ONG Siew Eng, 王秀英

https://www.newera.edu.my/files/mces/MalaysianJournal/MJ1_p2.pdf Page 24

Chance indeed played a decisive part in determining the future of Kheng Chiang. Fate had it that, in 1910, the eldest daughter of Ong Tiang Swee by the name of Ong Siew Eng, was reaching marriageable age. Her parents were eager to find her the most eligible bachelor in town. The custom and tradition of the Chinese then was to match wealth with wealth and the humble among themselves. The prospective son-in-law must then be a man of means and high social standing. The humble origins of Kheng Chiang had disqualified him in the Ong family’s search for the best man in town. Months of match-making search for the right man were spent to no avail. A worried Mrs. Ong had a dream one night in which a match-maker gave the beloved daughter’s hand to a tall, slim and pleasant looking young  Wee Kheng Chiang of Sarawak 25 man. Her dream told her that this was the right man and he was in the vicinity. The match was literally decided as Mrs. Ong remembered a young man in the person of Kheng Chiang. After some discussions and consultations, Ong Tiang Swee and his wife decided that Kheng Chiang was to be their chosen son-in-law. This was a decidedly defining moment in Kheng Chiang’s life. He was, like the carp that leaps over the rapids, to ascend the “dragon gate”5

by becoming the son-in-law of one of the wealthiest men in town.