Registration of Shun Tak Association 1893

A group of discerning professionals  visited the Shuntak Association Taiping heritage hall, a few weeks ago and expressed great interest in it, as they were in the process of doing research into the area of early Chinese migration to this part of our country.   The group was led by Prof. Dr Danny Wong, from University Malaya.  The others in the group were Lee Kam Hing, Tan Ai Boay, and Wong Tee Tuan.  As it is already a well-known fact, Taiping had one of the earliest Chinese settlements in the Federated Malay States during the era of British rule.  The Chinese were first brought in as tin mine workers and labourers from the Straits Settlements and it was a normal practice then for them  to set up clan associations and traders’ guilds to look after the needs and welfare of their respective clansmen. Shuntak Association, Taiping, was among one of early few that were set up.   The exact year in which the Shuntak Association was set up in Taiping, has not been established yet.  Perhaps, further research into this by scholars would throw some light on that matter.      However, it was very fortunate for us, that  Mr. Tan Ai Boay managed to discover a very important piece of document as evidence to the earliest formal registration of Shuntak Association, Taiping, with the Perak Civil Service in 1893, under the British administration.    

Prof. Dr. Wong and friends at the Shun Tak Association office

According to the Perak Civil Service record in 1893, Shun Tak Association was registered under the name of Shun Tak Wui Kun, together with five other Chinese clan associations under the category of Chinese Clubs.   The fact that the British administration registered these clan associations as clubs,  gives us a reflection on the kind of activities that they carried out and which were obvious to the administrators – namely social and cultural activities.  Among such activities were lion dances, martial arts sessions, gambling, mass prayers and celebrations during festive occasions.   Such activities were club activities to the British of those days.      Hence, they were registered as clubs.

The Perak Civil Service records, 1893 (pic. by Prof. Dr. Wong)

From the record of the Perak Civil Service 1893, the earliest documented President of the Shun Tak Wui Kun (Association), Taiping, was a man named Tye Lee.   Until now, efforts by present day committee to find out more about this man has not been very fruitful.  It is hoped that with the help from other knowledgeable people in the local community, more information about the early establishment and the early leaders of Shun Tak Association would be uncovered.    I believe that there is a need to have cross-association research and co-operation too, because information such as attendance, invitation lists and even photographs  etc. to early events might still be around with other associations and guilds.    Evidence in Chinese scripts too, might prove an important source – records, and inscriptions on grave head-stones, on tablets in association halls and temples, might reveal more than we expect.   It is hoped that those who have access to any information about the history or story of Shuntak Association, will contact us, so that more light could be thrown in to illuminate our rich historical past for the benefit of the future generations to appreciate.      

Kin Hang from UCSI giving a finishing touch to the model of the Shuntak Association Hall