There is a bell donated by Khoo Yang Tin and his sons to Song Ong Beo Temple. Picture below. Those who have visited Seng Ong Beo (whose chief patron sponsor was Khoo Seok Wan) would have noticed a bell standing at one corner of the temple.
The bell donated by Khoo and his 5 sons in 1940.
Closer look at the inscription on the bell
According to internet sources, Khoo Yang Thin once built a red mansion in his ancestral village Sin Aun. Later, as he flashed his riches too prominently, he was targeted upon and kidnapped.
Although he was later released, he never returned to Sin Aun and settled in Singapore.
邱扬阵绣楼厝
邱扬阵，青年时出洋谋生致富后，热心公益事业，修桥铺路，建学堂造寺庙，竟把新安村前面的几座小山买了下来，立了界碑。
他选定马銮湾南岸“出洋码头”前面的滩地，建造新厝，厝右是一泓大水池，后方是大海，海边是码头，人气极旺，真乃是风水宝地。
新厝为大四规，两护厝二进四合院，十分规整。但它与大水池之间还留有一块空地，此空地又不足以再建造一座同样规模的新厝。于是，建了一座二进四规厝，紧贴于新厝的右护厝上，并在厝后建了一座二层的绣楼，作为后界，它的伸脚不是通常的单层厢房，而是二层的观景阁楼，且别出心裁，将阁顶建成敞开式的半弧形卷棚顶，十分别致美观。临阁远眺，前方的山景、村景，左右的海景、林景，尽收眼底，这是新安独有的！
邱扬阵的这一组红砖厝十分有特色，地形环境选得好，有海上仙阁的韵味。又因厝前没有缓缓水流绕厝而过，特意从远处山峦间引来一股溪水，汇于大水池，营造出活水绕厝的大环境，增加地理优势。以绣楼作后界也是一种创新，这里视野宽广，马銮湾的海天美景，文圃山的苍翠蓊翳，一齐拥来，住在这样优越的环境里，心旷神怡，特别舒畅。
绣楼厝的所有木刻、石雕装饰，均十分精美细腻，也十分规范形制，是一项杰作。尤其是绣楼上的木刻石雕，其工艺之精，手法之巧，更是华丽无比。如今，木雕件上的彩绘、漆金仍旧闪亮，不减当年气韵！
由于邱扬阵建新厝显露富有，被人盯上，抗日战争时期，被日本浪人绑架，勒索甚巨。后经邱姓在厦门码头的势力、洋行买办出面保释，他重返南洋，再也没有回来，留下这座绣楼厝，让人怀念！
Now lying at Bukit Brown, is his grave together with his two wives
The Elder Khoo and his 2 wives' graves, lying on a slope of Bukit Brown. It has been exhumed but the structure has been maintained
Khoo Yang Tin's grave
The engraving on the tomb plaque. Please note that the words were penned by Khoo Seok Wan.
Taken from
Chinese Inscriptions of Malacca and Singapore]. By DAVID K. Y CHNG. Taipei: Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, 1998. Brief Translation:
The grave of Khoo Yang Thin and his two wives Mdm Yeo and Mdm Tan
Khoo Yang Tin stayed at Hai Teng Province Sin Aun village. He has helped his home country many times and received honours and awards.
His has also contributed countless time to charity. Khoo established his network in Penang, Yangon. All his sons are capable and helped in business.
He retired and enjoyed his later life, surrounded by his grandchildren.
His wife Madam Yeo was a gentle and courteous woman, so is Mdm Tan. His philosphy of filial piety, loyalty, honesty, thrift, respect has been well practiced by
the later generations. This day his son Teck Soon contribute this epigraph
written by
Khoo Seok Wan
Remarks:
Khoo Yang Thin most prominent son was Khoo Teck Puat
Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat (Chinese: 邱德拔; 13 January 1917 - 21 February 2004) was Singapore's wealthiest man. The banker and hotel owner reportedly died from a heart attack. He is survived by 14 children. The bulk of his fortune came from shares in British bank Standard Chartered, which he bought up in the 1980s to help thwart Lloyds Bank's hostile intentions.His Goodwood Park Hotel in Singapore, built in 1900, is a historic landmark that recently underwent restoration. His estate recently donated $80 million to Duke University.
At that time, Ms. Mavis Khoo, Tan Sri Khoo's daughter said: "My late father believed passionately that advances in medical research, education and healthcare will make a real and substantial difference to the lives of people in Singapore, and around the world. By supporting the GMS (Graduate Medical School), we will help GMS and Singapore grow the pool of outstanding clinician-scientists and researchers, and to develop cutting edge research and clinical care programs that will lead to better healthcare outcomes that will benefit patients and their families."
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