view showcase - Singapore Memory Project

Any major exhibition is the work of many
hands. While the collection of memories has
been an ongoing process since 2011 when the
Singapore Memory Project was first launched,
the actual work for the exhibition started at the
end of 2012. Tan Huism, Head of Exhibitions
and Curation at the National Library, was
assisted by a team of people during the nine
months it took to put together the “Hands:
Gift of a Generation” exhibition. Huism began
her curatorial career at the National Museum of
Singapore and later continued her work at the
Asian Civilisations Museum.
Sean Lee is a teller of short stories through
his photographs. He was a winner of the
2011 ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu and a
member of the Reflexions Masterclass
(2011­–2013). His work has been exhibited
at the Prix Decouverte, Les Rencontres d’Arles
(2009), Galeria TagoMago, Barcelona (2011),
New York Photo Festival, New York (2011),
Hands: Gift of a Generation is a book
born from the multi-sensory exhibition
of the same name by the Singapore
Memory Project (SMP) held between
August and October 2013 at the
National Library.
About the Singapore Memory Project
Comprising 45 individual profiles, each
accompanied by a striking photograph,
this book is a valuable collection of
stories that reflects the transformation
of Singapore through the years.
but also organisations, associations,
The Singapore Memory Project (SMP) is a
national movement that aims to capture and
document precious moments and personal
memories related to Singapore; recollections
not merely from individual Singaporeans,
companies and groups.
The SMP currently involves partners (academic,
research and library institutions, heritage
agencies, public agencies, private entities and
community organisations) and Memory Corps
These anecdotes encapsulate a diverse
cross section of everyday Singaporeans,
each connected through their unique
experiences and perspectives of
Singapore. Reflecting this diversity,
the book contains 10 translated profiles
in each of Singapore’s mother-tongue
languages of Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
– volunteers who serve various roles, such as
helping individuals with difficulties documenting
their memories; connecting the SMP to people
with memories of key Singapore events,
personalities and places; and enrolling more
volunteers to join the SMP cause.
Empire Project, Istanbul (2011) and TantoTempo
Gallery, Kobe (2012), among others.
Photography
ISBN 978-981-45-1656-3
,!7IJ8B4-fbgfgd!
Front cover: Hands of former firefighter, Abdul Rahman bin Osman
Back cover: Hands of dancer and choreographer, Santha Bhaskar
HANDS
Published by: National Library Board, Singapore
Printed by: Craft Print International Ltd
Photography by: Sean Lee
Designed by: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia)
All rights reserved.
© National Library Board, Singapore, 2014.
The views of writers and contributors do not reflect the views of the Publisher. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission from
the Publisher and copyright owner(s).
Whilst reasonable care is taken by the Publisher to ensure the accuracy of the information in this
publication, the Publisher accepts no legal liabilities whatsoever for the contents of this publication.
ISBN: 978-981-45-1656-3
National Library Board, Singapore
100 Victoria Street
#14-01 National Library Building
Singapore 188064
Tel: +65 6332 3255
email: [email protected]
www.nlb.gov.sg
HANDS : gift of a generation / [compiled by] National Library Board, Singapore –
Singapore : Published for National Library Board Singapore by Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2014.
pages cm
ISBN : 978-981-45-1656-3
1. Singapore–History–Anecdotes I. Singapore. National Library Board, compiler, publisher
DS598.S7
959.57002 — dc23
OCN868863768
HANDS
CONTENTS
Preface • 6
Introduction • 9
Profiles • 11
简介
Abdul Rahman bin Osman
Agnes Chow
Ang Mui Choo
James Tan Peng Huat
Jasmine Lim
• 15
Alex Tan Tiong Hee
Jita Singh
• 16
• 20
Khoo Kah Chin
• 50
Roslina Baba
• 53
Rufino Soliano
Chin Sit Yeong
• 24
Kok Kham Seng
Chua King Yap
• 27
Kok Ying Oi
Lim Beak
Goh Heo Kee
Han Jok Kwang
Sua Yap Teng
• 61
Low Kim Heng
• 34
Tan Mian Kiau
• 65
• 37
Mohamed Hanapi bin Mohamed
Hedwig Anuar nee Aroozoo
• 38
Mrs Mohamed Siraj
HANDS
• 41
Ng Weng Sang
• 85
• 70
• 89
• 69
• 66
吴厚基 • 106
Chua King Yap
• 86
• 108
Jita Singh
Jumiah Yunus
林昆明 • 112
Lim Beak
• 114
[pjh rpq;;
Mohamed Hanapi bin Mohamed
陈有忠 • 118
Othman bin Tubah
Roslina Baba
• 138
• 140
• 154
• 136
Xu; rP fpahq
• 156
• 158
,uhkr;re;jpu KUifah •
rhe;jh gh];fu;
160
• 162
lhf;lu; rhe;jh fpwp];Bdh ,khDNty;
• 142
Syed Abdul Kadir
• 152
jpUkjp KfkJ rpuh[;
• 134
• 148
• 150
Nydh jk;igah
• 132
Puan Mohamed Siraj
• 120
`rd; Fj;J}];
• 128
萧汉权 • 116
Thomas Thomas
Nfg;ld; gy;Njt; rpq;
• 126
• 130
林默 • 110
黄珍珠 • 122
• 90
Syed Abdul Kadir
• 62
Hasan Kutus s/o Meerasahib
Ho Hwee Long
Sew Hung Kun
• 58
Abdul Rahman bin Osman
Roslina Baba
• 82
Dr Shanta Christina Emmanuel
• 57
Lim Koon Meng
• 33
• 78
tho;f;iff; Fwpg;G • 147
陈美娣 • 104
Hedwig Anuar nee Aroozoo
• 77
• 81
Santha Bhaskar
• 54
Leaena Tambyah
• 30
Roland Vivian Simon
• 49
Koh Keow Chai
Francis Tan
• 74
Ramachandra Murugaia
• 23
• 28
• 73
Othman bin Tubah
• 46
Chan May Lee
Eddie Tessensohn
Oer See Kiang
• 42
• 45
Jumiah Yunus
• 19
Captain Baldev Singh
4
• 12
Profil-profil • 125
• 103
• 144
jhk]; jhk];;
• 164
• 166
• 93
• 94
Tan Yeow Tiong
Thomas Thomas
• 97
• 98
Wong Chin Choo
• 101
5
Preface
At the launch of the exhibition “Hands: Gift of a Generation”, I met
the photographer Sean Lee who had shot the hands of all the subjects
featured. He told me it was one of the most meaningful assignments he
had ever undertaken as each of the subjects had such fascinating stories
to recount. Sean had a particularly deep impression of Mrs Hedwig
Anuar as he was struck by how gracious and patient she was during the
entire photo shoot.
The day after the launch, I stared at the picture of the hands of
Mrs Anuar, the former Director of the National Library – in fact, the first
Singaporean director of the National Library back in 1960. Under her
charge, the library system was substantially developed; from a meagre
membership base, the tireless Mrs Anuar promoted the reading habit to
a young and growing nation.
I was struck by the picture of her hands poised over an open book.
I could imagine those hands running through the pages during an
animated storytelling session as she rallied to get kids interested in the
magical world of stories and reading. It’s hard to believe that only about
50 years ago, many Singaporeans were illiterate and it would have been
very difficult to convince them of the value of letting their children go to
school and the library. Nowadays, with the variety of media clamouring
for our attention, we take the written word for granted.
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HANDS
Regrettably, I never had the pleasure of working with Mrs Anuar as I
joined the National Library after she had retired. But my colleagues
constantly regale me with stories of how strong and committed she was to
the library, the most inspiring of which was how she marshalled a human
chain in order to physically move the books from its older premises at the
National Museum to the new facility at Stamford Road in 1960.
Each pair of hands featured in this project is an expression of the
strength and determination of its owner in shaping a better future for
their generation and the generations to come. And it’s no surprise
that none of the pioneers profiled in the exhibition and in this book
asked for anything in return for the time they spent at the interview and
photography sessions.
I am proud the Singapore Memory Project has played a part in retelling
their stories – poignant, candid, bittersweet and joyful by turns, but always
memorable – of what those hands went through. This book is both a gift
to the owners of those hands and their struggles, as well as a gift to the
future generation in appreciation of the giants that have come before us.
Gene Tan
Director, National Library
7
Introduction
Hands: Gift of a Generation is a book born from the multi-sensory
exhibition of the same name by the Singapore Memory Project (SMP),
held between August and October 2013 at the National Library
Building, Singapore. * By elegantly depicting first-hand accounts from
Singaporeans of all walks of life, this book seeks to document their
lives and present the stories of Singapore as told by Singaporeans in
a personal and evocative way.
Comprising 45 individual profiles, mostly verbatim accounts and each
accompanied by a striking photograph, this book is a valuable collection
of stories that reflects the transformation of Singapore through the years.
The memories are rich in their diversity, describing struggles, sacrifice,
triumphs and joy. They pay tribute to the struggles of Singapore’s early
pioneers and the hard work of many who helped shape the Singapore of
today – from people as diverse as Konfrontasi and Japanese Occupation
survivors to proponents of women’s rights, a dancer, tailor, charcoal seller,
trishaw rider and more.
The stories encapsulate a diverse cross section of everyday Singaporeans,
each connected through their unique experiences and perspectives
of Singapore. Reflecting this diversity, the book contains 10 translated
profiles in each of Singapore’s mother-tongue languages of Chinese,
Malay and Tamil.
It is our hope that the poignant stories told in Hands: Gift of a Generation
not only act as an insightful window into Singapore’s past, but also remind
you of your own memories and help you piece together an intimately
personal slice of the Singapore story.
* For those who missed the original “Hands: Gift of a Generation” exhibition, an abridged
version has been set up at the Woodlands Regional Library since March 2014.
8
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9
Profiles
Abdul Rahman bin Osman
Born: 1938
Was a fireman at Paya Lebar Airport, Keppel Shipyard, Jurong Shipyard and with Shell
at the Pulau Bukom refinery.
It was more dangerous than any of my previous jobs, but it
seemed like I couldn’t get away from being a fireman. My first
impression of Pulau Bukom was that it was very hot, and the
whole island smelt like a petrol station. After some time,
I got used to it. So much so that nowadays, I miss Bukom,
the atmosphere, everything. I still make trips to Bukom to
go to the recreation club. I don’t know what exactly it is
about the place that I like so much, but it’s just a feeling.
Fighting fires at the refinery was a different experience. We
would position ourselves near the fire and get ready, but
at first only the officers and the engineers from the refinery
would go in to assess the situation. The engineers were
needed to repair leaking pipelines, close valves and things
like that. Only when the fire was too big for them to handle,
would we firemen go in.
The technique of firefighting at the refinery was different as
well – the risk of more explosions from the petrol and gas
pipelines was always there. When there was an explosion, it
was like a bomb going off and the fire was almost alive.
It was alive! The most important thing at the beginning was
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HANDS
not to fight the fire, but to use water to cool the surrounding
tanks containing gas and petrol, so that they did not overheat
and explode from the pressure. But we couldn’t use water
to fight the fire itself, as it would create too much steam. We
used foam to blanket the fire. Before you go in to fight the
fire, the fear will be in your heart. You just have to fight the
fear and force yourself to go in. Once you’re actually fighting
the fire, the fear goes away and you can feel happy that you
are doing your job.
The 1985 fire at Pulau Bukom was the last major fire that I
fought. I had been tasked to stand by outside, and I watched
my team go in. I couldn’t do anything; I had to stay outside
to cool the pipelines and tanks. My entire crew ended up in
the hospital with burns. I visited them in the hospital and all
of them were in bandages, I couldn’t recognise them. How
would you feel when you see your friends like that? I was
very, very sad and I went to the mosque to pray for them.
Luckily, all of them survived. After that fire, my heart was not in
firefighting any more. My daughter was born that year as well,
and I decided to leave firefighting.
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13
Agnes Chow
Born: 1940
Married in the early 1970s. Continued to work after she was married, until her first child
was five. Manages the special diet of her daughter Joan, a professional bodybuilder.
Since she was young, my daughter Joan enjoyed art and
sports. In fact both of my daughters are like that, except
my elder child is quieter. From the time Joan was in primary
school, she liked sports. She loved to play on the monkey
bars in school.
She studied science in university, but I saw an advertisement
in the Chinese newspapers about a course on sports
management at one of the polytechnics. It was a new course
at that time and I told her about it, thinking that maybe in the
future she could work in the Sports Council. She was indeed
interested and enrolled for the course.
After she completed the course, she did her practicum at
a local gym. She started as a trainer and then became a
manager. At that time, she also took part in one of her first
bodybuilding competitions. It was a regional competition
held in Singapore. I initially didn’t want to go and watch the
event, but Joan persuaded me to. At first I didn’t like the
sport, or the fact that she was a girl and taking part in this
sport. Muscular girls seemed rather crude to me – I’m quite
old-fashioned, after all. However, Joan was so insistent.
Moreover, she won first place in that competition – her
passion in the sport was so evident that I did not want to
stop her from pursuing it. When she was announced as
the winner, our national anthem played over the PA (public
announcement) system. And I was very proud of her because
she was representing Singapore in an area that Singapore had
few talents in. Since then, I knew that I should not stop her.
During Joan’s competitions, I too am very busy! I have to
cook for her and all her food portions have to be weighed.
She will write out a menu for me and I will cook whatever she
has planned for her dietary needs. At night, I will prepare her
food for the next day. It’s time consuming and can be quite
difficult to get right. Sometimes I’m used to preparing a certain
quantity of food and she may suddenly adjust her diet and
increase or decrease her intake and I will get confused. She’s
very particular about her diet. I spend a lot of time preparing
food for Joan; sometimes I miss out on my social life because I
can get very busy just helping Joan with her food preparation.
Joan is a very determined person. Even as a child, she was
different from the other children. When most children want
something, you can usually pacify them and talk them out of it,
but Joan was not like that. You can’t talk her out of something
that she really wants. If she wants it, she wants it. Like when she
wanted to start a gym – the business she’s running now – I tried
to tell her to give it more thought and that it wasn’t as easy as
she thought. But she just went ahead with it and said she would
solve the problems as they came. She said if she failed then she
would just pick herself up. So I just let her be, but today she’s
successful. One thing about her, she can take care of herself.
But of course, as parents we still worry about her.
HANDS
15
Alex Tan Tiong Hee
Born: 1945
Son of a wealthy businessman who experienced Singapore’s transition from
colonialism to self-government in the 1950s.
My father, Tan Yeok Seong, was
quite wealthy, and our family had a
satisfactory and stable standard of living.
We lived in a bungalow in Bukit Timah,
we had an amah (domestic helper) and
we travelled in a chauffeured car. My
father was a publisher, but he also had
several other businesses in retail and
merchandising. He published Chinese
textbooks and magazines, including
a well-known newsletter for students
called Young Malayans. There were
articles about United Malays National
Organisation (UMNO) politicians, the
Yang di Pertuan Agong (Supreme Head
of State of Malaysia) and political events
during the post-war period.
In the 1950s, Singapore was evolving
from colonialism to self-government.
My father had friends such as Thio Chan
Bee in the Progressive Party (PP) and Lee
Khoon Choy in the People’s Action Party
(PAP). He supported the Progressive
Party and the Labour Party led by Lim
Yew Hock because most of his friends
were members. In 1959, I followed the
elections with my father. The PAP was
getting very strong and was feared by
the incumbent government. Most of
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the rallies we attended were in Newton,
Farrer Park, Hong Lim and Tiong Bahru.
The rallies were very good and they
touched on really big issues. There were
big crowds and you could see that most
of the people were still very poor; they
wore singlets and cha kiah (wooden
clogs) or slippers.
The PP leaders were people such as
C. C. Tan, a rich man living in Balmoral
Road, who were aristocratic, capitalistic
and drove big cars. They were unlike the
PAP people, who were seen as humble
and coming from ordinary backgrounds.
I was pro-PAP because my feelings were
always for the underdog. We were not
communist, but we were sympathetic
towards the poor. However, the PAP
later split with Ong Eng Guan, who was
supposed to the champion of the poor,
and we were very confused.
In 1961, the Economic Development
Board (EDB) was formed and my father
was involved in promoting investment
into Singapore. In 1963, Singapore
joined Malaysia and then there was the
Indonesian Confrontation. There was
a flight of capital from the Indonesian
businessmen and the businesses in
Telok Ayer suffered as a result. My
father helped to channel some of
the investments into the industries in
Jurong. The EDB would have a list of
essential industries – plastics, leather
and timber, for example. My father
would get his Indonesian businessmen
friends, especially those from the same
clan and dialect group, to invest in
these industries and apply for pioneer
investor status and tax exemptions.
Intensive industrialisation was necessary
because the PAP had to win the fight
against the left wing.
After my graduation from Raffles
Institution in 1963, I went to work for
my father, where I was doing a lot of
accounting work and correspondences.
I had to help with the paperwork
involving the EDB, so I often visited
the Jurong Industrial Estate. Back then,
Jurong was very quiet, not a hive of
activity like today. There was a lot of
criticism of Goh Keng Swee’s plan to
industrialise Jurong and a lot of debate
as to whether Jurong would succeed.
But my father believed that hard work
and perseverance would make it work.
There were also the race riots in
Singapore in 1964. I was helping in my
father’s business then. After clearing up
for the day, I left and tried to take a bus
or taxi but there were none, so I went
back to my father’s shop. Then I saw
people running up the roads. The police
told me and the other people around
to go to the police station on Maxwell
Road. We stayed at the police station
through the night until the police vehicles
sent us back home at 1 am. My father’s
offices were in North Bridge Road, but
we closed them the following day and
concentrated all our business in Robinson
Road. I had locked up the office, and
there was a big crowd at Boon Tat Street
as a Malay man had got beaten up
and there was blood all over. A Bengali
man and one or two Chinese came and
helped him. The police cordoned off the
area and there was an announcement
that there was going to be a curfew. After
that, we had to stay at home and we only
had Huntley & Palmers biscuits to eat.
I wasn’t really interested in history until
later in life, when I realised we were losing
the buildings, the institutions, the food
and the people that I had grown up with.
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17
Ang Mui Choo
Born: 1943
Grew up on China Street in the late 1940s. Learnt tuina in Fuzhou and helped to grow
the practice in Singapore.
I grew up in Singapore’s China Street, also known as “giao
geng kar” (literal translation in Hokkien), which was a
place filled with gambling dens and had many undesirable
people (gangsters) hanging around. We were one of the few
Hockchew families who lived in the two- or three-storey old
house in that area. Most were Cantonese. In those days, most
Hockchew migrants went to Yong Peng or Sarawak, so there
weren’t many Hockchews in Singapore. More came over in the
second wave of immigration in the 1990s.
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my elder sister had died young. She pleaded on my behalf,
saying that since I loved school so much, there wasn’t much
harm in letting me continue.
In 1984, when my youngest child was three, I went to learn
tuina (Chinese massage) in Fuzhou, China. At the time, tuina
was a very closely guarded trade passed down from shifu
(master) to apprentice. Hence, the knowledge of tuina was
always very exclusive, and there was a shortage of tuina
practitioners in Singapore.
When I was in primary school, I loved to watch street
performances. We had to bring our own stools to sit and
watch them. We would return home very late after the
performance ended, sometimes around 1 am, and had to climb
up very dark steps in the two-storey house. It was very scary.
Once, after watching a performance based on a ghost story,
I was so spooked by some noise that I fell down the stairs.
I had to be away from work for a few months, but we could
see that there was a need for more tuina practitioners based
on the ailments that our patients were presenting. Later
on, I began to invite and fly over senior tuina experts from
Fuzhou where I trained so they could also teach the local TCM
(Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioners here.
My father was a barber and he had a big shop opposite
People’s Park Complex that he co-owned with a partner.
There were already seven of us in my family, but my father
later had another wife who gave birth to 11 children.
The income from the shop had to support this large family.
My tuina practice became very well known because I would
always take the time to attend to each patient. However,
because tuina is very time-consuming, I can only see a few
patients a day, and those who need diagnostic help end up
having to wait a long time for their turn.
As a child, I observed that the female hairdressers gave “extra
services” after work, such as drinking with their customers.
My father felt that girls did not need to be well educated and
wanted me to join the hairdressing trade. I protested and
cried and cried. My mother was particularly fond of me as
My years of tuina practice are evident in my hands. They’ve
taken a real beating over the years, but that’s what I think
hands are for anyway. If you’re going to have hands, you
might as well work them to the bone if it can achieve some
good. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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19
Captain Baldev Singh
Born: 1951
Grew up wanting to be a lawyer, but eventually decided to be a pilot. Later joined
Singapore Airlines as a pilot for 40 years.
I did not aspire to become a pilot when I was growing up. I
wanted to be a lawyer.
But when I was preparing for my senior Cambridge (‘O’ levels),
I had a classmate who was learning how to fly a plane. He
was taking lessons at Seletar at the time and he would tell me
all about it. He made it sound very exciting and challenging.
Eventually, I was convinced that I wanted to be a pilot. I told
my parents about it, and they were supportive of my decision.
So I went to Melbourne to get a pilot’s licence. I didn’t go to
university or for further education. I just went with the intention
of becoming a trained pilot.
