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Synopsis :

Eu Tong Sen was born in Penang but was sent to his fraternal home in Guangdong at the age of five to be immersed in a Chinese education. During his adolescence, he returned to Malaya after the death of his father and was asked to take over the family business. It was tough for a young man to turn the family's tin mine and traditional Chinese medicine businesses around singlehandedly. However, he was fortunate enough to be granted licenses to operate his tin business through good connections with the British colonial government and Malayan Sultan. In his 20s, Eu became a millionaire, hiring tens of thousands of miners at the peak of his business. As opium addiction was wide spread among mine workers then, he did not hesitate to lead the anti-opium movement. The colonial rulers were furious and he was interrogated and nearly deported. Because of his proficiency in English, Eu was appointed an unofficial member of the Federated Malay States Legislative Council.