Andrew Ng Cheng Hwa and Ms. Sharlyn Lim Xiaoyun, whose introduction to the Network proved to be the pivotal connection that made the publication of my book possible.

I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to the presidents and committee members of our regional associations for their warm hospitality and generous assistance during my research visits:

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• Federation of Heng Ann Associations, Malaysia

• Persatuan Shing An Selangor & Kuala Lumpur

• Negeri Sembilan Shing An Association

• Kuching Hin Ann Association

• Sibu Hin Hua Pou Sen Association

• Miri Hin Ann Association

• Sibu Dui Binn Community Association

A very special word of thanks goes to Dato' Alan Tong, who generously hosted me at his penthouse during my two research visits to Kuala Lumpur. His warm hospitality and friendship made those visits especially memorable.

Words alone cannot adequately express my gratitude to Lin Zhou (林洲), Kapitan Frankie Nee, and JP Hong Boon Siong, whose unwavering support was instrumental to the success of my research in Putian, Sibu, and Kuching.

In Putian, Lin Zhou kindly introduced me to many distinguished scholars and experts in Hinghwa history and culture, including Lin Shuanghua (林双华), Editor-in-Chief of Putian Evening News, Cai Jiancai (蔡建财), Zhang Yuanchang (张元昌), Zhisheng (志昇), and many others who generously shared their invaluable knowledge and insights.

I am also deeply indebted to Supt. (Ret.) Lee Swee Thin, whose invaluable knowledge greatly enriched my chapter on the Hinghwa enclave and Singapore's early crime history.

My special thanks go to Ms. Ong Lee Wha, President of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers. She not only inspired this writing journey in 2018 but has remained a steadfast source of encouragement throughout these many years.

As this project evolved, the number of people deserving recognition grew far beyond what these pages could accommodate. To those whose names have not been individually mentioned, I humbly seek your understanding. Please know that your kindness, encouragement, and support are deeply appreciated and forever woven into the fabric of this work.

Finally, this project belongs not to one individual, but to an entire community.

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Together, we have rediscovered, documented, and preserved the remarkable history and stories of the Hinghwa people for future generations. It is my sincere hope that this work will inspire every Hinghwa descendant to take pride in our rich heritage, honour the sacrifices of our pioneers, and confidently proclaim: We are the Hinghwa people.​​​