Hokkien Huay Kuan

At the beginning of China Town, near the arch, on the river side is the old building of Hokkien Huay Kuan. It was founded in 1940 by a group of  Hokkien lan. They were MR. TAY WEE JIN (the maternal grand-father of Tan Kian Peng(Or Ee)),  MR. TAN GARK HUI(Later Dato`) (maternal grand-father of Dato` Toh Seng Tat),  DATO` TEO YEW HUI (father of Dato` Teo Eng Tiong, the only non-Malay ever to hold the post of State Treasurer in Terengganu State),  MR. LAU YU KHENG (a Singaporean, the earliest clerk of Teck Siang Company),  MR. TAN SOON HOCK (father of late Dato` Tan Eng Ann),  MR.TAN GUAN JOO (grand-father of Tan Tiow Kheng of No. 211 Jalan Kampong Cina),  MR. TEO CHUAN GUAN (the pre-war headmaster of Chung Hwa Wei Sin School, an outsider, he was accused of being China`s sympathiser and beheaded by the Japanese during the Occupation.  A Memorial had been erected at the Chinese Cemetery in Jalan Pusara, in remembrance of him),  MR TOH TECK TEE (father of Toh Heng Hin). The Association rented a house for its meeting and members` gathering. During the Japanese Occupation, the Association disbanded and documents destroyed in order to prevent the Japanese`s attention.

After the war in 1945, the Association re-established and based at a rented house. The committee members were head by Mr. Tay Wee Jin, Mr. Tan Gark Hui, Mr. Tan Kang Soon (son of the founder member, Tan Guan Joo) and Chang Chin Kay ( I am not very sure whether he was the same gentleman who stayed at one of the wooden houses on stilts in Jalan Kampong Daek (now Jalan Kota) ) Mr. Tan Gark Hui started the ball rolling for the Building Funds for the  Association. With its own building at No. 217, Jalan Kampong Cina which was completed in 1949, to be proud of, the memberships soon increased many folds. Many activities were organised. Chinese night classes were started to help those English educated children and over-aged children who were unable to gain entry into main stream Schools to learn Chinese Language. Children from other dialects or clans took advantage of the night class at the expense of Hokkien children.

Hokkien Huay Kuan had a good relationship with Trengganu Chinese Musical and Sports Association (TCMSA) at Jalan Paya Bunga (Jalan Sultan Ismail), whose members were all Hokkien lan. When the Government acquired the TCMSA`s land, the sums of RM300,000.00 which were compensated by the Authority were donated by TCMSA`s members to subsidised Hokkien Association to buy 3 units of shop houses. TCMSA was officially dissolved on 30^th. June, 1974 and its saving of $6,701.10 was donated to Chung Hwa Wei Sin Chinese School Alumni Building Fund. In 1978, Hokkien Huay Kuan moved to its new building at Jalan Sultan Ismail.

The Presidents of Hokkien Huay Kuan at No. 217, Jalan Kampong China were:- (a) MR. TAY WEE JIN served 6 terms from 1940 to 1954,  (b) Y. BHG. DATO SERI TOH CHWEE BIOW served 2 terms from 1955 to 1958,  (c)  Y. BHG. DATO` TAN GARD HUI served 8 terms from 1959 to 1976, and (d) MR. LOW HAI WAN served 1 term from 1977 to 1978 before Hokkien Association moved to its new building in Jalan  Sultan Ismail.

Most of the information on the Hokkien Huay Kuan is extracted from its 60^th. Anniversary commemorative magazine.