Through The Years – Yeoh Saw Kin

Through the years, the life of Saw Kin

Yeoh Saw Kin, the grand-daughter of Chew Boon Juan, has had an interesting life.

She grew up in the east in the forties before moving to England in the fifties and became the first girl in the family to become a lawyer in England in the sixties.

Her mother Chew Gaik Tiew was the third of Boon Juan' 10 daughters. She was married to Yeoh Ghim Cheow, the son of Yeoh Kuan Joo and the couple had two boys, Kean Cheng and Kean Seong and Saw Kin.

The Gurney Drive, Penang bungalow of grand father Chew Boon Juan. Chew Gaik Tiew is seated (4th from right, 2nd row from bottom) Chew Boon Juan and grand mother Goh are 7 & 8 from right. Saw Kin is below her mum in floral dress. Yeoh Ghim Cheow is 3rd from left (last row)   

Describing her mother as ‘the only one of her 10 aunties that didn’t play mahjong’ but would rather would go down to the Chinese book shop and rent a book so much so she took to reading after her.

Her father Ghim Cheow partnered with Chew Choon Siew, Boon Juan’s 2^nd son to establish Kinta Rubber Works.

Her early years were spent at the Yeoh residence in Ipoh, 2 Jalan Bendahara before leaving for England at the age of 9. She never returned till age 16 to apply for her identity card.

At 2, Jalan Bendahara, Ipoh. Saw Kin with baby Tom (seated 1st from left) followed by her mum, grandmother Lim Siew Tong and her father Yeoh Ghim Cheow. Her husband is at back with her brothers and their wives and family

In England she was sent to boarding school at the Convent. Her father had bought a house in England for her mother to stay and for the children to come to during the holidays.

Saw Kin went on to study law at the University of Leeds and subsequently passed out as a Barrister from Grays Inn. It was during her this time when she met her husband Peter Latham. 

Saw Kin with her parents and brother at Dover, England

Saw Kin, in her teens (in black on the floor) and her mother (3rd from left) at a relatives home.

 

In 2012 she wrote her “Reminisces of Yeoh Saw Kin” where she mentioned the time when she was born and gave a brief description of her growing up years.

“It was 1942 in the vicinity of a village in Cameron Highlands. The women of the Chew and Yeoh were pregnant simultaneously.

An Orang Asli woman delivered all of us cousins. ”My cousin Mimi was the first followed by me then Saw Lian and Honey. We were the 1942 babies”.

On Penang she recalled her grandfather Chew’s ‘big house in Gurney Drive’ where ‘we used to stay during the school holidays’.

“The boys slept in one large room and the girls in another big hall, both upstairs.

‘In the daytime we would go to Tanjung Bungah for picnics and to swim and in the evening would play hide and seek in the trees at the back of the bungalow.

She even described her uncles accordingly. 2^nd uncle Chew Choon Siew was the “Ice Cream Uncle" and the most popular. He would shout ‘anyone want strawberry ice cream’ whenever he came over. 

10^th uncle Lo Chung Liang, aunt Chew Gaik Swee’ husband was the most terrifying and was known as the Kissing Uncle. When he came around all the girls would run and hide under the table and chairs lest they get kissed by him.

Saw Kin in her art room .....

.....or laying back listening to Bible Reflections ..... seen here with her son Ian

Now at seventy six years she spends her time doing art in her art room or just laying back and listening to the Bible Reflections over the tape recorder.   

When asked if life has treated her well her reply was it was all right saying she can’t complain too much as she enjoyed the time and events as being part of her life.

Saw Kin ..... 'i can't complain much' .....

 End