Leong Fee

Who was Leong Fee?

Leong Fee is the Hakka name for Liang P'i Joo, a worker from Guangdong Province in China who emigrated to Malaya in 1876. He arrived in Penang and, half a year later, moved to Perak where he began to make his fortune in tin. He was a tin miner, businessman, a visiting Justice for Kinta, the first Chinese Member of the Federal Legislative Council a Penang state senator, a member of the Perak State Council, a Chinese Vice-Consul to Penang and a philanthropist. He married the daughter of millionaire-philanthropist Hsieh Yung-kuan, the Chinese Vice-Consul to Penang before him. He was a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

In 1902 he opened a mine in Tambun. Renowned Malaysian businessman Leong Sin Nam once worked in his tin mine. One year later Tambun held the world record for tin production.