Ng Swee Cam(伍瑞琴)

伍瑞琴(Ng Swee Cam) (Wu Ruiqin) b1900- d1972

Ng Sui Cam or Wu Ruiqin( 伍瑞琴, b 1900 - d 1972), BSc(Eng), MI Mech. E.. AMIE (FM). CBE. JMN. JP. He was born in 1900 at Canton ,China.

He is Taishan(台山)origin (formerly Xinning County, Xinning has also been romanized as Sunning, Sinning, Hsinning, Hsînnîng, and Llin-nen. In 1914, Xinning was renamed Taishan to avoid confusion with the Xinnings of Hunan and Sichuan, Unfortunately it is now confused in English with Taishan (Mount Tai) in Shandong Province) County Qi Fuk cun(齐福村)or Qi Fuk village. Now the ancestral village is under Chonglou town or Chonglouzhen(冲蒌镇), Bajia village commitee (八家管理区 or八家村委会 ), Qifucun or Qifu village(齐福村). His father Wu fawen(伍法文), was a goldsmith, the mother is Mei Taifu(梅太夫人). The family surname actually should be “Wu”(伍), and not Ng as reported, which may be recorded by colonial registry staff based on their dialect.(Note: Ng is a Cantonese and Hakka transliteration of the Chinese surnames (吳/吴) and 伍 (Wǔ), and Hokkien (Taiwanese) and Teochew transliteration of the Chinese surname 黃 (Huang)).

Educated at St Xavier Institution (SXI) in Penang, later went to China and enrolled as student of Lingnan University , Hong Kong University , and Columbia University, USA. He graduated in Bachelor of Engineering, major in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he returned to Penang, to assist his father in the family business, Sun Wo Loong Oil Mill Co. Ltd(“新和隆油較廠”). SUN WO LOONG OIL MILL CO., LTD., was manufacturer or rice bran oil and coconut oil,located at 51, Madras Lane, Penang. The road, Madras Lane was called Yu-kar-lor(油较路)by Chinese in their local Hokkien dialect,which literally means oil mill road. It was due to the presence of Sun Wo Loong Oil Mill there. He was appointed as Managing director and Chief Engineer of the oil mill. Ng Sui Cam was generous with his swimming pool which was used by many Penangites.

In 1952, he formed Ban Heng Bee Rice Mill Ltd Co.(万恒美米较有限公司) at Kangar Road, Kedah; Poh Aik Tong Pawnshop(宝益当) in Kedah, and Kam Man Company Ltd(侨民实业有限公司)in Penang。

Government Appointments
Ng was appointed as Federation of Malaya, Legislative Council(or Federal Legislative Council of Malaya) , Councilor ( 马来亚立法议员), representing the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce) Note: The Federal Legislative Council (also known simply as the Legislative Council) was the legislative body of the Federation of Malaya and the predecessor of the Malaysian Parliament. It was formed in 1948 after the abolition of the Malayan Union and the formation of the Federation, as part of the United Kingdom's promise to grant self-rule to the Malayans. The council convened in Kuala Lumpur. The Federal Legislative Council created in 1948 was composed of 26 official members and 50 nominated unofficial members, 14 of whom were Chinese and 22 Malay)、Penang Settlement Council, non-official nominated councilor(槟州殖民地非官吏议员).

He was also appointed as member of the following government committees, namely Federal Port development Commission(联邦港口发展问题委员会委员)，Penang Port Authority Committee(槟城海港局委员)、Penang Chinese Constitutional Consultative Committee (槟城马来亚宪法委员会委员)，Member of Chinese Advisory Board for Cantonese(华人参事（谘询）参事)、Licensing Board Advisory Committee(执照局谘 询委员)、Civil Defense Advisory Committee(民防部谘询委员)、Internal Security Advisory Committee(内部安全谘询委员会委员)、General Hospital Board(槟城中央医院委员)、The Penang Po Leung Kuk(槟城保良局委员).

