Susan Wong Champions Cultural Heritage, Community Building In Sabah
KOTA KINABALU, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- For Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen, preserving cultural heritage and building communities are inseparable missions, whether through championing traditional lion dance or developing new townships in Sabah.
The 69-year-old property developer believes Chinese New Year traditions carry values that go far beyond festive celebrations, serving as a vital link between generations.
“For me, Chinese New Year is about preserving our traditions and passing them down to the next generation. From a young age, my children are taught the values of family, such as giving ‘ang-pau’ and gathering together for the reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year.
“These traditions were instilled in me by my father, who always reminded us to remember our cultural roots. Today, I continue the same practice with my children by encouraging them to take part in cultural activities like lion dance and dragon boat racing,” she told Bernama when met at a Lion’s Eye Dotting Ceremony here recently.
Beyond her family, Wong has taken active steps to ensure traditional performance arts continue to thrive, including donating 60 lion dance costumes this year to Lion and Dragon Dance associations across Sabah.
She has also organised one of the state’s largest Dragon and Lion Dance festivals and a dragon boat competition to encourage youth participation and strengthen community ties.
She emphasised that sustained support is essential to keep such cultural traditions alive.
“If you don't promote it, then fewer and fewer people will join. If you don't support them, some of them cannot survive and will eventually close down,” she said.
While widely recognised for her efforts in preserving cultural heritage, Wong is equally respected for her four decades of contribution to Sabah’s property development sector.
The managing director of WSG Group was recently honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 by the Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (SHAREDA), recognising her 43 years of contributions to the industry.
She also received the ASEAN Distinguished Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 by the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific in recognition of her leadership and impact on the regional business community.
Susan spent 25 years working alongside her late father, Datuk Seri Dr Wong Kwok, founder of Wong Kwok Group, before establishing WSG Group in 2007 with her husband, Datuk Wong Ten An, and their children.
Under her leadership, WSG Group has developed more than 1,000 residential units and over 200 shoplots through projects including Taman Sungai Wang, Rose Garden, Palm Condominiums, Kinarut Palm City and Kinarut Palm Avenue, transforming Kinarut into a growing township about 20 kilometres from here.
“It’s no longer work, it’s my hobby. I love creating development projects for communities. My dream is always to build homes that everyone can afford and to create a liveable environment for them,” she said.
Looking ahead, Wong plans to develop a new township in Tuaran featuring a water-themed park, continuing her lifelong mission of creating spaces where communities can grow, preserve traditions and thrive.
-- BERNAMA