When I returned, the MSA (Malaysia-Singapore Airlines) had
just split into two airlines. I applied to both Singapore Airlines
and the Malaysian Airline Systems. Both airlines offered me
a job, but the Singapore Airlines offer came in slightly earlier
and my mother felt that it made more sense to be based in
Singapore, so I took the job with Singapore Airlines. That has
been my job ever since. And what a job! I’m very grateful for
the opportunity to have been able to fly for 40 years with such
a progressive airline, with such a great track record. I always tell
the younger staff – pilots, cabin crew, ground staff – to guard
their rice bowl jealously, as it is a very special rice bowl.
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Back in the day, there was a certain romance to flying.
Air travel was not as common, so it was much more of a special
occasion. People didn’t mind that we had to make stops. It
used to take two or three stops to get to London, for example.
And people dressed up for the flight and were ready to have
a good time. There was much more of a party atmosphere on
board, even without any in-flight entertainment systems.
When I started in 1973, we used to fly out of Paya Lebar
Airport. It was a straightforward airport to fly in and out of,
except that we used to fly over people’s houses and the older
aircraft were much noisier. Nonetheless, Paya Lebar wasn’t a
bad airport. It was a nice, safe airport.
Changi Airport was built in the late 1970s and became
operational in 1981. It had the best modern equipment and
well-separated runways dedicated for take-off and landing. I
would compare it this way: Paya Lebar Airport was like you’d
been happily driving a Honda for a while, and then one day,
you get to drive a BMW. Suddenly, you realise there is a world
of difference.
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21
Chan May Lee
Born: 1933
Second-generation tailor at CYC The Custom Shop, Singapore’s oldest custom shirt
maker. Worked for 67 years before retiring in 2012 at 79 years old.
People say they appreciate the clothes that I make. After doing
this for so many years, I am really happy to hear this because I
enjoy being in this line. I feel like I was destined to do this.
The Shanghainese way of shirt-making is very meticulous.
They will not let a shirt pass if there is the slightest error and
you will have to start over. For example, if the lines are not
straight, you have to remove the entire thread. You must not
try to fix it by adding a new thread, which will make it look
imperfect. So it is a very strict way of making clothes. It was
really difficult to learn. My mother-in-law would knock my
head if I made any mistakes.
When I was a little girl, I came to Penang from China. My
mother passed away one week before the war started. When
the war began, my father had to go somewhere else, so an
Indian doorman took my sisters and I to live in a rural village.
My mother-in-law visited us there. When she arrived, she saw
that our clothes were torn and tattered. We were really very
poor back then. She was very sad and told my father that she
would like to bring me to Singapore to learn tailoring. My
father agreed. When I was 12, I took the train to Singapore
with my father’s friend and went to live and work with my
mother-in-law. I started as an apprentice. Finally, after three
years, we could set up our own shop. We were very happy.
At that time, I had been attending night classes for three
years. But I decided to stop studying in order to work full
time to earn more money. So I worked everyday from 7 am
to midnight. I could make six to seven shirts in a day. In those
days, that was considered very fast.
22
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$100 was a big amount of money back then. I was very
happy to be making over $100. So I worked hard every
month and started saving up to buy a necklace for myself.
Back then, I had never seen any gold jewellery before. I was
very excited and wanted to wear them. But suddenly, my
father called and asked me to send some money back to
Penang to help the family. So I couldn’t buy the necklace
and I was very sad.
One day, I met Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong at the
Istana to take his measurements. When I was there, Mr Goh
asked if I could help him alter his trousers and I agreed.
After I finished the alterations, I decided not to charge him
for such a small matter. But he insisted on paying me and
gave me $50.
We wanted to do an exhibition of our clothes, so we did a
promotion. We invited anyone who has kept their CYC shirts
for over 30 years to exchange them for new ones. Former
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s wife brought in two shirts
that were made over 30 years ago! We could tell as we had
imprinted the date of manufacture. We were very excited
and proud when we saw former MM Lee wearing our shirt
on television. He looked good, and we could say that CYC
made the shirt.
I’m very happy that our ancestors have left us their legacy.
And I am very glad that it can be passed down to future
generations.
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23
Chin Sit Yeong
Born: 1949
Grew up working in the leather shoe business and built his business supplying leather.
Currently retired.
I was born in Singapore in 1949 and lived in a shophouse on
Malabar Street in Bugis (小坡). My childhood was usually spent
outdoors, playing with my four siblings in the back alleys.
We also listened to Rediffusion and sometimes watched TV.
It was in black and white then, of course! Our neighbours were
from different dialect groups. There were Hakkas, Hainanese,
Cantonese and Hokkiens, but somehow everyone could speak
and understand each other’s dialect.
My father arrived in Singapore when he was 13 and has been
in the leather shoe business ever since. When I was born, my
father was importing leather from Europe and supplying it to
local shoe and handbag makers. He also exported leather to
neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
Nowadays, we don’t think of having things made in Singapore.
But back then, small factories or home-based cobblers were
making shoes by hand all over Singapore. There were more
than 10 shoe retailers in the Bugis and Middle Road area
alone. Hakkas in the shoe business were mostly from Malaysia.
Shoemakers used to make shoes by hand with only a few
simple tools. But later on, some started to use simple
equipment such as a hydraulic press to cut leather. Apart
from shoe-making, other Hakka trades included cane
furniture-making, metalwork, pawnshops, traditional
Chinese medical shops and shirt-making.
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When I was studying, I was already helping my father with
his business. The shoe-making industry was at its peak in the
1960s. Local shoemakers exported their shoes to countries in
the Middle East. I decided to leave school at Secondary 4 to
help with the family business in 1966. I helped with things such
as accounting and the unloading of goods. I remember seeing
goods tarnished by water after being transported because the
incoming shipments weren’t stored in containers then. Such
incidents were rare though.
In 1974, I started my own leather supply business. I rented a
3,000 square feet house along Aljunied Road at S$500 per
month as a makeshift shop and warehouse. I started peddling
leather to furniture makers as not many of them used leather
to make sofas then. When the Singapore economy started
getting better in the 1980s, more Singaporeans could afford
leather sofas.
The leather suppliers in Singapore knew each other and we
all had cordial relationships. We even had a shoe makers’
association where members would play mahjong in the
evenings and gather for Lunar New Year celebrations.
However, this association closed down a few years back as the
number of shoemakers has diminished since the 1980s.
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25
Chua King Yap
Born: 1948
Has a passion for orchids and has been cultivating them for more than 40 years.
Greatly admired the traditional Malay kites he saw as a child and has enjoyed making
and flying his own kites ever since.
I was born in Lok Yang village in the western part of Singapore.
I remember that the house I stayed in did not have piped
water or electricity. I started growing orchids in Lok Yang
when my brother brought home some potted orchids from
his friends. We experimented and read books on how to grow
orchids as we were very interested in cultivating them.
In 1970, we moved to Ama Keng village in Lim Chu Kang
when the government needed the land in Lok Yang to build
an industrial estate. We moved into a house with a vegetable
farm and I brought my orchids along. Ama Keng was a village
where most villagers planted vegetables and reared chickens.
There was a “town” with more than a dozen shops selling
food and different provisions, as well as clinics.
When I started growing orchids in 1970, I only had one or
two hundred potted plants. I also grew our national flower,
Vanda Miss Joaquim, and more than 10 other species. I began
cultivating them and after three years, I started selling the
cut flowers to the market stalls, as well as to the florists on
Orchard Road. I remember that there was a row of flower
shops opposite Centrepoint (now 313 Somerset) where I
would send the cut orchids to twice or thrice a week. At that
time, those flower shops were very famous and popular.
My selling price was a dollar each for the best species, but
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the shops would sell them at $3 or $4 a stem and use the
lower quality orchids to make flower hampers.
In 1983, the government ordered us to move out of Lim Chu
Kang as the land was to be used for military training. I applied
for and drew lots for a piece of land in Jalan Kayu. It took nine
months to move all of my 50 to 60 thousand potted plants
and supplies from Ama Keng to Jalan Kayu.
The prices of cut flowers were high in the 1970s and
1980s but have been in decline since the 1990s due to the
appreciation of the Singapore dollar. Suppliers would rather
buy from countries such as Thailand and Taiwan.
In 1996, I received a letter from the government informing
me that we had to move out of the land in three months.
I was upset and confused as I was already 50 years old then
and had to give up my livelihood and start anew. I had to
auction off most of my potted plants and rent a small area
on a friend’s farm to keep the rare species.
I have had to scale my business down now – I get potted
flowers from those who grow them and sell these in different
wet markets. I worry about my income as I sometimes do not
make a profit.
HANDS
27
Eddie Tessensohn
Born: 1935
Experienced the Japanese Occupation as a young boy when his mother was
interned by the Japanese.
My father, Clement Louis Tessensohn,
was a doctor, and he was involved
with the Eurasian community and the
Singapore Recreation Club (SRC). My
great grandfather, Edwin Tessensohn,
was the first president of the SRC. SRC
has been part and parcel of my family’s
life and memories through the years.
During the Japanese Occupation, my
mother was interned by the Japanese
as she was European. My father was
let off because he was a doctor,
and allowed to continue working at
his dispensary at Victoria Street. I
remember the Japanese coming in and
taking over my father’s dispensary. The
first wave of Japanese soldiers were
very rough people, but there was one
who was educated in the United States
called Mr Takahashi. My father spoke
with him and he managed to get my
mother out of the internment camp,
but she had to wear a red star on her
arm. Mr Takahashi was later transferred
out and another terrible officer took
over. He put my mother back in the
camp. During this period, I saw my
mother for only six months.
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We lived in an apartment above the
dispensary. I was very young at the
time, but I remember we used to cook
big pots of congee with sweet potato
in the dispensary each morning. My
father’s assistant and I would then carry
the buckets of congee to the streets
around Kampong Glam, including
Arab Street, and distribute the congee
to the poor and starving people sitting
by the side of the streets. It was my
father’s idea to do that for the people,
because food was very scarce during
the Occupation. My family became
quite well known in the Kampong
Glam area because of that, and during
the Maria Hertogh riots later in the
1950s, we were warned by the Malays
to stay away from the trouble.
After the Japanese surrender, we went
to Sime Road to see Mum, and oh,
it was a tearful and joyful occasion.
The British troops brought white
bread and butter for the prisoners,
things that we had not seen during
the Japanese Occupation. Later, the
United Kingdom government offered
us a trip back to the UK and we went.
Years later, my brother Robin and my
mother, who were both interned by the
Japanese, each got 10,000 pounds from
the British government.
After the war, I studied in the UK for a
while before returning to Singapore.
I was in St Patrick’s School while my
family lived at East Coast Road and
when we moved to Victoria Street in
town, I went to St Joseph’s Institution
(SJI). I used to play cricket and hockey
for the Combined Schools team, and
I scored my first century while playing
for SJI against the Johor state team. I
cracked my bat in that game and the
next Monday, I was told to go and see
Mr Frank James, one of the top men
in SJI. He congratulated me on my
performance and gave me a note asking
me to get a new bat from Winston’s in
the Arcade on his account.
Since I was playing cricket and hockey,
I got a part-time job reporting on sports
for The Straits Times. I would play in
the games, write reports on them and
phone up my friends for the results
of other games. I was paid by the
column inch, so I used to write five or
six paragraphs but the editor would cut
them to just one paragraph!
After my stint with The Straits Times,
I joined the big shipping firm, C. F.
Sharpe. In the early days, we had the
Singapore Harbour Board (SHB). Later,
the SHB became the Port Authority
of Singapore and they cleared all the
tally clerks, stevedores and lighters
from the Singapore River. I started off
as a boarding officer – when the ships
came in, my duties were to board the
ship, collect all the documents, deliver
the mail and the cash, and do the port
clearances. I started learning from
there, and got myself up to operations
manager and later shipping director.
When I was with Sharpe, I dealt with
Japanese ships and American tankers.
When I visited the Japanese ships, the
Japanese captains would hear about
my mother being interned during the
war, and they would be very apologetic.
I told them what’s past was past and that
I wouldn’t hold it against them.
HANDS
29
Francis Tan
Born: 1963
Was born on National Day. Has fond memories of growing up in Kampong Amber in
eastern Singapore.
I was born on National Day. Actually, it
wasn’t National Day yet at the time; it
was just the 9th of August.
But when I was in school, my birthday
would always be a holiday, so I would
invite my friends to come over for a
party. Sometimes my friends would
say, “My mother says that because it is
the seventh month, night time cannot
go out.” So they could not come to
my party. But us kids did not really
believe in these things.
At the time, my father drove private
cars known as ba wong cheh
(Cantonese for 霸王车). I don’t think
it was really legal, but he drove
some teachers who lived near us to
school. Most of them taught at ACS
(Anglo Chinese School) and that’s
how I ended up there. Most of my
classmates were the sons of rich men
and it was quite common to hear
them say, “My family owns this or
that famous establishment”. I was the
only one who was a driver’s son. But
it did not bother me. We were all kids
anyway, and kids don’t care whether
someone is more atas (high-class) or
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not. We played together, grew up
together, got into trouble together,
looked at girls together. Today, they
are still some of my closest friends.
I remember that when school
reopened, some kids would not be
around when attendance was being
taken, and they would say, “Oh! He’s
still in Disneyland (or some other
place). Not back yet.” I would think,
“Where is Disneyland?” I had never
even been to Johor Bahru. That
could have had some influence on
my interest in travel later on.
When I was really young, we lived in
Kampong Amber in the east coast
among all the Peranakans, so I used to
always think of myself as a Peranakan.
My grandmother had been adopted
by a Malay family, so we spoke both
Malay and Chinese at home. It was
only much later that I realised that I
wasn’t actually Peranakan.
As kids, we used to always go to the
Chinese Swimming Club behind our
house in the kampong. We would turn
up in our swimming suits, take our
floats and call out to the guy who jaga
(manned) the door. “Ah Keong Chek
(Uncle Keong)!” Then he would just
let us in, without us having to pay the
$0.20 entrance fee because he knew
we were all from the same kampong.
My sister and I are very, very close.
When I was in primary school, it was
her responsibility to take me to school
before taking bus number 12 to her
own school at St Hilda’s. She was
only in Secondary 1 at the time, but
back then, 13-year-olds were already
considered to be quite grown up and
they were given a lot of responsibility.
In those days, the bus conductors
used to scold us. They would say in
Hokkien, “Go inside! There’s no ghost
at the back of the bus!” People used
to gather in front of the bus and not
move to the back because there was
only one door near the front.
When my sister joined Singapore
Airlines (SQ) as a stewardess in the
1970s, she used to take me with
her on holidays with the free tickets
allocated to family members of cabin
crew. By the time I joined SQ as a
steward, she had been with the airline
for almost 10 years and was about
to resign as she was married and
pregnant. But we managed to
do one flight together. We requested
it so that we could take our parents
to Vancouver.
In those days, the cabin crew were
paid about $2,000, which was a lot
of money because most of your
peers were being paid a few hundred
dollars. I invested this extra money in
a salon to support a hairstylist friend.
It was my first proper, registered
business. After a while,
I felt that I still needed that piece of
paper (academic qualifications) after
all. So I took the money that I had
saved up working with Singapore
Airlines and spent three years in
Australia studying business.
When I returned, I joined Qantas
doing business development and later
I moved into travel agencies. Today,
I’m back working with Singapore
Airlines as the distributor for their
tickets. It’s still my favourite airline.
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31
Goh Heo Kee
Born: 1936
Volunteered with gardening and various activities at the Nanyang Girls’ High School
in the late 1970s and 1980s, in particular organising the lion dance troupe activities.
Joined the school as custodian in 1991. Known as Uncle Jack to all the students.
At 12, I decided to stop school (at Nanyang Primary School).
I told the principal that I wasn’t good academically, and that
while others got two “eggs”, referring to two zeroes when
they scored 100, I was only capable of getting one “egg”,
meaning that I would get zero. The principal commented
that I was the bravest among all her students to have had the
courage to walk into her office and discuss things so candidly.
I worked in a number of different trades after that, including
being a certified electrician and making furniture. But I would
return to the school to help out with things like changing light
bulbs, hanging couplets during Chinese New Year, weeding
and watering the plants. Later on, Principal Chua Liang
insisted that I join the school despite it already having seven
custodians. I ran into an old girl from the school and she tried
to persuade me to take the job, but the wage was much lower
than what I was getting with my newspaper delivery job. So
I said I would think about it. In the end, they made special
arrangements so I could continue delivering newspapers in
the early mornings.
In those days, the job of a school custodian was not just
locking up the offices and gates every night – I was like
a handyman. If something was broken, I had to fix it. The
custodians also looked after the plants on the school grounds.
On top of that, I made stage props for the school’s drama
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and dance troupes, and decorations for Chinese New Year. I
even made the dragon’s head for the dragon dance during
the school’s 75th anniversary celebrations in 1992, which was
featured in the newspapers.
Things are different these days. Many things are outsourced,
so my workload is slightly lighter. Sometimes I have to wait to
lock up the school for the accounts staff who work late when
they have to close the accounts. But I don’t mind. I was an
ex-student and I’ve been a part of this community for so long
now, it’s not really a chore.
A lot of the old students come back to visit and talk to me.
They come to help out with their ECAs (extra-curricular
activities) long after they graduate. Some bring gifts during
the festive seasons and let me know when they get married.
The students know when you show care and concern for
them. I try and reason with them when I think they’re doing
something wrong, like watching VCDs or cartoons during
the exam period. If they’re not happy with being told off,
I reason with them and ask them to go home and think about
it, whether watching shows instead of studying for their exams
is good for them in the long run. If they think I’m wrong, they
can come and scold me. They never do.
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33
Han Jok Kwang
Born: 1947
Lived on Pulau Bukom as a child. Delivered bread baked by his family business to
fellow islanders on Bukom Besar and Bukom Kechil. For leisure, he leads a group of
15 cyclists every Sunday evening on an exploration of Singapore.
My family lived on Pulau Bukom and my
father was a baker. We made the bread
on the island and delivered them to the
islanders on Bukom and Bukom Kechil.
I went to Pulau Bukom Primary School.
The teachers took a ferry to school each
day while we children walked, took a bus
or cycled. During my first few years in
primary school, the school was located
next to the refinery. After a couple of
years, I believe Shell felt that it was not
so safe, and the school was relocated to
Pulau Bukom Kechil (Little Pulau Bukom).
We now had to commute from Pulau
Bukom Besar (Big Pulau Bukom) to Pulau
Bukom Kechil. Only a narrow channel
separated the two islands, but you still
had to take a sampan (boat) to get
across. Once on Bukom Kechil, you had
to walk to school. That was the setting
for my childhood. I didn’t get to see the
mainland that often, probably a couple
of times a year.
At the height of Pulau Bukom’s
population (in the 1960s), there were
easily more than 5,000 people on the
island. The island was quite self-contained
in the early days – there were living
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quarters (for Shell workers) and we had
electricity. Shell also provided three movie
screenings a week. Workers from the
surrounding islands such as Bukom Kechil
(now joined with Pulau Bukom after land
reclamation), Pulau Semakau and Pulau
Seking (now part of Pulau Semakau after
land reclamation) would also feed into
Bukom Besar, commuting by ferry and
sampan to get to work. There were also
the people who worked at the medical
facilities and the small provision shops,
firemen and policemen. There were many
different types of manual labourers and
contractors around at the time.
My grandmother lived on another island,
Pulau Semakau, which is a landfill today.
My dad lived on Bukom and after he
married my mother, she came over to
join him. Semakau was a lot more ulu
(remote) than Bukom Kechil. I always
remember that grandma would trap
monitor lizards that were about three
feet long and fry them with ginger as
a treat when we visited. They tasted
like chicken and it was a treat because
she took a lot of trouble to trap them.
Most of the residents on Semakau were
fishermen, and there was a little barter
trading with Indonesian boatmen.
Bukom Besar was more modern,
with proper housing, roads, a school,
an open-air cinema and a hospital.
There was a fire brigade and a police
force as well. Bukom Kechil bore
more resemblance to a kampong – I
remember we had a house on stilts. My
siblings and I would commute between
the two islands to help our parents sell
the bread. We would cycle around the
islands with baskets of bread, deliver
them to the customers and as such, we
knew a fair bit about the islands.
When you have very little on an island,
you try to make the best of nature. For
example, we would go fishing at high
tide and crabbing at low tide. There
were other activities such as sailing and
something that is illegal now – spearfishing. We constructed our own spear
guns to shoot fishes. The common fishes
there are selar and kuning, and in the
night you could catch seabass, snapper
and garoupa. You could also be very well
rewarded with a good cuttlefish catch.
I owned a canoe around the time
when Apollo 11 landed on the moon
(1969), and I was inspired to name my
canoe after it. It was left behind by an
expatriate and I made a sail for it by
stitching empty flour bags together.
Once, I almost drowned while paddling
my canoe between Bukom Besar and
Bukom Kechil. On land, we flew kites
and played games such as marbles,
tops and kampong football. During my
childhood, there was little control over
firecrackers and it was a wonderful treat
to play with them during the Chinese
New Year period.
I grew up having to cycle to school and
deliver bread to my island customers.
Six years ago, I revisited cycling as a
way of exploring Singapore. Today, I
lead a group of up to 15 cyclists and we
cycle every Sunday evening, covering
between 20km to 25km to a different
location every week. For Singapore to be
a sustainable, liveable city, cycling must
feature as a way of life, not merely for
“show”. Cycling also makes for a cleaner
environment and a healthier population.
