Kota Kinabalu: Datuk Pang Tet Tshung (pic), former Sabah Chinese Association (SCA) leader and Minister in the late former Chief Minister Tun Datu Mustapha Harun's Cabinet, has passed away in the United States. He was 94.
An obituary of Pang's passing was published in the Daily Express on Tuesday.
Pang, of Phoenix, Arizona, died peacefully on July 30, surrounded by his family members.
Pang was born in 1923 in Jesselton, North Borneo, in what is now known as Kota Kinabalu.
He attended secondary school in Singapore where in 1942 he and his classmates were forced to flee for months into the jungle following the Japanese invasion of World War II (WWII).
He inherited a legacy of public service from his father, Pang Vui Chau, who was named a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his medical care of Australian troops in North Borneo during the war. Vui Chau was also invited by the Kinabalu Guerrillas to treat their wounded during the 1943 uprising during WWII.
After the war, Tet Tshung became active in world politics and was among a handful of men responsible to strive for independence from Great Britain of North Borneo to form Malaysia in 1963.
For his service and founding contributions to the nation, he was bestowed the honorific title of "Datuk".
Tet Tshung was a Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister of Finance and Minister of Communications and Public Works for Sabah. He was also the founding Chairman of a committee to create a secondary school for delinquent dropout students in Sabah, which opened in 1965 as the Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School.
Tet Tshung is survived by his wife of 67 years, Nyuk Kong Chin; six children – sons Pang Yin Ka, Terence Pang, Nicholas Pang, daughters Pang Li Jin, Pang Li Chu, Pang Li Kiun son (Sophie), and son (Veronica) and 11 grandchildren.
A private visitation and private services will be held on Aug 11 at Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery, 401 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85257.
