01/04/2020
I was sad to find out that my friend Mr Eng Liat Kiang passed away last Friday.
In these COVID-19 times, his family held a private funeral.
If there had been a wake, it would have included many younger entrepreneurs, partners and friends who have come to admire Mr Eng’s achievements, though not so many comrades of his age. You see, Mr Eng passed away at 102. When I last caught up with him, even as a centenarian, he was still going to work every day! His career — from working in a provision shop to being founder-chairman of Sin Heng Chan Group — is even older than our nation.
When the Japanese Occupation threw his first business into disarray, he took to selling garlic and onions by the roadside. He, and those of his generation, have braved many crises. Each time I spoke to him, I learnt something from his experiences and his attitude to life and business. He could take any hardship, he was always ready to find and make the most of opportunities even in crisis.
I trust that this never-say-die spirit lives on and stays strong in all of us. The community is also grateful for all he has done for the community. My deepest condolences to Mr Eng’s family.
翁烈强先生于2020年3月27日逝世。由于冠状疫情,翁先生的家属已经在上个星期五举行私人丧礼。
享年一百零二岁的翁先生,一生抱着永不言败的精神,一次又一次地创造事业的高峰。他是杰出的新加坡潮籍企业家,在艰苦的环境下白手起家,凭着顽强的意志力,开拓事业。随后,翁先生开创的新兴栈集团还打入东南亚、中国、中东等市场。去年一月,我在潮州八邑会馆《新加坡潮人故事》英文版的发布活动和翁先生相遇。他和我分享了丰富的人生经验。我非常尊敬翁先生,他不仅在自己的事业上取得成功,也为社区做出了很多贡献。我希望国人借鉴翁先生百折不挠的精神。在此,我向翁先生的家人表示深切哀悼和慰问,望多多保重节哀。
(Book launch of “The Story of Singapore Teochews” on 12 January 2019.)