black-necked tailor-bird illustration black-bearded tailor-bird illustration

NUSearch+

Search by
Course Number Lecturer Name

Grit and Enterprise: Tracing Roots and Mapping Journeys of the Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia

Events

Presentation of Yeap Chor Ee Private Papers and Discussion on Transnational Networks

NUS Libraries is set to receive yet another valuable private papers collection. The Yeap Chor Ee private papers, generously donated by the Yeap family, offer a rare glimpse into the life and times of a pioneering businessman and philanthropist whose influence reverberates through Southeast Asian history. From humble beginnings to extraordinary achievements, these papers chronicle the journey of a visionary whose impact continues to inspire generations.

Yeap Chor Ee (1868-1952) was the legendary ‘Grand Old Man of Penang’ who started Penang’s first local bank Ban Hin Lee in 1918. His life was an inspiring story of how grit and enterprise transformed a humble barber into the richest man in Penang. Yeap Chor Ee was a business partner of Oei Tiong Ham, the ‘Sugar King of Asia’. These two powerful families later became related through marriages. A painting of Oei Tiong Ham will also be presented during the ceremony.

But the significance of this event extends beyond the private papers and the painting. A panel discussion, led by esteemed scholars will delve into the broader context of the Straits Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia. By exploring the intersections of business and socio-history, identity, and community building, we seek to unravel the enduring legacy of migration and adaptation. Through this interdisciplinary lens, we aim to deepen our appreciation of the diverse experiences of diasporic communities and their invaluable contributions to the vibrant cultural landscape of Southeast Asia.

Daryl Yeap, the great-granddaughter of Yeap Chor Ee, will share her insights on her research process for her two books, King's Chinese: From Barber to Banker, the Story of Yeap Chor Ee and the Straits Chinese and As Equals: the Oei Women of Java. In these works, she explores the journeys of her ancestors and the broader cultural and historical context of their lives.

Guests are also invited to explore both digital and physical exhibitions that delve into the life of Yeap Chor Ee and the rich socio-historical context surrounding his legacy. The event will conclude with a light lunch for in-person attendees.

Join us at the Central Library or online via Zoom. Please register below.

BTN Join Us In-Person BTN Join Us Online

Panellists

Daryl Yeap

Ms Daryl Yeap

Independent Researcher & Banking Analyst
Daryl Yeap is the author of As Equals: The Oei Women of Java. For the most part of her career, she has worked in the finance industry as a banking analyst for various financial institutions before joining her family company. Her first book, The King's Chinese, tells the story of the Straits British Chinese immigrants, told through the life of her great-grandfather, Yeap Chor Ee.

She now spends her spare time as an independent researcher.

Dr Azhar Ibrahim

Dr Azhar Ibrahim

Senior Lecturer, NUS Department of Malay Studies
Dr Azhar Ibrahim is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), where he teaches Malay-Indonesian literature and ideologies of development. His research interests include sociology of literature, social theology, Islamic thought, critical literacy, and Malay-Indonesian intellectual development. Among his published works are: Emancipated Education (2020),  Imagination and Cultural Responses to Colonialism and Nationalism: A Critical Malay(sian) Perspective (2017), Contemporary Islamic Discourse in the Malay-Indonesia World (2014) and Narrating Presence: Awakening from Cultural Amnesia (2014).

Dr Kwee Hui Kian

Dr Kwee Hui Kian

Associate Professor, NUS Department of Chinese Studies
Dr Kwee Hui Kian’s research focuses on South China Sea, Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia from the seventeenth century to the contemporary era. She has examined various themes relating to the history of political economy, colonialism, capitalism; and Chinese mercantile families, labour migration and inter- and intra-ethnic exploitation. Her teaching interests extend beyond these to include similar trajectories and themes in other diasporas and national settings. Her most recent research projects explore these themes in economic sectors related to timber, palm oil, fisheries and the gaming industry, and focusing on ethnic Chinese in West Kalimantan, East Sumatra and the Riau Islands.

Dr Seng Guo Quan

Dr Seng Guo Quan

Assistant Professor, NUS Department of History
Dr Seng Guo Quan is a historian of Chinese societies in Southeast Asia. He is the author of Strangers in the Family: Gender, Patriliny and the Chinese in Colonial Indonesia (Cornell University Press, November 2023), and is now working on his second book project, “A Diaspora of Shopkeepers: Empire, Race and Chinese Commercial Expansion in Southeast Asia (1870-1970s)”. With a focus on Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, it looks at cross-border business network formations and race-relations on the ground in the process of Chinese wholesale and retail trade expansion.

Moderator

Dr Sim Chuin Peng

Dr Sim Chuin Peng

NUS Deputy University Librarian
Dr Sim Chuin Peng is the Deputy University Librarian who oversees collections management and preservation at the NUS Libraries. He specializes in Ming-Qing history, Chinese publishing history, and Chinese bibliographical research. His authored works include Bridge for Success: Production and Circulation of Commercially Printed Examination Aids after the Mid-Ming Period and A Critical Examination of Ye Dehui’s Bibliographical Research. Additionally, he co-edited the Catalogue of Pre-Republican Chinese Books at the National University of Singapore Libraries with Dr Gao Bin. His new authored work, Revisiting the Bridge for Success: The Origins and Development of Commercially Printed Examination Aids, is currently in press and is expected to be published in the second half of 2024. He has also published several academic papers in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Events for you

EVENT

Past in Print: Historical Newspapers in Our Collection

Wednesday, February 5, 2025
 See All Events

Programme

TimeActivity
8:30 AMRegistration
9:00 AMWelcome note by emcee and opening address by NUS University Librarian, Associate Professor Natalie Pang
9:10 AMSpeech by Mrs Nunthinee Tanner
9:20 AMPresentation of painting of Oei Tiong Ham
9:30 AMSpeech by Mr Stephen Yeap
9:40 AMPresentation of Yeap Chor Ee Private Papers
9:50 AMVideo on Ms Daryl Yeap’s two books, King's Chinese: From Barber to Banker, the Story of Yeap Chor Ee and the Straits Chinese and As Equals: the Oei Women of Java
10:00 AMPresentation by Ms Daryl Yeap on her research process for her two books, King's Chinese: From Barber to Banker, the Story of Yeap Chor Ee and the Straits Chinese and As Equals: the Oei Women of Java
10:30 AM
Panel discussion on Transnational Networks: Tracing Roots and Mapping Journeys of the Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia

Panellists:
• Ms Daryl Yeap (Independent Researcher & Banking Analyst)
• Dr Seng Guo Quan (Assistant Professor, NUS Department of History)
• Dr Azhar Ibrahim (Senior Lecturer, NUS Department of Malay Studies)
• Dr Kwee Hui Kian (Associate Professor, NUS Department of Chinese Studies)

Moderator:
• Dr Sim Chuin Peng (NUS Deputy University Librarian)
11.30 AMView Yeap Chor Ee Private Paper exhibition, Chinese thread-bound book exhibition and digital exhibition at 360imx
12:00 PMLunch & networking
1:00 PMEnd of event

This event is open to all, including NUS staff/students and the public. Booking availability on a first-come-first-served basis. 

For general enquiries, contact askalib@nus.edu.sg.

This site uses cookies

By clicking accept or continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. For more details about cookies and how to manage them, please see our Privacy Notice.