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35
Hasan Kutus s/o Meerasahib
Born: 1947
Runs a spice shop with his wife at Tanjong Pagar Market. President of the Singapore
Tenkasi Muslim Welfare Society and committee member of Maulana Mohammad
Ali Mosque.
I was born in the Tanjong Pagar area at 4 Cheng Tuan Street,
which is now Tanjong Pagar Plaza. We lived there until 1968, when
we moved to Kim Tian Road. My father passed away when I was
five years old, and my mother raised my sister and I by grinding
spices that we supplied to the stalls that sold curry paste.
The houses we lived in were dwellings for multiple families;
for example, in one house you could find 20 families, with
each family occupying one room. One family could have up
to 10 children. We also had a common kitchen with individual
stoves. There was a communal toilet with a big bathing area
where two or three people could bathe at the same time.
Sometimes, the families would share their food. I remember
people would sleep in their lorries at night because their rooms
at home were so small, while others would sleep on folding
beds that they laid out on the five-foot-way. There was hardship,
but we were used to it and there was no grumbling. We were
very poor then, but all of us lived in harmony.
When I was a child, I had to help my mother with her work. It
was very common for children to do so. I helped to deliver the
ground spices to the stalls. We did this about three times a day,
once in the morning for them to prepare the curry, another in
the afternoon to deliver other things such as pickles, and again
in the evening to collect the money. I would deliver the spices
in the morning at around 8 am before I went to school, my
mother would make the delivery in the afternoon and in the
evening, I would do the delivery again.
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At that time, we did not realise the importance of education.
But now, we know that our children have to be educated in
order to succeed in life and we have a lot of government
support for that, too.
After I retired (from SingPost in 2003), I worked with my wife,
Sahban Beevi, at our spice stall at Tanjong Pagar Market.
We buy spices from a wholesaler and mix them accordingly,
as there are different spice mixes for different recipes. We
know the proper preparations for each mix, for dishes such as
briyani, korma, soups, masak merah, rendang, fishhead curry.
We don’t use onion or ginger in our mixes because some
Buddhists don’t take them. We supply our spices to stalls,
restaurants and caterers, and many of our customers are from
the Chinatown area.
At Tanjong Pagar Market, the stallholders are all very friendly
and there is respect for everybody. Our spice shop is inherited
from my mother’s spice business, which grew from the time
she was selling spices from baskets to a stall in 1976. The
spice business is in our blood. Our intention is to help people
cook good, healthy food. Whatever we sell at the stall, we
cook at home. For spice mixes, it’s all about the proportions,
the quality of the spices and the experience of the mixer.
Some spice stalls don’t like to share their recipes for mixes,
but we tell anybody who asks with an open heart. We maintain
our relationship with longtime customers and in everything we
do, we give all praise to God.
HANDS
37
Hedwig Anuar nee Aroozoo
Born: 1928
Former Director of the National Library (1965–1988) and co-founder of the Association of
Women for Action and Research (AWARE). Founding member of the Library Association
of Singapore in 1957 and the Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians in 1974.
The Raffles Museum (now National Museum of Singapore) and
Library were separated in 1955, and the Printers and Publishers
Act came into force, under which all Singapore publications had
to be deposited in Raffles Library, as well as sent to the British
Museum Library in England. Previously, there was hardly anything
in Singapore and we had to get everything from London.
Most of the books, both in Raffles Library and in the libraries in
Malaya, were English books and there were few books in
Chinese, Malay or Tamil. If there were libraries that catered to
readers in those languages, they would be private association
libraries run by the various clan associations in Singapore.
platforms. So it was very important to be visible about this,
to show that we were doing something about getting the
Chinese, Malay and Tamil books. But they couldn’t understand
the technical difficulties in that there were few books in
these languages published in Singapore in the first place,
and we had to import them from China or India or Malaysia
or Indonesia. And of course so many Chinese books were
banned anyway because of the communists.
1959 was when the PAP (People’s Action Party) and
self-government came in. The last British governor left for
England, so they didn’t want another expatriate at the National
Library. The policy of Malayanisation was gradually getting more
and more locals to head organisations, so it was a very good
time for the new graduates because they had all these good
prospects ahead of them. The government invited me to come
back to Singapore from the University of Malaya.
We would go to the schools and leave some literature with
them on how to join the library, what the library had to offer
and encouraged both the children and the teachers to use the
library. The habit of reading was not established then. In the
early 1960s, there were still a lot of people who were illiterate.
It was more difficult to reach out to them than the children,
and we decided that the best thing would be to reach out to
the children first because they were going to be the future
readers and users of the library. It was a lot of promotional
work. I remember a story in the newspaper with the headline,
“Mrs Anuar’s been on the warpath again promoting libraries”.
In November 1960, the library was officially opened by the Yang
di Pertuan Negara (Head of State), Yusof Ishak, and he noted
that we didn’t have enough chairs or desks because the furniture
was being made by the Prisons Department so that we could
save money. That was the cheapest furniture we could get.
At the time, I think the government saw the library as being
useful for promoting multilingualism, which was one of their
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On promoting reading:
If things had turned out differently, I might have ended up as
an academic at the university, as I liked to write stories and
poems. But in a way, I am glad I did not, because I think being
in the civil service allowed me to be more involved in social
issues and working more directly for people and with people.
HANDS
39
Ho Hwee Long
Born: 1940
Joined Teachers’ Training College in late 1950s and rose through the ranks to become
a principal. Among the first batch of band instructors trained to start the Singapore
School Band Project in 1967. After 44 years, he still continues to conduct bands.
Of course, being a new CCA (Co-Curricular Activity), we
started too quickly. In the beginning, when we were getting
people to join the band, I wouldn’t say it was very difficult
but there was some scepticism; some people were doubtful
about how successful this programme was going to be. But
we had a lot of students. And surprisingly, we saw a lot of girls
joining the band. I remember when I first started as a band
instructor, I was sent to Cedar Girls. I was still a principal then.
In the morning, I was in school; in the afternoon, I taught at
Cedar Girls. I saw, wah, the girls came in to play the tuba,
play the trombone, play the euphonium… I was so amazed.
That was the first time in my life that I saw girls playing brass
instruments. Later on, of course, there was also the clarinet
and saxophone. My generation never dreamed of females
playing wind instruments. Traditionally, most females played
the piano, or at most, the violin.
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I chose to teach band music because I always think that band
music, as compared to orchestral music, is easier to reach out
to the younger generation with. To put it simply, for orchestral
music, the members might mostly be from rich families. They
must have had violin, cello or piano lessons since they were
young. But for the not so well-to-do families, I think band
music caters for all of them, whether they are from middle or
lower income class families, to provide the opportunity for
these kids to make music collectively. In terms of repertoire,
orchestral music is perhaps too highbrow for the general
public. Band music or most of the band repertoire can reach
out to the general public.
I would still like to see the Band Project continue to grow, so
we can learn from other countries and mould our own kind of
band culture in Singapore.
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41
James Tan Peng Huat
Born: 1948
Gave up a job in the Ministry of Health as a trainee nurse to volunteer with the Singapore
Armed Forces after the announced withdrawal of the British Army in the 1960s.
Actually, when I joined the Armed
Forces, I didn’t know what the scope
was, what the role was... it was totally
new to me. Nevertheless when I
joined, the first thing they did was to
put me on a military truck and take
me to a camp, which happened to
be SAFTI (Singapore Armed Forces
Training Institute) – at that time, I
didn’t know what it meant – at Jurong,
16 and half miles. That was the most
disciplined, strictest camp in the whole
of Singapore.
I went through the training, called Basic
Military Training (BMT), which would
normally last for three months. But
due to the escalated withdrawal of the
British, they needed our service quickly;
therefore they shortened the entire
three months of training into six weeks.
That made it even more challenging.
We had to do a lot of night duties,
night training and night camp. And it
was very tiring, really. At that time, I
was a bit regretful that I left a job in the
hospital with air-con and an easier life
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to join the army under the hot sun and
with a tough training life. After a while,
I think the regime did me good in
terms of my physique and my health.
The BMT then was very, very tough.
A lot of what I went through is no
longer in practice today. For example,
we were asked to “change parade”.
It’s more a matter of discipline than
anything. They knew that you couldn’t
make it. They counted from 1 to 10
and they expected you to quickly
strip and shower and come back to
the parade square by the count of
10. Even if they counted to 50, you
wouldn’t be able to make it. They
purposely wanted to punish people
and wanted you to have quick reflexes,
because in the army, when they shout
for assembly, you have to get in line
as quickly as you can. So at that time,
when I was told to change parade...
when I came back I was shivering in
the cold evening breeze, shivering
while trying to stand straight. And that
was tough.
Also, if you made any mistake, you had
to do “high port”, meaning that you
put the rifle – at that time the rifle was
very heavy; it had a wooden butt and
weighed about 16 kg as compared to
today, I believe it is now only 5 kg –
you have to put the rifle straight above
your head while doing frog jumps. That
was very, very tough. On top of that,
we also jumped up a slope called Peng
Kang hill. The hill was very steep and
you needed a lot of strength to jump
upwards – not downwards, you know.
We also had a stand-by-bed parade
every morning at about 5 am or 6 am.
We woke up as early as 4:30 am to
do PT (physical training) and running,
followed by stand-by-bed, where every
piece of clothing in the wardrobe had
to be aligned squarely, without any
protrusion or thread coming out from
the clothing, nothing. And the mugs
from breakfast must be completely dry.
I saw incidents when the mugs were
turned upside down and covered up,
and when the officer picked up the
mugs and found water, they threw
the mug outside the parade square.
Whether it was raining or not, if you
didn’t align your clothing properly,
they were pulled out of your wardrobe
and thrown out to the parade square.
Imagine how bad you’d feel if it
happened to you.
At that time, the military was very, very
well disciplined.
And that’s where I learnt how to iron
my clothes, because in the army I was
told to iron my own clothes. It must be
fully starched, must be folded exactly
with four fingers – not more, not less,
four-finger fold – and you have to iron
until the clothes can stand on their
own on the desk... that’s how I got
used to ironing up till today. And that
has helped me as well when I raised
my own family.
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43
Jasmine Lim
Born: 1959
Grew up in a family with two sisters and a brother. Her parents ran a popular traditional
bakery in Upper Paya Lebar that was once featured on a television show. Now the
successful owner of a beauty business.
After I finished secondary school, I helped out at the bakery for
a while before getting a job at a clothing boutique at Wisma
Atria. It was there that I met a lot of my contacts – I was good
at connecting with people, and I made friends quickly.
In the late 1980s, I attended a course at a beauty school in
Far East Plaza. At first, it was just for fun, but I quickly became
interested in learning more about the beauty industry. I started
visiting industry exhibitions in Hong Kong to learn more about
the various brands and suppliers. During that period, I visited
exhibitions in Hong Kong for 10 consecutive years. On one
of those visits, I discovered a beauty cream made by a Swiss
manufacturer and eventually got them to manufacture creams
for my own brand, Dermaglow.
I started going to offices and homes to sell the creams, but I
wasn’t going in cold. I got my friends and contacts to try the
creams, and they would recommend them to their family and
friends. So when I visited each office or home, I would already
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have a few sales. My business really spread by word of mouth,
and I am so grateful to have met many helpful clients who
have become friends. Some of my clients were bankers and
socialites who recommended me to many of their friends,
and that helped my business. I even had a client who was a
banker, and she recommended me to her friends and contacts
in Taiwan. I made a trip to Taiwan just to sell creams to her
friends there. I got to where I am today because of clients and
friends like these who helped me grow my business.
In 1994, I started my first shop in Toa Payoh. I later moved the
shop to Bukit Timah, before shifting to my present location
at Goldhill Plaza. I didn’t have much difficulty and setting up
the shop was smooth sailing, all thanks to the support from
my regulars. Some of them have been with me for 20 years. I
believe it’s because of the service we provide, the quality of
my beauty therapists and the trust my customers have in me,
which is why they’ve stayed with me for so long. I’m quite
blessed that my clients trust me and my recommendations.
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45
Jita Singh
Born: 1949
Member of the national football team for five years (1969–1973), after which he was
motivated to become the first Sikh football coach. Coached the national football team
from 1979 to 1984. Currently Senior Head of Game Development at the Football
Association of Singapore.
In those days, it was quite easy for us to play football; we
would just play in any space we could find and use stones or
wooden sticks for goalposts. Our ball would be a plastic ball
and we would play barefoot. The ground could be uneven,
we would get cuts here and there, but it didn’t matter to us.
I was an athlete and held the school’s short- and long-distance
records, and I also played hockey for the school. But I found
football to be more challenging and more fun.
I come from the Sikh community, and at that time the majority
of the community was involved in hockey. When you talked
about a Sikh, you automatically associated him with hockey.
When I was in my teens in the 1960s, because of the pressure
from my community, I couldn’t openly tell my family that I was
going to play football. So I used to tell them that I was going
to watch a football match at the St George’s field. In those
days, there would be various leagues such as the Business
Houses League and the Government Services League, as well
as friendly games. I would go and play in a game without my
shirt on, and after the game I would use handkerchiefs from
my house to wipe the sweat off.
So that was my daily routine until one day, it happened that
my father went to watch a game with his friends. I didn’t see
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him, but he saw me playing. After the game, I did my
normal routine and went home. My mother asked me who
won the game. And you know, it had to be Murphy’s Law –
usually I would know the result because I would ask around.
This time, I didn’t ask. So I was stuck for a while, and the
cane came out when she told me that my father had seen
me playing bare-bodied. Well, I had a few lashes and it was
discovered that I was the thief stealing the handkerchiefs
from the house.
Eventually my parents relented and allowed me to play,
because I had a very good mentor from the Windsor Rovers
football club, Mr G. P. Suppiah. He assured my parents that he
would take care of me and that football would not harm me.
I remember that when I was first selected to play for the
national team, the jerseys were made of heavy cotton and
not comfortable at all. It was a jersey with four coloured
squares. They didn’t have laundry services so the players
took their jerseys back home to wash. I was so proud of
playing for Singapore that I would open my closet to look at
the jersey every couple of hours. There wasn’t any Singapore
flag on it, just four squares! But the pride of playing for the
country was so strong that I just had to look at the jersey
every few hours.
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47
Jumiah Yunus
Born: 1944
Trained as a midwife (1963–1965) and was a qualified rural midwife from 1966 for
33 years. Retired due to the arrival of her granddaughter. Still works part-time through
the Silver Connection because she loves babies.
As a kid, I grew up in Geylang and led a simple life. I was like
a samseng kia (tomboy), and roamed around in my singlet and
shorts. Although we were poor, we managed to study. I did my
‘O’ levels at Siglap Secondary School in 1962. My batch was
the first girls’ batch. After my ‘O’ levels, I started training as
a midwife. I was in the 40th batch. Midwife training was very
interesting – classroom work in the mornings, then hands-on
training after a few months. We went to the wards to learn
how to handle babies, to see how babies were delivered.
My first time holding and bathing a baby was scary and I
shivered while doing so!
I remember working at KK (Kandang Kerbau) Hospital during
the baby boom period where we even delivered babies on
the floor! We had to squat down to deliver the baby. We
were strong at that time because we were so young. And
the amniotic fluid sometimes shot out and splattered on
us. I delivered many, many babies. At that time we worked
the afternoon shift from 2 pm to 9 pm and if we were in the
labour ward, we took fetal heart rate, checked their blood
pressure, checked the patients and delivered babies. If there
was a doctor’s case, we called the doctor – there were no
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handphones then. We had to use the intercom to reach
the doctors; they would tell us where they were and we would
contact them.
I remember the most number of cases I had to handle in a
day was 22! I also worked in the rural areas. We would go to
the homes for delivery, to do nursing. I found it enjoyable,
because when you went to the patients’ home they treated
you better.
In the 1960s, I used to have to promote the “Two is Enough”
campaign for the Family Planning and Population Board.
We had to check on couples to see how many children
they already had, and their income status. It was for their
future actually. When we advised the wife, the husband was
not around. After delivery, they didn’t come back for their
contraceptives. So we had to visit them at their homes. We
were like sales girls. Some of the couples didn’t want to stop
having children and we had to respect that. I got chased out
by a husband once – he said, “Even worms on the wood
have food to eat, why you worry about my children?” We just
carried on with our work.
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49
Khoo Kah Chin
Born: 1942
Trained in the Malaysian navy, but decided to join the newly formed Singaporean navy
after marrying a Singaporean.
I mean, a navy is a navy, you know. And there wasn’t any
problem. We speak the same language; most navies speak the
same language. Most naval officers, we talk to each other, we
understand each other pretty well. Somehow we have the same
sense, the same feeling.
The Indonesians had their own patrol, their custom boats,
which used to patrol the Singapore Straits, and we had our
Singapore boats. We look at each other, sometimes we wave,
sometimes they just stare at us and we just stare back at them.
After all, there’s no war; they’re doing their job and we’re doing
our job. That’s about it.
Responsible for setting up the Diving Unit in 1971, he recalls an
unconventional service the unit performed during peacetime:
We had fishermen coming back suffering from bends, you
know, nitrogen narcosis. When they dive under water too
long, breathing compressed air, they get air bubbles in the
blood system. So you get them coming to the diving school
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for treatment. We had two doctors trained in Australia who
had diplomas in underwater medicine. The divers operated
the chamber and the doctors would do the treatment. We had
quite a few cases of this. In peacetime that became part of our
role, in addition to what a navy diver was supposed to do. We
took it as a job and did it quite well.
In addition to changing the flags he sailed with, Khoo also wore
three different uniforms in the Singapore Navy. Before the
standard white, Khoo had also donned the early jungle green:
Can you imagine a navy man wearing a green uniform with
boots? Of course later, we said, hey, this cannot go on, we
cannot have guys in jungle green and boots running around
the ship. It’s slippery and you may fall. Jungle green is good
for the jungle, for camouflage, but not in the navy. So slowly
we changed from green to beige, but we still had green
overalls. And then later we changed to white and then
changed our overalls to blue.
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51
Koh Keow Chai
Born: 1952
Former chairman of the Civil Defence Committee. Ex-policeman. Now serves his
community as a volunteer.
It was a Saturday morning, and we heard the news about the
collapse of Hotel New World. I went with Lawrence Sia, in my
capacity as a member of the Resident’s Committee. They said,
“Aren’t you a policeman with the Traffic Police? You need to
come here immediately.” So I went along with the Secretary.
The collapse of Hotel New World at the junction of
Serangoon Road and Owen Road on 15 March 1986 was an
incident that saw seven storeys collapse into a single pile.
When I arrived, there was a strong stench of gas. And I saw
people smoking. My first instinct was to shout, “Smokers,
out! No smoking!” and proceeded to chase them away. It
was quite messy then, and everyone was at a loss as to what
to do. So we started calling in the police to handle the traffic
and call in the rescuers.
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It was timely that there were people digging underground for
the subways then, and they helped with the rescue efforts.
About 33 people died, I think... people were filled with all
kinds of emotions; many were devastated, many also came
to help. I was running to and fro, between my position as the
chairman of the Civil Defence Committee and my duties as a
member of the Traffic Police.
There were people from the construction industry who came
with supplies such as wooden planks and nails on lorries,
and offered them to us. And when we started to calculate
how much we ought to pay them, they just waved and left.
Others also came forward with eggs, porridge... we had a
steady supply of food.
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53
Kok Kham Seng
Born: 1953
Worked in Seiko Instruments since 1974. Has been in the company for 39 years.
Presently Division Manager in charge of Total Quality Management. Grew up helping
in his father’s laundry shop in Jalan Kayu.
When I was about to complete my National Service, I saw a
notice posted inside the camp advertising an apprenticeship
with Seiko. They wanted to start a company here and needed
technicians. Seiko was a big name at the time (1970s) and so
I was interested.
It was very common to read in the newspapers about how
Singapore was moving towards industrialisation. I did not
know exactly what I would be trained in, but because the
company was reputable, I thought it could be an interesting
area to get into and a good opportunity to build my career.
This was Seiko’s first plant outside of Japan, but it would also
be a fully integrated plant, right from the raw materials up
to the finished product. This meant that many people were
sent to Japan for training in different areas and for different
durations depending on what they were being trained for. The
planning was very thorough and systematic.
In the beginning, we were not called Seiko Instruments, we
were called Singapore Time. When you tell people that you are
working for Singapore Time, people would get confused and
think that you were working for the press, like The Straits Times.
to open a plant in Singapore. The Prime Minister attended the
official opening of the first plant in 1973. It was the first watch
plant in Singapore at the time.
It was a very grand occasion; all of us had to put up displays
to explain what we were doing. There was a lion dance
performance and newspaper coverage, and a lot of excitement.
We practised for the event according to detailed plans.
Those who were trained in Japan were assigned to give a
presentation to the PM. There were 90 of us. At every point
there were people standing around waiting for him to come
by and give a brief explanation of each station. When he
walked past the stamping station, for example, we would have
products set up and placed under the microscope so that he
could look at them and we would explain the purpose of that
particular part in the watch.
Since then, the factory in Singapore has expanded and
diversified. We moved away from the rental premises in
Marsiling Drive to our current place, and the various buildings
were added in stages. I’ve ended up staying with them for
39 years and counting.
