Tan Sri Koo Chong Kong - Lest We Forget

Koo Chong Kong (1925-14 November 1975) was born in China. Due to civil war there, he left with some of his family members and settled first at Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. From there, he moved to  Ipoh where he studied in Anglo Chinese School in Ipoh. During the Japanese occupation, he joined the resistance movement, becoming a liaison officer with the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army and his comrades in arms included top communist such as Chen Tien. Post Japanese occupation, he refused to joined the Communist when emergency was declared in 1948. The communist decided to eliminate him as he knew too much and several attempts were indeed made. Koo Chong Kong moved to Sarawak in 1950 for refugee. He joined the Sarawak Constabulary in 1952 before being sent to Hendon Police College in Britain in 1955 where he won the "Baton of Honour". In 1963 he was honoured with the Colonial Police Medal. He was made a Datuk by the Governor of Sarawak, Tuanku Haji Bujang. Promoted  to Assistant Commissioner at the age of 42 in 1968. Spending his career in the Special Branch in Sarawak, he eventually returned to Ipoh in 1973 as a top ranking officer in Perak. Koo Chong Kong was made a Tan Sri posthumously.

Tan Sri Koo Chong Kong 

Assassinated 

On 13 November 1975, just before 1 pm at the junction of Ashby Road and Fair Park, 2 gunmen on a motorcycle fired at the Volvo car where Koo Chong Kong and his driver, Police Constable 5135 - Yeung Peng Chong were in. The driver (later promoted to posthumously to Sergeant Yeung Peng Chong) was killed. Koo Chong Kong was sent to the General Hospital nearby but died due to his wounds 28 hours later. He was gunned down apparently a day after he celebrated his 50th Birthday. 

The manhunt for the murders was widely published in the newspapers as well. A $250,000 reward was offered and curfew was imposed on Kampung Bercham on 20 November and later the curfew expanded to Pasir Pinji New Village were about 11,000 were screened. 

The Ashby - Fair Park Junction where the murder took place 

Wife of Koo Chong Kong arriving at the General Hospital

Funeral

The funeral was attended by about 20,000 people including the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak.  

Killers of CPO hanged

Lim Choon Wong alias Ah Keong and Ng Foo Nam alias Lup Kok both 23 were hanged on 15 March 1980 for the murdering Perak's Chief Police Officer, Tan Sri Koo Chong Kong and his driver Sgt. Yong Peng Cheong at 1pm on 13 November 1975. Lim also faced another charge of murdering the Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Hashim in Kuala Lumpur in 1975. Lim Choon Wong's lawyer, Karpal Singh on being told of the execution date, filed a stay of execution pending disposal of the charge. The prosecution played their trump card by informing the High Court that it was withdrawing that murder charge thus allowing Lim to be hanged. The two hanged were identified as members of the Malayan People's Liberation Army (MPLA) - the armed wing of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). Witness by several people but those who came forward to bravely testified included a sugar cane seller (Lee Kok Wah), school boy (Samsul Bahari bin Mahmud) and Drainage and Irrigation Department workshop assistant, Ramli bin Hussain.

Sentenced to death - Lim Woon Chong and Ng Foo Nam 

Road named after Koo Chong Kong almost disappeared

In 2001, The Ipoh City Council apologised to the family of the late local hero Koo Chong Kong for changing the name of a road named in his honour to Jalan Tabung Haji. The Council President then, Datuk Talaat Husain called Datin Koo Swee Kim (Tan Sri Koo's eldest daughter) to apologise for the blunder. Fortunately the road name is intact till today. 

Jalan Koo Chong Kong reinstated

Remembered by his children and grandchildren

Koo Chong Kong granddaughters, Fiona Tan Huey Yee, Katryna Tan Huey Wern, Rina Tan Huey Ling partnered together and based on their mother, Datin Rita Koo memories of her father published a book titled: Bright legacy: biography of Tan Sri Dato' Koo Chong Kong leaving behind more information on Tan Sri Koo Chong Kong legacy and his ultimate sacrifice to make Malaysia a safer place. 

Bright legacy : biography of Tan Sri Dato' Koo Chong Kong / by his granddaughters Fiona Tan Huey Yee, Katryna Tan Huey Wern, Rina Tan Huey Ling ; as recounted by his daughter Rita Koo.
"To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the death of their grandfather".

Kathryn Tan - an accomplished harpist
(2015)