Simon Soon
The Poh Hock Seah registered with the Chinese Protectorate of Penang sometime in 1890. As one of the two alliances involved in the Penang Riots of 1867, the British authorities subsequently banned numerous Chinese organisations.
Due to the ban, the Kean Teik Tong (also written Khian Teik Tong) found itself deregistered. It had to continue functioning other different guises, so various other societies were registered in its place, among them the Poh Hock Seah, the Hokkien Kongsi, Cheng Hoe Seah and Tong Kheng Seah.
Each of these has its base at Hock Teik Cheng Sin. Of these, Poh Hock Seah is probably the most significant and is seen to carry on the social mandate of the Toh Peh Kong society.
