The son of Heah Ah-Kia (or Heah Ah Kiah), Joo Seang was born in Sungei Nibong Kechil, a small village in Province Wellesley, Penang on 2 November 1899. Heah Joo Seang began his education at a Chinese school in his hometown. Later on, he was sent to live in Georgetown, Penang. His uncle, Heah Lye Hiang, registered him to study in St. Xavier's Institution, a Christian missionary school, founded in 1852. He sat for, and passed the Cambridge School Certificate when he was only fourteen years old. Later on in life, when Joo Seang became successful in business, and gain prominence in politics, SXI (as the school is popularly known to the local people) benefited from his generosity. His legacy and association with the school was forever engraved in its history, when the school auditorium (fully funded by him) was named after him. For him to have contributed so willingly, he must have felt a deep sense of gratitude towards his alma mater. His working life began as a clerk in his uncle Heah Lye Hiang's tapioca mill, earning
$40 a month.
Death Over the span of 15 years he had led three political parties – the Independence of Malaya Party, Party Negara and the Penang MCA as well as serving as national treasurer for the parent body. His last public appearance was during the official visit of MCA national President,
Tan Siew-Sin, in March. Although he had lost his voice – he had already been ill when he travelled through Borneo on party business in February – he insisted on addressing the Alliance rally in Siew-Sin's honour. Soon after he flew to England for a throat operation. He died in Brompton Hospital on 14 May. He died in London on 14 May 1962, leaving behind a wife, Lim Soh-Liang (or Lim Su-Lian), eight sons (Heah Hock-Khoon, Heah Hock-Soon, Heah Hock-Lye, Heah Hock-Meng, Heah Hock-Thye, Heah Hock-Aun, Heah Hock-Hin, Heah Hock-Heng), three daughters (Beng-Hong, Phee-Hong, Kwee-Hong), one son-in-law, six daughters-in-law and 15 grandchildren to mourn his loss. Unknown to many, Joo Seang has a second wife. Her name is Eu Phooi Chen. It was quite common at that time for wealthy men (especially among ethnic Chinese) to have more than one wife. It was during the period of the Japanese occupation of Malaya when Phooi Chen had borne him two sons namely Paul Heah Hock Teik (born 1942) and Jeffrey Heah Hock Hai (born 1944). About a thousand people gathered at the Penang Bayan Lepas airport to receive his body which was flown back from London. His family had decided to follow the old custom concerning death that happens outside of a person's home – when a person dies outside of his home, he cannot be brought back into the house. Accordingly, when he was welcomed at the airport, they did so as if he were still alive. There was no weeping and no black clothes or other signs of mourning until his body was back at his mansion, "Goodwood," in Macalister Road, and his death then announced by a representative of the family. His body was borne in a coffin draped in red and was accompanied by a motorcade nearly five (5) miles long. The announcement of his death was made by Rev. Soo Hneah Hee Seong, a "kee-tong" (medium), after which the mourning officially began. his body lay in state until Sunday, 21 May 1962 where it was removed for burial at the Kwangtung and Tengchow Cemetery at Mount Erskine.
Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) national President, Tan Siew Sin said, the death of Heah Joo Seang left a gap that would be difficult to fill. "He was a tower of strength nor only to the MCA's central working committee but also the Penang organisation," the President wrote in a letter to Joo Seang's eldest son, Heah Hock-Khoon. "He infused new life into the Penang MCA and their loss is indeed a very grievous one... ...Apart from the MCA, the country will always remember him for his munificent gifts to charities and deserving institutions... ...I think it is only right that I should put these sentiments on record." La Sallian Brother Visitor T. Michael said the Christian Brothers had reason to grieve over the loss of a "great old boy and a very generous benefactor." He said that Joo Seang was unsparing in his attachment to his old school and worked towards its progress and improvement with genuine affection and loyalty. In referring to two new schools completed at Jalan Brother James and Kampong Bharu, he said, "These schools will stand as monuments to a public-spirited citizen whose departure leaves a gap which it will be very difficult to fill." Reporting on his funeral,
the Straits Times noted, "Crowds swelling to well over 50,000 lined an eight-mile route today for the funeral of the late Mr. Heah Joo Seang, millionaire rubber magnate and Penang MCA President, whose body was flown home last week from London where he died on May 14. The two-mile procession in which 15 associations and 12 schools took part, was the longest seen in Penang for many years. 5,000 people. Three Cabinet Ministers together with the Governor of Penang,
Raja Tun Uda Al-Haj, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Inche Aziz Ibrahim, were among the 5,000 people who followed the hearse on its last journey. Early arrivals were Tun
Leong Yew Koh, Minister of Justice, Mr. Tan Siew Sin, Minister of Finance and National President of the MCA, Dato
Ong Yoke Lin, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Mr. Cheah Theam Swee, Assistant Minister of Commerce and Industry. The Prime Minister,
Tengku Abdul Rahman, the Deputy Prime Minister,
Tun Abdul Razak, and the Governor, Raja Tun Uda Al-Haj, were among those who sent wreaths. Crowds started to gather from an early hour. Before the procession lined up, the coffin was taken out of the Heah mansion, Goodwood, in Macalister Road, and laid on the lawn where representatives of various schools and organisations paid their last respects to the late Mr. Heah. Mr. Yeo Hui Tung, a leader of the Teochew community, then read out an eulogy. Although timed to start at 11.30 a.m., the procession could not get moving until 12.15 p.m. Led by Senator Cheah Seng Khim and other members of the funeral committee, it proceeded along Macalister Road to the Church of Seven Sorrows where the first stage of the procession broke up. 'Last look.' It re-assembled later in front of the Teochew Association at Chulia Street and made its way to Beach Street to give the late Mr. Heah a "last look" at his office, Hock Lye Co., Ltd. The hearse, followed by 200 cars, then proceeded to
Mount Erskine Cemetery where the burial took place at 5. p.m. after full Buddhist rites. Three school bands—St. Xavier's corps of drums and the Han Chiang and Jit Sin High School bands—marched with the procession. Among the 15 political parties, local guilds and associations which took part were UMNO and MCA youths, MCA women, UMNO and
MIC members, the Teochew Hoay Kuan, the Kwangtung and Tengchow Associations, the
Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the
Penang Rubber Trade Association. Flags of various clubs and associations with which the late Mr. Heah was actively connected flew their flags at half-mast today." A Heah Joo Seang Scholarship Fund was set up in his memory, his family contributing $10,000 to get the fund going. ==Career==