Chee Puoy Leong was born in China – State of Hokkien Province of Chong Aun and the village of “Heng Leng Sirr.”  He had two sons namely Chee Hwa Leng and Chee Hwa Yong.  His wife died when his sons were small and they were brought up by his sister.  Province of Chong Aun produced the best China tea leaves from the mountain of “WUEE.”

   Puoy Leong came to Penang in the year 1904 as a young man and worked in a liquor distillery at Sungei Pinang, Penang, owned by a clansman Mr. Lee Heng Kan.  After working for some time, he managed to have from the British a license to pack and sell in pack of opium to the people.  He also selling liquor as well and the business was good and sent for his older son Chee Hwa Leng and the wife Kong Leng Choo to help him in running the business.

   After a couple of years Puoy Leong married a young girl from Jelutong as her mother was half Chinese and Siamese and the wife’s name was Ang Siew Tin.  He was staying with the wife’s mother at 415 East Jelutong.  The business was good and he bought a large coconut estate near the sea east of Jelutong.

Puoy Leong went to other business in importing China tea leaves from Chong Aun Province and sent for his cousin brother Chee Soo Leong to help him in this business.  Soo Leong came from China with two young girls whom he bought from a poor family and gave them to Madam Siew Tin as slaves and one was named Chee Ah Pow and the other one named Chee Saw Cheng.  The former one was sold to Siew Tin’s sister staying at Sungei Pinang.  Siew Tin adopted Saw Cheng as her daughter and a few years later she bought from an Indian family a daughter and named her as Chee Saw Bee.

by Chee, Ewe-Boon, Kuala Lumpur, 1994