GEORGE TOWN: They are both medical doctors who share the same birthday on Nov 12.
And just like Father of Modern China the late Dr Sun Yat Sen, octogenarian Datuk Seri Dr Yee Thiam Sun had embarked on a path dedicating his life to serving the people.
At 81, Dr Yee continues to work from his clinic in Lebuh Carnavon treating patients and offering consultations at a discounted rate.
The buck does not stop there as the calm and humble Dr Yee also wears many other hats being a Scout leader, JCI (Junior Chamber International) leader, St John Ambulance of Malaysia, Penang commander, UN Youth leader, senior logistician who has been actively involved in humanitarian logistics movements, holding the title of Fellow of LogM (FLogM/Senior Logistician) and the position of honorary president of LogM.
He has also been mentoring and providing opportunities to leaders, especially young ones, through his involvement with Scouts, St John, JCI, SMJKs, SJKCs, and other organisations.
Dr Yee was a King’s Scout (1961) and has received many awards from various organisations, including the government, Scouts and St John.
Datuk Seri Dr Yee Thiam Sun sharing the stories he was told growing up about Dr Sun Yat Sen, during the gathering of the 100th anniversary of his demise at the Sun Yat Sen Museum in George Town, Penang. (March 8, 2025) — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star.
The Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang had also conferred him the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN), which carries the title Datuk Seri.
Dr Yee recalled that his late grandfather had served as the Chinese political and revolutionary leader’s secretary while Dr Sun was in Penang.
“While growing up, my mother, whose birthday also fell on the same day as mine and Dr Sun’s, used to tell me about how Dr Sun had dedicated his life to serving and helping the people.
“Her stories had left a lasting impression on me and I too wanted to serve the people in some way or another.
“I adopted Dr Sun’s motto to serve the people by running a clinic and charging less so that people do not feel the pinch.
“To be able to do this, I decided to work on my own because if I worked for others, I would not be able to charge less,” he said when met at the memorial event held at the Sun Yat Sen Museum Penang in Armenian Street to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the passing of Dr Sun.
Dr Yee also said that his maternal grandfather was an active supporter and spent most of his money on Dr Sun’s movement.
“My grandfather was a writer, and so he wrote for Dr Sun too,” he said.
Dr Yee added that despite his age, he wants to continue working to serve, just like his Dr Sun.
Businessman Dr Lawrence Khoo, in his 50s, said his grandfather was an ardent supporter of Dr Sun and had offered assistance in many ways.
“Dr Sun believed in education being of utmost importance and my grandfather as his supporter, started the Chung Ling High School and Penang Chinese Girls’ High School as well as Kwong Wah Yit Poh (a Chinese-language newspaper) here in Penang.
“We still follow his ideology that education is important and that women must be treated as equals.
“This has influenced me and I believe that we all need education and to be treated equally regardless of gender,” he said.
During the gathering, museum custodian Khoo Salma shared that a short video about how the Chinese community from other countries remember Dr Sun will be released on March 12, the actual death anniversary.
“Dr Sun was the towering figure of his time and the first provisional president of the China republic.
“He was a man with a vision who never gave up,” she said.
At the museum, Khoo said they share his (Dr Sun’s) story daily with visitors.
“This keeps his story alive.”
Born in 1866 in Guangdong province in China, Dr Sun studied medicine in Hong Kong and became a doctor.
He started his revolutionary career in 1894 and staged his first uprising in China a year later after forming Xing Zhong Hui in Honolulu.
He travelled around the world in search of support and came to Penang five times from 1906 to 1912.
Often called the “Father of Modern China”, Dr Sun played a key role in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.
He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China was established in 1912.
He passed away on March 12, 1925, after battling cancer.
Sun was a Chinese revolutionary leader and political philosopher, often referred to as the "Father of Modern China" for his pivotal role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty and establishing the Republic of China. Born on November 12, 1866, in Cuiheng Village, Guangdong Province, Sun received a Western-style education in Hawaii and later studied medicine in Hong Kong. His exposure to Western ideas and the decline of the Qing dynasty fueled his determination to reform China.
Sun founded the Revive China Society in 1894, advocating for the overthrow of the Qing and the establishment of a modern republic. His revolutionary efforts culminated in the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, which ended over 2,000 years of imperial rule. On January 1, 1912, Sun was inaugurated as the provisional president of the Republic of China, though he soon stepped aside to promote unity.
Sun's political philosophy, the Three Principles of the People (nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood), became the foundation of Chinese governance. Despite facing numerous challenges, including warlordism and foreign intervention, Sun remained committed to unifying China and modernizing its society. He reorganized the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, or KMT) and formed alliances with the Communist Party of China to strengthen the revolutionary movement.
Sun passed away on March 12, 1925, in Beijing, leaving behind a legacy of revolution and reform. His ideas continue to influence both Taiwan and mainland China, where he is revered as a unifying figure.
The Zionism letter
There was also a fascinating discovery back in 2021, when a letter written by Sun to a Shanghai Jew expressed support for the Zionist cause.
In the letter, dated April 24, 1920, Sun voiced his enthusiastic backing for Zionism, describing it as “one of the greatest movements of the present time.”
"[I] wish to assure you of my sympathy for this movement – which is one of the greatest movements of the present time," Yat-sen's letters reads. "All lovers of Democracy cannot help but support whole-heartedly and welcome with enthusiasm the movement to restore your wonderful and historic nation, which has contributed so much to the civilization of the world and which rightfully deserve [sic] an honorable place in the family of nations."
It was addressed to N.E.B. Ezra, a prominent writer, publisher, and the founder of the Shanghai Zionist Association.
Sun is celebrated for his role in shaping modern Chinese history, and while his endorsement of Zionism has long been documented and the contents of the letter were previously known, the original signed copy has only recently been rediscovered, more than a century after it was written.
nternal records from the National Library indicate that the letter was in its collection since at least 1938, though it was never publicly cataloged or accessible to researchers until now. The exact path by which the letter arrived at the library remains unclear.
“N.E.B. Ezra passed away in 1936. The letter’s arrival by 1938 suggests that Ezra himself may have donated it, or someone else sent it to the library after recognizing its historical importance,” National Library archivist Rachel Misrati stated at the time.
Sun and other Chinese leaders maintained warm relations with Jewish communities and figures, both locally and internationally. Many of these connections were forged during Sun’s years of exile before the Qing dynasty’s fall. A notable example is Morris “Two-Gun” Cohen, a Polish-born Jewish bodyguard and advisor to Sun, who was also a staunch Zionist.
Sun’s support for Zionism was not unique among national leaders of the time. Many prominent political figures expressed similar sentiments, driven by both ideological alignment and practical considerations - in 1946, Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh spent several days staying in the same hotel as David Ben-Gurion in Paris, where the two would often visit each other.
Legacy
Sun Yat-sen is still widely revered in Taiwan as the founding father of the Republic of China (ROC), though his legacy has evolved over time. His status remains prominent in official state narratives, but the way he is perceived has changed, particularly as Taiwanese identity has developed over the years.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of the mainland has also claimed Sun Yat-sen as part of its own revolutionary lineage, portraying him as an early forerunner of communism who opposed imperialism and laid the groundwork for modern China.
