|
Liew Soon Tshing | Her Photo Album 1 |
Album 2 |
Song Book |
Liew Soon Tshing's Family Tree |
| Photos of identified friends and
relatives | Photos of
unidentified friends and relatives |
Wednesday,
September 10, 2025
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一位裁縫師、一位父親、一位在北婆羅洲拓荒的先行者
劉奕南（劉月？）約於1900年出生於中國南方。幼年喪母後，其父劉俊卿決定攜子遠赴海外，尋求更好的生活。當時的南中國正值動盪不安，許多家庭因貧困與社會動亂而選擇移民至東南亞，北婆羅洲（今沙巴）便是其中一個充滿機會的目的地。
中國南方貧困、戰亂與缺乏機會，促使大量家庭向海外尋求生機. 英屬北婆羅洲提供農業、貿易與基礎建設的工作機會，吸引華人移民。.
約在20世紀初，劉氏父子乘船抵達北婆羅洲，最終定居於巴巴鎮（Papar）。當時的巴巴是一個多元文化交融的小鎮，聚集了原住民杜順族（Dusun）、華人移民與英殖民官員。華人社群多以客家與廣東籍為主，從事農業、貿易與手工業，逐漸在當地建立起穩固的社會網絡。
劉奕南在巴巴鎮以裁縫與小販為業，常穿梭於各村落之間，提供衣物縫製與日常用品。他的手藝不僅服務華人社群，也深受原住民歡迎，成為連結不同族群的橋樑。他的生活雖樸實，卻充滿勤勞與堅毅的精神。
華人與原住民如杜順族之間偶有通婚，形成獨特的跨族家庭結構。
劉奕南曾有兩位妻子，其中第二任妻子為附近村落的杜順族女子。兩人育有一子，但不幸早夭。為了撫慰第二任妻子的喪子之痛，第一任妻子黃蓮友女士（黃蓮友）主動從李姓家庭收養一名華人嬰兒，並取名為劉添貴。
劉添貴在天主教神父的照顧下成長，並於納閩（Labuan）接受英文中學教育，這在當時的華人社群中極為罕見。他成年後投身政府部門，成為終身公務員，展現出誠信、勤勉與跨文化理解的精神。
在2020至2021年新冠疫情期間，劉添貴資助整修劉氏家族在巴巴的所有墓地，以此表達對祖先的敬意與感恩，讓家族記憶得以延續。
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ENGLISH
VERSION
A tailor, a father, and a pioneer in
Papar Town, North Borneo
Liew Yik Nam (劉奕南
or possibly 劉月) was born around the year 1900 in southern China, a
region marked by poverty, political unrest, and waves of migration. After the
early death of his mother, his father, Liew Jun Chin (劉俊卿), made the difficult decision
to seek a better life overseas. Like many Chinese families of the time, they
joined the tide of migration to Southeast Asia, where British colonial
territories such as North Borneo (now Sabah) offered opportunities for labor and
trade.
·Poverty,
warlordism, and lack of opportunity in southern China drove many families to
seek work abroad.
Sometime in the early 1900s,
father and son arrived in North Borneo by sea,
settling in the small but bustling town of Papar. At the time, Papar was a
mosaic of indigenous Dusun communities, Chinese settlers, and colonial
administrators. The Chinese migrants—mostly Hakka and Cantonese—formed
tight-knit communities, often working as shopkeepers, hawkers, farmers, or
tradesmen.
·British
North Borneo offered jobs in agriculture, trade, and infrastructure. Chinese
migrants were vital to the development of towns like Papar, Sandakan, and Tawau.
Liew Yik Nam became known
locally as a tailor and hawker, traveling between villages with his goods and
services. Tailoring was a respected trade among Chinese migrants, requiring
skill, patience, and a keen eye for detail. His work would have served both
Chinese and indigenous clients, stitching together not just garments but
relationships across cultures.
·Intermarriage between Chinese and
indigenous groups like the Dusun was uncommon but not unheard of, often
resulting in unique bicultural families.
Liew married twice. His second wife was a Dusun
woman from a nearby village—a rare but meaningful union that reflected the
blending of cultures in colonial Borneo. They had a son together, but
tragically, the child died young. In an act of compassion and solidarity, his
first wife, Madam Wong Lian You (黃蓮友), adopted a Chinese baby from the Lee family to
comfort the grieving second wife. The child was named Liew Thiam Kui (劉添貴).
Raised under the guidance of a
Roman Catholic priest, Liew Thiam Kui received an English education in
Labuan—a rare privilege for Chinese children at the time. He later devoted his
life to public service in the government, embodying the values of discipline,
humility, and cross-cultural understanding passed down from his adoptive
parents.
During the COVID-19 pandemic
in 2020–2021, Liew Thiam Kui honored his family’s legacy by financing the
complete renovation of the Liew family graves in Papar, ensuring that the memory
of his adoptive father and ancestors would endure for generations.