Chef Wan reveals Kuching pioneer Ong Tiang Swee was his great-grandfather

During a visit to the Chinese History Museum in Kuching, celebrity chef Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, known as Chef Wan, revealed that his great-grandfather was prominent Kuching pioneer and merchant Ong Tiang Swee.

He shared this discovery on Instagram, tracing his maternal roots and reflecting on his family's history, which includes enduring hardships during World War II.

Chef Wan noted the museum's preservation of his lineage, expressing gratitude for this connection while meeting with younger members of the Ong family.

KUCHING, Oct 10 — Celebrity chef Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, better known as Chef Wan, has revealed that prominent Kuching pioneer and merchant Ong Tiang Swee was his great-grandfather.

He made the revelation during a visit to the Chinese History Museum here while in the state capital to attend several official events.

Sharing his discovery on Instagram, Chef Wan posted a video of his museum tour alongside Sarawak Women of Tomorrow (SWOT) chairwoman Datuk Zunaidah Idris, tracing his maternal roots to the prominent historical figure.

“ Bayangkan (Just imagine), this is my great-grandfather, Ong Tiang Swee. These are all the pioneers and community leaders,” he said while showing the museum’s displays on early Chinese migration from provinces such as Guangdong and Fujian.

Elaborating on his lineage, Chef Wan explained that Ong Tiang Swee was his maternal grandmother’s father.

“So from my late mother’s side, we did come from an aristocratic and rich family. He even had a road in Kuching named after him, and when he passed away, they gave him a state funeral,” he said, adding that the late merchant died in Kuching in 1950.

During the visit, members of the younger generations of the Ong family met Chef Wan and brought along vintage photograph albums documenting Ong Tiang Swee and the extended family.

Chef Wan also reflected on his family’s history during World War II, noting the hardships faced during the Japanese occupation.

“ Tulah, macam time Perang Jepun, dia orang habis kena tawan, kena ambil segala harta benda (That’s it, like during the Japanese war, they were all captured, and all their properties and belongings were seized),” he recalled in the video.

He explained that his great-grandmother and grandmother were sent to Singapore during the invasion, where he was subsequently born in 1958.

Remarking “what a small world,” the culinary maestro expressed gratitude for the preservation of his family’s history at the museum before joining members of the Ong family for lunch. — The Borneo Post

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在参观古晋中国历史博物馆期间，名厨拿督雷祖阿万·伊斯梅尔（人称“万师傅”）透露，他的曾祖父是古晋的杰出先驱和商人王天瑞。

他在 Instagram 上分享了这一发现，追溯了他的母系血统，并反思了他的家族历史，其中包括在第二次世界大战期间所经历的苦难。

万师傅在与翁氏家族的年轻成员会面时，对博物馆保存他的家族血统表示感谢。

古晋，10 月 10 日讯——名厨拿督雷祖阿万·伊斯梅尔（Datuk Redzuawan Ismail，又名 Chef Wan）透露，古晋著名先驱和商人王天瑞（Ong Tiang Swee）是他的曾祖父。

他在州首府参加几项官方活动期间，参观了当地的中国历史博物馆，并透露了这一消息。

Chef Wan 在 Instagram 上分享了他的发现，发布了一段他与砂拉越未来女性 (SWOT) 主席 Datuk Zunaidah Idris 一起参观博物馆的视频，追溯了他的母系血统，找到了这位杰出的历史人物。

“想象一下，这是我的曾祖父王天瑞。他们都是先驱者和社区领袖，”他一边展示博物馆中关于早期华人从广东、福建等省份移民的展品一边说道。

主厨Wan进一步解释说，Ong Tiang Swee是他外祖母的父亲。

“所以，从我已故母亲那边来看，我们确实来自一个贵族富裕家庭。古晋甚至有一条路以他的名字命名，他去世时，还为他举行了国葬，”他说，并补充说这位已故商人于1950年在古晋去世。

访问期间，翁氏家族的年轻一代与厨师万见面，并带来了记录翁天瑞及其家族历史的老相册。

万师傅还回顾了二战期间他的家族历史，并提到了日本占领时期所面临的种种困难。

“Tulah，macam time Perang Jepun，dia orang habis kena tawan，kena ambil segala harta Benda（就是这样，就像在日本战争期间，他们都被俘虏了，所有财产和物品都被没收了），”他在视频中回忆道。

他解释说，他的曾祖母和祖母在入侵期间被送往新加坡，他于 1958 年出生在那里。

这位烹饪大师感叹“世界真小”，并对博物馆保存其家族历史表示感谢，随后与翁氏家族成员共进午餐。——《婆罗洲邮报》

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