Non Profit Organization

President(正主席) of Board Of Directors, Lam Wah Ee Hospital(南华医院) in 1940, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960-1964; Vice President副主席1965-1968; Director(董事) 1936 — 1938, 1969一1972; Trustee(信理员) 1939 — 1972、查屋员（1950）(source: http://www.hlwe.com.my/about-profile.html)

Deputy Chairman (副会长) of Penang Chinese Town Hall(平章会馆Ping Zhang Hui Guan )（1946 — 1954），he was the trustee of the town hall since 1929.
中华总商会(Chinese Chamber of Commerce)第廿四至廿七届副会长（1933 — 1941）、第卅一至卅二届（1950 — 1954）、第卅五至卅六届（1958 — 1962）正会长、第卅七至卅八届（1962 — 1966）副会长。

Clan Association and Education institution

He was also President /Chairman of the following clan associations, namely Ng Fook Thong Temple Cantonese Districts Association (五福堂广州府会馆)、HOY SAN NING YUNG ASSOCIATION(台山宁阳会馆)、马来亚台山会馆联合会( Federation of Toi Sun Associations, Malaya) 、Ng See Kah Miew(伍氏家庙)、and he was also in the board of governors of Shan Hu School(商务學校, formed in 1909 by Ng Fook Thong五福堂, now ),and Taisan School(台山學校, school formed by Toishan Ning Yang Wui Kwon庇能台山宁阳会馆 in 1918, but stopped in 1952. )。Member of Oversea Chinese Education Advisory Committee(华侨教育谘询委员)、Vice President of United Chinese Schools Committee Association(华校校董会联合会)、Nanyang University Committee Penang branch board of directors(南大委员会槟分会主席团成员)。

Political Party- Malaysian Chinese Association or MCA (马来西亚华人公会)

Ng Sui Cam was one of the 16 Chinese Federal Executive Councilors who formed the MCA or Malaysian Chinese Association with Sir Tan Cheng Lok (陈祯禄,b 1883-d 1960) who was later known as Tun Dato Sri Sir Cheng Lock Tan, DPMJ, KBE).

The 16 federal Executive Councilors were :

1. Ee Yew Kim, JP(余有錦) (from Malacca, a Chinese Baba, he was Chinese merchant appointee from Malacca, president of Strait Chinee British Association Malacca ).

2. Colonel Sir H.S. Lee Hau Shik(李孝式, b 1901- d1988)), later Tun(Colonel Sir) Henry Lee Hau Shik, S.M.N., K.B.E., J.P., from Selangor , politician/tin miner/banker, who was president of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Malaya (ACCCIM))、later he become first Malayan/Malaysian minister of Finance. Jalan Tun SH Lee(formerly Jalan Bandar)of Kuala Lumpur was named after him.

3. Khoo Teck Ee(邱德懿, b 1902- d 1953)、a lawyer and banker; was president of the Malayan Estate Owners' Association, and as such was a member of the Advisory Council of, chairman of the Rubber Producers' Council, nominated by the association. Jalan Khoo Telk Ee, off Jalan Imbi, KL was named after him.

4. Toh Eng Hoe(杜榮和), from Taiping, later Dato' Toh Eng Hoe DPMP, AMN, PJK, JP, MCH, CBE, who was the former owner of Taiping Meseum building.

5. Lee Woon Mun, JP(李煥文)、from Penang

6. Leong Cheong Ling/ leung cheung ling(梁長齡),from Selangor,He was a Selangor state executive councilor for several terms. He was a supervisor in charge of Chinese cultural affairs in Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA). He was also a Selangor MCA branch vice-president.

7. Khoo Khoon Huat(邱觀發)

8. BH Oon (nee Lim Beng Hong(溫林鳴鳳),a lawyer from Bukit Mertajam, PW、she was the first Chinese woman to be admitted to English Bar in 1926. In 1949, she was appointed to the Federal legislative Council. She formed the Province Wellesley Labour Party(威省勞工黨)in 1952, which ceased to function in 1960. In 1971, she became the first President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers with H.Q. in New York.

9.Liew Kwon Hon(廖光漢), from Kuala Lumpur,Selangor、

10. Tun Tan Siew Sin (陳修信, b 1916- d 1988)) , from Malacca, was Malaya's (later Malaysia's) first Minister of Commerce and Industry, Finance Minister for 15 years from 1959-1974 , and president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA, later Malaysian Chinese Association) from 1961 to 1974.

