Late Mr Lee Hian Cheong was everyone’s ‘ah gong’ (which means grandpa in Mandarin). It was not just a title used by his family members but also by customers, staff members and friends.
When ah gong first started this business, nobody believed in him. He was constantly teased and looked down by others, banks rejected him for loans and creditors gave him a hard time. Nevertheless, he fought through all these hardships and came through unscathed with his perseverance.
While ah gong was running this business, nobody knew that he was also an anonymous philanthropist for the people back in his hometown. He brought them over to Singapore when he saw opportunities that would benefit them and even provided financial support upon their arrivals. Simultaneously, he also donated money to build schools and roads in his hometown. He kept all of these a secret because he believed that good deeds should be done with intention and not for attention. His descendants only discovered this when his hometown friends shared documents and photos as proofs of his unconditional contributions.
Ah gong was a man with few words who preferred actions over words. When his eldest grandson was still a primary school student, ah gong would require him to help out in the shop after classes ended. His grandson could not understand why he was not allowed to have play time but he did not dare to disobey him. However, he loathed ah gong silently.
The term “difficult” was not allowed in the Lee family’s vocabulary, thus quitting was not an option for this kid. In hindsight, he was too young to understand ah gong’s intentions. That was ah gong’s way of guiding, grooming and preparing him to become a successful businessman. Ah gong wanted him to learn through hands-on experience to gain the appropriate knowledge, resilience and ethics before taking over this business.
Before passing away in 2003, ah gong requested for the baton to be passed down to him. As the 3rd generation of the family and the current Managing Director of the company, he is constantly striving to expand the business while taking the best care of his people. His younger brother is also in the company, and is currently the Purchasing Director in charge of all sourcing matters. It was ah gong’s vision and he was determined to keep it alive. Over the years, Hean Lee Radio Service Pte Ltd had grown into a renowned brand in the industry, both locally and internationally.
Till this day, ah gong is still remembered as the main pillar of the company by many. We are thankful for his contributions and are honoured to be entrusted with the continuation of his life’s work.
We love and miss you ah gong - from the Lee family and Hean Lee Radio Service Pte Ltd members