Tan Hiok Nee
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Dato' Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay honorific title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Use of the title various between locations, in some ...
Tan Hiok Nee (; 1827 – 21 May 1902), also known as Tan Yeok Nee (), was the leader of the
Ngee Heng Kongsi of Johor Ngee Heng Kongsi of Johor ({{zh, t= 義 興 公司, p=Yì Xīng Gōngsī; Teochew Pêh-uē-jī: ''Ngĭ Heng Kong-si''; 1844–1916) was a Teochew secret society that founded the earliest Chinese settlement in Johor. However, it did not have a ...
, succeeding Tan Kee Soon in circa 1864, he transformed the
Ngee Heng Kongsi of Johor Ngee Heng Kongsi of Johor ({{zh, t= 義 興 公司, p=Yì Xīng Gōngsī; Teochew Pêh-uē-jī: ''Ngĭ Heng Kong-si''; 1844–1916) was a Teochew secret society that founded the earliest Chinese settlement in Johor. However, it did not have a ...
from a quasi-military revolutionary brotherhood, based in the rural settlement of
Kangkar Tebrau Kangkar Tebrau is a village in Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consist ...
, into an organisation of kapitans,
kangchu The Kangchu system was a socio-economic system of organisation and administration developed by Chinese agricultural settlers in Johor during the 19th century. The settlers organised themselves into informal associations (similar to the Kongsi ...
s, and revenue farmers, based in the state capital of
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
. His grandson Tan Chin Hian, was the chairman of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Teochew Poit It Huay Kuan and
Ngee Ann Kongsi The Ngee Ann Kongsi () is a Charitable organization, charitable foundation in Singapore and governed by the Ngee Ann Kongsi Ordinance of 1933. It is one of many Overseas Chinese Kongsi, or clan associations, that were set up by immigrants from C ...
Singapore for many years.


Early life

Tan was born Tan Yeok Nee into a Teochew family from , of the former ''
Chaozhou Chaozhou ( zh, t=潮州), alternatively Chiuchow, Chaochow or Teochew, is a city in the eastern Guangdong province of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, ...
Fu'',
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
in 1827. He was later known as Tan Hiok Nee, and started his working life as a cloth peddler and in the course of his frequent visits to Wan Abu Bakar's home in
Telok Blangah Telok Blangah ( , , ) is a subzone region and housing estate located in the area behind Keppel Harbour in Bukit Merah, Singapore. Telok Blangah is represented by three contiguous subzones of Bukit Merah in Urban Redevelopment Authority, URA maste ...
of
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, where he became a friend of the royal family. He subsequently extended his textile business to
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
where many textile shops still line Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, a road named after him, and where he used to stay. With the help of the Temenggong, Tan moved to Johor in 1853. He obtained his first surat sungai (river document) of Bukit Berangan, a tributary of the Johor River in 1853, then aged 26 in partnership with Tan Ban Tye. There, he began cultivation of pepper and gambier. This was to form the beginning of a vast holding of 9 such grants which made him the largest holder of
kangchu The Kangchu system was a socio-economic system of organisation and administration developed by Chinese agricultural settlers in Johor during the 19th century. The settlers organised themselves into informal associations (similar to the Kongsi ...
concessions, as well as the wealthiest and most influential Chinese in Johor. A map of Johor Bahru drawn in 1887 shows Tan Hiok Nee as the owner of several lots of land in the centre of Johor Bahru where he owned many shops and houses as well as started a market on an island called Pulau Segget, midpoint of Sungai Segget. In 1854, he started develop the left bank of the
Johor River The Johor River () is the main river in the Malaysian state of Johor. The 122.7 km long river has a drainage basin of 2,636 km2 and flows in a roughly north–south direction, originating from Mount Gemuruh and then empties into the St ...
. Within 5 September 1863 – 11 September 1863, Tan Hiok Nee obtained four additional kang-chu rights within a one-week period. On 5 September 1863, he received a ''Surat Sungai'' granting him the rights to three adjacent river: Keringkim (or Kim Kim), Kong Kong and Tukang. By then, he was the most prominent businessman in Johor with seven
kangchu The Kangchu system was a socio-economic system of organisation and administration developed by Chinese agricultural settlers in Johor during the 19th century. The settlers organised themselves into informal associations (similar to the Kongsi ...
rights. This meant controls over the entire left bank of the
Johor River The Johor River () is the main river in the Malaysian state of Johor. The 122.7 km long river has a drainage basin of 2,636 km2 and flows in a roughly north–south direction, originating from Mount Gemuruh and then empties into the St ...
which spanned from the south of
Kota Tinggi Kota Tinggi is a town and capital of Kota Tinggi District, Johor, Malaysia. Kuala Sedili or Tanjung Sedili, a small fishing town located 37 km north-east of Kota Tinggi town, is the second largest fishing port in east coast of Peninsular ...
to
Pulau Ubin Pulau Ubin (), also simply known as Ubin, is an island situated in the north east of Singapore, to the west of Pulau Tekong. The granite quarry used to be supported by a few thousand settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1960s, but only about 40 vill ...
.


