Leong Sin Nam was born on 20 April 1880 in Thai Chook Pau, a village in the district of Mooi Yan (Kaying), Guangdong province, south eastern China.
There were many successful Chinese miners too like Foo Choo Choon, Eu Tong Sen, Leong Fee, Chop Thai Lee, Chung Thye Phin, Au Moh Yi, Yau Tet Shin, Khi Ho Nin, Shak Yin Fuk,[8] Lam Look Ing and Aw Kong all of whom were large employers of labour.
[10] In 1931 Leong Sin Nam bought the Ampang mine near Tambun from the son of Yau Tet Shin and started the Lean Pang Kongsi.
In 1933 Leong Sin Nam built a bungalow in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang when access was made possible by a new road from Tapah.
The hotel was opened on 19 January 1935 and the Straits Times reported, ".....the Eastern Hotel consists of twelve bedrooms with private verandahs and bathrooms attached, one common or public lounge, a large dining room with kitchen and servants' quarters, a garage and for exercise tennis and badminton courts in front of the main building together with a lily and fish pond."
From historic records, during the thirty years he had been in Malaya, he had contributed no less than half a million Straits dollars to charitable, educational, sporting and social institutions and later, particularly to the China Distress Relief Fund during the second Sino-Japanese war.
In 1927 he made a concerted effort to study English because his duties as a Justice of the Peace and Member of the State Council required an understanding of the language.
Placing great importance in education, he bequeathed the family bungalow in Gopeng Road, 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land and furniture to the "Kah Heng Chew Huay Kuan" (Kaying Association) for the purpose of setting up a school.
The pool relied on a continuous supply of fresh water brought by pipes from the Leong Sin Nam mines near the Kledang Hills.
[22] Between 1914 and 1918 the State Government of Perak authorised Leong Sin Nam to issue private paper currency to overcome the shortage of coins towards the end of World War I
"HRH the Sultan of Perak has been pleased with the approval of the Chief Secretary to the Government to appoint Mr. Leong Sin Nam to be a member of Council of State since Mr. Foo Choo Choon resigned[23]".
The government's chief solution to the problem was the repatriation, at their own expense, the large number of unemployed back to their homes in China or India.
On 23 September 1924, Leong Sin Nam, Chung Thye Phin and other prominent residents were introduced to HM King Rama VI[26] at the railway station in Ipoh while on the way to Singapore.
Ipoh with its modern and imposing buildings, well laid out roads and grounds and rapidly increasing importance as a business centre has no rival as the principal town in the State and as such is eminently suitable and fit to be made the capital.
In 1938 Leong Sin Nam proposed a scheme to stabilise labour, both Chinese and Indian, as a means of reducing unemployment during slumps yet not prevent their return to the mines and rubber estates when so needed during better times.
The Company was to cultivate the land particularly with cashew nuts, amongst other commercially viable crops, and later hand this over to the settlers who would buy shares and eventually become sole owners of the property.
However, Foo had a change of heart following the Wuchang Uprising which led to the collapse of the Qing government on 10 October 1911 and threw his full support behind the revolution.
The Principal Leaders of the Tung Meng Hui Branch in Ipoh were Teh Lay-seng, Lee Guan-swee, Au Sheng-kang and Leong Sin Nam.
[32] The Malayan Tung Meng Hui movement, not registered with the Registrar of Societies, was institutionalised through underground branches and front organisations, including reading rooms and theatrical troupes.
Yuan soon asserted his presidential powers, abolished the National Assembly and later proclaimed himself the emperor of China in 1915 in a largely unpopular move and was later forced to retract his declaration shortly before his death in 1916.
The Ipoh Branch of the Chinese Revolutionary Party raised a good sum of money to support Sun against his arch rival Yuan.
The Government officials of Yunnan Province, China invited him to demonstrate and instruct the Chinese miners how to use the modern mining methods adopted in Malaya.
[40] The chief tin producing centre in China was the Kochu district in Southern Yunnan where cassiterite was obtained from deposits and rock ores.
[45] In recognition of his timely contribution Generallisimo Chiang Kai-shek presented Leong Sin Nam with a signed congratulatory photo message.
Cator who pointed out in his speech that the OBE conferred on Leong Sin Nam was a very rare one, that being only the second time a non-British subject had been honoured by the King, the first being the late towkay Loke Yew of Kuala Lumpur.
The High Commissioner to the Federated Malay States, Sir Shenton Thomas, then made his speech prior to the reading of the Royal Warrant for the conferment of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
"I am commanded by His Majesty the King to present to Mr. Leong Sin Nam the badge of his appointment to be an Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Mr. Leong Sin Nam has been in Malaya for 50 years, and in the State of Perak particularly he has been associated with many public charitable bodies which have for their object the well being of the local Chinese.
I trust that Mr. Leong Sin Nam will be spared for many years to give his services to the State and to its people, whose gratitude and admiration he has long since won.
The Straits Echo reported "The passing away of towkay Leong Sin Nam at Port Dickson will cause wide spread regret for he was deservedly popular and much respected, his good works in Perak being as numerous as the sands on the seashore, while by his urbanity and strict integrity, he endeared himself to all whom he came in contact...... he was popular not only with his countrymen but also with Europeans, Eurasians, Indians, Malays and Ceylonese.