On the afternoon of June 7, 2023, together with a few colleagues from East Malaysia, I accompanied renowned writer Lung Ying-tai to Sibu, Sarawak, to visit the honorary chairman of the Chinese Media International Ltd —Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King.

He was in good spirits then. When he saw us entering his home, he occasionally lifted his right hand, perhaps to greet us, or signal for us to take our seats.

One by one, we shook his hand and felt the warmth of his huge palm.

The reunion after a long separation needed no words. Indeed, we were touched. The warmth of his hand and the exchange of glances were enough to convey our deep affection and longing for him.

Since the chairman had been recuperating at home for years, he had not appeared in public, and many colleagues no longer had the chance to see him.

This rare visit was made possible because Taiwanese writer Lung had expressed a wish to meet him and I was fortunate to join the group.

The following year, in 2024, I was privileged to meet the chairman twice—once in Kuala Lumpur and for the last time on September 6 in Sibu. On both occasions, we had the rare joy of raising our glasses to toast him, and those present spontaneously sang his favourite song, Jasmine Flower.

The last three meetings with Tiong brought joy of reunion and a touch of melancholy.

Yet they also brought back fond memories of accompanying the chairman during Sin Chew Daily’s 80th anniversary (2009) and 85th anniversary (2014) celebrations, when we travelled across the country to meet readers in various towns.

For these grand anniversary events, the Yunnan Minzu University Performing Arts Troupe and the ChangDe Cultural Performance Troupe from Hunan in China toured various towns and Tiong rarely missed a single performance.

On countless nights, he would take the stage to thank readers for their support and then sit attentively to watch the performances.

What puzzled us was that—even after watching the same performance many times—he still enjoyed the show with full concentration.

Was it truly “never tiring no matter how many times”?

Whenever we asked, he would simply smile and say nothing.

We eventually understood that his focus came from respect for the performers, but what truly moved him was the applause from the audience.

I remember him once telling me in the car:

“Every round of applause from the audience is a sign of our readers’ support. Sin Chew Daily must do its best with the newspaper—we must not disappoint their expectations.”

The chairman’s care for Sin Chew Daily, and his deep emotional bond with it, always touched us. Even when he was abroad or busy with other matters, he never failed to call senior management to ask about the circulation numbers, operations, and development of the newspaper.

Tiong often reminded his colleagues that whenever they visited a town, they must meet with local Chinese community leaders. Even if it was just a simple meal, he wanted Sin Chew Daily to strengthen its ties with the community around the table.

Indeed, as one of the four pillars of the Chinese community, Chinese-language media must stand firmly alongside Chinese associations, education, and commerce—only then can the community’s voice be heard and valued.

Looking back now, I recall that riding in the same car with the chairman always came with a bit of “pressure,” because he never ran out of questions.

In those days, he would fly from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur and then travel by car to visit towns across the country, which meant we spent long hours together on the road.

Along the way, he would suddenly ask, “Do you know what kind of tree that is?” or “Do people still grow pineapples here?”

When a colleague replied, “No, not anymore,” a few minutes later, we would pass by fields full of pineapples!

We all burst into laughter—it taught us that sometimes, if you don’t know something, it’s better not to pretend you do.

Of course, what the chairman cared most about was always the politics in Malaysia. Whenever political figures came up in conversation, he would share his views and remind us that Sin Chew Daily must continue to speak up for the Chinese community.

Although we had learned a week earlier that the chairman’s condition was critical, when the news came – during the trends forum organised by MCIL on Tuesday that he had passed away peacefully in the Lord, a deep sense of sorrow and loss still overwhelmed us.

At that very moment, the melody that filled my ears was the Jasmine Flower he sang year after year at Sin Chew Daily’s annual gala dinners.

I know that though he has left us, the lingering melody of Jasmine Flower will forever remain in our hearts.

And perhaps, as you read this, you too can’t help but softly hum:

“Lovely jasmine flower, lovely jasmine flower,

Fragrant and fair, blooming on every branch, praised by everyone.

Let me pluck you and give you away—

Jasmine flower, oh jasmine flower.”

( Dato’ Kuik Cheng Kang is the Group Editor-in-Chief of Media Chinese International , Malaysia)