Revenue farming and the Great Opium Syndicate

With Tan's grants, he went into pepper and gambier planting which led naturally to trading in these crops, and eventually became a major pepper and gambier trader at
Boat Quay Boat Quay is a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank. It spans from the shophouses near UOB Plaza, stretching along one bank of the Singapore River, all the way till El ...
in Singapore. He held the opium and spirit farm for Johor for various periods but in 1870–79, he joined with
Tan Seng Poh Tan Seng Poh (1830 - 13 December 1879), was a chairman of the Singapore Municipal Committee, a Justice of the Peace and an honorary magistrate. Biography Tan was born in 1830 in Ipoh, as the son of Tan Ah Hun, the Kapitan Cina of Perak. When he w ...
and
Cheang Hong Lim Cheang Hong Lim JP (c. 1825 – 11 February 1893) was a Chinese opium merchant and philanthropist in Singapore. He was recognised by the British colonial administration as head of the local Hokkien Chinese community. Biography Cheang was born ...
to form the Great Opium Syndicate which managed to gain control of the opium and spirit farm not only in Johor, but also the vastly lucrative revenue farms in Singapore,
Melaka Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca. The state is bordered by Negeri Sembilan to the north and west and Johor to t ...
, and
Riau Riau (Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of the island of Sumatra, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Barisan Mountains to the Malacca Strait, including s ...
. Like Tan Kee Soon, Tan Hiok Nee was a trusted friend of Sultan Abu Bakar and with his enormous wealth, may even have been one of the Sultan's financiers.


Levers of wealth and power

In 1870, Tan was appointed as "Major China of Johor", a governmental appointment that was assisted by an assistant treasurer, a head clerk, and a head inspector. The position was apparently created specially for him since Johor at that time already had two kapitans, namely Kapitan Tan Cheng Hung in
Tebrau Tebrau or Teberau is a mukim and a town in Johor Bahru District, Johor, Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional mona ...
and Kapitan Seah Tee Heng in
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
. In addition, Tan was also appointed as one of two Chinese members to the Council of State, and the first Chinese to receive the title of Dato' S.P.M.J. ( Seri Paduka Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia ). However, what made him so powerful among the Chinese community in Johor was his position as the leader of the Ngee Heng Kongsi after Tan Kee Soon's death in circa 1864. By then, however, Md Salleh bin Perang had been appointed Chief of Police and the policing responsibilities that Tan Kee Soon had been entrusted with were now carried out by Johor officials. Under the circumstances, the Ngee Heng Kongsi was now more like an organisation of towkays who financed the plantations and operated the profitable revenue farms. Nevertheless, with his position as Kapitan Cina and head of the Ngee Heng Kongsi, as well as being a partner in the Great Opium Syndicate, Tan held all the levers of wealth and power available to a Chinese during his time.


Philanthropy

Tan Hiok Nee cherished Jinsha Caitang, his hometown in China, with deep feelings. He spent 14 years, starting from the ninth years of Tongzhi (1870) in the Qing period, building the "Congxi Ancestral Hall" in his hometown. Cong Xi Ancestral Hall, located in Jinsha Caitang, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, with its exquisite stone carving architecture, was listed in the sixth batch of protected key national cultural relics on May 25, 2006, by China's State Council. He also contributed to China during the Qing Dynastry. When China was hit by a series of serious natural disasters, he actively responded to the Qing government's disaster relief request, and contributed the largest amount of money to Shaanxi and other province famine victims. Empress Cixi therefore bestowed his "two bows" (慈禧太后因而赐他二品顶戴), and constructed an arch with the words "Zealousness for Public Interests" in his hometown as a memorial for Tam Hiok Nee. Hence the characters 资政第 “Zi Zheng Di” are until today prominently displayed at his ancestral home; it gives us a sense of its occupant's high rank. Specifically, these characters tell us that the house is the residence of a Qing Dynasty Second Ranked Official.


