Datuk Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin. Origin The oldest ...

Simon Chong Yew

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language of t ...

(9 April 1898 – 1983), born Yew Siu Chang, was an important figure in the development of Scouting in the Malaysian state of

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

in Borneo. He was also an accomplished artist.

Life

Yew was born in Fuzhou, China in 1898,s appointed an MBE in 1955 forng.

Scouting

Yew was a

Scout leader A Scout leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit. Roles There are many different roles a leader can fulfill depending on t ...

in Fuzhou from 1919-1923. In 1923 he received his warrant (formal appointment) and after moving to North Borneo he joined the 1st

Sandakan Sandakan (, Jawi script, Jawi: , ) formerly known at various times as Elopura, is the capital of the Sandakan District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the second largest city in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu. It is located on the Sandakan Peninsula and e ...

Scout Troop as a Scout leader under Reverend

Thomas Cecil Alexander Reverend Thomas Cecil Alexander (5 February 1884 – 4 August 1968) was an Anglican priest and missionary in British Malaya, the founder of the Scouting movement in what is now the Malaysian state of Sabah. Alexander was born in Watton in Nor ...

, who had founded Scouting in North Borneo in 1913. In 1930 Yew formed the first Wolf Cub Pack in 1930 at St. Michael's Church, Sandakan. North Borneo's first official camping ground for Scouts was opened at

Lok Kawi Lok Kawi is a township in the West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Located around the border of the districts of Penampang and Papar, and about 15 kilometres south of the state capital Kota Kinabalu, it has become part of the urban expanse of Kot ...

Scout Camping Ground in 1935, and the next year Yew brought 30 Sandakan Scouts there - a significant journey at the time - to camp. After the disruption to Scouting caused by the Japanese invasion of Borneo during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Yew revitalised the Troop at All Saints' Church,

Jesselton , image_skyline = , image_caption = From top, left to right, bottom:Kota Kinabalu skyline, Wawasan intersection, Tun Mustapha Tower, Kota Kinabalu Coastal Highway, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, the Wisma ...

. He was appointed as West Coast District Commissioner in 1950 and travelled extensively visiting troops across this large and predominantly jungle district. He published a district magazine ''Scouting in Picture'' and introduced the Scouting Job Week, similar to the British Scouts' "Bob-a-job Week". Yew was awarded a

Medal of Merit Several countries award a military or civil medal called Medal of Merit: * Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) * Medal of Merit (Denmark) * Medal of Merit of the Dominican Woman * Medal of Merit of the National People's Army (East Germany) * Medal of M ...

in 1939. In recognition of his services to Scouting in North Borneo, he was awarded a Silver Acorn in 1953 by the then-

Chief Scout A Chief Scout is the principal or head scout for an organization such as the military, colonial administration or expedition or a talent scout in performing, entertainment or creative arts, particularly sport. In sport, a Chief Scout can be the prin ...

of the British Commonwealth and Empire,

Lord Rowallan Thomas Godfrey Polson Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan, (19 December 1895 – 30 November 1977), had a distinguished military career in the British Army and was Governor of Tasmania from 1959 to 1963. The Boy Scouts Association appointed him as its C ...

, and two years later he was appointed a MBE by

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...

. He was also appointed

, a title roughly equivalent to a knighthood, after the independence of Sabah. Yew retired from Scouting in 1959, but continued to serve on the Local Association, West Coast Council as a Lay member, and was made Honorary Commissioner. In 1963 he received a Silver Wolf award from the then Chief Scout Sir Charles Maclean.

Paintings

Yew was an accomplished artist, and painted many local scenes of North Borneo life, in watercolours and from 1957 he used oils as well. He signed his paintings “Simon C. Yew”, and some of his works are in the collection of the

Sabah Art Gallery The Sabah Art Gallery (BSLS; ms, Balai Seni Lukis Sabah) is an art gallery in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. History The art gallery was founded in 1984 by Datuk Mohd. Yaman Hj. Ahmad Mus. In 2012, it was certified as green building by Gre ...

, the national art collection of Sabah, housed in

Sabah Museum The Sabah Museum ( Malay: ''Muzium Sabah'') is the state museum of Sabah, Malaysia. It is sited on of land at Bukit Istana Lama in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. History The original Sabah Museum location was established on 15 July 1965 ...

. Yew’s watercolours were used to illustrate the front covers of

Maxwell Hall John Maxwell Hall (7 October 1884 – 30 July 1966), known most commonly as Maxwell Hall, was a British colonial administrator, judge and author who lived in and wrote about North Borneo (now Sabah). Early life and career Hall was born at ...

’s books ''Kinabalu Guerillas'' and ''Labuan Story''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yew, Simon Chong 1898 births 1983 deaths Artists from Fuzhou Malaysian people of Chinese descent Members of the Order of the British Empire Scouting and Guiding in Malaysia Malaysian painters Malaysian watercolourists 20th-century Malaysian painters