AS USUAL, THIS column highlights an exciting personality from Penang, no
doubt because of what they have achieved, but more importantly, to showcase their infectious passion for the state of Penang and their ability to inspire its next generation. I query Ch’ng Huck Theng, a conspicuous artist and businessman, among other roles, on his interests and how he envisions Penang’s role in the 21st century.
Ooi Kee Beng (OKB): Can you tell us about your upbringing as a scion of the Ghee Hiang company? What early lessons did you learn about Penang and its small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) culture?
Ch’ng Huck Theng (CHT): Everyone is of the opinion that since I am from the Ghee Hiang family, my childhood would have been a pretty rosy time. It was the other way round. My father was probably the “black sheep” of the family. He came back from the University of Tasmania and took up a job as a teacher at Chung Ling Private High School.
Later, he became the Cathay Cinema manager. That meant that I got to watch almost every movie shown, and this is probably why I still enjoy watching movies in cinemas.
He then ventured into a few businesses. These failed, but things went steady for him after a while. Life became better for us when he went into the frozen seafood import/export business in the 1980s.
When my sisters and I were growing up, Ghee Hiang was never in our dictionary and our teachers always thought that my father was a fishmonger in some wet market; we always put down our father’s occupation as “Selling Fish” when filling in school documents. Although my dad was not the favourite son in his family, I was the favourite grandson. Grandfather was very nice to most of his grandchildren: he would take us shopping almost every weekend.
We experienced what it was like growing up in a family of six, with Father as the sole breadwinner, working as a teacher while providing Mother with a regular allowance, Later, I remember feeling happy about Father becoming his own boss: failing at first, but soon becoming successful. I guess what I learnt in my early days, before secondary school, was a journey of survival, hard work, unity—that is probably why we four siblings are very close, even today—and hope, not for the best, but better, and having a practical mindset. You do not necessarily have leverage, even coming from a well-known family. I guess I am blessed to have been able to go through the lows—that taught me how to act correctly towards relatives, my sisters’ families, my children, nephews and nieces.
