ONG Kew Ho 王求和,王九河

Partner of Chop Soo Hin with brother Ong Poh Guat

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitst...

王九河(Ong Kew Ho)，祖籍中國福建省同安縣，出生於馬六甲，少時無受過教育。來新加坡後，先被殷商曾舉薦(Chan Koo Chan) 僱用為其店鋪之店員，後為駁船碼頭“源通號”的老闆建成(Kian Seng) 服務，極受後者的賞識，旋加入為股東。建成逝世後，王九河改店號為“王九河公司源通號”，把商行經營得更起色，並讓其弟王步月(Ong Poh Guat) 合夥。

王九河成為富翁之後，不忘建成對他的恩情，時常供應其遺孀生活費用，還支付建成老母親的喪葬費。1871年2月11日，王九河出席了在寶實德洋行辦事處召開的一項會議，決定要組織新加坡鐵路股份有限公司，以興建一條貫通市區與丹戎巴葛船塢碼頭的鐵路，資本額定為十萬元，而華商表示要認股三萬元。當時只有另外兩間有限公司，即丹戎巴葛船塢有限公司和新加坡煤氣有限公司。王九河是前者的股東和董事之一。

1872年，王九河與王有海、王滄週因顧念族人南來，居無定所，逝無葬地，乃各以大洋五百元合購面積約221英畝多的“太原山”，作為彼等後嗣及旅居新加坡之福建王氏族人棲身、種植、安葬之地。王九河是英華學校早期的讚助人，也是萃英書院的常年贊助人，任英華寄宿學校信託人，希望當時的華族兒童能更容易的接受教育。

王九河為人正直而富有正義感，為維護華人的合法權益，敢於挺身而出。1883年11月21日，與林永慶，謝源英，陳明水，陳純道等參加有關反對土地佔用條例的抗議大會。1888年10月17日，與鄭玉瓞，陳明遠，陳慶照，陳金鐘等成為海峽殖民地協會新加坡分會創始會員。王九河於1889年逝世。其孫子王瑞洲(Ong Swee Chew) 是王氏慈善(開閩公司)首任三位信託人之一。

http://www.sehongcharity.com/san-wei-xian-shan-ren/

English translation using Google.com/translate

Ong Kew Ho, a native of Tong'an County, Fujian Province, China, was born in Malacca and had no education at all. After coming to Singapore, Chan Koo Chan was hired as a store clerk for the store, and later served as the owner of the “Yantong” of the barge terminal. The Kian Seng service was highly appreciated by the latter. . After the completion of the death, Wang Jiuhe changed the store number to “Wang Jiuhe Company Source Tonghao”, which made the business run even better and let his brother Ong Poh Guat partner.

After Wang Jiuhe became a rich man, he did not forget to build his kindness to him. He often supplied his widow’s living expenses and paid for the funeral expenses of the old mother. On February 11, 1871, Wang Jiuhe attended a meeting held at the Bao Shide Foreign Bank Office and decided to organize Singapore Railway Co., Ltd. to build a railway that runs through the city and Tanjong Pagar Dock. 100,000 yuan, and Chinese businessmen said they would subscribe for 30,000 yuan. At that time, there were only two other limited companies, namely Tanjong Pagar Dock Co., Ltd. and Singapore Gas Co., Ltd. Wang Jiuhe is one of the shareholders and directors of the former.

In 1872, Wang Jiuhe, Wang Youhai, and Wang Yuzhou came to the south because of the Gu Nian people. They lived without a fixed place and died without a burial place. They were the “Taiyuan Mountain” with a total area of ​​about 221 acres purchased by the Ocean 500 yuan as their heirs and residences. The place where the Wang clan of Fujian Province is sheltered, planted, and buried. Wang Jiuhe is an early sponsor of Yinghua School and a perennial patron of Cuiying College. He is a trustee of the Yingyinghua boarding school and hopes that Chinese children at that time will be able to receive education more easily.

Wang Jiuhe is a person with integrity and a sense of justice. In order to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese, he dares to stand up. On November 21, 1883, Lin Yongqing, Xie Yuanying, Chen Mingshui, and Chen Chundao attended the protest conference against the land occupation regulations. On October 17, 1888, he became a founding member of the Singapore Branch of the Straits Settlers Association with Zheng Yuxi, Chen Mingyuan, Chen Qingzhao and Chen Jinzhong. Wang Jiuhe died in 1889. His grandson, Ong Swee Chew, is one of the first three trustees of Wang's Charity (Kai Kai Company).