Apparently, it was the PM (then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew)
who encouraged and convinced the general manager of Seiko
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55
Kok Ying Oi
Born: 1917
Came to Singapore with her mother when she was eight years old. Ran a charcoal
business with her husband. Lived at Temple Street for over 80 years.
Back in those days, there could be 40 people living in one
shophouse. There were eight rooms in each shophouse.
The rent was cheap and you paid only $2.50 to $3 for a room.
Money was worth more in those days. You could buy things with
a cent. These days, you can’t even buy anything with a dollar.
How did I meet my husband? I lived upstairs and he was working
downstairs. He was Teochew. They had a business selling
charcoal. My mom liked him and thought he was a good man.
My husband started the business back in China. He followed
his uncle who was selling charcoal. His uncle brought him to
Singapore to set up a shop selling charcoal. So we continued
the business. After my husband died, my sons took over the
business. The business continued until our Arab landlord
decided to take back the shop.
Charcoal was really cheap. 18 cents could get you 10 kati (unit
of measurement equivalent to 605 grams) of charcoal. Only 18
cents. That’s really cheap right? Money was worth more then.
Selling charcoal was tough. You had to squat, sort and pack
the charcoal into bags. Afterwards you had to sew the bags
shut before loading them onto the lorry. Of course it was hard
work. The young workers took care of it. I never had to do it.
As a daughter I never had to work. And as a daughter-in-law I
also never had to work. I seldom left the house; it was as if I was
hiding in a hole. I had very little experience and knowledge.
No one uses charcoal anymore these days. They are very dirty.
Everyone uses gas now. In the past, most people used charcoal.
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But these days everyone prefers to have clean homes. They
hire servants to clean their house. Use charcoal? You must
be joking. Your hands will become black and you would
have to wash them. With gas, you just turn the knob. The
older generation does not like to eat food cooked using gas.
The younger people do. They like it because it is quicker. If
you use a charcoal stove to cook rice, it will stay warm for
very long. But rice from the rice cooker turns cold very fast.
The heat from an electric cooker is not strong enough. Rice
cooked over charcoal is also more fragrant. Rice from the rice
cooker is not so tasty and it has no fragrance. But charcoalcooked rice has a fragrance. Charcoal is just better. After all,
charcoal has been around since the creation of heaven and
earth. Hasn’t it?
I gave birth to four children. My husband’s wife from China
had four children and they were brought to Singapore.
We raised seven children here. Three daughters and four
sons. The eldest was already a young man. We scrimped
and saved, raising them by selling charcoal. They went to
Yang Zheng School. My children never went to university,
but my grandchildren did. They are all university graduates.
Grandsons, granddaughters, everyone is a graduate!
My children did not attend university because we could
not afford their education.
My grandchildren visit me often, and they always bring me
out. We will go to restaurants and have shark’s fin. They are
willing to splurge. The grandchildren really love me.
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57
Leaena Tambyah
Born: 1937
A committed social worker. Was Assistant Director of Department of Social Welfare
(1961–1964), Chairman of Family Welfare Services, Asian Women’s Welfare Association
(AWWA) (1975–1978) and Chairman of Handicapped Children’s Playgroup (1979–1985).
My parents were very much into voluntary work, so that
influenced me. My father used to be involved with the
St Andrew’s Mission Hospital. My mother, too, was involved
in voluntary work. I was exposed to this from an early age, to
think about people who had a different and tough way of life.
I belonged to our Church Youth Fellowship. One day we went
to visit the St Andrew’s Orthopaedic Hospital. At that time, polio
was a big problem for children with disabilities. So there were a
lot of post-polio kids. They had a school there, with a teacher who
would teach them so that they could keep up with their studies
when they went back to school. Our youth fellowship went there
on a visit one day, and I was sitting on a bed with this little fellow
telling him stories. And when it was time for us to go home, he
just put his arms around me in a scissor-grip and wouldn’t let
me go. “You cannot go, you cannot go, you must stay here and
tell me some more stories.” And that touched me tremendously.
And so I thought, “Ok, I must try and do something for these
kids.” And social work seemed to be an option.
In the 1990s, Leaena worked closely with AWWA and looked
into placing children with disabilities into mainstream education:
Kathleen Chia was chairman at that time, and she said, “I’ve got
two boys in the Centre for the Multiply Handicapped Children
who are too bright and shouldn’t be in this school.” So we tried
to put them into mainstream schools. The Ministry of Education
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said, “We have no disabled children in mainstream schools.
Sorry, but we cannot take them in.” But I knew that there were
disabled children in the mainstream schools.
Quietly, we did our own research and found that there were
more than a hundred of them, because of principals who
were kind and thoughtful and accepted these children with
disabilities. When you register a child for primary school, you
just take the birth certificate; you don’t have to take the child
along. But when the child turned up on the first day of school,
and they saw this kid on his crutches or in his wheelchair, they
said, “Come,” and they took them in. And they kept all their
classes on the ground floor, and when necessary, friends or
teachers carried them upstairs.
Of course, I realised this was not safe for the children.
So Tan Bee Wan, who was NCSS (National Council for Social
Service) head at that time, decided to do a study of the
number of children with disabilities in mainstream schools.
She invited me and another medical social worker to take
part. From our study, we discovered that these children
with disabilities were not going for therapy because their
parents did not have the time or the money for the therapy
sessions. So then, I remembered that when I was a child,
SATA (Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association) used to have
travelling mobile X-ray vans to the kampongs. So we got vans
and fitted it up like a therapy clinic. We took it to the schools.
It was such a success!
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59
Lim Beak
Born: 1908
Worked on her husband’s farm in her mid 30s until her 70s, where she grew vegetables
and later reared pigs and fish.
I was born on the 18th day of the first month in 1908, and
came to Singapore when I was 34 on board a big boat
called An Keng. My husband had fled here in 1939 to avoid
conscription back in Fujian in China. My Si Soh (literally Fourth
Aunty, but meaning sister-in-law) was very considerate and
said, “We’d better get Gor Soh (referring to Lim Beak) to
Singapore. Otherwise, he’ll have been gone for so long, he
might go and marry a native there.”
When I first got here, I took a tram, pulled along by a wire
that went from downtown to the 10th Mile of Ulu Sembawang.
From there, we got on a lorry to go to the 13th mile of Ulu
Sembawang, which is also called Jia Zui Gang (freshwater
harbour). My husband had been staying there with his sister
and brother-in-law.
We went around asking for seeds of various vegetables such
as long bean, bittergourd, tapioca and eggplant. It took
40 days before we could harvest the crops. Eggplants sold
for only two cents a kati (unit of measurement equivalent to
605 grams) then and we would earn slightly over a dollar with
our harvest. But that set us up with the beginnings of our farm.
After that, we borrowed money from a friend to join the
local tontine scheme. We used $10 to bid for the lottery
and managed to get $580 for capital to buy pigs. I knew
a little about rearing pigs as we had one or two of them in
China. When the pigs were sold, we could return the money
we borrowed.
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When I first arrived, hardly anyone lived in that area. It was
all rubber plantations and no other families lived within a
two-mile radius. Only army deserters ventured that far. Luckily,
more people moved to the area later on and a school was set
up, so my children could be educated locally.
In the early 1950s, some very heavy rains washed away a lot of
the soil for growing vegetables. So we decided to dig a pond
and rear fish instead.
I remember we went to the city to buy the fry. Silver carp fry
cost 10 cents, grass carp was also 10 cents. We also got song
fish and tai. All in, the cost of the fry was about $100. I asked
the seller if we could them pay back after 10 months when
the fish were big and ready to be sold, and he said okay. He
couldn’t do anything else with the fish anyway so he didn’t
mind us owing him the money. Everyone did that in those days.
In 1986, the government said we weren’t allowed to rear pigs
anymore as the pig waste might pollute our water supply.
They suggested we move to HDB (Housing Development
Board) flats. I moved into one in 1993. HDB flats now stand
on where my farm once was. When I didn’t have to look after
the animals anymore, I could go travelling. I travelled all over
China and also went back to my hometown several times. My
great-grand nieces and nephews are very warm towards me
and ask that I go back and visit often.
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61
Lim Koon Meng
Born: 1942
Studied in Chung Cheng High School and then in London. Started his own construction
firm and was involved in the construction of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in the late 1970s.
It was quite a culture shock when I got to England in the
1960s to study, because the English spoken there wasn’t
anything like the English spoken at my school. In those days,
you could get away with not speaking very much English at all
in Singapore. Even though we were still under the British at
the time, many government officers spoke in dialect or Malay.
I travelled to England as a British subject. There were no
Singapore passports in those days. Because I was away,
Singapore’s independence was a fairly remote concept and did
not have much of an impact on me until my travel documents
expired and I had to get new ones. I turned 21 just after
Singapore had become independent. My parents had been
receiving letters from the immigration department but they
didn’t realise the significance of the correspondence and didn’t
do anything about it. So when I tried to get a new passport
in London, they told me that because I had not returned to
Singapore to swear my allegiance to the newly independent
country, I was effectively stateless and potentially stuck there.
When I came back from my studies, I worked for the Public
Works Department for about three years. It was very routine
work, drafting buildings for the military. But it gave me some
experience as to how the construction industry worked here.
The first project I worked on when I joined the private sector
was for Lum Chang. They had just won a tender to build HDB
flats in Tanjong Pagar – a group of 5 blocks and an adjoining
car park. That was an important learning experience for me as
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it gave me hands-on experience from the ground up, literally.
I was on site the day the piling machines went in until the day
the flats were completed.
The schedule was very, very tight. The buildings needed to
be completed well before the 1976 elections. We had to work
day and night on that project. The site was next to the Yan Kit
Swimming Complex, which was a popular place at the time.
When the piling was in full swing, we asked if they would
close the pool for two weeks. The construction company
was willing to compensate the pool for any losses due to the
closure, but they refused. They said that the pool was for the
public and they couldn’t just deny everyone the use of the
pool for two weeks.
The problem was that after the construction began, cracks
were found in the pool. These could have been there from
before the construction and exacerbated when it began. We
were really worried about safety issues, but the management
maintained that the public should have access to the
swimming pool. It was a very stressful period; we prayed
that we could finish that part of the construction quickly and
without any incident. The construction went on, rain or shine,
day and night. There were complaints about the noise from
residents in the surrounding areas, but we couldn’t stop.
Those blocks of flats were finished on schedule within that
remarkably tight timeframe. It might have been some kind of
record. HDB flats after that took much longer to build.
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63
Low Kim Heng
Born: 1952
Former hawker’s assistant selling beef hor fun (flat rice noodles) at a hawker stall on
Koek Road in 1965. Later worked in a coffee shop, Bamboo House, then in various hotel
kitchens. Now a chef at Raffles Town Club, handling cold dishes.
I was recommended by my father’s friend to become an
assistant to a hawker, and I slowly picked up the skills. It
was difficult, like in hawker centres these days. The hawker
centre was along the roadside on Koek Road. It used to be
crowded there, flanked by two rows of old shophouses, where
Centrepoint is now. One side was open-air, and the hawkers
set up their stalls from noon. That was around 1965 to 1969,
before they were chased away.
There were also hawkers in coffeeshops in old shophouses,
kind of like what they used to have in Chinatown, with patrons
eating by the roadside. The upper stretch (towards the back
of Cuppage Road) sold Malay food and the lower stretch sold
Chinese food. The food sold were the usual traditional fare –
the Hainanese sold curry rice and porridge, some sold Hokkien
mee, beef noodles, kway teow soup, and so on. Basically the
food you see at hawker centres now. It was a high-class place,
because it wasn’t as messy. Especially because the Orchard
Road market was very clean and catered to the Europeans.
As an assistant, I had to slice beef and clean the cow’s
stomach, which wasn’t like the readily frozen ones today.
We had to buy the unprocessed ones, which were very dirty.
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Then we used a pot, and added gypsum powder to marinate
the stomach, until it was soft and then we scraped off the dirt.
The dish (beef hor fun) took many hours to prepare, and we
had to use the bones to boil the broth.
Orchard Road back then was quite quiet; there were not too
many people during the weekdays, except perhaps at lunch.
Past 9 pm, not many people would be left. Only one stretch,
where Paragon is now, could be quite crowded. They had
what you called tea dances there on Sundays.
Our coffee house was opposite the Mandarin Hotel, known
as Bamboo House. It was quite famous. Our chefs were
mainly Hainanese. I am not Hainanese, but I speak the dialect.
Because Hainanese used to work in British military bases, they
were already trained and worked in kitchens like ours when
they left the base. The coffee house sold both Western and
Chinese cuisine, as well as pastries. Every day, we worked
from morning to night, non-stop. Sometimes we had a break
in the afternoon. We worked from 10 am to about 2:30 pm
and had a break, before resuming at 5 pm. Those of us in the
Western food kitchen did not get a break and we worked the
entire day, because people still came in the afternoons.
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65
Mohamed Hanapi bin Mohamed
Born: 1945
Was in the police force for 26 years on rotation in different divisions and locations.
Started out in Woodlands division near the customs, later worked at Orchard and
Tanglin divisions. Retired to spend time with family.
I applied to be a temporary teacher at Pulau Merlimau Primary
School off Tanjong Kling. Every day for three months, I took
a sampan (boat) to and from the island to teach. But because
my Malaysia Certificate Examination results did not meet the
teaching requirements, I became a police officer instead.
I joined the police force in 1965. I was sent to the Jalan
Gurney barracks in Kuala Lumpur and trained there for six
months. The recruits came from all over, such as Sarawak,
Sabah, Singapore and other parts of Malaysia. There was an
option to serve in other parts of Malaysia because Singapore
was part of Malaya at the time. But then Singapore separated
from Malaysia right in the middle of my training. Because
training was so tough, we thought the separation meant that
we could go back home and that training was over. We were
so happy! We all threw our uniforms and boots up onto the
zinc roof of the barracks in celebration. But then, we were
ordered to retrieve our things and continue training.
When I first started as a policeman, I had to wear brown shorts
and a grey wool shirt. If we handled decomposed bodies, we
would have to get new shirts because the smell would stick.
I also had to polish the silver buttons on my shirts and wear
boots and knee-high socks. I felt quite proud wearing the
uniform. People had respect for the uniform in those days.
As a police officer, I dealt with many things. There were
gang fights in the 1970s and we would patrol the streets and
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look out for hidden parangs (big knives) or weapons under
gunnysacks or in the trees or bushes. I would also see many
corpses. I once saw a victim of a fight whose neck was almost
severed. One of the younger officers fainted after seeing it
and needed an ambulance. And there was once, after lunch,
two younger colleagues saw the gruesome sight of bodies
that had been run over at the train tracks near Rifle Range
Road. They vomited their lunch.
During my time at the Orchard Road Division in the 1970s,
many personal thefts were reported. So we formed a special
task force where I was dispatched to identify the pickpocket
syndicate. I paired up with my counterparts to trail the
suspects and catch them red-handed. I think I had a knack for
spotting Indonesian pickpockets and I suspect they performed
black magic on their victims before taking their belongings.
These Indonesians had talismans on their bodies and the
victims would only realise that their things were stolen after
the police informed them of the theft. These culprits would
get fined and be deported back to Indonesia. But they would
change the names on their passport and be back in Singapore
to steal again a few weeks later.
I think that the police force should interview and survey the
retiring officers. They are the ones who have vast experience.
And as you know, we police officers are of all different races
and we all get along. We enjoy our time together.
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67
Mrs Mohamed Siraj
Born: 1925
First female social worker with the Syariah Court. Co-founded the Young Women’s Muslim
Association (1952) and the Muslim Women’s Welfare Council (1964).
My husband was involved in community and social work and I
was in a number of committees as well, including the Singapore
Children’s Society and the Family Planning Society. I realised
that there were no Muslim women on the committees and
I thought that if anything happened, no one would help us
Muslim women.
In the 1950s, men could divorce their wives just by verbalising
the divorce and paying them alimony of $30 for three months
even if they had children. It was not fair, but women had no
rights and could not protect themselves. My friends and I
decided that we must do something and we started the Young
Women’s Muslim Association by word of mouth. Women then
were afraid of their husbands, and some were told by their
husbands that they would divorce them if they joined us. We
told them that if they were afraid, they wouldn’t be able to
do many things. Some of the women were not afraid and said
that even if they were thrown out of their homes, they would
still fight. We met the legislators and brought forward issues
such as the divorce and polygamy laws. Eventually, these laws
became better. We also told them that Muslims needed a place
where women could go and bring up their issues and achieve
more rights, and that ended up being the Syariah Court.
came to the court because of problems with their husbands.
Mostly these were money issues – their husbands would marry
other women and leave them without financial support.
I also felt that since I was involved in all this work, I should
know more about the law. If we didn’t know the law, how
would we be able to help people? But it was difficult studying
at a late age, especially since I was also working. I started
attending classes with Encik Ahmad Ibrahim (Singapore’s first
local Attorney General) and he taught me a great deal.
In 1964, we started the Muslim Women’s Welfare Council.
Even after the divorce and polygamy laws were changed,
there were still problems as many men just did as they liked.
Most women were not educated and their parents and
husbands would keep them at home. With the council, we did
charity and welfare work, and we tried to help the women by
giving them legal and medical advice.
What kept me going was the desire to help those unfortunate
people. There were so many unfortunate women and children,
and unfortunate men as well. I felt that I had to help in
whatever way I could.
I later worked in the Syariah Court as a counsellor, and it was
a horrible experience because there were many women who
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69
Ng Weng Sang
Born: 1950
Studied theatre design in London. Created accessories for fashion shows in the 1970s.
Eventually began working on window displays for Tangs Department Store.
In the 1960s, when I was still in school, my mother and I would
visit the stores in High Street, Raffles Place and Shenton Way
every Saturday.
me a job, but because I couldn’t get deferment from NS, I
couldn’t take the job. After NS, there were no opportunities in
either film or television, so I started doing accessories.
We would always have lunch in one of the Western food places,
such as GH Café, Polar or Troika. In those days, the Western
food establishments were always run by the Hainanese.
That was in 1978. At that time, all the big fashion brands
weren’t available in Singapore yet, or if they were here, only
the clothes came in, the accessories didn’t. We did not have
all this high-fashion jewellery. So they needed someone to
do accessories for the fashion shows. I had to look at the
catalogue, figure out the look for the collection and create
accessories that would go with it. I created accessories from
scratch for boutiques such as Club 21, Glamourette and Link.
I would also do the props, stage settings and table settings
for parties or events that the boutiques had. And that’s how
Tang Wee Sung got to know of me and my work and how I
eventually ended up doing window displays for Tangs.
The hip stores then were places such as Robinsons, Whiteaways
and Metro, but OG on Upper Cross Street had the most
memorable window displays. Everyone looked to OG on
Upper Cross Street for their iconic window displays, especially
in the 1970s. It was always done as a pictorial, telling a whole
story. They would have up to 20 mannequins in different poses
depicting a complex scene. They had the biggest and most
interesting window displays.
Another memorable one was Whiteaways in Shenton Way.
Whiteaways was a British store, a bit like Robinsons, but they
had moving displays featuring marionettes.
My mother felt that the best thing she could do for me was
to give me a good education, and that this “inheritance” was
better than leaving me money. After my father passed away,
she paid the $50,000 bond in order to let me go to art college
in London before serving NS (National Service).
I can still remember my first display at Tangs. We were in the
midst of preparing for the move to the new Tangs building
and they needed someone to replace the original display
guy who had been tasked to help with store planning. My
first display was in the old store. It was the children’s window,
featuring stuffed mannequins sitting on a life buoy. It was a
small window, at the most only 10 feet. That’s all I remember
of my first window display.
I studied theatre design, and when I came back, I tried to get
a job doing sets for films. One of the Shaw brothers offered
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71
Oer See Kiang
Born: 1951
Started working in the construction industry at age 16. Still in the industry, mainly
supervising worksites.
I was born in Singapore and spent my childhood in Norfolk
estate, known as Bek Gioh in dialect. My mother died from
epilepsy when I was eight and my father passed away when I
was 11. I was the second youngest out of seven children, and
could not complete my primary school.
After my father died, we were homeless as the government or
landlord had confiscated our place. I had to fend for myself as
most of my relatives were without the financial means to help.
I worked for anyone who could provide food and lodging
then. I worked as a child labourer at a leather factory making
shoes. The working hours were very long and I had to pay for
food myself. I remember being alone in the factory during
Chinese New Year, eating roti prata while everyone else
was home celebrating.
I was keen to work fast, and once, I was not careful while using
the industrial stamping machine to cut leather and my index
finger was crushed. I was out of action for three months and
the boss “compensated” me with $270, which was equivalent
to 3 months’ pay, and told me I was not to report him to the
authorities and to go away.
When I was 16 and stronger, someone recommended that
I work in the construction sites, carrying sand and mixing
cement. I started working in construction sites building small
bungalows in the Bukit Timah area. I hoed mud and had to
carry sand for $4 a day. If it rained, I would have no income for
the day. I would stay in the makeshift warehouse in the worksite.
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I was interested in reading blueprints and construction jobs
involving metal, and taught myself the relevant skills through
observation. I learnt most of these skills within a year. I was
hardworking and thus my daily wage was raised from $3 to
$10 within a year. I soon started subcontracting projects for
metal work in civil engineering, making drains and canals,
overhead bridges and so on.