11. Woo Ka Lim(胡家濂), from Ipoh, representing mining interest、

12. Tun Leong Yew Koh(梁宇皋, b 1888- d 1963), first Minister of Justice and first Tuan Yang Terutama Yang Di-Pertua Melaka or the first Governor of Malacca from 1957-1963).

13. Lim Khye Seng (林開成, Lin Kaicheng)、lawyer from Penang, President of the Penang Cricket association in 1950s

14. Dr. Lee Tiang Keng or Dr. Li Changjing, JP, CBE(李長景), from Penang, later first Ambassador to Japan and Minister of Health ,Federation of Malaya from 1951-1954.

15. Yong Shook Lin(楊旭齡, b ? - d 1955))、from Selangor. He was the first Chinese lawyer to be admitted to the local Bar.

16. Ng Sui Cam(伍瑞琴, b 1900 - d 1972), from Penang

The Malaysian Chinese Association (“MCA” in brief) was formed on Feb. 27 with Sir Tun Tan Cheng Lock( 陳禎祿爵士)as the inaugural President; Yong Shook Lin(楊旭齡)as Honorary Secretary and Khoo Teck Ee(邱德懿)as Honorary Treasurer. Other founding leaders included Colonel Sir H.S. Lee(李孝式)as political/youth/women sub-committee chairman ; Tan Siew Sin(陳修信) as publicity sub-committee chairman, Leong Chong Leng(梁長齡) as social welfare/culture subcommittee chairman, and Lee Woon Mun(李煥文) as Labor sub committee chairman. Explaining the reasons for forming the party, Tun Tan said, ” The immediate reason for forming our Party was that the Chinese who are loyal to Malaya are made to suffer under the state of emergency. The emergency not only endangered the life of many Chinese, threatening the most basic interests of the Chinese, furthermore it also led others to doubt our traditional loyalty and sincerity to this nation where most of us have considered as our permanent homeland.”

Ng Sui Cam(伍瑞琴)was one of the founding members of MCA. He was also Chairman of Penang MCA(槟州马华公会)from 1949-1962; being a chairman of Penang state MCA, he also become the Vice President of National MCA, by the party's constitution.

Fund Raising Committee

1932 Relief fund raising committee for Chinese ‘s Wounded soldiers’ & Refugee committee(任华侨筹赈祖国伤兵难民委员会财政).
1937 Co-Chairman of Penang Relief Fund Raising Committee for Chinese refugee(槟榔屿筹赈祖国难民大会主席之一)。

Ng Sui Cam(伍瑞 琴), not only a successful businessman, but also active in political and community services. Ng Sui Cam passed away on July 24, 1972 or lunar calendar on June 14th (阴历壬子年六月十四日）at his mansion at Northam Road (between the mansion of Lim Leong Tteng and Istana Kedah). His wife (德配黎翠庭) , at the age of 46, died on 27th September 1950(阴历庚寅年八月十六日）at their residence in Lorong Selamat. He left behind 2 boys and 5 girls. His eldest son Ng Kam Kew 伍锦侨， and 2nd son Ng Kam Man(伍锦民) took over the family business. They inherited houses at Lorong Selamat(平安路),Rangoon Road(仰光路), and 58，Northam Road(红毛路)。

The Residence of Ng Sui Cam at 58, Northam Road is next to Istana Kedah. The late Ng Sui Cam was generous with his swimming pool which was often used by many Penangites. It was later reported occupied by Malaysian pioneer artist Yong Mun-sen(need confirmation). A developer has bought the property and plans a tower block on the site. At the meanwhile, a hawker complex is occupying the garden which has a wonderful view of the North and East of the island and the peninsula opposite and has proved a popular night spot for Penang lang.

He is one of the famous son of Penang. But I wonder is there any road named after him, like his counterpart in other states of Malaysia. Jalan Tun SH Lee was named after SH Lee; 楊旭齡路（Jalan Yong Shook Lin）was named after Yong Shook Lin; Jalan Khoo Telk Ee, off Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur was named after Khoo Teik Ee etc