Despite the presence of so many different types of medication that were common in Malayan households back in the 1960s, I could easily pinpoint the source of the aroma within seconds. Without a doubt, the smell is emanating from the box with “TIGER OIL” clearly emblazoned across its sides.
Curious to learn more about the origins of the company, I head to my study to seek out related references. Within the hour, a sizeable pile of books and magazines containing articles and advertisements connected to Eng Aun Tong builds up on my table. At the coastal town of Amoy , Chu Kin set sail on a junk ship destined for Nanyang, a general term used then for Southeast Asia. He survived the turbulent voyage and landed in Singapore before taking up temporary residence at a clan house in Telok Ayer Street.Ten days later, he moved to Penang and, upon realising that the colony was urgently in need of a herbal practitioner, Chu Kin began providing services to the large population of Chinese immigrants in the British colony.
In 1872, Kim Peck gave birth to another boy. No longer indulging in myths, Chu Kin studied the newborn’s horoscope and settled for Boon Haw, hoping that the name gentle tiger would give the boy ruthlessness, tempered with compassion. The gentle leopard found the responsibility too much to shoulder alone. Instead of traditional herbs, his heart was with western medicine. He secured permission from his mother to run the apothecary together with his elder brother whom he planned to invite back from China.
Ban, meaning 10,000, was a magical figure in Chinese calculations, while kim, meaning gold, was the ultimate form of wealth and ewe, the Hokkien term for oil, completed the name that the brothers thought would give a lasting impression on their potential customers.As expected, the ointment became an overnight success. Keen to expand beyond their traditional Chinese customer base, the brothers renamed their product Tiger Balm in 1918.
Although the case against them was never established, the incident was so humiliating that the brothers, who were one of the richest people in Rangoon at that time, decided to move their business to Singapore. In 1932, Haw Par Brothers Pte Ltd was incorporated as a holding company for the business, assets and trademarks. As business expanded further to countries like India, the company started devising specific strategies to suit each individual market.
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