The descendants of famed Malaysia-born plague fighter in Manchuria Dr Wu Lien-Teh have set up a body to preserve and protect the family’s legacy and history.
Known as the Dr Wu Lien-Teh and General Lam To’Kai Heritage Organisation, the body served as a platform to unite descendants spanning nine generations.
Chairman Alison Chong said the organisation was formed to preserve documented historical records and maintain custody of archives and ancestral graves, she said at a press conference following its launch at a hotel in Ipoh, Perak.
“It is also to serve as a bridge of the diaspora in Malaysia, Singapore, China and other parts of the world.”
She said the first annual general meeting was held on Jan 28.
While Dr Wu is a prominent figure in the medical sector, Chong said his grandfather To’Kai was a significant military figure.
To’Kai is believed to have supported Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II of Kedah during the Kedah-Siam War in the early 1800s.
“To’Kai is said to have military experience and led soldiers during the war in 1838.
“He later settled in Penang with his wife, known as Lady Guo, and had six sons and three daughters,” she said, adding that she was researching To’Kai and Lady Guo’s genealogy.
Chong, To’Kai’s great-great-great-granddaughter, said two of his sons were also very prominent – Admiral Lam Kok Cheong and Lam Looking.
Kok Cheong, the second son who went to Penang Free School, underwent naval training in China and was regarded as a naval hero for his involvement in the First Sino-Japanese War.
“Looking, the youngest son, served in the Sino-French War before coming to Ipoh to enter the tin-mining industry.
“He became a respected entrepreneur and philanthropist, and has a road named after him.
“Dr Wu’s mother, Lam Choy Fan, was To’Kai’s eldest daughter,” Chong said.
A book detailing her research is expected to be published this year, followed by another book that traces the family’s origins in China.
