Loh Boon Siew

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Loh Boon Siew 1915-1995 (Chinese: 駱文秀) also known as “Mr Honda” is a Penangite tycoon and the founder of Boon Siew Honda.

Loh was born in Hui-An, Fujian province of China. He spent his childhood collecting pig dung (then used as fuel) to make a living. At age 12, he arrived in Penang in a small boat from China. He could speak only Hokkien and had virtually no formal education. He worked as an apprentice car mechanic (3 dollars monthly) upon his arrival. He stayed in a ‘coolie keng’ (workers' quarters) at 4, Katz Street, Penang and he supplemented his income by washing buses at nights for 10 sen per vehicle.

At age 18, Loh purchased his first 11 units of buses using his 2,000 dollars savings. He reconditioned the buses and sells it for 12,000 dollars. Next he used the money he earned to buy another 39 unit buses. In 1942, all his hard earned money was confiscated by the invasion Japanese armies. But Loh did not give up, after 1945 when the Japanese was defeated, he starts selling bicycles, tyres and motorcycle accessories, soon he expanded his business to used cars, transports and again buses.

In the year 1958, Loh was already a small businessman, one day he went to Japan on vacation. On the street of Japan, Loh saw a Honda cub buzzing past, suddenly he requested his taxi driver to follow that motorcycle and after inspected the engine, he walked into the Honda headquarter to meet Mr. Soichiro Honda. Both instantly recognized the enormous potential for developing the automotive trade in Malaysia. The first Boon Siew showroom was auspiciously set up at Pitt Street in Penang. The home base of its founder. As a sign of their deepening bond of trust and respect, the Japanese Honda Motor Co Ltd appointed Boon Siew Sdn Bhd as the sole distributor for Honda motorbikes. The historic first 15 units of Honda 4-stroke cub were imported into Malaysia.

The rest is history, Boon Siew Honda became the best selling low cost motorcycles in Malaysia and also Southeast Asia. Tan Sri Dato' Loh Boon Siew's Honda club is also known as Kapcai. He also played a role in the brief merger between Kwong Wah Yit Poh and The Star (Malaysia) in 1974, and among his many charitable causes/deeds was the establishment of the Lam Wah Ee Hospital and the Penang Old Folks Home.

Boon Siew, who had two wives, Oh Guat Sim and Ong Lay Wah, died in his sleep at the age of 79 on Feb 16, 1995. He is survived by five children and 18 grandchildren.