Chung Ling High School

Chung Ling High School (23 January 2005)


Chung Ling High School (GPS: 5.40514, 100.29465; Malay: Sekolah Menengah Chung Ling) is a boys secondary school in Air Itam, Penang. It is widely regarded as one of the best Chinese schools in Malaysia. Compared to schools started by the colonial missionaries, such as Penang Free School or Convent Light Street, Chung Ling is a relative newcomer, being established only in the 20th century, on 9 February 1917 to be precise. This enables it to be among the first Chinese schools in Penang to celebrate its centenary in 2017.

History of Chung Ling School

Chung Ling School, as it was originally known, was founded by supporters of Dr Sun Yat Sen, among them Tan Sin Cheng, Khoo Beng Cheang, Chu Yeo Aik, Khaw Seng Lee and Lim Joo Teik.

18, Malay Street, George Town, Penang (4 July 2019)


The above photograph shows No. 18, Malay Street, George Town. This was where Chung Ling School was established in July, 1917. The building next to it (see photo below), at No. 16, Malay Street, was the office and printing press of the newspaper Kwong Wah Yit Poh, in 1913. (The newspaper was established at 120, Armenian Street, on 1910.)

16 & 18, Malay Street are now occupied by Heong Giap Paper & Stationery Sdn Bhd. (4 July 2019)


In 1918, Chung Ling School relocated to occupy 65 Macalister Road, which was the Penang Philomatic Union, which today is known as the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall and houses the Penang Sun Yat Sen Centre.

The Penang Philomathic Union, which once housed Chung Ling School, is now the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall (4 June 2006)


Tan Sin Cheng, one of the founders of Chung Ling School. (20 November 2010)


The grounds of Chung Ling High School (23 January 2005)


After shifting about, Chung Ling School finally settled at its present location along Jalan Air Itam at Kampung Baru in Air Itam, in 1923. Primary and secondary classes were started, allowing students to study all the way till upper secondary. During the Japanese Occupation, the teachers and students suffered harsh treatment from the Japanese forces with many being executed. A plaque in the entrance hall commemorates them.

According to researcher Clement Liang, the Japanese persecuted the teachers & students due to their anti-Japanese campaigns and involvement in fund raising for the Nanjing Government's resistance war efforts before the Japanese arrival and subsequent occupation of Penang. In fact, the question of defending the mother-tongue education never arose as the Japanese had already banned all schools immediately after they took over Penang.

Chung Ling was abandoned under the order of its headmaster David Chen just before the Japanese arrived in Penang. He asked the teachers and students to disperse to save their own lives while he himself went into hiding in Cameron Highlands. Under the Japanese, the Chung Ling premises were turned into a "Kunrensho", which was a centre for the Japanese to inculcate local youngsters - mainly the non-Chinese - with the bushido spirit. Most victims of the Japanese from Chung Ling were captured by the Kempeitai through tip-offs and identification by local spies and hooded collaborators during the Sookching campaign of 1942.

Chung Ling clock tower (23 January 2005)


After the war years, Chung Ling was rocked by a different sort of tragedy when their headmaster David Chen was murdered while on his way to a staff meeting. It happened on 4 February 1952, when China was gripped by communist takeover. Several conflicting theories were put forward, that Principal Chen was murdered by the communists for his anti-communist stance, or by the British for his extremist Chinese Education views.

Since its founding, several strands of Chung Ling schools were to appear. Chung Ling (Private) High School was formed in 1961 who cater to students who prefer to receive their education in their mother tongue, as well as those who failed their Form 3 exams. Once regarded as the branch that houses substandard students, Chung Ling Private has since excelled with its students entering many world-renowned universities.

In 1986, Chung Ling High School Butterworth was founded. It was later renamed Chung Ling Butterworth High School to reflect its own identity. Although it shares the same Board of Directors as Chung Ling High School and Chung Ling Private High School, each is run as separate entities. Collectively, they are known as the Tri-Chung Ling Schools.

Chung Ling High School is on the Map of Jalan Air Itam, Penang

Ongoing construction at Chung Ling High School (10 December 2020)

The Star incident surrounding this article

23 November, 2013: Wong Chun Wai has printed an apology for not mentioning the source. I accept the apology and agree to move on.



12.52 pm, 16 November, 2013: I got a call from Wong Chun Wai acknowledging and apologizing for the oversight. He promised to print an apology over this incident. I accepted his apology and will publish it here, to put the matter to rest, when I see it. I have also corrected the typo ("tee" to "the") on my article.

9:59 am, 16 November, 2013: I discover that an article by Wong Chun Wai in the Metro section of The Star of 16 November, 2013, plagiarised my article on Chung Ling High School. The writer does not even bother to rephrase or reword my research, but simply copy it word for word, except for a typo that I made. I am seeking an apology from The Star and the author in the by-line for having infringed my copyright. I do not mind if the newspaper and its writers reference my research. At the very least, they should acknowledge me. What they should not do is to copy word-for-word what I have written. To me that is wholesale plagiarism, and I do not appreciate it one bit.

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