A prominent Chinese community leader and retired businessman, Ngan Ching Wen, 79, died of pneumonia at a hospital at Kuala Lumpur at 10 last night.

The funeral will be held in Ayer Tawar, Perak, at noon on Saturday.

The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) will hold a memorial service on March 19 at its premises.

During his active years in Chinese guilds and associations, Ngan was at the helm of two significant organisations in Malaysia, and spearheaded several political and civil campaigns that have had strong impacts on the community.

He was president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor from 1991 to 1994, before being elected president of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH), now known as KLSCAH, an umbrella body of more than 400 Chinese guilds and associations.

hokkien holdings forum 150507 ngan ching wen During his tenure with SCAH from 1998 to 2002, Ngan ( right ) was known for his vocal and critical stand on government policies that affected the Chinese community.

In 1999, he lashed out at the government for being irresponsible and not transparent during the Nipah virus outbreak that left scores of people dead and disabled the pig-rearing industry.

Before the 1999 general election, Ngan headed the Malaysian Chinese Organisation Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu).

A 17-point memorandum Suqiu produced was endorsed by thousands of Chinese organisations and was presented to the government on the eve of the 1999 general election, calling for a fairer and more just Malaysia.

Though the government had initially accepted the document in principle, Suqiu was later labelled an "extremist" movement and likened to communists by then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

It was accused of fanning racial sentiments because one of its appeals called for the abolition of bumiputra privileges.

Umno Youth had demonstrated outside the SCAH building, which housed the Suqiu committee then, and had threatened to burn down the hall if its appeals were not retracted and an apology made.

Ngan has always stressed that Chinese associations should not succumb to Chinese-based ruling parties, and that they should instead serve as the 'third voice' for the community, independent of both ruling and opposition parties.

Strong advocate of press freedom

The businessman was also a strong advocate for press freedom. In 2001, he publicly criticised MCA's acquisition of two Chinese dailies - Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press .

He was back in the limelight five years later, condemning Sawarak timber tycoon Tiong Hiew King's attempt to monopolise the country's Chinese media by buying over the two dailies from the MCA.

Tiong then already owned two major Chinese dailies - Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily .

In 2004, he was declared bankrupt by the Federal Court. This was because he acted as a guarantor for a loan provided to a businessman who did not repay it.

In an interview with Malaysiakini in 2004, Ngan hinted that his vocal criticism of several government policies may have been the cause of the court decision, to stop him from being active in Chinese community issues.

Following the bankruptcy, he was forced to relinquish all his posts in Chinese associations. Two years later, Ngan managed to overturn the court decision through appeal, but never returned to the public limelight.