He fell in love with PNG

COVER STORY

By HELEN TARAWA
THE late Tin Siew Tan, founder of TST Group of Companies fell in love with PNG when he arrived at the age of about 21.
Last Saturday he was farewelled at a typical Chinese funeral at his residence in Boroko.
Due to the current lockdown for Covid-19 in NCD only few friends and family members from the Chinese and Malaysian community, Papua New Guineans including Members of Parliament and some of his children gathered to pay their respects.
He was 78 going onto 79 years old when he died in his sleep.
Tan was the founder of TST which stands for the initials of his name, Tin Siew Tan.
He established the first store in Tokarara over 40 years ago. A great deal of hard work, passion, foresight and local knowledge led to success and the store soon became the foundation of the TST Group of Companies as we know it today.
With direction and support Tin Tan handed over the family business to the next generation to grow and diversify it.
Through his sons he has left a legacy of supporting, educating and employing many Papua New Guineans and giving back to PNG, the country he lived, loved and called home.
His fourth son from his Rabaul-born Chinese wife Margaret Mary Lau, Albert Tan said his father loved PNG from the day he arrived.
“He met my mother who was born and raised in Rabaul and we were all born in PNG.
Albert’s other siblings are Barry, David and Stephen who could not make it into PNG because of Covid-19.
“My mother died when I was 14 and she was laid to rest at Bomana cemetery.
“My father started the TST Group and we’ve always had the best interest of this country at heart. This is his country and doesn’t want to go anywhere else but to be laid to rest here.
“He was a real Papua New Guinean, he loved this country and called it home and it’s going to be a big loss,” he said.
Tan also started the local operations of DHL, the express mail company in PNG in 1978.
Albert said many Chinese Papua New Guineans left and those of them his age were not able to attend the funeral service because of Covid-19.
He said the Chinese have a tradition where you either have the first day, third day or the seventh day for the blessings and burial.
“Saturday was the seventh day and his body was cremated and the ashes put together our mum’s grave at Bomana.
“He spoke fluent Motu and I remember when we were kids we used to always go to Tatana and go out on the lagatois (canoes).
Dadi Toka knew my father very well, he was a Pangu man and worked in the government before he became a businessman. He actually started DHL before they became big to where it is now.
“It’s hard to talk about my father, he was a humble man and he never wanted too much publicity. He was a quiet achiever.
He died peacefully, no sickness, he went to sleep and didn’t wake up so he was lucky, he went on his own terms.
Leonard, 33 is Tan’s third son from his Malaysian wife. After his PNG-born wife died in 1981 he married Goh Kim Hua (Nelly).
“Our business is Tango. The name derives from Tan (father’s name) and Go (mother’s name).
“We’ve kept the original TST Tokarara and rebuilt it and called it Tango.
“When TST Tokarara burnt down we just had to operate at Boroko and we had a fire there too and after we rebuilt it we called it Tango Boroko 11 years ago.
“It took us a while before we decided to rebuild Tokarara and call it Tango,” he said.
“My father was a generous man. He could speak both types of Motu and people loved him. Which motivate him to contest the national elections twice though he was unsuccessful.
“PNG is home for me, I was born in Malaysia, but I’m a naturalised citizen of PNG and I’m now 33.
Leonard went to school in Singapore, Australia then PNG.
“There’s a fond memory of my dad, as a kid, he’d be out socialising and come back after a night of drinking, he would mix all the left overs and mixed stew type I used to enjoy it.
“My father managed to build his empire and our next generation we’ve had to opportunity to build on that, basically he has given us the foundation to work with.
“The memories of growing up with my father were limited as my parents separated when I was still young and I was overseas in Singapore and Australia for school before returning to PNG.
“My mum, Nelly Tan is also from Melaka in Malaysia and is naturalised PNG citizen. Dad’s originally from Malaysia but he was naturalised citizen of PNG.
“I have two older sisters, Corina and Cindy.
“My father also had a daughter from a Tatana woman, Maryanne who is currently in Australia.
“He also had four children from his Rigo wife Biang Elemi. He had 12 children and 18 grandchildren.
“Dad was a smart guy, he saw the potential and opportunity and that’s how he built his empire and home here in PNG.
On Saturday a funeral service was held at his residence in Boroko. The number of people at the funeral service was limited due to the covid-19.Delma is the eldest daughter from Tan’s Rigo wife. She could not make it due to the Covid-19 lockdown so she sent her tribute.
She said: “My dad was a Papua New Guinean Panda. He loved to cook and eat he loved his PNG Ples Kaikai when he visited Deugolo (Rigo) and when visitors and families came to his home he would cook his Chinese food for 20 people even when serving only seven people and take joy in seeing those who enjoyed his food. He could fatten you up in a week!
“He also hated wasting food so when we were much younger we would have us sit with the same plate of food from 6pm-9pm while we struggle to finish the mountain of a food he served.
“He would remind us that kids are starving and food is a blessing if you waste it God won’t bless you anymore, he was hard working even in his home he likes to keep things tidy and would always be the first one up for work and to wake his younger kids up for school and prepare breakfast for them.
“Even after graduating my dad still tried to do this in his final years when he started to lose the ability to do the things he loved. He would wak up up early at 3 to 4am with his oud voice and something smelling burnt in the kitchen. This is when I could tell that he wanted to be there but was too tired.
“He preferred the humble things in life regardless of how full his pocket was.
“He was also a very generous and understanding man. Whenever I tried to question his decisions about helping people he would tell me that they didn’t have much and he would help in any way he could even though they might be lying.
“He didn’t let people walk all over him; he just preferred not to judge someone due to their hardships, although he wasn’t religious he would say to me if you help others God will bless you.
Besides being a great business man, people didn’t know how much of a great father he was to all 12 of his children, although he may have not been present fulltime for all of us he tried to make sure we had everything,” Delma said.
Moresby North East MP John Kaupa and Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP Petrus Thomas were two politicians who paid their respect on Saturday.
Kaupa said Tan was like a brother to him. He was a down to earth man who was a real Papua New Guinean and his passing would be a great loss.
PNG was home to Tin Siew Tan for over 40 years and it was his wish to be laid to rest in PNG.
His cremated ashes will be placed beside his wife Margaret Mary Lau at 9- Mile cemetery.