Chan Wing

Chan Wing (1873–1947) arrived in Malaya at the age of 14 with his brother, Loong. They worked at a tin mine in Sungai Besi, but Loong was unable to cope with the harsh working conditions and returned home after a year. Chan Wing continued to work many jobs, including as a shopkeeper for two of Loke Yew's shops in Sungai Besi.

At the age of 24, he formed a syndicate with four of his clansmen, including Cheong Yoke Choy, to investigate tin ore next to Loke Yew's Sungai Besi mine. The syndicate, Hong Fatt Tin Mine, became the largest open cast tin mine in the world and made Chan a millionaire. It is today the site of The Mines Resort City.

Chan also ventured into rice and rubber, and with fellow towkays, founded Kwong Yik Bank in 1913. He chose to live permanently in Malaya, and as an act of defiance against the Manchu government he cut off his queue.

The Istana Negara Lama was originally a mansion that Chan Wing built for his family of 8 wives and 26 children. Designed by the architecture firm Swan & McLaren, it was completed in 1929 and came to known as "The Big House". It was perhaps the biggest house in town at that time. Chan Wing's family was able to flee the country during the Japanese occupation and the mansion was made the residence of the Japanese Governor. After the war, it was commandeered by the British.

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