Around 1970, Singapore’s construction industry was booming,
and I started subcontracting metal jobs from Tan Kim Huat
Construction Company. I worked on the Changi Airport
hangar for close to three years, building the workshops where
the planes would be repaired. We also built underground
storage tanks for the planes’ petroleum as well as the
drainage system.
Back then, there were no mandated safety measures.
We could wear slippers to worksites and many people did.
Stepping on nails was an everyday affair, nothing surprising.
Regulations to wear helmets and safety boots were only in
place in the 1980s.
After that, I mainly worked in civil engineering projects such as
the Tiong Bahru and Hougang canals. I built so many drains
and canals that I cannot recall all of them. Around 1985,
I worked with Eastern Industry to secure a part of the MRT
(Mass Rapid Transit) western line, from Bukit Merah to Boon
Lay. We built the footings and pillars for the MRT tracks.
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73
Othman bin Tubah
Born: 1947
Worked as a contractor after graduating from school. One of his first jobs was at the Pasir
Panjang power station. Later worked as driver.
We had to use our hands to pull the thick
electrical cable. The exterior of the cable
was made of rubber, but the interior
had all this electrical cable, all metal, so
it was very heavy. We had to pull it out
from the big rolls and put it inside the
sand. Many people were needed to pull
it. There was a sort of tunnel in the sand,
we put the cable in there and covered
up after that. At the time, the power
station was still run by the British.
Later on, I also worked at the docks in
Pasir Panjang, carrying things off the
British ships. It was very difficult to get
work. There was a company called Chua
Chua Leong and we would go there and
wait to see if they needed people for the
day. When the ships came in, they would
decide how many men they needed,
and if we were called up, we would go
and carry ammunition from the ship to
the waiting trucks. Big, big magazines.
Very heavy. The work was not regular,
sometimes there was work, sometimes
there wasn’t.
After that, in the 1960s, I went to work
in the Jurong Shipyard. My friend was a
crane driver there and he recommended
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that I work there. But I didn’t know how
to drive, so I did staging for the engine
room. This means that we set up the
place so that the people who needed
to do welding, spray painting or repair
things could go in after we set up. Later,
I had a team of maybe three, four men,
and I was the person in charge.
My manager from Jurong Shipyard
went to Mitsubishi Shipyard. He asked
me to join him there. The shipyard was
at Pioneer Road. Anyway, I didn’t stay
long with Mitsubishi. When I joined
them, I originally asked to be inside
the engine room, similar to what I was
doing before. But they put me in the
tank, which meant that we had to clean
the tank and do the staging there. It was
very deep and slippery. This is the tank
where they put the oil for the ship, so it
also smelt bad and was very dangerous.
But you know, about a year after I left,
that’s when the ship exploded. You
know Spyros? Some of the men that I
was in charge of were inside the ship.
I said to myself, “Alamak…” They were
people from my section; there was one
welder and two sisters. I knew those
two sisters, both cleaners; they were
on board the ship when it exploded.
It’s so sad. When the news was reported,
people called me and told me, “You
know this guy, last time under you?
He was there. Gone already.”
Life was difficult at the time. I had three
children, all in school. A friend I knew
from the coffee shop at my block asked
me to take my driving licence so I could
get different kind of jobs. I went to take
the test. That time very easy. When
you fail, you can try again after two or
three days. Not like now. But I was very
lucky, one time I pass already. Motorbike
also one time I pass. Even if you had
no motorbike licence, you just had to
display the “L” plate and you could go
on the road.
After I passed my test, I tried to get a
job as a driver. Ahmad, lah, last time
they call Ahmad. I read in the newspaper
about a place at International Plaza that
was looking for a driver. So I went for an
interview, but they didn’t ask me why my
licence was red. At the time, you would
get a red licence when you just passed
the driving test. Only after one year,
then you would get a normal license.
But they never asked me about it. So I
was supposed to start work two or three
days later.
When I reported to work, they asked
me to drive the car. Whoa… it was a
Mercedes. I was nervous! So I drove very
slowly. After a while, it was okay, but
when I had to go to the office, I had to
drive up, up, up the International Plaza
car park. Sweat!
I mainly drove the boss’ mother around.
You know, the Ah Ma. She had small
feet. I drove her when she went to wash
her hair at the salon, or when she went
to Guang Meng Sua (Bright Hill Temple)
to pray.
I had Chinese friends in the kampong
(village), so I learnt some Chinese, easy
words, lah. Then when Ah Ma spoke to
me in Chinese, and asked me if I want
to go here or go there, I told her, “Chin
chye (anything), lah!” Then she said, “Eh,
you can speak Chinese?” So they liked
me. I worked there for 25 years, until no
one needed looking after. The children all
grew up, there was no one left to drive.
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75
Ramachandra Murugaia
Born: 1931
Came to Singapore in 1948. Opened Jothi Store & Flower Shop in 1960 selling cigarettes,
betel leaves and prayer items.
Back then, Singapore looked like a village. No traffic lights,
only one-way traffic. There was one traffic light at Stamford
Road; people came to see it.
I first started working at The Straits Times for two years
from 1948 to 1950. I started as a compositor. Now they
have electronics and all. At that time there was nothing,
everything was written by hand. Then the Singapore Tiger
Standard opened and people asked me to work there
as the salary was higher. At the time, former Foreign Minister
S. Rajaratnam was working with me. A lot of people came
to see him. Even former MM Lee (Minister Mentor Lee
Kuan Yew) came to visit him many times. But the day the
new government was set up, the company closed down.
I searched for work for nearly one year. From 1959 to 1960,
there was no work. I couldn’t get a job.
as the shop was very small. I already had four children at the
time. I fed my family with the earnings from this shop. But it
was very hard work, from 6 in the morning to sometimes
11 at night. I still tell people to work hard and improve. After
two years, I took a small portion of my savings and opened a
flower shop. But when my son was two years old, I had many
bad debts and couldn’t save. A lot of money was lost.
My first daughter’s name is Jothi. All my businesses were
named after her. Jothi has a special meaning; it means ‘light’.
I know some very old customers. Some have been coming to
the shop for 50 years. I started Jothi and it was a lot of hard
work, but now I’ve given it to my son and he is in charge. He’s
doing very well and I am very happy. I’m not educated, but he
is. And he has taken over all of the work.
So in 1960, I opened a small shop. It was only a small shop
selling cigarettes, betel leaves and prayer things. In one day
we could make $60 to $100. It was very difficult starting out
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77
Roland Vivian Simon
Born: 1932
Was a telephone operator at the Sembawang naval base during the Japanese
Occupation. Joined the Malaysian Navy in 1963 and continued with the Republic of
Singapore Navy. Officially left the Navy in 1987, with the rank of Major.
He recalls a close-shave with the Indonesian boats towards
the end of Konfrontasi (Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation
from 1962–1966):
Towards the end of Konfrontasi, I was fuelling at Pulau Bukom.
And I got a signal – ‘Go to help Panglima. At Sultan Shoal
Lighthouse.’ So I went there. They said they had fired a shot at
one of these Beatty boats that were coming in. So, the boats
left. But as they came back, I looked to the horizon and saw
three PT (patrol) boats, plus two Koma-class motor torpedo
boats coming towards us, to attack us. So I quickly came up
with a battle plan. I said, “Look, see those three small boats
to my left, you go to my left and I go to my right. We fire at
them. We have more powerful guns, we will sink them. After
that, you come and help me with the torpedo boats, but
watch out for the torpedo.”
It was a good thing our ships were not made of metal; they
were wooden boats. If they were metal, they would attract the
torpedo. So I said, “I’ll sink them and come back and we will
help each other.” My partner Andy had one gun and I had one
gun. They were 40 millimetre guns, which was good. And we
also had two 20 millimetre guns. The Indonesian customs boat
had a 12.7 millimetre gun. So we outgunned them. But the
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motor torpedo boats had torpedoes and they had bigger value
guns... Anyway, I said we would go. So I said, “Andy,” – he’s a
New Zealander – “Andy, this may be our last fight. We may not
come out of this alive.” So all the crew was ready to fight... and
we had to control our guns and fire.
Both sides were moving slowly, coming to international waters
before we could open fire. And there was rain as well. There
were two of us and five of them coming. I called for backup.
Within five minutes, I suddenly saw the boats scattering. Then
we heard the planes coming. They didn’t shoot, just zoomed
down to frighten them. So the boats went into the Phillip
Channel. I should have shot and sunk them, but I said, “No,
let’s watch.” They broke off and sailed back towards their base.
I wondered why the boat didn’t fire the torpedoes. They gave
way. Then I saw the British destroyer coming, it came dashing
down. I saw the Indonesian boats scattering. The commander
later asked me, “Tell me, what were you doing before this?” So
I said I was fuelling halfway at Bukom. And he said, “Carry on,
I’ll take charge.” Before I left, he said over the loud hailer, “You
were brave lads, taking on five ships.” And I replied, “It’s my
duty, Sir. I would have died for my duty. Defending our country.”
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79
Roslina Baba
Born: 1963
Advocate and solicitor from 1994 till present. Part of the first batch of NUS (National
University of Singapore) law students to spend all four years at the Kent Ridge campus.
I wanted to be an English or Literature teacher, as I loved
studying languages and the written word. But my father saw
that I had the aptitude for higher education and said that I
had to get a professional degree. In those days, that meant
medicine, law, engineering or accounting.
After I graduated from law school, I wasn’t too interested
in joining the big law firms that mostly focused on corporate
law. I felt I could help people as a lawyer, so I joined a
small law firm in Geylang that did a lot of work serving the
disadvantaged. I remember defending a hawker for just $300.
When I was in pre-university, the school took us to the
Industrial Arbitration Court, and even though there were
no lawyers there, the arguing of cases and the proceedings
caught my interest. I decided that studying law wasn’t such a
bad compromise. After all, law also has to do with language.
It was a very small firm, comprising three partners and only
one pupil. Later on, one partner left to move overseas and
another was on long-leave, so only my pupil-master and
I were left. I had only joined the workforce for about 18
months when my pupil-master was detained by the Internal
Security Department. Suddenly, I found myself running the
firm while also trying to handle my boss’ case. It was not
the usual pupilage experience that most young lawyers get,
I can tell you!
I was part of the first batch of NUS (National University of
Singapore) law students to spend all four years at the
Kent Ridge campus. Although the ratio of male to female
students was about 50:50, I was the only female Malay
student in that department.
I was quite active in the Muslim Association. We organised
talks and debates about philosophy, religion and current
topics. During my final year, there was another group of
students and lecturers organising a petition against the
quota for female medical students, limiting their intake to
something like only three out of 10 students. We felt this was
discriminatory against women. The members of this group
would eventually go on to become AWARE (Association of
Women for Action and Research).
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Eventually, the family of the detained lawyer decided to close
down the firm so that she would not have to worry about it
during her period of detainment and I wouldn’t have to run it
by myself. After that, I went to London to pursue my Masters.
I enjoyed my time in London and the work there was
interesting too. But being Asian, you come back home when
your parents ask you to, and mine did. I came back and joined
my present firm. I have been with them for the past 22 years.
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81
Rufino Soliano
Born: 1932
Musican, composer and retired head of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation
Orchestra. Started out as a percussionist in 1960 and worked his way up to lead the
38-piece orchestra.
I was born in 1932 in Singapore. My grandfather and my entire
family were from the Philippines. My grandfather played the
piano for silent movies in those days. That is why he came here
to work and the entire family followed him. All my uncles and
aunties are musicians. My father knows that my brother likes
to play the piano and I sometimes disturbed him when he was
playing the piano. It showed my interest and I had a good
sense of rhythm. Then he told me that he would teach my
brother how to play the piano and me the violin.
When I first started my band, I called it the Marvel Boys.
We started it when we were 15 years old because my father
had musician friends and their children all played music and
liked music. They used to come to the house very often so
we would have jam sessions. One day my father said, instead
of jamming, why don’t you do something about it? So I started
to gather the boys to perform. We played at Shackler Club,
British Club, once at Great World Cabaret and once at
Lido’s nightclub.
Then my Uncle Jerry asked me to work at the Raffles Hotel
and from then on, I learnt proper drumming because a lot of
foreign “floor shows” came here to perform. The “floor show”
dancers were from the Philippines but they did nothing but
Latin music. I found out that Latin has good rhythm and it
makes you want to move. So from then on I started playing
Latin. And when I worked with the radio I started doing my
own programme called the Latin Six.
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In the late 1970s and 1980s, all the big stars came to Singapore.
Count Bessie, Ben Monroe and Johnny Ray were here. I jammed
with Buddy Rich, the fastest drummer in the world. We had a jam
session with him and he taught me some drum tricks. So I
played for all of them. The last person I played for was Sammy
Davis Jr. But I didn’t play the drum, I played percussion.
When I had my second stroke, I was blind for half a day and the
surgeon came to talk to me. He said that I was lucky because I
didn’t have any blood clots, otherwise I would be paralysed.
Later on, my daughter brought me to the doctor and I told her that
I was coming in for a very big nervous breakdown and there was no
medicine to cure it. The doctor asked what I did and my daughter
told him that I’m a musician; I’m a drummer and I play music. Then
the doctor asked her to give me my music and see what happens.
She said to me, “Dad, would you compose some songs if I
asked you to?” I said I would try, and she continued, “Okay, if
you can come up with at least 12 songs I promise you I’ll try to
get the CD going for you.”
I bounced back. I wrote 12 songs and I did the CD. In two weeks,
all the songs were ready. We did the pressings and the CD was
just released. I titled all the songs after my grandchildren.
I learnt my music at the age of 8. And now I am 81. All the way, I
knew nothing except music. I play music, I write music and I love
music. And I’m very glad that I’m a musician. I don’t regret it.
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83
Santha Bhaskar
Born: 1939
Learnt music and dance at age three. Left her family in Kerala, India to get married in
Singapore. Dancer and choreographer. Received a Cultural Medallion for contributions
to dance in 1990.
My husband Mr K. P. Bhaskar had been living in Singapore
since the early 1950s, and after three years he came to India
to seek a bride who could dance. So coming to Singapore
was my destiny, and I don’t regret anything. It was divinely
decided that I was to serve here, and I am very happy about it.
Mr Bhaskar’s dance school started in 1952, but we didn’t have
a proper place like what we have now. He held classes at the
Ceylon Tamil Association on Kirk Terrace. We also travelled
to Johor, Malacca, Muar, Seremban, Batu Pahat, Penang and
other parts of Malaysia to teach dance. Singapore is small and
it was not enough for us to make a living from teaching dance
at that time. We would be asked to perform as well, but we
didn’t make much money from our performances.
In the early days, we had mostly Ceylonese Tamils taking
lessons at our school. The local Indians were not so interested
in learning dance or music at that time, but it was a necessity
for the Ceylonese Tamils. For the girls, they had to pay a
dowry to get married, and it could be a huge sum required for
a husband with an occupation such as an engineer, a doctor
or a lawyer. But if the girls learnt music or dance, they didn’t
have to pay such a large dowry. Because of that, many girls
learnt dance.
In 1958, Mr Bhaskar and I saw this Chinese movie, The
Butterfly Lovers. After watching it, we both thought that it
would be a good idea to choreograph the story into a dance
drama. I was around 19 and just had my first son. At that
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time, we had many Chinese students learning Indian dance;
we taught at Chung Cheng High School, Chinese High, Nan
Hwa and Hwa Chong Secondary School. When we did The
Butterfly Lovers, these Chinese students supported the show
and we had one week of sold-out performances. We had
Chinese costumes set to Indian music and Indian dance,
and that was my first experimental work in dance. Before that,
I had only performed Indian epics.
I later had a Chinese dance teacher from Indonesia, and I
learnt Chinese dances such as the scarf dance and the sword
dance. I also learnt Malay dance.
I really liked the multiculturalism that I found here in the
1950s. It was all about respecting each other’s cultures, living
and performing together. I’ve been influenced by Chinese
and Malay dance, as well as other dance styles such as ballet.
If I were in India that wouldn’t have happened, because I
wouldn’t even have seen Chinese dance. I came to Singapore
and saw the beauty of other cultures; I absorbed all of that
and naturally my dance and choreography styles reflected
that. Even my style of teaching dance has been influenced
by Singapore. In Singapore, we teach according to the needs
of the students, because they don’t have lessons every day.
I cannot teach them like how I was taught in India. I’m very
Singaporean in my soul and I cannot be separated into
different cultures.
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85
Dr Shanta Christina Emmanuel
Born: 1943
Joined the healthcare industry for 42 years. Just retired from SingHealth in 2012.
Last position held was Head of SingHealth Chronic Disease Management Office.
I didn’t have any burning desire to study medicine but I
knew my father would like it if one of us did, so I got into
medical school. But that was a very difficult period because
it was a six-year course. The next year, it became a shortened
five-year course.
I got married when I was a houseman and was six months
pregnant towards the end of my housemanship when the
postings were about to be given out. Since I was pregnant,
I was told I wouldn’t be posted to a hospital. They said they
would post me to public health instead. They sent me to
the School Health Services. I didn’t have any idea what it
was about at first. But I came to realise there were so many
schools in Singapore and every few days we had to go to a
new school. Singapore was so different at that time; we had
to drive to real kampongs (villages) and I would get lost trying
to find my way. When we got there, there were no rooms
allocated to us. The schools were ill-prepared and wanted us
to operate out of the storeroom. I was upset because they
clearly didn’t understand that we were providing a valuable
service. So I was happy when that posting ended and I was
sent to work in the polyclinics.
stories of them waking up with a cobra under their pillow!
There was long lalang (coarse grass) and the nurses would get
bitten by dogs when they went out.
We would see 150 patients a day. And my patients used to
tell me they hated coming to the polyclinic. They asked me
why I had to tie my chair to the table, was I afraid that they
would steal my chair? I had to explain that I had to do so
because every time I took their blood pressure their chair
would move. And I had to keep getting up to move the chair
back. That was why I had to tie the chair to the table.
At that time all the islands – Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong –
were inhabited villages. There were families living there.
So the midwives would go there twice a year and the doctors
would go once a year. There were no proper jetties and none
of us could swim. We went in little wooden boats! We gave
immunisation to children, antenatal care for women, arranged
for mothers to come over when they delivered. We all
entrusted our lives to the boatman who took us to the island.
We would go and come back with fresh fish, durians and all
kinds of things. This was all phased out around 1973 or 1974.
I loved working at the Queenstown polyclinic. In Queenstown,
things were quite civilised; I knew doctors who worked in the
more remote areas – Bukit Timah, Ama Keng – there were
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87
Sew Hung Kun
Born: 1914
Former trishaw rider during the 1960s and 1970s. Took on various jobs prior to this, such as
driving lorries of durians from Malaysia to Singapore and labouring on construction sites.
I was born in China in 1914. When the Japanese invaded
China and I was called to the army to fight the Japanese,
I didn’t want to bear arms and fight a war. How could we? We
weren’t trained; it’s not like in Singapore where you have NS
(National Service) and the soldiers know what to do. I wouldn’t
have known what to do or how to fire a gun, so I borrowed
money from my relatives and took a European steamship to
Singapore. That was in 1938, when I was 24 years old. When
we arrived in Singapore, I was quarantined for a day and my
aunt had to pay five silver coins to obtain the relevant papers
(official stamp) from the British government officials.
I became a trishaw rider as you could earn quite a bit as one
since there were no taxis then. There weren’t too many buses
either. I would ride around Dua Poh (South Bridge Road side
of the Singapore river) and Suay Poh (North Bridge Road
side of the river). I remember that during or after a heavy
downpour, the canal near Tekka market would overflow and it
would flood. People didn’t want to get their shoes and socks
wet in the rain, and I would enjoy good business whenever it
rained.
It cost 10 dollars a year for the trishaw registration plate. You
had to register so that if someone stole your trishaw, you
could report it to the government and the culprits would be
caught. I bought my own trishaw and rode for more than
10 years. I used to earn a lot from the American soldiers
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who stopped over in Singapore from Vietnam. They were
given a generous allowance for their stopover here. They
arrived in ships that had a thousand soldiers on board. Half
of them would get a day off in Singapore and have to return
by midnight. The next day, the other half would get to come
ashore for some R&R (rest and recreation).
I couldn’t speak English so I wouldn’t earn as much as my
counterparts who were educated and could speak English. But
since they liked to go out in groups, I would just follow the
lead of the other trishaw riders and send these soldiers to bars
and clubs in Bugis, Tekka and downtown. In addition to being
paid by the soldiers for the fare, the Indian bouncers at these
clubs would also pay me a commission of one dollar for each
customer I brought them.
The soldiers would still have to pay a dollar or two for the
entrance fee because there would be bands entertaining
them in the clubs. Of course, some soldiers would also ask
to go to brothels.
I had been riding for more than 10 years when more taxis
began to appear and public transport improved. The American
soldiers also stopped coming to Singapore after the war
ended. The trishaw trade stopped being lucrative and it didn’t
make sense to ride anymore, so I took on various odd jobs,
such as painting HDB flats.
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89
Sua Yap Teng
Born: 1954
Began apprenticeship in 1970. Started Lian Bee Engineering with friends in 1977,
then founded his company, S.U.A Engineering Pte Ltd, in 1991.
I left school at Secondary Two. My mother wanted us to be
apprenticed, to learn skills that would carry us into the future.
Through friends’ recommendations, she managed to get my
brother a job as an apprentice in a steelwork factory. The
rest of us followed. The factory was in Bukit Timah, where
Methodist Girls’ School is today.
The shifu (master) in those days didn’t really teach; you were
just expected to watch and learn. We cut metal strips, bent
and shaped them, and learnt how to weld. The company I
apprenticed at made consoles, the metal parts for control
panels used in industrial settings.
Eventually, a few of us decided that we would venture out
and start our own business. We put in $500 each and had to
be very careful with our expenses. One of the partners got
us a deal to supply windows for HDB (Housing Development
Board) flats being built then. That was our first order.
You know, the metal grill on the windows in the early HDB
flats? The pattern alternates between straight lines and a
capsule-like shape. We would start with strips of metal, bend
them around to form the capsule shape, and then weld the
straight parts in between. Once that was done, we sprayed
them with silver paint.
We made hundreds and hundreds of these windows and
installed them in Queenstown, Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio.
That window design was the standard design and used
everywhere. The flats were just empty shells at the time of
installation, no flooring, no doors yet.
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We also made front gates for private houses. Customers
requested certain designs and we would have to draw and
fabricate them. It was popular to have curly waves on top of
the rectangular gates in the 1970s.
By the 1980s, it didn’t seem like there was much of a future for
this type of windows and gates. So we decided to go back to
what we were doing in our apprenticeship and build consoles
and control panels for industrial purposes.
We also moved away from the old materials and focused
on working with stainless steel. At the time, there were no
companies in Singapore that dealt with making structures for
marine rigs and oil containers. A project with a company in
Batam got us started on this. Eventually, word got out that
this type of work could be done in Singapore, and we began
to get orders to build stainless structures that would be fitted
with electronic controls at other local companies, and then be
shipped off to places like Dubai, Oman, Indonesia and Vietnam.
I have never really thought of getting my children to take over
the business. It’s different for them. They’ve never ground,
welded or cut metal. They’re not trained to work with steel.
They should pursue their own interest, whatever that may be.
I enjoy the challenge and believe in doing good work that
will please our clients. I also believe that honesty should be
a guiding principle in all that we do. I have a big calligraphy
of the Chinese character for “honesty” in my office. This is
something I’ve held firmly on to and will keep doing so.
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91
Syed Abdul Kadir
Born: 1948
Started boxing at 11. The first Singaporean to win a medal for boxing in the
Commonwealth Games. Represented Singapore at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
Retired from the sport in late 1976 and went on to coach the Singapore national team.
The Olympics were my dream. I said I wanted to represent the
country but my friends laughed at me.
They said, “This sport is very tough, you cannot…” I said I
would prove it to them. We always say that if this person can,
so can I. But you cannot just use your mouth. You must work
for it. Only train, train, train. Work, train. That was my life.
For ten years, I was doing it.
I won my first national open championship at the age of 19.
I was selected for the Olympic Games. It was my peak.
The very highest. I was really well prepared. I sparred with
all heavier weight guys. So people saw that I could take on
and punch the heavier guys. Other competitors in my weight
category from other countries were quite worried. They didn’t
want to spar with me.
And when we went to Munich, I was confident. The next
match was against Cuba and I knew that I would win. But the
second round he came at my head. There was a very, very
small cut. So the referee stopped the fight. The doctor came
up and checked the wound. My corner man just wiped and
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dabbed it. The blood stopped. It was a very small cut; we
could have continued. But they didn’t allow me to fight. I cried.
I couldn’t do anything to change their decision.
Although I went to the Olympic Games, the 1971 South East
Asian Peninsular games was the best fight for me because the
final opponent was Burmese. He was purposely brought down
from the hill tribes for the purpose of boxing. He was fearsome,
a very fierce guy. And he was number one in Asia at that time.
His coach was very arrogant. When we met in the dining hall,
he came up to me and said, “You’re meeting my boy, you eat
more.” He told me to eat more! He was serious. So I said,
“OK, I’ll see you tonight.” That’s all. Then when I beat his boy,
I would say I shook the world. They didn’t know that Singapore
has boxers who can win.
I don’t know what it means to retire. Not in my vocabulary.
People say in any sport, you have to sacrifice. Your time.
And your youth. As long as I’m still strong, I will continue to
help the young kids. They need guidance. I feel that if I don’t
give back what I enjoyed from the sport, I’m not doing the
right thing.
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93
Tan Mian Kiau
Born: 1950
Worked as a babysister when she was 11 before becoming a housekeeper at age 15.
Later became a factory worker at General Electric.
When I was 11, I had to work as a babysitter for 50 cents a
day just so I could get my meals at my employers’ place.
When my eldest sister had her baby, I was sometimes sent
to the far end of Jurong to care for her and the newborn.
My mother would make me work in different houses as a
housekeeper or cleaner so as to save the rice for our other
family members.
When I was 15, someone offered me a housekeeping job
at an American’s house. It was a big bungalow in Lim Chu
Kang. I was initially very scared because I neither spoke nor
understood English. I also had to stay there and could only
go home every fortnight. Luckily, there were three other
housekeepers who were willing to guide me. I was able to
learn some English and could slowly adjust.
I was a housekeeper till my early 20s when I got married and
had kids. However, I did not like to stay home as the kids were
too noisy and were always quarrelling. I started looking for
housekeeping jobs near the Bukit Timah area, and by then,
I was paid around $80 a month for a full-day job.
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In 1972, I decided to apply for a job at General Electric (GE)
as a factory worker. At that time, GE had seven factories in
Singapore, and there were three in the Jurong industrial area.
The plant I worked in was near the Jurong Bird Park.
I quit my housekeeping job but my employer then convinced
me to work part-time for her. So in the mornings from 7 am to
12 noon, I had to clean her house and do the ironing, among
other things, for $60 a month. I had to rush home to cook and
wash before rushing to my second shift work from 3 pm to
11 pm. I was paid 39 cents an hour at GE when I first started.
It was hard work; I had to stand the whole day at the assembly
line fixing motor parts for refrigerators or fans and my hands
would be black with oil. We were also given only 20 minutes
for meal breaks at first, so I had to wolf down my dinner.
After the government intervention on the treatment of factory
workers, our meal break was extended to 25 minutes, plus
10 minutes for coffee break.
After GE, I got a job at a childcare centre as a cleaner but
because I was scared of centipedes and I saw a few there, I
quit. Now, I work at an institution’s tuckshop cleaning tables.
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95
Tan Yeow Tiong
Born: 1931
Learnt carpentry and set up a business in the 1960s; restarted his business after it
failed. Has been with his son’s firm, Albright Plastics, since 1988. Goes to work every
day and makes moulds and other woodwork items for the factory.
After the war was over, I apprenticed at a furniture maker’s
workshop in 1949. The furniture workshop was in New World.
They had master craftsmen from Shanghai who were famous
for their skills.
buy truckloads of furniture. By the 1960s, fewer of them
came to Singapore to buy furniture. Rubber prices had come
down, and we began to have competition from furniture
makers there.
The period of apprenticeship for carpenters was a minimum
of 18 months. After 18 months, we had to pay them back for
a month. That meant that we had to make up for days that we
might have been ill or missed work during our apprenticeship.
It was very hard work. We started at 7:30 am and worked until
6 pm every day, except Sundays, when we worked for half a
day. Our pay was 50 cents a day. After six months, you would
then be paid $1.50 a day.
I was a good carpenter. People knew me for my workmanship
and they would ask me to make furniture, and I could deliver
complex designs. Unfortunately, I didn’t really spend too much
time thinking about work. Instead, I spent a lot of time trying
to figure out how to get ahead by gambling. I would calculate
the odds, and work out number schemes for gambling.
We made a lot of beds then. The floors in kampong (village)
houses were not finished with cement. The floors were dirty
and had ants, worms and other bugs, so the beds had to be
raised. These days, the floors in the HDB flats are properly
finished. It doesn’t really matter if you have a bed frame or
not. We also made dressing tables and glass cabinets. People
would buy dressing tables for women to sit at and do their
hair and make-up when they got married. The dressing table
had a round mirror on one side and drawers on the other.
Newly-weds would buy that.
In the 1950s, we had many customers from Malaya. Rubber
prices were up and they would come with their lorries and
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My partners and I were young and impulsive at the time,
and we were greedy. The business failed in 1964. It was
devastating. My uncle pulled me aside and gave me a good
talking-to. My father had passed away by then. My pek gong
(grand uncle) told me to get my act together, and he would
help me financially. His conditions were simple. He had four
rules: Don’t gamble. Don’t drink. Don’t smoke. Don’t mess
around with women. I listened to him, and just concentrated
on work after that.
Those were hard times. There were days when we could not
afford to buy food. We ate only bread and water. From the
1980s, things got better. Until today, I will have bread and
water once a day, just to remind myself of the hard times, and
how one must work hard.
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97
Thomas Thomas
Born: 1952
Was General Secretary of the Singapore-Shell Employee’s Union and served in the
Central Committee of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) from 1987–2007.
Former Executive Director of Singapore Compact for Corporate Social Responsibilty.
I saw some unfairness at the workplace. I saw how some
bosses were good while others were unreasonable, and I got
into the union just to try and make things better.
Initially it was difficult, but over time, you gained experience
and the workers’ trust and became more effective at
representing workers, and things improved. The need to
change values of management to make it more people-centric
was what drove us as union officials.
One of the first dismissal cases I handled was when one of
our members had an industrial accident and suffered a head
injury. He was in a coma, was hospitalised for a few months
and had brain surgery. After he came out, he was advised
to go to open court and file a civil suit rather than accept
workman’s compensation, as the amount of compensation
at that time was quite low. Somebody at the company’s
personnel department tried to mislead him by telling him that
he could accept workman’s compensation and still be able to
pursue a civil case. He went back to the company, confronted
this guy and gave him a punch. The company sacked him,
and we at the union thought it was very unfair.
We took up the case and defended him. I remember that this
happened a few days before Chinese New Year and we said
to the management, “Look, this guy has four children and
expenses. While we are discussing (the case), we think you
should give him some money.” They said no. So we asked
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them to confirm the home addresses of the senior people
in the company, for the worker, his wife and his four children
to visit them over Chinese New Year. We asked them to be
generous with their ang pows and to ask their friends to
contribute as well. For some reason, they immediately
chose to give him a cash advance and saved him the visit.
We persisted with his case and eventually he got reinstated.
That made us realise that if you feel strongly about something,
you should push for it.
There were also people in management who saw value in
talking with us, and relations improved. We were able to bring
industrial relations to higher levels, treat workers with respect
and dignity for the benefit of workers and companies.
People, especially those in lower level jobs, were extremely
lowly paid, and this was a problem. I could see office boys
doing second jobs at petrol kiosks after working hours.
When negotiating collective agreements, I was to argue
that the lower level workers should be paid much higher.
We emphasised the point that there should at least be a
minimum living wage, and the measurement was that none of
the workers would need to take a second job. Together, we
improved wages and opportunities for career advancement,
especially for lower level workers. We brought greater
recognition for shift workers with substantial increases in shift
allowances at each collective agreement. Those were small
successes that meant a lot to the workers.
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99
Wong Chin Choo
Born: 1929
Blinded due to fever at age four while visiting a village in China. Attended vocational
training in 1959 with the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped (SAVH).
Learnt to play the piano and sing and then taught piano at SAVH on an informal basis.
My family was quite protective and did not let me do many
tasks. But I wanted to be independent. Let me tell you about
an experience during the Japanese Occupation. During that
period, we were allowed to rear poultry and plant some
vegetables. We stayed in a multi-storey building at Tiong
Bahru and the garden was shared by the different tenants.
So we had to chase the poultry down in the morning, and
in the evening we would call out for them and they would
climb up a flight of stairs to return home. The staircase would
become dirty but the tenants washed it daily. One night, my
family went out to watch a show and I was home by myself.
There was a chicken, not too old, but almost ready for eating;
it weighed about half a jin (about 250 grams). I caught it,
slaughtered it and cleaned it myself! When they returned,
they were all surprised.
I went to SAVH when I was 20 plus. I wasn’t a student then,
since I was over-aged. So I became an apprentice, learning
how to make rattan baskets. And privately, they taught me
some lessons, some basic education and Braille.
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I also learnt to play the piano but I didn’t learn it at SAVH. I
learnt to play the piano because my sister is a piano teacher.
She didn’t know I liked to play, but sometimes I tinkered
with the piano keys when she was not at home. So when she
realised that, she encouraged me and told me to go for the
examinations. There were Braille-notated scores, which my
sister didn’t know about, but later, she managed to order
them from the UK. I learnt to play by trial-and-error touching.
And then I took the exams until Grade 8 and I could teach.
So I taught for a while at the school (SAVH).
On teaching the visually handicapped:
It’s like teaching sighted people. You first learn the staff
notation, right? I teach them with the help of the Braille
scores. I have to teach them by holding their hands.
For sighted people, I might also need to hold their hands.
I have to correct their hand postures and I have to hold
their hands to correct them.
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101
简介
陈美娣
1933 年生
陈女士是新加坡历史最悠久的裁缝 CYC上海恤衫（私人）有限公司的第二代裁缝师。
她于2012年在工作67年后退休，当时79岁。
许多人说他们非常欣赏我做的衣服。听到这样的话，让从事裁
一百块在那个时代是一笔可观的数目。我为能够赚超过一百块
缝这一行那么多年的我非常高兴，因为我十分享受这份工作。
钱而感到高兴。每个月我都很努力工作，想着存钱为自己买一
我认为我天生就是要做这一行的。
条项链。当时，我从来没有见过金饰，因此我很兴奋地想买一
条来戴。可是我的父亲突然间打电话来要我寄钱回槟城接济家
上海式的制衣工序十分注重细节，一旦发现任何错误，无论多
里。结果我当然不能买我的项链，为此我非常伤心。
么细微，裁缝都绝对不会让那一件衬衫过关，你必须从新来
过。例如，衬衫上的线缝歪了，你必须把线全拆了，而绝对不
有一天，我到总统府见国务资政吴作栋，为他量身。在那里
能添上新的线，因为那将破坏衬衫的完美。这样的制衣法很难
时，吴资政问我是否能够帮他修改他的裤子，我答应了。完成
学。每当我犯错，我的家婆就会敲我的头。
修改后，我本来不愿意收费的，因为那不过是举手之劳，但是
他还是坚持付给我五十块钱。
当我还是一个小女孩时，我便从中国来到槟城。我的母亲在战
争开始前一周过世了。战争开始后，由于我的父亲需要出远
有一次，我们想为我们制作的衬衫办一个展览，便进行了一个
门，一个印度看门人便带了我的姐妹和我到一个乡村去住。我
特别的活动，呼吁任何收藏我们CYC的衬衫超过三十年的人把
后来的家婆曾经去那里看过我们。因为我们当时真的好穷，她
衣服带来，便可换取新的衬衫。令我们惊喜的是，前任内阁资
来的时候，看到我们身上的衣服都破破烂烂的，非常伤心，便
政李光耀先生的夫人竟然带来了两件三十多年前裁制的衬衫！
告诉我父亲说想带我到新加坡学当裁缝，我父亲就答应了。我
我们能够鉴定这个，因为衬衫上印有制作日期。当我们在电
在12岁那年，跟着父亲的朋友搭乘火车到新加坡，住进了我家
视上看到李资政穿着我们的衬衫时，我们都会很兴奋和骄傲。
婆的家并和她一同工作。我是从学徒开始做起的。三年后，我
衣服穿在他身上很好看，而我们也可以大声地说：这件衬衫是
们终于能够开设自己的裁缝店。我们十分开心。在那个时候，
CYC的产品。
我已经上了接近三年的夜校，但是我还是决定放弃，以便全职
工作，多赚钱。我每天从早上七点工作到午夜。我一天能够做
好六到七件衣服，这在那个时候算得上是很快的了。
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吴厚基
1936 年生
吴先生1970至 80年代曾在南洋女中进行园艺和各项活动的义务工作，尤其擅长组织舞狮队的活动。
他在 1991年成为南洋女中的校工，成为学生们口中受爱戴的Uncle Jack。
我在12岁那一年，决定辍学（南洋小学）。我对校长说我的
现在的情况就不一样了，许多工作都被外包，我的工作负担就
学术表现很差，别人能够考到“两颗蛋”，就是考100分的两个
有所减轻了。有时，我必须等负责会计事务的工作人员加班做
零，而我呢，只有办法考到“一颗蛋”，就是零分。校长说我是
好当月的账目，但我并不介意。我是校友，也在这个社群里待
她所有学生中最勇敢的，因为我有勇气走进她的办公室，那么
了那么久，这样的事不会令我感到厌烦。
直截了当地讨论问题。
在毕业后回校协助课外活动时，很多校友会来找我聊天。而有
离开学校后，我做过许多不同的工作，包括有执照的电工以及
一些校友，则会在逢年过节的时候带礼物回来，有的结婚时也
制作家具。可是我不时还是会回学校帮忙，像是更换灯泡，在
会通知我。
农历新年时张挂春联，除草和浇花等。后来虽然学校已经聘请
了七名校工，蔡亮校长仍坚持要我加入校工的行列。我遇到了
学生会明白你对她们的关心。当我看到她们做错事，如在考试
一位劝我接受这份工作的校友，可是校工的待遇比我当派报员
期间沉迷卡通或光碟，我会和她们说道理，教导她们。如果他
的要差，所以我说我会考虑一下再答复。最后，校方做了特别
们不满我教训她们，我会向她们解释并叫她们回家想一想，她
的安排，允许我继续在早上派完报再上班。
们的行为对她们有什么影响。假如她们认为我有错，她们可以
来骂我。然而，她们从来没有。
那时候，校工的工作不只是每晚锁上办公室和学校大门，我更
像是一名技工。有什么东西坏了，我都必须去修理。校工也负
责照顾校园里的植物。此外，我也为学校的戏剧团和舞蹈团制
作道具以及农历新年的装饰品。1992年七十五年校庆里使用的
舞龙龙头也是我的作品，这一点报章有报道。
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Chinese
Hedwig Anuar nee Aroozoo
1928 年生
前任国家图书馆馆长（1965-1988），妇女行动与研究协会创办人之一。1957创办的新加坡图书馆
协会与1974年东南亚图书管理员会议创会会员之一。
莱佛士博物馆（现在的国家博物馆）和图书馆是在1955年分
文，马来文和淡米尔文书籍上的努力。然而他们并不能够了解
家的，当时印刷及出版法令生效，在这法令之下，任何新加坡
这当中的困难，因为这些书在新加坡的种类和印刷量都很少，
的出版物除了必须在莱佛士图书馆存档，也必须送交英国的大
我们必须从中国，印度，马来西亚或印尼进口。当然，不少华
英博物院图书馆。在这之前，新加坡保存的资料很少，我们需
文书也因为含有共产主义的思想内容而被禁。
要什么都得向伦敦那边借用。莱佛士图书馆和马来亚各图书馆
的藏书多数是英文书，中文，马来文和淡米尔文的书籍是极少
有关阅读推广：
的。只有新加坡各会馆开设和管理的私人图书馆，能提供这几
个语种的书给读者借阅。
我们会去各所学校宣传，推广，留下资料向他们介绍加入图书
馆的方法，并介绍图书馆可为他们提供的服务和资源，并鼓
1959年，人民行动党和自治政府上台。最后一个英国总督已
励师生们多加利用图书馆。当时，阅读的风气还没有建立起
返回英国，所以大家都不希望再由外国人掌管国家图书馆。当
来。60年代初，很多人还是文盲。这些成年人比孩子们难打
时“马来亚化”的政策包括逐步让更多本地人进入政府机关担
动，因此我们决定先从孩子们开始，因为他们将是未来的读者
任主管，这为那时候的大学毕业生提供了很多发展的良机。新
和图书馆使用者。我们费了不少功夫进行推广工作，我记得曾
加坡政府在那时候邀请我从马来亚大学回新加坡。
经看过一则新闻报道，头条便写着“Anuar 太太披甲上阵，推
广图书馆”。
1960年，图书馆由当时的国家元首尤索夫·依萨正式开幕。他
指出我们的桌椅不够齐全，这是因为我们为了省钱，请了监狱
如果当初事情有了不一样的发展，我可能会是大学里的学术工
里的囚犯为我们制作家具。
作者，因为我非常喜欢创作小说和诗歌。但从另一方面想，我
也庆幸自己没有，因为担任一名公务员让我更能够接触社会议
在那个时候，我认为政府将图书馆视为推广多元语言和文化的
题，更直接地为人民服务，也能和更多人合作。
平台。因此，我们有必要更积极地表现，证明我们在取得中
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林默
1908 年生
林女士从 30 几岁开始在丈夫的农场工作至70岁左右。
我在1908 年正月18 日出生，34 岁那年，我来到了新加坡，所
在我刚到这里的时候，周围没有什么人。四周都是橡胶园，
乘坐的是一艘叫做“安庆”的大船。我的丈夫在1939年为了躲
方圆两里没有别的人家。只有逃兵会到这里来。幸好，后来越
避征兵，已经从福建逃到新加坡了。我的四嫂很体贴我，说：
来越多人搬到这一带来，更成立了一所学校，我的孩子也可以
“我们还是赶快把五嫂送到新加坡吧。不然他去了那么久，恐
在这里受教育。
怕会在那里娶了当地的女人。”
1950年代初，连场大雨冲走了大量适合种菜的土壤，因此我们
我刚到这里时，坐上的电车是由电缆从市区到乌鲁三巴旺
决定做出改变，挖水池养鱼。
“十里”拖着走的。我们再从那里转搭货车到乌鲁三巴旺
“十三里”，那里又名“吃水港”。我丈夫就和他的姐姐和姐
我记得我们到城里购买鱼苗。银鲤鱼苗一条要一毛钱，草鲤也
夫住在那里。
是。我们还买了松鱼和鲐鱼鱼苗，总共大概100块钱。我问卖家
能不能够让我们赊账，在十个月后鱼儿长大并且可以售卖了才
我们到处向人索讨各种蔬菜的种子，例如长豆，苦瓜，番薯和
还钱，他答应了。反正鱼苗在他手里他也没什么可以做的，所
茄子，这些农作物的收成必须等上40天。茄子的售价只有一斤
以不介意我们赊账。当时大家都是这么做的。
两分钱，我们的收成可以赚到一块多钱。但那足以作为我们农
场最早的资本。
1986年，政府说不允许我们养猪了，因为猪崽的排泄物可能污
染水源，而我们向马来西亚购买的水是不足够的。政府建议我
在那之后，我们向朋友借了钱去标会。我们以10 块钱成功标
们搬到政府组屋去，1993年我便搬了，我以前的农场现在组屋
到 580 块钱作为本钱购买猪崽。我有一点养猪的知识，因为我
林立。现在不用照顾农畜了，我可以出国旅行。我走遍了中国
们在中国养过一两只。猪崽长大被卖后，我们便能够偿还借
各地，也曾回乡探亲几次。我在那里的晚辈们对我都很热情，
的钱。
还说希望我可以常回去探望他们。
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林昆明
1942 年生
林先生在中正中学接受教育，后负笈伦敦。毕业后开设自己的建筑公司并曾参与 70 年代晚期
伊丽莎白医院的建筑工程。
当我在1960年代到英国去时，我受到不小的文化震荡，因为那
当时的时间安排非常紧张。所有的组屋必须在1976年大选前完
里人使用的英语和我在这里上学时说的很不相同。在当时的新
工，所以我们只有日夜赶工。施工地段就在颇受欢迎的严洁游
加坡，你完全可以不必多用英语，因为虽然我们还在英国的殖
泳馆旁。
民统治下，多数政府官员还是说方言或马来语。
打桩工作全面施工时，我们曾要求关闭游泳馆两周，公司愿意
我是以大英国民的身份到英国去的。当时并没有所谓的新加坡
赔偿游泳馆关闭的损失，但是对方拒绝了。他们说游泳馆是为
护照。由于我人在海外，新加坡的独立对我来说是十分遥远的
大众服务的，不能够随便关闭让大家不能够使用。
事，并没有带给我太大的影响，直到后来当我的旅游证件失效
而需要申请新的证件时，我才意识到其重要性。我在新加坡独
问题是在工程开始后，游泳池里出现了裂缝。这些裂缝有可能
立后不久 满21 岁。我父母之前就收到移民局寄来的信却没有意
是在工程开始前已经存在，并因为工程的进行而变得更显著。
识到它的重要性，因此没有采取任何行动。我因为没有回国宣
我们非常担心安全问题，可是游泳馆管理层始终坚持民众有权
誓效忠新独立的国家而成了无国籍人士，并可能滞留英国。
利继续使用设施。这是一个充满压力的时段，我们只有期盼能
够在安全的情况下顺利地完成整个工程。不管白天黑夜或日晒
后来我学成归来，在公共事业局工作了大约三年。那是一份充
雨淋，工程都在进行。就算是周围有居民投诉噪音问题，我们
满例常公事的工作，包括为军方建筑工程的制图。但是它也有
也不能停工。
助于我累积经验，更了解本地建筑业的情况。
这五座组屋最后如期完工，甚至创下纪录。之后的政府组屋都
我转入私营企业界后，第一个项目是为林增控股建造组屋。他
需要花费更长的时间来建造。
们当时刚成功标得丹戎巴葛一地段来建造组屋——一共五座组
屋和毗邻的停车场。那是一次让我从零做起的宝贵学习经验。
我从重型机械到场开工，一直到组屋完工那天都在工地。
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Roslina Baba
1963 年生
Roslina 女士从 1994年担任律师至今。
由于我很喜欢语文科目和语文本身，我一直都很想成为一名英
我自法学院毕业后并没有兴趣加入以商业法律为主业的大律师
文或文学老师。然而因为我的父亲看出我有升学的潜力，进而
行。我认为我能够利用我的专业帮助更多人，所以我便加入了
坚持我考取一个专业文凭。在那时候，所谓专业指的就是医
位于芽笼的一家帮助许多弱势人士的小法律公司。我还记得我
科，法律，工程和会计。
曾为一个小贩上庭辩护，收费仅三百元。
我在念大学先修班时，有一次校方带我们到工业仲裁法庭。虽
那是一家只有三位合伙人和一个见习律师的小律师事务所。
然那里没有律师，但是涉案双方的辩论及审讯的过程引起了我
后来一位合伙人决定到国外发展，另一位则请了长假，只剩下我
的兴趣。我的结论是念法律并不是太糟糕的妥协方式，毕竟，
和第三位合伙人。我在加入职场仅18个月时，这位指导我的合
法律和语言还是有关联的。
伙人在内安法下被拘留了。这时我只好一面管理公司，一面为我
的老板打官司。这绝对不是一般实习律师有机会得到的经验啊！
我是新加坡国立大学法律系第一批全程在肯特刚校园上课的学
生。虽然当年男女学生的比例是 50：50，我却是法律系里唯一
最后，那位被拘留律师的家人决定关闭律师事务所，以免她在
的马来女学生。
被拘留期间有所顾虑，而我也不用继续一个人打理。那之后，
我便决定到伦敦攻读硕士学位。
当时我在回教学会里十分活跃。我们举办过不少有关哲学，宗
教和时事课题的讲座和辩论。在我大四那年，有一些学生和讲
我非常享受在伦敦的时光，那里的工作也十分有趣。但身为亚
师发起了联名请愿，抗议医学系对女生录取比例的限制，即十
洲人，当父母要求你回家时是无法违抗的，而我的父母对我提
名学生中仅有三名是女性。我们认为这样的做法带歧视性。
出了这个要求。我回国后加入了我现在的这家律师事务所，并
这群师生后来便组成了妇女行动与研究协会。
在那里待了22年。
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萧汉权
1914 年生
1960和 70 年代当过三轮车夫。在那之前从事过其他工作，如从马来西亚运载榴梿到新加坡以及
在建筑工地打工。
1914年我在中国出世。当日军侵略中国时，我被征召入伍。
由于不会说英语，我赚的钱没有那些读过书，会说英语的同行
我不想拿起枪杆去打仗。我们怎么行呢？我们都不曾受训，不
多。但因为美军们喜欢成群出游，我便跟着其他的三轮车夫
像在新加坡有国民服役，军人至少知道该怎么做。我一定会
载他们到武吉士，竹脚和市区一带的酒吧和俱乐部。除了美
手足无措，连枪都不会开，所以我向亲戚们借了钱，搭上开往
军给的车费，那些俱乐部的印度保镖也会给我每名美军一元的
新加坡的欧洲蒸汽船。那是1938年，那时我24岁。我在抵达
佣金。
新加坡后被隔离了一天，我的姑妈还不得不用五个银币向英国
官员索取盖章的证件。
那些美军必须缴付一块或两块钱的入门费，这是因为俱乐部里
有乐队为他们演奏。当然，一些美军会要求到妓院去。
三轮车的登记费一年10元。登记三轮车的好处是，万一有人偷
了你的三轮车，你可以向当局报案，逮捕小偷。我买了自己的
我踩三轮车有十多年，直到后来越来越多的德士出现，公共交
三轮车后，骑了十多年。从越南到新加坡过境的美军曾让我赚
通系统也有所改进。越南战争结束后，美军也不再来了。踩三
了不少钱。他们在此过境前都会获得一笔相当丰厚的津贴。载
轮车的生意不再赚钱，继续下去也没有意思，因此我便转行，
他们过来的船平均能够运载一千人。他们当中一半的人被允许
做过许多其他的工作，包括为政府组屋油漆。
在新加坡逗留一天，而必须在午夜回到船上。隔天，另一半的
军人也会获准上岸休闲。
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陈有忠
1931 年生
第 二 次 世 界 大 战后学习木工并在1 9 6 0年代创业，生意失败后曾东山再起。自1988年 便 一 直
在 儿 子 的 公 司 ，A lbr ig h t P lastics工作。他每天在工厂的工作包括制作模具和木制 产 品 。
战争结束后，我曾于1949年在一个家具制造厂当过学徒。那家
亚家具厂的竞争。我是一个不错的木工，以好手艺著称，很多
家具制作厂位于新世界。他们聘用的是手艺出众的上海师傅。
人都会找我做家具，而我也能制作设计复杂的家具。可惜我并
没有花太多时间去想工作的事。反而把时间用在思索如何依靠
学徒最少得当足18个月。18个月后，我们必须无偿地为他们工
赌博发财。我会计算赢钱的概率，以及下注的数字。
作一个月。这是为了弥补我们在学艺期间因为生病或其他缘故
缺席的时间。我们的工作相当辛苦，每天的工作从早上七点半
我的合伙人和我当时年少气盛又贪心，因此我们的生意在1964
开始到傍晚六点结束，只有星期天是工作半天。我们每天的薪
年倒闭了。这对我的打击很大。当时我的父亲已经过世，我的
资是五毛钱，六个月后，则增加到日薪一块半。
伯伯把我拉到一边好好教训了一顿。我的伯公要我重新振作起
来，并愿意在经济上支持我。他开给我的四个条件很简单：不
当时，我们制作了很多床。那时候“甘榜”（村庄）的地板没
准赌博，不准喝酒，不准抽烟和不准拈花惹草。我听从了他，
有铺上混凝土，不仅肮脏，而且还有蚂蚁和各种昆虫的困扰，
把所有心思都放在工作上。
所以床铺必须加高。政府组屋的地板铺设了混凝土，所以没有
床架都没有关系。我们也制作梳妆台和玻璃橱柜。人们会在家
那是一段艰苦的日子。有些时候，我们连食物都买不起，只能
中办婚事的时候购买梳妆台让新娘用来梳妆。这些梳妆台一面
吃面包和喝白开水。从1980年代起，情况才有了改善。到今
是圆形的镜子，另一面有抽屉，是新婚夫妇喜欢购买的家具。
天，我还是每天吃一顿面包和白开水，以此提醒自己不能忘记
过去吃过的苦，以及一定要勤奋地工作。
1950年代，很多马来亚的顾客光顾我们。随着橡胶的价格上
涨，这些顾客会开着罗厘来大肆买家具。到了1960年代，他们
的人数减少了，因为橡胶价格已经回跌，而我们开始面对马来
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Thomas Thomas
1952 年生
曾担任新加坡-蚬壳公司工会秘书长以及全国职工总会中央委员会委员（1987-2007）。
前任官委议员。现任新加坡企业社会责任协会执行董事
我在职场上看到一些不公平的情况。我既看过好的老板，也看
司主管的地址，说是让工友在过年期间带妻儿去拜年，希望他
过蛮不讲理的老板，因此想进入工会看看能够如何改善情况。
们能多给一些红包并请朋友也那么做。基于某些原因，公司
管理层立刻决定预支薪水给他，叫他不必去拜年了。我们在这
最初的阶段是困难的，但是当你逐渐累积了经验，又得到员工
个案子上坚持不懈，最终这位员工被复职。这起事件令我们领
的信任，而能够更好地代表他们时，事情就有了进展。改变管
悟到，如果你对某件事有强烈感受，就必须坚持到底。
理层的价值观，使之以更人性化，更以人为本的方式对待员
工，是推动我们这些工会工作者前进的动力。
当时公司管理层里也有一些人认为和我们商谈是有意义的，
这大大改善了双边的关系。我们进而能够提升公司与员工之间
我在早期处理过一起解雇案，当时我们的一位工友因工业意外
的关系，使他们更尊重员工的尊严和福利，这对公司和员工都
导致头部受伤。他一度昏迷，在医院住了几个月，还动了头部
有好处。
手术。他出院以后，我们劝他上法庭提出民事诉讼，而不要 接
受公司的低额赔偿。公司人事部有人企图误导这位工友，使他
一些人，尤其是从事低阶层工作的人，获得的薪金是很低的，
以为接受赔偿以后仍能够提出民事诉讼。这位工友回到公司质
而这是一个问题。我看过在办公室打杂的员工，下班后到加油
问人事部的那名职员并打了他一拳。公司因而将他解雇，而我
站打第二份工。每当我们和公司进行协商时，我都会争取给低
们工会认为这是非常不公平的。
阶层员工更高的薪金。我们的目标是争取到可以让员工糊口的
薪金，而用来衡量的标准就是员工不需要在正职以外兼差。
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我们立刻接下这个案子为他辩护。我记得这件事发生在农历新
我们携手合作，为低阶层员工提高薪金，并增加他们升职的机
年前的几天，我们对公司管理层说：“这位工友有四个孩子，
会。我们在每一次的协商过程中，通过为轮班制工人争取更好
开销不小。尽管现在我们在讨论这个案子，我们还是认为你们
的轮班津贴，使公司意识到并承认他们的贡献。这些积少成多
应该给他一些钱。”公司拒绝了。接着我们要他们确认几位公
的成功案例对工友们来说是很有意义的。
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黄珍珠
1929 年生
黄女士四岁那年到访一个中国农村时因高烧不退而失去视力。她大半辈子都在帮忙家中的家务。大
约1959年，她在新加坡视障人士协会接受职业培训，学会弹奏钢琴和歌唱。后来，她便在协会里以
非正式的形式教导钢琴。
我的家人十分保护我，不肯让我做很多事。可是我很渴望独
我也学会弹钢琴但这不是在视障人士协会学的，而是因为我妹
立。让我告诉你一个发生在日治时期的故事。那时候，我们获
妹是钢琴老师。她并不知道我喜欢弹琴，但是有时候我会趁她
准养一些鸡鸭和种植一些蔬菜。我们所居住的是位于中峇鲁的
不在家的时候去弹她的钢琴。她知道以后便鼓励我去参加考
多层建筑，菜园是住户们分享的。所以每天我们都会把鸡鸭
试。妹妹本来不知道点字琴谱的存在，后来当她知道后，便从
赶到楼下，黄昏时再召唤它们爬楼梯回来。楼梯会因此有些
英国为我订购。我在误打误撞的情况下学会了钢琴弹奏，还考
肮脏，可是大家天天都会洗刷它。有一晚，我的家人都出去
到了八级文凭，可以教学。所以后来我便在视障人士协会教导
看电影了，只留下我在家。有一只不太老的鸡，没多久就适合
了一阵子的钢琴。
食用了，大概一斤（约250克）重，被我捉住了。我亲手宰杀和
清洗了它，这让家人回来后都十分惊奇！
关于教导视障人士音乐
那和教导一般人是一样的。你也必须先学习读谱，对吗？我会
我在二十多岁的时候到视障人士协会去。当时我并不是学生，
利用点字乐谱教他们。我必须握住他们的手进行教学，就算是
因为我已经超龄了。所以我便成为了一名学徒，学习如何编织
对一般人，我或许也需要握住他们的手，我必须纠正他们的手
藤篮。他们还私下教我一些课，让我接受基础教育和学会点
的姿势，而这需要我握住他们的手。
字。
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Profil-profil
Abdul Rahman bin Osman
Lahir pada tahun 1938
Pernah menjadi anggota bomba di Lapangan Terbang Paya Lebar, Limbungan Keppel,
Limbungan Jurong dan bersama Shell di kilang penapis Pulau Bukom. Kini bertugas sebagai
seorang tukang kebun.
Tentang pengalaman bekerja sebagai ahli bomba di Pulau Bukom:
“Ia lebih berbahaya berbanding sebarang tugas saya sebelumnya,
tetapi saya seolah-olah tidak dapat lari daripada menjadi seorang
ahli bomba. Pandangan pertama saya tentang Pulau Bukom ialah
tempatnya yang sangat panas, dan keseluruhan pulau berbau seperti
sebuah stesen petrol. Lama-kelamaan, saya jadi lali. Sehingga
sekarang, saya rindukan Bukom, suasananya, segalanya. Saya masih
mengunjungi Bukom untuk pergi ke kelab riadahnya. Saya tidak
pasti apa sebenarnya tarikan tempat tersebut sehingga saya amat
sukakannya, tapi ia hanyalah satu perasaan.
Melawan api di kilang penapisan adalah satu pengalaman yang
berbeza. Kita akan menempatkan diri berdekatan api tersebut dan
bersiap sedia, tetapi pada tahap awal hanya para pegawai dan
jurutera dari kilang penapisan tersebut yang akan masuk ke dalam
untuk meninjau keadaannya. Para jurutera tersebut dikehendaki
berada di situ untuk membaiki saluran paip yang bocor, menutup
injap dan perkara yang sedemikian. Sekiranya api terlalu besar untuk
mereka tangani, barulah anggota bomba seperti kami masuk ke
dalam.
Teknik melawan api di kilang penapisan tersebut juga berbeza –
risiko terjadinya lebih banyak letupan daripada saluran paip petrol
dan gas sentiasa ada. Apabila satu letupan berlaku, ia seperti
sebuah bom yang sedang meledak dan apinya seakan-akan hidup.
Ia memang hidup! Perkara yang terpenting terlebih dahulu bukanlah
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melawan api tersebut, tetapi menggunakan air untuk menyejukkan
tangki-tangki di sekeliling yang mengandungi gas dan petrol, supaya
ia tidak menjadi terlalu panas dan meletup akibat tekanan. Tetapi
kita tidak boleh menggunakan air begitu sahaja untuk melawan api,
kerana ini akan menghasilkan terlalu banyak wap. Kita menggunakan
busa untuk menutupi api tersebut. Sebelum kamu masuk ke dalam
untuk melawan api, kamu akan berasa gementar di dalam hati. Kamu
harus melawan ketakutan tersebut dan memaksa diri untuk masuk
ke dalam. Sejurus kamu mula melawan api tersebut secara nyata,
ketakutan itu akan hilang dan kamu akan berasa gembira kerana
dapat melakukan tugas dengan baik.
Kebakaran pada tahun 1985 di Pulau Bukom merupakan kebakaran
besar terakhir yang saya lawan. Saya telah ditugaskan untuk berjagajaga di luar, dan saya melihat rakan-rakan saya yang lain masuk
ke dalam. Saya tidak dapat melakukan apa-apa; saya terpaksa
berada di luar untuk menyejukkan saluran paip dan tangki-tangki.
Kesemua rakan-rakan saya berakhir di hospital dengan kelecuran.
Saya menziarahi mereka di hospital. Mereka semua dalam
keadaan berbalut dan saya tidak dapat mengecam wajah mereka.
Bagaimanakah perasaan kamu jika melihat rakan-rakan kamu seperti
itu? Saya berasa sungguh sedih, sungguh terharu dan saya hanya
mampu mendoakan mereka sahaja. Nasib baiklah, mereka semua
terselamat. Selepas kebakaran tersebut, saya tidak lagi berminat
melawan api. Anak perempuan saya juga lahir pada tahun tersebut,
dan saya membuat keputusan untuk meninggalkan kerjaya saya
sebagai seorang ahli bomba.”
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Chua King Yap
Lahir pada tahun 1948
Minatnya terhadap anggerik begitu mendalam dan beliau telah menanamnya selama lebih 40
tahun. Beliau sangat mengagumi layang-layang tradisi Melayu yang dilihatnya semasa kanakkanak dan berasa seronok membuat serta menerbangkan layang-layangnya sendiri sejak itu.
Saya lahir di Kampung Lok Yang di sebelah barat Singapura. Saya
ingat lagi bahawa rumah yang saya diami tidak dilengkapi paip air
atau elektrik. Saya mula menanam anggerik di Lok Yang apabila
abang saya membawa pulang beberapa pasu anggerik yang
diperolehinya daripada kawan-kawannya. Kami bereksperimen dan
membaca buku tentang cara-cara untuk menanam anggerik kerana
kami sangat berminat untuk memeliharanya.
Pada tahun 1970, kami berpindah ke Kampung Ama Keng di Lim
Chu Kang apabila pemerintah memerlukan tanah di Lok Yang untuk
membina sebuah estet perindustrian. Kami berpindah ke sebuah
rumah yang ada sebuah kebun sayur dan saya membawa bersama
anggerik saya. Ama Keng merupakan sebuah kampung di mana
kebanyakan penduduknya menanam sayur-sayuran dan menternak
ayam. Terdapat sebuah ‘pekan’ dengan lebih sedozen kedai yang
menjual makanan dan lain-lain keperluan seharian. Ada juga terdapat
beberapa buah klinik di situ.
Ketika saya mula menanam anggerik pada tahun 1970, saya hanya
ada seratus atau dua ratus pasu pokok. Saya juga menanam bunga
kebangsaan kita, Vanda Miss Joaquim, dan lebih daripada 10 jenis
yang lain. Saya mula memupuknya dan selepas tiga tahun, saya
mula menjual bunga yang dicantas kepada gerai-gerai di pasar, juga
kepada penjaja-penjaja bunga di Orchard Road. Saya ingat lagi ada
beberapa deret kedai bunga bertentangan Centrepoint [sekarang 313
Somerset] yang di mana saya akan menghantar anggerik yang telah
dicantas sebanyak dua atau tiga kali dalam seminggu. Pada masa itu,
kedai-kedai bunga tersebut sangat terkenal dan diminati ramai. Harga
jualan saya sedolar setangkai untuk jenis yang terbaik, tetapi kedaikedai tersebut akan menjualnya pada harga $3 atau $4 setangkai dan
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menggunakan anggerik yang mutunya lebih rendah untuk membuat
bakul hadiah berhias bunga.
