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The descendants of General Lam To'Kai
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The descendants of General Lam To’Kai gathered at Ipoh’s Weil Hotel on 22 February 2026 to launch the “Dr Wu Lien-Teh and General Lam To’Kai Heritage Organisation”.
Chairman Alison Chong said the purpose of having an organisation was to have a platform to unify the descendants and be a bridge for diaspora between Malaysia, Singapore and China, preserve documented records, investigate the genealogy and be the custodian of ancestral graves.
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| Chairman Alison Chong, Alex Chong Vice Chairman and Encik Adib Secretary |
Alison announced the documented family presence goes back to 1854 in Ipoh and as far back as 1838 in Malaya and now spans 9 generations. She is working on a book with the Perak Academy detailing the lineage and ancestral history of Lam To’Kai and his descendants and will launched later this year.
General Lam To’Kai lived during the time when China was under the Ching Imperial authority. He came to Malaya to support Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II during the Kedah War of 1838 against the Siamese. Following a decisive victory he was granted land in recognition of his contribution to bury the dead and allow the wounded to stay. That land is called Kampung Tokai near Alor Setar. The General and his wife Lady Guo subsequently settled in Penang. The had 6 sons and 3 daughters.
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| Lady Guo, General Lam To'kai's wife and Kampung Tokai near Alor Setar |
Their 6th son Lam Looking received naval training in China. After retiring he returned to Ipoh and became a miner (towkay) and philanthropist. He left behind the Lam Looking building now Sew Cheong and had a short road named after him.
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| The 6th son Lam Looking with road name after him and his Lam Looking building now called Sew Chong |
Another very well known descendant was Dr Wu Lien Teh more famously referred to as the Plague Doctor. Wu Lien-Teh was the grandson of Lam To’Kai and the nephew of Lam LooKing. He was not only a physician but a pioneer of public health. During the Manchurian plague of 1910–1911 he invented the protective mask, which is the forerunner of today's N95 respirator and organised 1st large scale epidemic control system in the modern world (1910-1911). He saved close to 60,000 of lives.
Dr Wu Lien-teh organised the first Anti-Opium Conference of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States in Ipoh in March 1906. He helped raise funds for the Ipoh Library now known as Tun Razak library.
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| Dr Wu Lien-Teh and the protective mask he designed in 1910 |
A present time descendant of Lam To’Kai, grandson of Lam Looking and nephew of Dr Wu is emeritus Prof Dato Lam Sai Kit a member of the task force to help control the Nipah virus that broke out in 1998 that affected the states of Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. As for Sybil Karthigasu, the heroine nurse of Papan who never betrayed the resistance during the WWII her son was married to a descendant of Lam To’Kai.
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| Another descendant Sybil Kathigasu and (r) Ignatius Chew the curator of YLCO Museum with Alex Chong |
All of these happenings took place in Ipoh. It’s only natural that Alex Chong, (the vice chairperson), approached Ignatius Chew the curator of YLCO Museum to allow him to park his exhibits under his Museum of Families segment.
Dato Lim Si Boon was very gracious to allow “Dr Wu Lien-Teh and General Lam To'Kai Heritage Organisation” to use the YLCO address as its official headquarters.
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An outstading agenda the descecartion of graves at Mount Erskine, Penang....
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Alison said
there was an outstanding agenda of the organisation which was the desecration
of the family graves in Mount Erskin in Penang.
It was highlighted to the Penang state government a year ago but till
now follow up actions were not forthcoming.
The
organisation set up was a step at the right time in the right direction to
bring all the descendants of Lam To’kai and Lady Guo together. It will also serve as the body of
communications for families of the descendants to be involved.
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