text: On 21 January 1901, the first group of 72 settlers arrived in Sibu and settled in the Sungai Merah area, hailing from Fuzhou, Fujian, located about 6 km from the town of Sibu. The second batch of 535 settlers arrived on 16 March 1901, marking what is now known as "New Fuzhou Resettlement Day." In June 1901, a final group of 511 settlers joined them, bringing the total number of Fuzhounese settlers to 1,118.
  Wong Nai Siong was appointed as the "Kang Choo" (港主, "port master") for the Fuzhounese settlement in Sibu. The settlers cultivated crops such as sweet potatoes, fruits, sugar cane, vegetables, and coarse grains in upland areas and rice in wetlands. Most of these settlers chose to remain in Sibu, considering it their new home. Collaborating with American pastor Reverend James Matthew Hoover, Wong and his associates were actively involved in the establishment of schools and churches in Sibu, including the Methodist church in 1902 and Ying Hua Methodist School at Sungai Merah in 1903.
  Between 1903 and 1935, Reverend James Hoover played a pivotal role in constructing 41 churches and 40 schools in Sibu. In the interim, 676 Cantonese individuals arrived in Sibu between 1902 and 1917. However, in 1904, Wong opposed the proposed sale of opium and the construction of a casino in the Sibu area, initiatives put forth by the Brooke government. Subsequently, he faced expulsion by the Sarawak government due to an inability to repay debts. Wong and his family departed from Sibu in July 1904.