IN MEMORIAM TONY LYE FONG NGE

 In Memoriam Tony Lye Fong Nge


Founder,Vice President,PNM Numismatic Society Malaysia.

On 31st January,2013 we lost another dear friend and Malaysia famous numismatist, Tony Lye Fong Nge who has departed. Members and Committee Members of  Malaysia Numismatic Society (MNS) will be in great sadden to hear his death.


Mr Tony Lye Fong Nge was born in 1939 and educated both in a Chinese school (Pay Fong Middle School) and a Christian Brother School (St. Francis Institution) in Malacca. He finished his secondary schooling in 1958 and taught in a Malay school in Umbai in Malacca for  a year. In 1960 he was recruited as a Co-operative Inspector and was trained at the Co-operative College in Petaling Jaya for a few months before being posted to Ipoh. His duty there was to look after the Co-operative Societies' accounts in various new villages in Perak.


Through this work he traveled to most of the townships and villages including Grik, Lenggong, Liman Kati, Kuala Kangsar, Sitiawan, Taiping, Tapah, Kampar, Batu Gajah, Sungai Siput, Teluk Anson and Tanjong Malim. After traveling for 3 years he decided to call it a day and joined the judical department in Kuala Lumpur as a student interpreter. After a year's training in three Chinese dialects in Intan (in Petaling Jaya) he was posted to the Court Hill Kuala Lumpur as a qualified Chinese Interpreter. He worked under the late Mr. E. E. Sim (president of the Sessions Courts) for 3 years before leaving and then left to join the British Petroleum as a Retail Clerk. He remained there until 1978 when he decided to become a coin dealer.

Photo taken at Mr.Thomas Evans's home in Kenny Hill on 24th February,1974.

He started the Malaysia Numismatic Society together with Mr. E. E. Sim in 1968 and now he is  the only Founder Member left in the Society. At present he is a Life Member and the 1st Vice President of the Malaysia Numismatic Society. He helped to price the Society's 1st Coin Catalogue on 1976 ans was awarded the "Pakar Numismatic Malaysia" in 1989. He also contributed his service to the World Coins Catalogues by pricing for them the coins of British North Borneo, Sarawak and the Straits Settlements for a period of 6 years in the 1980 and in the same year he was awarded "Man of Achievement" by International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England.

The first seven recipients of the MNS Award Pakar Numismatik Malaysia (PNM) on 3rd December,1989.

Our deepest and sincere condolence to his son James Lye and  family for their loss which is deeply felt by us all.

6 comments:

  1. Deepest condolences.

    From,
    S.H.LEONG
    @Acme Hobbys & Collectibles
    @acme.338

    ReplyDelete
  2. aiyah! sorry to hear that. Just saw him at the last auction in Dec, just can't believe things happen so fast.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My condolences to the family. I am really shock to hear this news. He seems healthy at the last MNS auction. We had lost a great talent in Malaysia Numismatic. Hopefully there will be some other young enthusiasts who will continue to carry their knowldge torch in Malaysia numismatic arena

    ReplyDelete
  4. My deepest condolences to Mr Tony Lye's family. His contribution towards Malaysia and Worldwide Numismatic will never be forgotten by all collectors.

    From :

    Y.L Aw Yong (Sg / My)

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  5. I was shocked that Mr. Tony had already passed away two days ago. He was an amazing numismatics that inspires many of us including me. I met him when I was 13 years old at the Muzium Negara where the auction held there and also at the Lower Ground floor of Amcorp Mall where his stall is located behind the escalator. I quited as a numismatic collector a few years ago as my parents did not encourage me to collects those and now I am very regret for not collecting notes and coins. Such a great lost to the numismatic circle in Malaysia and the world.
    My deepest condolences to his son, Mr. James Lye and family for their lost.

    From,
    John Loh

    ReplyDelete