Section 69: Persatuan Siong Kong Bahau

The Siong Kongg Association is a geographically based organization comprised of fellow compatriots from the three district of Luoding(罗定), Yunfu（云浮）, and Yunan（郁南） who reside in Malaysia.

In the mid-1950s, under the initiative and gathering of predecessors Li Lin（李麟）, Lan Yan（蓝彦）, and Du Ying（杜英）, a compatriot convention was held on May 20th of that year at the Bahau Sports Association. Through registration with the Societies Registry, the Bahau Siong Kong Association was established. During this period, a fundraising committee was formed to actively raise funds from fellow compatriots in the three district for the construction of the association building. The committee members made arduous efforts, traveling to various states to emphasize the significance of establishing the association building. With the unity and generosity of the fellow compatriots, funds were raised, and in 1957, the association purchased a double-storey shoplot located at No. 108, Jalan Gurney, Bahau, as the association's premises. A grand opening ceremony was held on January 5th, 1958.

In the early days of the association's establishment, financial resources were scarce, and all administrative expenses relied entirely on annual or monthly contributions from members to sustain its operations.

In the 1960s, the board of directors realized that the association needed to change its conditions for survival and decided to purchase 20 acres of rubber plantation for income generation. Gradually breaking free from relying solely on annual and monthly contributions from members, the rubber plantation became profitable, and the association's economic sources improved. At that time, some enthusiastic members generously provided loans to the association, contributing to the realization of the dream of purchasing the rubber plantation.

The board of directors and wise fellow compatriots unanimously recognized that Malaysians of Ma Yi (马邑人) origin, who are far from their hometowns, have fully integrated into Malaysian society, becoming Malaysian citizens. They were born and raised here, and will eventually

spend their old age in this land. To ensure a resting place for fellow compatriots in their final years, a plan was made to allocate 10 acres of the rubber plantation as a burial ground within the association's premises.

Over the passing decades, many of the older generation of fellow compatriots have passed away, and the original burial ground has reached its capacity. The board of directors decided to allocate the other half of the 20-acre rubber plantation as an expansion of the burial ground, benefiting the aging fellow compatriots. In the 1960s, the association established the Baozhu Department（宝烛部）(a welfare-oriented organization). At its peak, the department had over a thousand members. Its purpose was to provide economic assistance to the families of department members. However, due to a decline in membership in the late 1990s, the department was eventually disbanded. Such is the nature of changing times and circumstances.

With the gradual improvement of the association's finances, in the 1970s, a shoplot located in the suburban area of Bahau's Taman Sonam（苏南花园） was purchased. The three-story building has been rented out, while the association's premises on Jalan Gurney in Bahau have the ground floor rented out, and the upper floors are used for association purposes.

As the years went by, with the organization of over 20 terms of the board of directors and the introduction of new members, the association became more robust. The association has also made significant contributions to the welfare and cultural education of fellow compatriots. It has

established awards for outstanding academic achievements among members' children, university scholarships, allocating over RM 4,000 annually. It wholeheartedly supports Chinese education endeavors. In recent years, the association has organized calligraphy competitions, bean guessing, and lantern riddle competitions during the Chinese New Year celebrations. The association has also hosted large-scale seminars, inviting lawyer Zhang Bifang(张碧方) and Master Lai Guanfu（赖观福） to present youth-related topics, receiving high praise from the Bahau community and even the state's Chinese society.

Every year, the association holds two memorial ceremonies during the spring and autumn seasons. In the morning, fellow compatriots gather to pay respects at the association's cemetery. In the afternoon, a festive dinner is held. During the annual celebration, special attention is given to fellow compatriots over the age of 70. They are invited for a complimentary banquet and presented with gifts, bringing joy to the elderly.

In 1962, the association secured 78 shares of rubber development land and houses for fellow compatriots in Ayer Tawar, . This provided a foundation for the livelihood of some fellow compatriots.

In 2011, the association underwent its biggest transformation, shifting from being managed by individual trustees to higher-level management within the association (i.e., the President, General Affairs, and Finance).

With the reforms and opening up of China and the freedom of people from both China and Malaysia to visit each other, the association has hosted numerous visits from the overseas Chinese affairs offices, federation, and government representatives from Luoding （罗定）and Yunfu （云浮市）since 1992. In 2003, the association organized an official delegation to return to their hometown, receiving warm hospitality from the aforementioned government organizations.

Every year, the association receives generous donations from dedicated fellow compatriots, allowing continuous encouragement in the form of monetary awards to members' children.