Retirement

In 1875, Tan inexplicably gave up his connection with Johor entirely, selling off all his concessions and withdrawing completely from Johor to settle in Singapore. It was speculated that his political rivals had removed him during the Maharaja's absence due to their resentment of his prominence and power. After his departure, Tan's assets and kang-chu rights were repossessed by the Johor government. Nevertheless, he chose his timing well for he withdrew at a time when Johor was standing at the peak of its progress under the rule of Sultan Abu Bakar. However, for the Ngee Heng, it was the beginning of the slide downhill. The administrative structure of government was well established and was managed by a core of able and experienced officers led by the much respected Dato' Jaafar bin Mohamed as
Menteri Besar head of government, Heads of government in Malaysia's many states of Malaysia, states take on various titles. Seven out of nine in the Peninsular Malaysia, Peninsular who each have Monarchies of Malaysia, historical monarchs are known as the Men ...
. Even so, he continued to have a towering presence in the Kongsi as his successor, Lim Ah Siang, was referred to only as Second Brother, the second most senior-ranking member in the secret society hierarchy. During the visit of the Royal Princes (Albert Victor and George) to Johore in 1882, Tan Yoek Nee was a member of the Entertainment committee. Tan Hiok Nee lived on Coleman Street at the Hotel de la Paix after he left Johore and in 1885 he proceeded to build himself a magnificent mansion in Singapore at the corner of Tank Street. He sold off this house in Singapore due to the noise of the nearby railway, and eventually returned to China to become one of the few migrants who made good overseas and returned to end his days in his native village. He died on 21 May 1902 at the age of 75.


Descendants

Tan had five sons. His second son, Chen Ding Xing, was a government official in China's Jiang Xi province. All his sons died before him. Tan's eight grandsons – including Tan Chin Boon, Tan Chin Teat, Tan Chin Yeow and Tan Chin Hean – inherited his properties and were well known within the Teochew community in Singapore. Tan Chin Hean was a prominent elite of society who served as vice-chairman of the Ngee Ann Kongsi, President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and headed the Teochew Huay Kuan.


See also

*
House of Tan Yeok Nee The House of Tan Yeok Nee ( Chinese: 陈旭年宅第 or 陈旭年大厦) is a mansion building located at 101 Penang Road (formerly 85 Tank Road or 207 Clemenceau Road), at the junction of Penang Road and Clemenceau Avenue in the Museum Plann ...
*
Kangchu system The Kangchu system was a socio-economic system of organisation and administration developed by Chinese agricultural settlers in Johor during the 19th century. The settlers organised themselves into informal associations (similar to the Kongsi ...
*
Ngee Heng Kongsi of Johor Ngee Heng Kongsi of Johor ({{zh, t= 義 興 公司, p=Yì Xīng Gōngsī; Teochew Pêh-uē-jī: ''Ngĭ Heng Kong-si''; 1844–1916) was a Teochew secret society that founded the earliest Chinese settlement in Johor. However, it did not have a ...
*
List of Kapitan Cina This is a list of individuals who held the post of Kapitan Cina, a government position that existed in colonial Dutch East Indies, Indonesia, British Malaya, Malaysia, Colonial Singapore, Singapore, and the Spanish East Indies, Philippines. The r ...


References


Sources


Tan Hiok Nee



开拓柔佛的先驱--陈旭年_历史论文_木马工作室


* 故陈旭年先生誌略,潮安金砂陈氏同乡会庆祝成立週年纪念特刊 (A brief biography of the late Tan Hiok Nee, in ''The first anniversary volume of the Teo Ann Kim Sar District Tan Clan Association (of Singapore)''), Singapore 1955, p. B12
潮僑溯源集- 陳旭年

陈旭年5子 4为养子

传奇潮商陈旭年:成就南洋华人之光-中新网
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tan, Hiok Nee 1827 births 1902 deaths Chaoshanese people Tan Hiok Nee Chinese emigrants to Malaysia Malaysian people of Teochew descent Singaporean people of Teochew descent Kapitan Cina Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor