Soo Ewe Jin was born on September 25, 1959 in Georgetown, Penang, the only boy among nine children. His parents Soo Pek Tee and Lim Chooi Im were of Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) descent. Ewe Jin spoke the Hokkien dialect, Bahasa Malaysia, and had exceptional mastery of the English language. He grew up in the Jelutong area and was shaped by his humble roots, boldly speaking up for the disadvantaged from a young age.^[1]

In 1972, after completing his primary school education at Jelutong English School, he went on to Penang Free School, which provided a conducive environment for his writing, debating and critical thinking skills to flourish. A precocious student, he took a keen interest in current affairs. From the time he was in Form One, he read the newspapers from cover to cover and wrote letters to the editor regularly to express his views.

Upon completing his Sixth Form in 1978, he joined The Straits Echo (later renamed The National Echo) and found his calling in journalism. From The Straits Echo, he moved on to The Malay Mail as a sub-editor in 1980. There, he also wrote for various publications of the New Straits Times (NST) stable such as Malaysian Business. 

In 1986, at the age of 27, Ewe Jin accepted Christ and was baptised at Wesley Methodist Church Kuala Lumpur. He and Angeline were married that same year in the church. Wesley became their home church and their sons Kevin Wen Xin, born 1987, and Timothy Wen Li, born 1990, attended Sunday School there until the family transferred their membership in 2003 to Emmanuel Methodist Church Petaling Jaya (EMCPJ), which was nearer to their home in Selangor.

Career-wise, Ewe Jin took a detour from journalism in 1988 when he joined the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, a think-tank, where he was responsible for the in-house publication ISIS Focus. He also served briefly at the World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF Malaysia) as communications manager, before returning to journalism when he joined financial weekly The Edge in 1995 as associate editor.

Ewe Jin joined The Star in April 2000 as Star Online assistant editor and assumed the editorship three years later. In April 2005, he helmed Sunday Star as editor, then became special projects editor in June 2007. He was promoted to deputy executive editor in January the following year and became executive editor in January 2014. He remained in that position until his death in 2016. 

Meanwhile, Ewe Jin grew spiritually, with guidance from a few mentors. He was close to and strongly influenced by the late Reverend Peter Young, one of the founders of Malaysian Care and a passionate advocate for social justice. Care, set up in Malaysia in 1979, is a non-profit Christian NGO that serves the poor and needy irrespective of religion and race. Reverend Young played a big role in stoking Ewe Jin’s passion for Christian engagement with those of other creeds and faiths. Other mentors who shaped his faith were Pastor and Mrs Micky Kua, and Datuk Dr Alex Mathews.

Ewe Jin held firmly to the belief that faith must be accompanied by works. He served for a period as director of Dignity & Services, an NGO representing persons with disabilities that was founded by Reverend Young. In 2013, he was chairman of the Social Concerns Committee in EMCPJ. He also served for a time on the Overseas Missionary Fellowship (Malaysia) Home Council. He also worked hard to raise awareness on the responsibilities of Christian citizens, including the importance of political consciousness and social involvement. 

He regularly contributed his writing and editing skills to the churches where he was a member, by assisting in the production of printed materials including newsletters, ministry publications and testimony booklets.^[2] He was also an occasional preacher in Methodist and other churches, usually on topics related to social concerns and family relationships such as for Father’s Day. 

To Ewe Jin, journalism was a high calling which gave him the privilege and responsibility of speaking up for the disadvantaged and advocating passionately for national integration. His most impactful contribution to society was arguably as a Christian voice in the public space on issues of social justice and national unity. He tirelessly urged fellow Malaysians to rise above divides of race and religion, and offered welcomed perspectives on moderation, to counter a rising number of extremist views in the public and political arena. As executive editor at The Star, he had considerable influence over news commentaries and sought to ensure that balanced viewpoints were published in the newspaper. “Let us build bridges, not walls,” was his oft-used phrase.

A journalist held in high regard^[3], he was best known for his weekly column Sunday Starters through which he often shared his take on life, taking the mundane and ordinary and making it refreshing and inspiring. The column, which debuted as Monday Starters in December 2008 and ran until his death, appeared in Sunday Star and garnered a large fan base. His love for his home state Penang was also evident in his writings.

Another sphere in which he made an indelible mark was in cancer support efforts. Ewe Jin underwent four cancer journeys. He was first diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (nose cancer) in 1999. Cancer recurred in 2006 with a lump in his lymph nodes and he suffered from a relapse of nose cancer in March 2011. His last confrontation with cancer was in 2015, with the diagnosis of a tumour behind his right eye, just below the brain.

He used those difficult experiences to offer comfort to others. Ewe Jin was a constant presence in cancer wards, offering words of encouragement to patients and caregivers. He was also a familiar figure at forums on cancer awareness, working closely with a circle of oncologists, radiologists and other medical professionals with whom he had become fast friends. 

A close journalist friend, Lim Siang Jin, wrote of him, “To be struck with cancer at 40 was a big blow to him. On reflection again, and bearing in mind acutely the pain and suffering he and his family went through, I think his life’s mission was galvanised by this disease. It was his cross to bear and he bore it with bravery without losing sight of the need to serve with compassion; setting an example for the rest of us on how to suffer yet cherish life; sharing his journey (via a book that was republished six times) so that others, sufferers and care-givers, can draw inspiration from it; and loving life for the small things it offers. It is the life of a true Christian.”^[4]

In the book titled Face to Face with Cancer, Ewe Jin wrote after his third bout, “Like in the first two journeys, I do not know why I have to go through this. But I know these trials and tribulations are for a purpose, His purpose, and I can only obediently move along. The subtitle of this book reads ‘Three Journeys, God Always Present’. Indeed, He was, and He is. God is very real to me and my family and we cling on to His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. In Him we will always have the peace that passes all understanding.”^[5]

Ewe Jin also applied his literary talent to write a poem entitled “Rainbow”, which reflects on God’s faithfulness through his cancer journeys. A close friend, Charles Tan, later composed music to turn the poem into song. “Rainbow” is included in a book authored by Mary Y.T. Gan titled Singing Through the Storms of Life^[6], which explores well-loved Christian songs that offer comfort to those going through challenging times.

In the last year of his life, Ewe Jin was involved in the publication of two books. One was a compilation of his column Sunday Starters^[7], the sales of which raised RM60,000 for charity. The other was a book which he edited on Moderation^[8], a collection of 28 essays by prominent Malaysians and journalists, published by Star Media Group.

Ewe Jin’s indomitable spirit saw him through four battles with cancer before he finally succumbed to the disease at age 57 on Nov 17, 2016. Following his death, his superiors and colleagues paid tribute in the press. Journalist Subramaniam Harihar wrote, “I would describe Ewe Jin as a man of God who believed in God’s word and gave his best to everybody… I think it is not only me, but the people in this country that have lost a great man who spread very positive thoughts through his columns.”^[9]

At Ewe Jin’s wake and funeral services, people of all faiths, including a strong Muslim presence, filled the Trinity Methodist Church Petaling Jaya. Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists were among those who went forward to give glowing eulogies. In the days after his death, people of all creeds, races and stations in life shared touching tributes in the pages of The Star. Ewe Jin had influenced readers through his simple writing style and consistent reminders to be kind, live simply, be always thankful, and to build bridges rather than walls. Many wrote to express how reading his column weekly had changed them.

Contributions at the wake and funeral services were generous. In response to an outpouring of appeals for Ewe Jin’s legacy to be preserved, Angeline approached The Star to offer RM50,000 from the wake and funeral collections as “seed funding” for a scholarship in Ewe Jin’s name. The Star publicised the Soo Ewe Jin Scholarship Fund, and members of the public gave generously, bringing the fund to over RM300,000.^[10]

Indeed, Ewe Jin’s legacy lives on, as those whose lives he has touched continue to push towards his ideals for a better Malaysia and a kinder, gentler world. His sons Kevin, who is married to Evelyn Yarzebinski, and Timothy wrote of their father in the final Sunday Starters column on November 20, 2016: 

“The hallmark of ‘Sunday Starters’ is the message that love overcomes fear, hatred and dissension. That theme reflects the writer of this column perfectly. In life, he would respond to any situation with love and great kindness… When we bear others’ burdens, when we take time to know someone for who they are and not for what they can offer us, when we forgive each other – we help shape our world for the better.

This is the last instalment of ‘Sunday Starters’, but the spirit of the column and what Soo Ewe Jin lived for continues in all of us. He was a columnist for the better part of a decade, and he considered it a great privilege to have his voice heard by all of you. We know that he is grateful for how you have listened. We are not the writer that he was, but we think we know what he would say as a final note. Go out there, be kind and compassionate to one another – for love conquers all.”^[11]