Dr Ho Seng Ong

Dr Ho Seng Ong with Mrs Ho (right) 

and their daughter Ruth Ho. 

Ruth was Principal of MGSS Ipoh

Dr Ho Seng Ong, OBE, EdD, MA, PRGS, was the Principal of the Malacca Anglo-Chinese School from 20th January, 1930 to 31st August, 1946. The then Mr Ho was a brilliant scholar and experienced teacher from the Methodist Boys School Kuala Lumpur (MBSKL). Mr and Mrs Ho, a trained primary school teacher, found the school growing but needed improvements in many areas. MACS was then housed at the Kubu Road building (formerly the Methodist English School, currently the Malacca College of Complimentary Medicine).

The Kubu Road premises that once housed 

MACS and later the MES, as it stands today.

Mr Ho devoted all his time and energy in reorganising and improving it. To meet the needs of pupils from Alor Gajah, Jasin, Tangkak and other states, he started a boarding school at Tranquerah Road. To raise the standard of instruction and achievement of the school, he encouraged teachers to take a greater professional interest in their work by attending courses and lectures, taking correspondence courses or reading professional magazines and books. In spite of his many duties and responsibilities, Mr Ho furthered his academic qualifications in London, becoming a FRGS and obtained his MA degree. He was an inspiration to both the staff and the pupils. He introduced the school magazine, the school badge and the school uniform. The school’s academic and sporting achievements improved steadily and by 1940, it became one of the outstanding English schools in town preparing pupils for admission into colleges or universities in Singapore and in other foreign countries.

At the beginning of 1940, accommodation in the school again proved inadequate. So a campaign was launched to raise funds for a new school building. The Methodist Mission helped to acquire a 7 acre plot near Bickley Park at Tranquerah for the school. The members of the staff gave a month’s salary each towards the School Building Fund. The Old Boys, friends and well-wishers readily and liberally raised the funds. The Education Department promised a dollar to dollar capital grant-in-aid contribution. Over forty thousand dollars was raised and the building was completed in 1941.

Two months after the official opening in November 1941, the Japanese occupied Malacca and the MACS building was used as a Training Centre for the Japanese Navy. In August 1945 the Japanese surrendered and in September Mr Ho Seng Ong and his teachers returned to reopen MACS. The building was damaged and stripped of all the furniture. Although Mr Ho was imprisoned and tortured by the Japanese for pro-Allied sympathies, the school was fortunate in having all its pre-war members of the tutorial staff when it reopened. 

ACS Ipoh Golden Jubilee Celebrations 

held 24-25th October 1947. 

Principal Ho Seng Ong with guests: 

The Governor Sir Edward Gent, 

The Sultan of Perak, HH Sir Abdul Aziz 

and Bishop Edwin F Lee, Resident 

Bishop of Malaysia

On 1st September, 1946, Mr Ho was appointed the principal of the Anglo-Chinese School Ipoh. He rapidly rehabilitated the buildings, enlarged the playing field and built a new Tuck Shop that was completed in 1947.

In 1949, Mr Ho Seng Ong became the first Asian principal of the  Anglo-Chinese School Penang.

Bishop RL Archer and Dr Ho 

welcoming HH Sir Hisamuddin 

Alam Shah, Sultan of Selangor 

to MBSKL on March 4, 1954

Mr Ho returned to his alma mater the Methodist Boys School Kuala Lumpur as its principal from 1952-1955. He was the first Asian to be appointed Principal of the MBSKL. He completely renovated the main block of the school. The wooden building gave way to a concrete one retaining the same pattern. The Central Library occupied more spacious and modern premises in the central block. The Assembly Hall was redesigned; a stage built and the acoustics improved. In 1954, a Form Six class was started and a HSC library formed. From that year, thanks to Mr Ho, the MBSKL staff was reinforced with a number of honours graduates of English Universities.

After MBSKL, Rev Dr Ho Seng Ong was appointed the Methodist Education Secretary. He was also the first chairman of the Methodist Mission’s Malaya Annual Conference - Historical Society from 1949 to 1964. Methodist Schools in Malaysia: their record and history (1964) is an authoritative reference work by Dr Ho Seng Ong.

The Sekolah Kebangsaan Ho Seng Ong Methodist is a primary school in Canning Garden, Ipoh named in his honour. At the MBSKL, the main building is named the Ho Seng Ong Block.

The Ho Family in 1933

(L-R) Edward, Mary, Mr Ho Seng 

Ong, Mrs Ho, Robert and Ruth

Dr and Mrs Ho Seng Ong had two sons and two daughters. Their eldest son Prof Robert Ho, MACSian Class of 1938, was Professor of Geography at the University of Malaya from its establishment in 1959. In 1965, Prof Ho left the University of Malaya to become Senior Research Fellow, Research School of Pacific Studies at the Australian National University, Canberra. Their younger son, Dr Edward Ho Guan Lim FRCS, MACSian Class of 1940, was Permanent Secretary (Health), Director of Medical Services, Singapore; Singapore Ambassador to Finland and the Soviet Union (1981-1984) and Singapore High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Ruth Ho, MGS Malacca Class of 1941, was Principal of MGSS Ipoh.

Snippet:

The school magazine of the MBSKL is named the Excelsior. It was published annually by the Excelsior Editorial Board since 1906 to the late 1910s when it was discontinued before being revived by Dr. Ho Seng Ong in the early 1920s, then still a student in the school before becoming a principal later. It is one of the oldest school magazines in country.