▁colonial ▁government , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁magn ate , ▁re venue ▁far mer ▁and ▁pione ering ▁colon ist . ▁▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Cho a ▁Su ▁Che ong , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁Kap ite in ▁der ▁Chine zen ▁of ▁Mal ac ca ▁in ▁the ▁Dutch ▁colonial ▁period . ▁The ▁younger ▁Cho a ▁vent ured ▁out ▁to ▁Singapore ▁when ▁the ▁British ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁island , ▁but ▁unlike ▁most ▁Chinese ▁and ▁Mal ay ▁imm igr ants , ▁Cho a ▁Ch ong ▁Long ▁was ▁already ▁a ▁rich ▁man . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁Kap itan ▁China ▁of ▁Singapore ▁by ▁Sir ▁St am ford ▁R aff les , ▁who ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁for ▁the ▁British . ▁He ▁held ▁the ▁re venue ▁farm ▁for ▁the ▁import ▁and ▁sale ▁of ▁op ium . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Chinese ▁to ▁manage ▁a ▁plant ation ▁in ▁Singapore . ▁ ▁Cho a ▁celebrated ▁his ▁forty - four th ▁birth day ▁by ▁giving ▁a ▁grand ▁dinner ▁to ▁which ▁all ▁influ ential ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁including ▁many ▁Europe ans , ▁were ▁invited . ▁Cho a ' s ▁daughter ▁married ▁K ion g ▁Kong ▁T uan , ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁re venue ▁far mer ▁and ▁business man ▁ ▁Cho a ▁died ▁in ▁Mac au ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁leaving ▁a ▁will ▁containing ▁" a ▁dev ise ▁for ▁ever ▁of ▁certain ▁properties ▁for ▁sin ch ew ▁( anc est ral ▁worship ) ▁purposes ▁which ▁was ▁eventually ▁declared ▁void .