Source/Author: By Rev Wong Hoon Hee

Preacher without a “Dog Collar”

The death of Rev Wong Dong Sing, on 26th July 1971 marked the close of a chapter in the history of the Methodist mission among the early Chinese settlers who had migrated to Malaysia from Fukien province, China at the beginning of this century. His forty-five years of ministry stretched from days when snakes glided from the rafters of the attap huts of the rice farmers newly turned to rubber tappers, to the present day when the decendents of these settlers use modern tractors and disc plows to do the work which would otherwise have taken them many backbreaking days to complete with a changkul.

Father was born in the home of an Anglican priest, Wong Jing Sing, some 76 years ago. Left a widow, when father was 5 years old, grandmother Chiew Sook Ting struggled to bring up her only son and two daughters on her meagre income. Determined that her son should serve God as her husband had done, grandmother made tremendous sacrifices to send father to the Methodist Anglo-Chinese College in Foochow city and later to Shih Ho Theological College to prepare him for the Christian ministry.

IMPRESSION
The beginning of the 20th Century saw great suffering in southern China particularly in the Fukien province. There along the Min River the farmers eked out a bare existence from crowded farms which were subdivided far too small to benefit from economies of scale.

The suffering and poverty in his own home and that of his neighbours must have made an indelible impression on father so that during his high school days in Foochow he took an exceptional interest in science and engineering to find ways and means to lessen his peoples’ burdens.

Father’s first appointment after graduation was to a little village called Ou Chien near Foochow city. Here at the age of 27, he married mother, Lee Sook Ging, a graduate of Hwa Nan College who helped him with the ministry to the women-folk. Father and mother realized at the very beginning that to convey effectively the Christian gospel to those poor, farmers, they must first set an example of true Christian love and concern. Apart from the pulpit, father fought against deep-seated prejudices and fears and sought to introduce modern methods to improve the farmer’s lot. Until he introduced the first engine-driven rice milling machines in the villages, the farmers’ wives had to carry rice slung at the ends of bamboo poles to a town several miles away to get their rice dehusked!

SUFFERING
As near famine conditions continued in Southern China, the call of Rev James Hoover for Christian Foochow settlers in the fertile valley along the Rejang River in Sarawak met with good response. Sibu, the chief town along the Rejang River was populated by so many Foochow migrants that it was soon known as the New Foochow. As more and more of his friends and church members moved southwards to “Nanyang” father decided to follow. Through the assistance of two of his very good friends Mr Ling Siu Hua and Mr Ling Siu Pi, father brought mother and grandmother to Sitiawan, Perak—another district where large numbers of Foochows had migrated in 1926.

The Great Depression of 1929 brought intense suffering and hardship to the new Foochow immigrants in Sitiawan as to the people of other parts of Malaya. Many who left China to seek a better life in Malaya,  found the land strange and cruel during those dark days and returned to China with bitter disappointment. Father, who was serving as a pastor in a small village, Simpang Tiga (now called Pekan Gurney) stayed on with those who remained to share their hunger and sufferings.

Problems were plentiful and as a pastor, father did his best to solve them for his church menbers. Helping trap and shoot tigers which had been marauding isolated rubber estates, settling quarrels between one Foochow migrant and another was part of his daily routine. Being one of those few people in Simpang Tiga who could speak some English in those days, he was looked to by the members to help them overcome government red tape in applying for new land, planting grants and even getting admissions into hospitals. It was not until better times returned that father was able to muster sufficient funds to build the first church and parsonage in Simpang Tiga.

ENTHUSIASM
In 1935 father was transferred to Seremban—a predominantly Hokkien-speaking area—and he had to learn a new dialect. Despite his Foochow accented Hokkien he soon won the hearts of the Seremban people. His forte was his enthusiasm and self-sacrificial love for his flock. Preaching in Seremban on Sunday mornings he conducted as well worship services in nearby Mantin, Jelebu and Kuala Pilah on Sunday afternoons in rotation. The parsonage which father helped to build in 1937 was as busy as a lodging house. All were welcome there and weary members were urged to have a bath and a cup of tea or a hot meal before changing buses to return to homes in outlying districts. Those who were late for the last bus stayed overnight. Then there were the not too infrequent visitors who stayed for days at the parsonage whilst their relatives were at the hospital. Each morning and evening they would take food prepared at the parsonage to the hospitals for the sick. To us young children these visitors were somewhat a nuisance, as we had to surrender our beds and sleep on the floor in the hall or verandah. But father truly welcomed them and thanked God for the opportunity of being of service to his fellowmen.

Father was appointed by Bishop Edwin F. Lee in 1941 as District Superintendent in Sibu. He was stranded in Malaya however during the Japanese War when bombs fell just as he reached Singapore in December 1941 for the Annual Conference.

HIS FORTE
Immediately after the end of the War in 1945 father returned to serve as District Superintendent for the Lower Rejang District. It was in these years that father displayed his organising skill. With the help of Rev Ling Kai Cheng and others he made significant changes in the Church organisation. Modern audio-visual aid methods were introduced. Finances were centrally pooled and pastors were paid according to a fixed salary scheme rather than on the financial strength of the church to which he was attached. Another fascinating event in his time, was the annual pastors’ school or retreat. Experienced church leaders like Dr H.B. Amstutz, who later became bishop, were invited to conduct refresher courses, including family planning! At these meetings the pastors got to know each other better and often changes in appointments were openly discussed and subsequently implemented with minimum inconvenience and heartache.

Father and mother were dearly loved by the people in Sarawak. When he and mother left to return to Malaya after his retirement in 1960, the farewell functions held in his honour were well attended.

Despite his age, father simply could not stop working for God. Appointed as a supply pastor to Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan father put in his final great spurt as life drew to a close. Although nearing 70 years he pushed himself very hard, dashing about on his 50 cc motorcycle visiting members and reviving the church. He had a few acres of rubber plantation belonging to the church replanted to produce a steady income for the Church. Unlike the depression years. Ayer Tawar was in the 1960’s fairly well off, with rubber maintaining a fair price. Father was at last in a position to realize his cherished dream—to build the first air-conditioned church in Malaysia. This he fulfilled despite much opposition. His critics pointed out that it was absurd and a waste of money to build an air-conditioned church in a little town like Ayer Tawar, when even none of the large churches in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were air-conditioned. But father insisted that there must be progress and that was the reason why the Ayer Tawar Church should have air-conditioning to cut off the traffic noises on the main road nearby.

His last church was built and his life work was done. Father finally retired some five years ago and lived with mother in a little plank house built by the sea at Teluk Muroh near Lumut. Father stayed by himself with mother as he did not want to be burden to his children. He also loved the sea. As a young man in China he had enjoyed hunting and fishing in his native hills and streams. After the long years of interruption caused by his work, he had hoped to pick up again the joys of youth. But it was not to be. He suffered from a stroke soon after retirement and was partially paralysed on the right side. Active outdoor life was out. He could no longer go dashing about on his tiny motor bike visiting sick or needy members. It was their turn to visit him.

RETIREMENT
To this little hut by the sea therefore came a constant stream of visitors. They came to cheer up their old pastor, now bedridden and brought him little gifts to express their gratitude for his past kindnesses. Some still came with their problems—work, marriage, money—to seek advice from one whom they had long trusted and respected, and to find a Christian solution. Thus to the end of his days, father was able to be with his people to share with them their joys and sorrows and to help them in what little way he could. God in his mercy granted him this, his last wish.

By the Rev. Wong Hoon Hee
Methodist Message
October 1971