The Scourge of the Poppy 

ANG SEAH IM 汪声音(1870 -1927) Place of Ancestry Tung Ann (同安)

Ang Seah Im was a wealthy businessman with business interests in mining, rice, rubber, and trading. He owned many properties in Malaya and Singapore especially along Telok Blangah Road. In 17 Aug 1907, the Municipal Commission agreed to his proposal to name a private road on his land after him, after he has fulfilled the requirements of installing lighting, fences and embankments.

While he was wealthy, his profligate spending was to bring about his downfall. In a report on court proceedings for bankruptcy published in the Singapore Free Press in 1922, it was mentioned that for 3 years, his domestic expenses amounted to $20,000 a year, and during the 4 months preceding his bankruptcy, he had incurred liabilities amounting to just under $350,000. Apparently, other than spending on his big family of 3 wives and 6 children, he was also a heavy smoker of chandu (opium). 

This drug made from the humble poppy was a scourge in the 19th century for both commoners and the rich. It not only brought about misery and poverty for many but also played a part in bringing down the mighty Qing Dynasty. The First Anglo-Chinese War was triggered by the burning of opium stocks by Lin Zexu, an official of the Qing government who led the opium suppression efforts. The British swiftly retaliated and defeated the Qing which had to sign the unequal Nanking Treaty, the first in a series of treaties which saw the rising dominance of the Western powers in China and the latter’s decline.

Opium Smoker 1920  (photo credit :  Lim Kheng Chye Collection, NAS)

Ang Seah Im was able to bounce back from his bankruptcy by paying a composition fine in 1914, although he was never able to recover his great wealth before he passed away in 1927. His contributions to society included being a committee member of the Poh Leung Kok, (保良局), an organisation set up in 1881 to protect females from exploitation.  

Further Reading : 

https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=7db6c9b6-f567-4cca-a72e-64c5882fccb4