13. Father A Self-Educated Man

A Young Chung Chow

As a young man, father Chung Chow was very interested in acquiring knowledge. He attended only two years of primary school in China when he was 10. From 1938 to 1939, he studied Mandarin during night classes at the Cheng Hua Chinese School along Jalan Mahajarela (formerly Birch Road) in Taiping, Perak.

Mandarin was introduced into Malaya during the 1920s and became very popular among the Chinese. Classes were held from 8 to 9 p.m., and the monthly tuition fee was only 50 cents. During his free time, he would mingled with the elders and coaxed them to teach him the traditional Chinese classics. He was also a very keen reader and would read all kinds of books he could get his hands on.

With only four years of so-called formal education, it was his diligence and keen interest that helped him acquired the necessary skills to read and write in the Chinese language. We are very proud of his achievements and admired very much his courage and determination in his pursuit for knowledge.

Cheng Hua School now occupied by Oversea Seafood Restaurant

Next: 14. Japanese Occupation