The capital city, Brunei Town, had just one street lined with scarce thatch-roofed shops, and the majority ethnic group, the Malays, lived in Kampong Ayer made up of wooden houses on stilts along the rivers.

Over the years, he became a familiar face in the community, recognised as a Chinese merchant who provided essential groceries to local households.

[3] Ong founded Chop Teck Guan, a company that specialised in regional goods, after years of perseverance and hard labour.

Ong was one of the contractors participating in the land reclamation project that the Bruneian government started, which gave him the opportunity to amass a sizeable fortune.

He drafted a will on his deathbed, leaving four close family members to handle his assets until his sons were old enough to take over, while his children were still small.

[7] Ong's substantial contributions to the city's growth, his kind support of education, and his aid to the poor were recognised by the Bruneian government.