Chew Choo Peng - Chew Boon San's third born child.

Chew Choo Peng married Chang Poh Yoke in 1939. Photo (left) was taken at 255 Kampar Road

Chew Choo Peng was the third born child of Chew Boon San and Toh Bok Wai. Like Gaik Khim and Choo Beng he was born in China before coming to Malaya.

He completed his education at Chung Ling High School Penang before returning to Gopeng to help in the family business Ban Hoe Bee Tin Ore shop.

Choo Peng was active in the Hokkkien association and treasurer for the local Chinese school SJK (C) Man Ming.

In 1939 Choo Peng married Chang Poh Yoke the daughter of Chang Onn from Ipoh. The wedding photograph of Choo Peng and Poh Yoke was taken at 255 Kampar Road the second bungalow of Chew Boon San. 

The couple were blessed with 7 children, six girls and a boy. They were 1st daughter Chew Soak Foong, 2nd daughter Chew Soak Leng (Adeline), 3rd daughter Chew Soak Sim, 4th daughter Chew Soak Heng (Sally), 5th daughter- Chew Soak Nee, 6th daughter Chew Woon Teng and 7^th son Chew Loon Wan.

Incidentally the birth certificate of their first born Soak Foong showed that she was born in 1941 at the Kampar Road address. The house is currently the Salvation Army Children’s Home.

After the war the family had moved back to Gopeng.

Chew Choo Peng passed away on the first day of Chinese New Year in 1980. His wife Chang Poh Yoke died in 2011. She was 93 years old.

Choo Peng sent 3 of his children, Soak Leng, Soak Heng and Loon Wan to England for further their education.

Soak Leng did  her primary schooling at the Government English School in Gopeng and completed her Senior Cambridge at Sekolah Sultan Yussuf in Batu Gajah. Thereafter she enrolled for a course in nursing at St Albans City Hospital, England.

She left for England  taking the P&O liner from Singapore. The journey took three weeks.

Before her journey her aunt Chew Gaik Kuan, daughter of Chew Boon Hong told her it was compulsory to dress formally for dinner aboard the liner.

Chew Soak Leng with her mum. She is wearing some of the clothes made by Aunt Chew Gaik Kuan

“ Kuan Ku made me the national costume Sarong Kebaya and gave me a few Cheong Sam which were altered from Kuan Ku's relatives. I was a small build then and they all fit quite nicely"

Her course began in 1963 at St Albans City Hospital. Leng completed the course in 1968 and took a vacation in Hong Kong before returning home.

Nurse Chew Soak Leng (left). Graduates receiving certificates at St Albans City Hospital

The prizewinning midwives of St Mary's Hospital ...
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... made the news in the local newspaper

Back home she accepted a post at the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur and worked in the operation theatre.

Her career enabled her to work in Saudi Arabia first in Jeddah and later in Riyadh, a short stint in Penang and her final posting was at Singapore all the while working in the operation theatre. When she returned home to Gopeng she worked at a nursing home in Ipoh.

Sally Chew Soak Heng too took up nursing in England. One summer on a visit to Austria she met her husband Geisler Franz. They were married the following year. 

From left. Sally Chew Soak Heng and Geisler Franz, Chew Soak Sim and Ng Toong Seng, Chew Soak Nee and Chan Siew Loong, Chew Loon Wan and Maria

Loon Wan enrolled at Leeds University for an automobile engineering course. There he met his wife Maria.

The family shifted to Taman Gopeng from 6 Sungai Raia road  

From left Loon Wan, Soak Heng, Soak Sim, Mum Chang Poh Yoke, Soak Leng and Maria

Chang Poh Yoke through the years. Right photo: on her 80th birthday. She died in 2011 age 93. 

Gopeng CNY 2021. Seated from left..Chew Woon Teng, Chew Soak Leng and Chew Soak Sim with the family.

Austria. New Year 2022 . From left daughter Marisa, Franz Geisler and Soak Heng, son Thomas (5th from left) and George (extreme right) their spouses and grandchildren. 

JAG