Three women's intriguing ties to Java's sugar tycoon, Oei Tiong Ham

Oei Tiong Ham and Hui Lan with her son Wellington Jnr, in Singapore in 1923. Photo: Yao-hua Tan, courtesy Daryl Yeap

When you look up “Sugar King of Asia” online, you’ll undoubtedly come across Malaysian billionaire tycoon Robert Kuok, who made his fortune from sugar. But did you know that there’s another Asian sugar king that predates him?

In As Equals: The Oei Women Of Java, author Daryl Yeap offers a riveting read about Java’s Sugar King of Asia, Oei Tiong Ham, whose vast wealth made him the richest man in Asia at the start of the 20th century.