Pada tahun 1983, pemerintah mengarahkan kami keluar dari Lim Chu
Kang kerana tanah tersebut akan digunakan untuk latihan tentera. Saya
memohon dan berusaha untuk mendapatkan sebidang tanah di Jalan
Kayu. Kerja-kerja untuk untuk memindahkan kesemua pokok-pokok
berpasu yang berjumlah 50 hingga 60 ribu serta bekalan lain dari Ama
Keng ke Jalan Kayu mengambil masa sembilan bulan.
Harga bunga-bunga yang dicantas agak tinggi pada sekitar tahun
1970an dan ’80an tetapi ia mula turun sedikit sejak tahun 1990an
kerana nilai dolar Singapura yang meningkat. Para pembekal lebih
suka membeli dari negara-negara seperti Thailand dan Taiwan.
Pada tahun 1996, sekali lagi saya mendapat surat daripada
pemerintah yang memaklumkan bahawa kami perlu keluar dari
tanah yang kami duduki dalam masa tiga bulan. Saya berasa gusar
dan keliru kerana ketika itu usia saya sudah mencecah 50 tahun dan
terpaksa melepaskan mata pencarian saya dan harus memulakan
segalanya sekali lagi. Saya terpaksa melelong sebahagian besar
pokok-pokok berpasu saya dan menyewa sebuah kawasan kecil di
ladang seorang kawan untuk memelihara anggerik-anggerik jenis
nadir tersebut.
Saya terpaksa mengecilkan perniagaan saya sekarang – saya
mendapatkan bunga-bunga berpasu daripada mereka yang
menanamnya dan menjual bunga-bunga tersebut di beberapa buah
pasar basah. Saya bimbang tentang pendapatan saya kerana ada
kalanya kerja-kerja ini tidak mendatangkan keuntungan yang lumayan.
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Jita Singh
Lahir pada tahun 1949
Anggota pasukan bolasepak negara selama lima tahun (1969–1973), selepas itu beliau
terdorong untuk menjadi jurulatih bolasepak berbangsa Sikh yang pertama untuk negara.
Beliau membimbing pasukan bolasepak negara dari tahun 1979 hingga 1984. Beliau kini
bertugas sebagai Ketua Kanan Pembangunan Sukan di Persatuan Bolasepak Singapura.
Pada masa dahulu, agak mudah bagi kami untuk bermain bolasepak,
kami akan bermain di sebarang kawasan lapang dan menggunakan batu
atau batang kayu sebagai palang gol. Bola kami cuma bola plastik dan
kami akan bermain berkaki ayam. Tanahnya kadang kala tidak rata, kami
akan terluka di sana sini, tetapi kami tidak hiraukan.
Di sekolah saya seorang pelari dan memegang rekod jarak dekat dan
jarak jauh sekolah, dan saya juga mewakili sekolah dalam sukan hoki.
Tetapi saya dapati bolasepak Iebih mencabar dan lebih menyeronokkan.
Saya berasal dari masyarakat Sikh. Pada masa itu sebahagian besar
masyarakat kami terlibat dalam hoki. Apabila kamu bercakap tentang
seorang Sikh, kamu secara automatik akan mengaitkannya dengan hoki.
Dalam linkungan usia muda kira-kira pada tahun 1960an, akibat tekanan
daripada masyarakat, saya tidak dapat berterus terang pada keluarga
bahawa saya akan bermain bolasepak. Sebaliknya, saya selalu beritahu
mereka bahawa saya akan pergi menonton perlawanan bolasepak di
padang St George. Pada masa dahulu, terdapat pelbagai liga seperti
Liga Dewan Perniagaan dan Liga Perkhidmatan Pemerintah, disamping
perlawanan persahabatan. Saya akan pergi dan bermain dalam sesuatu
perlawanan tanpa memakai baju, dan selepas tamat permainan, saya
akan menggunakan sapu tangan yang saya bawa dari rumah untuk
mengelap peluh saya.
Begitulah rutin harian yang saya lakukan. Pada suatu hari, bapa saya
secara kebetulan pergi menonton sebuah perlawanan bolasepak
dengan rakan-rakannya. Saya tidak perasan kehadirannya, tetapi dia
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melihat saya bermain. Selepas permainan, saya lakukan rutin biasa
saya dan pulang ke rumah. Ibu saya bertanya siapa yang menang
perlawanan itu. Dan kamu tahu, hari itu semuanya tidak kena –
selalunya saya tahu keputusannya kerana saya akan bertanyakan pada
orang. Kali ini, saya tidak bertanya. Jadi, saya tergamam seketika,
dan ibu mengeluarkan rotan sambil memberitahu saya bahawa bapa
saya telah melihat saya bermain dengan berlengeng. Lalu, saya pun
dirotan beberapa kali dan mereka dapati sayalah pencuri yang telah
mencuri saputangan-saputangan dari rumah kami.
Lama-kelamaan ibu-bapa saya mengalah dan membenarkan saya
bermain bola, kerana saya mempunyai seorang pembimbing yang
sangat baik dari kelab bolasepak Windsor Rovers, namanya ialah
Encik G. P. Suppiah. Beliau meyakinkan ibu-bapa saya bahawa beliau
akan menjaga saya dan bolasepak tidak akan mencederakan saya.
Saya ingat lagi ketika saya mula-mula dipilih untuk bermain dan
mewakili pasukan bolasepak negara, jersinya dibuat daripada kain
kapas yang berat dan tidak selesa langsung. Jersi tersebut bercorak
empat segi berwarna. Mereka tidak mempunyai khidmat membasuh
baju. Para pemain harus membawa pulang jersi mereka untuk dicuci.
Saya berasa sangat bangga kerana dapat mewakili Singapura.
Saya gemar melihat jersi saya yang tergantung di almari. Tidak ada
bendera Singapura di jersi itu, hanya bercorak empat segi! Rasa
bangga tidak terhingga bila dapat mewakili negara. Kerap kali saya
membuka almari untuk melihat baju-baju jersi itu semua dan saya
akan melihat jersi itu setiap beberapa jam.
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Jumiah Yunus
Lahir pada tahun 1944
Mendapat latihan sebagai seorang bidan (1963–1965) dan merupakan seorang bidan kampung
dari tahun 1966 sehingga 33 tahun seterusnya. Bersara disebabkan kelahiran cucu perempuannya.
Masih bekerja sambilan melalui Pertalian Perak (Silver Connection) kerana beliau suka kepada bayi.
Sewaktu kecil, saya membesar di Geylang dan menjalani kehidupan
yang biasa sahaja. Saya seperti seorang samseng kia (tomboi), dan
gemar merayap dengan berbaju singlet dan berseluar pendek.
Walaupun kita miskin, kita mampu belajar. Saya mengambil
peperiksaan peringkat ‘O’ di Sekolah Menengah Siglap pada
tahun 1962. Anggota kumpulan (batch) saya merupakan kumpulan
perempuan yang pertama. Setelah ujian peringkat ‘O’, saya mulakan
kursus latihan sehingga lulus sebagai seorang bidan. Saya berada
dalam kumpulan yang ke empat puluh. Latihan perbidanan ini sangat
menarik – melakukan tugas di bilik darjah pada sebelah pagi, dan
latihan amali dilakukan beberapa bulan kemudian. Kami pergi ke
wad-wad untuk belajar bagaimana menangani bayi, untuk melihat
bagaimana bayi-bayi dilahirkan. Ketika kali pertama saya memegang
dan memandikan seorang bayi adalah menakutkan dan saya
menggeletar waktu melakukannya!
Saya masih ingat sewaktu bertugas di Hospital KK (Kandang Kerbau)
semasa zaman kelahiran bayi yang banyak dan ada kalanya kami
membidani kelahiran bayi di atas lantai sahaja. Kami terpaksa
menyangkung untuk membantu melahirkan bayi tersebut. Kami
rasa amat bertenaga kerana kami masih muda ketika itu. Adakala
cecair amniotik tersebut terpancut dan terpercik ke atas kami. Saya
membidankan ramai bayi, ramai sekali. Pada waktu tersebut kami
bekerja shif petang dari 2 petang hingga 9 malam. Semasa bertugas
di dalam wad bersalin, kami akanmencatatkan kadar degupan jantung
janin-janin dan periksa tekanan darah mereka. Kami juga periksa
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pesakit tersebut dan memberi bantuan sewaktu kelahiran bayi. Jika
terdapat kes yang perlukan bantuan doktor, kami akan mendapatkan
doktor – tidak ada telefon bimbit ketika itu. Kami terpaksa gunakan
interkom untuk hubungi mereka; mereka akan nyatakan di mana
mereka berada dan kami akan hubungi mereka.
Saya ingat lagi jumlah terbanyak yang saya perlu tangani dalam satu
hari adalah 22! Kami juga melakukan kerja-kerja membidan ini di luar
hospital. Kami akan pergi ke rumah-rumah untuk membidankan, dan
merawat. Saya dapati ia menyeronokkan, kerana apabila anda pergi ke
rumah si pesakit mereka melayan anda dengan lebih baik.
Pada tahun 1960an, saya pernah ditugaskan mempromosi kempen
‘Dua Mencukupi’ bagi pihak Lembaga Perancangan Keluarga
dan Penduduk. Kami perlu memeriksa pasangan-pasangan dan
bertanyakan tentang anak-anak dan pendapatan mereka. Kami
lakukan ini semua untuk masa depan pasangan tersebut ini. Kami
berbincang dengan si isteri tanpa kehadiran suami masing-masing.
Selepas bersalin, mereka tidak datang semula untuk mendapatkan
alat pencegahan kehamilan mereka. Jadi, kami terpaksa pergi ke
rumah mereka. Kami seperti jurujual wanita. Sesetengah pasangan
tidak mahu berhenti dari mendapat anak lagi dan kami terpaksa
hormati keputusan mereka. Saya pernah sekali dihalau oleh seorang
suami – katanya, “Sedangkan ulat di kayu ada makanan untuk
makan, kenapa kamu bimbang tentang anak-anak saya?” Kami tetap
menjalankan tugas kami.
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Lim Beak
Lahir pada tahun 1908
Bekerja di kebun suaminya pada pertengahan usia 30an sehingga usia 70an.
Saya lahir pada hari ke lapan belas bulan pertama tahun 1908, dan
datang ke Singapura ketika berumur 34 tahun menaiki sebuah bot besar
bernama An Keng. Suami saya telah melarikan diri ke sini pada tahun
1939 untuk mengelakkan diri daripada dikerah menjadi askar di Fujian.
‘Si Soh’ saya (atau Makcik Keempat saya, tapi juga bermakna kakak ipar)
sangat bertimbang rasa dan berkata, “Lebih baik kita hantar Gor Soh
(merujuk kepada Lim Beak) ke Singapura. Kalau tidak, suaminya yang
berada berjauhan untuk sekian lama, mungkin akan berkahwin dengan
seorang penduduk tempatan di sana.”
Ketika saya pertama kali tiba di sini, saya menaiki sebuah tram, yang
ditarik oleh wayar yang melalui pusat Bandar ke Batu 10 Ulu Sembawang.
Dari situ, kami menaiki lori untuk pergi ke Batu 13 Ulu Sembawang, yang
juga dipanggil Jia Zui Gang (pelabuhan air tawar). Suami saya tinggal di
sana bersama saudara perempuannya dan juga iparnya.
Kami pergi ke sana sini meminta benih pelbagai sayuran seperti
kacang panjang, peria, ubi kayu dan terung. Ia mengambil masa 40 hari
sebelum kami dapat meraih hasil tanaman tersebut. Harga terung
cuma dua sen sekati pada masa itu dan kami akan mendapat untung
sekitar lebih sedolar hasil tuaian kami. Tetapi itulah yang menjadi asas
permulaan kebun kami.
Kemudian, kami meminjam wang daripada seorang kawan untuk
menyertai skim senoman tempatan. Kami menggunakan $10 untuk
bertaruh dalam loteri tersebut dan berjaya mendapatkan $580
sebagai modal untuk membeli khinzir. Saya tahu serba sedikit tentang
memelihara khinzir kerana kami ada dua ekor khinzirdi China. Apabila
khinzir-khinzir tersebut dijual, kami dapat membayar balik wang yang
kami pinjam.
Ketika saya mula-mula tiba di sana, tidak banyak orang tinggal di
kawasan tersebut. Seluruh kawasan merupakan ladang getah dan tidak
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ada keluarga lain yang tinggal dalam jarak lingkungan dua batu.
Hanya mereka yang melarikan diri daripada tentera yang sanggup
meneroka sejauh itu. Mujurlah semakin ramai orang yang berpindah
ke kawasan itu kemudian dan sebuah sekolahpun didirikan bagi
pendidikan anak-anak saya.
Pada awal tahun 1950an, beberapa kejadian hujan yang sangat lebat
berlaku. Banyak kawasan tanah yang digunakan untuk menanam sayur
hancur musnah. Oleh itu, kami memutuskan untuk menggali sebuah
kolam dan menternak ikan pula.
Saya ingat lagi kami pergi ke bandar untuk membeli anak ikan.
Anak ikan Silver Carp berharga 10 sen, Grass Carp juga berharga
10 sen. Kami juga mendapatkan ikan song dan ikan tai. Harga bagi
kesemua anak-anak ikan tersebut adalah sekitar $100. Saya bertanya
si penjual sama ada kami dibenarkan membayar balik kepadanya
setelah 10 bulan apabila ikan-ikan tersebut telah membesar dan siap
untuk dijual, dan dia membenarkan. Lagipun, dia tidak dapat lakukan
apa-apa dengan ikan tersebut dan dia tidak kisah kami berhutang
dengannya. Semua orang melakukan perkara begini pada zaman itu.
Pada tahun 1986, pemerintah mengatakan bahawa kami
tidak dibenarkan menternak khinzir lagi kerana najisnya boleh
mencemarkan bekalan air negara dan apa yang kita beli dari Malaysia
tidak mencukupi. Mereka cadangkan supaya kami berpindah ke rumah
pangsa HDB (Lembaga Pembangunan Perumahan). Saya berpindah
ke sebuah flat pada tahun 1993. Rumah-rumah pangsa HDB kini
berdiri di atas bekas tapak kebun saya. Apabila saya tidak perlu lagi
menjaga haiwan-haiwan tersebut, saya dapat pergi melancong. Saya
mengembara ke serata China dan juga pulang semula ke tempat
asal saya buat beberapa kali. Cucu cicit saya, lelaki dan perempuan,
semuanya sangat mesra dengan saya dan meminta saya mengunjungi
mereka selalu.
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135
Mohamed Hanapi bin Mohamed
Lahir pada tahun 1945
Berkhidmat dalam pasukan polis selama 26 tahun secara bergilir di pelbagai divisyen dan balai.
Bermula di divisyen Woodlands berdekatan kastam, kemudian bekerja di divisyen Orchard dan
Tanglin. Bersara untuk menghabiskan masa bersama keluarga.
Saya memohon jawatan guru sementara di Sekolah Rendah Pulau
Merlimau berdekatan Tanjong Kling. Setiap hari selama tiga bulan,
saya terpaksa menaiki sebuah sampan pergi dan balik ke pulau
tersebut untuk pergi mengajar di sekolah itu. Oleh kerana keputusan
Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia saya tidak memenuhi syarat-syarat untuk
mengajar, saya memilih menjadi pegawai polis.
Saya menyertai pasukan polis pada tahun 1965. Saya dihantar ke
berek Jalan Gurney di Kuala Lumpur dan menjalani latihan selama
enam bulan di sana. Para pelatih datang dari seluruh negara, seperti
Sarawak, Sabah, Singapura dan lain-lain negeri Malaysia. Terdapat
pilihan untuk kami berkhidmat di lain-lain negara di Malaysia kerana
Singapura merupakan sebahagian daripada Malaya pada ketika itu.
Singapura berpisah daripada Malaysia betul-betul sewaktu saya
sedang separuh jalan mengikuti latihan tersebut. Latihan-latihan
yang kami jalani sangat susah dan kami sangka perpisahan tersebut
bermakna kami dapat pulang ke rumah dan latihan telah pun berakhir.
Kami sangat gembira! Kami pun melontarkan pakaian seragam
dan but-but kami ke atas atap zink berek kami untuk meraikannya.
Tetapi, kami diarahkan mengambil semula barang-barang kami dan
meneruskan latihan.
Ketika saya mula menjadi pegawai polis, saya harus memakai seluar
pendek berwarna coklat dan baju kemeja berwarna kelabu. Jika kami
menangani mayat reput, kami perlu mendapatkan kemeja baru, kerana
baunya akan melekat. Saya juga harus mengelap butang perak pada
kemeja saya dan memakai but serta setokin panjang paras lutut. Saya
berasa agak bangga memakai pakaian seragam tersebut. Orang ramai
hormat kepada seragam tersebut pada zaman itu.
Sebagai seorang pegawai polis, saya menangani banyak perkara.
Terdapat pertempuran samseng pada tahun 1970an dan kami
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akan meronda lorong-lorong dan mencari-cari parang-parang yang
disembunyikan atau lain-lain senjata di bawah sarung guni atau
pada pokok-pokok dan belukar. Saya juga pernah melihat banyak
mayat. Pernah sekali saya melihat seorang mangsa pergaduhan yang
lehernya hampir putus. Salah seorang pegawai yang lebih muda
pengsan setelah melihatnya dan memerlukan khidmat ambulans.
Dan pernah sekali, selepas makan tengah hari, dua rakan setugas
yang lebih muda melihat pemandangan mayat yang mengerikan
yang telah digilis di landasan berdekatan Rifle Range Road. Mereka
memuntahkan semula semua yang dimakan tengah hari tersebut.
Semasa saya berkhidmat di Divisyen Orchard Road pada tahun
1970an, banyak kecurian barang-barang peribadi dilaporkan. Oleh
itu kami pun membentuk sebuah pasukan tugas khas di mana saya
dikerahkan untuk mengenalpasti sindiket penyeluk saku tersebut.
Saya berpasangan dengan rakan sejawat untuk mengekori mereka
yang disyaki dan mereka akan ditangkap. Saya rasa saya ada bakat
mengecam penyeluk saku rakyat Indonesia dan saya mengesyaki
mereka menggunakan ilmu hitam ke atas mangsa mereka sebelum
mengambil barang-barang mangsa. Rakyat Indonesia tersebut
memakai tangkal di badan mereka dan mangsa mereka hanya akan
tersedar bahawa barang-barang mereka telah dicuri apabila polis
memberitahu mereka hal tersebut. Pencuri-pencuri ini akan didenda
dan dihantar pulang ke Indonesia. Mereka yang telah didenda akan
menukar nama mereka pada pasport mereka dan kembali semula ke
Singapura untuk melalukan kecurian beberapa minggu kemudian.
Saya rasa pasukan polis harus mewawancara dan melakukan tinjauan
ke atas para pegawai yang akan bersara. Mereka pasti mempunyai
pengalaman yang luas. Dan seperti dimaklumi, kami pegawai polis
terdiri dari pelbagai bangsa dan kami semua bekerjasama dengan
baik. Kami seronok semasa menjalankan tugas bersama-sama.
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137
Puan Mohamed Siraj
Lahir pada tahun 1925
Pekerja Sosial wanita yang pertama dengan Mahkamah Syariah. Salah seorang pendiri
Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (1952) dan Majlis Kebajikan Wanita Islam (1964).
Suami saya terlibat dalam kerja kemasyarakatan dan sosial dan saya
juga menganggotai beberapa jawatankuasa, termasuk Persatuan
Kanak-kanak Singapura dan Persatuan Perancangan Keluarga. Saya
menyedari tidak ada muslimah dalam jawatankuasa-jawatankuasa
tersebut dan saya berfikir jika sesuatu berlaku, tidak ada sesiapa yang
akan menolong para muslimah kami.
Saya kemudian bekerja di Mahkamah Syariah sebagai seorang
penasihat, dan ia merupakan pengalaman yang buruk kerana terdapat
banyak wanita yang datang ke mahkamah disebabkan masalah dengan
suami-suami mereka. Kebanyakannya melibatkan masalah kewangan –
suami mereka akan mengahwini wanita lain dan meninggalkan mereka
sendirian tanpa bantuan kewangan.
Pada tahun-tahun 1950an, lelaki boleh menceraikan isteri-isteri
mereka hanya dengan melafazkan talak dan membayar mereka
nafkah sebanyak $30 untuk tiga bulan walaupun mereka mempunyai
anak-anak. Ini tidak adil, tetapi wanita tidak mempunyai hak dan
tidak dapat melindungi diri. Saya dan rakan-rakan saya memutuskan
untuk melakukan sesuatu dan kami pun memulakan Persatuan
Pemudi Islam Singapura dengan menyebarkannya dari mulut ke
mulut. Kaum wanita pada masa itu sangat takut kepada suami
mereka, dan sesetengahnya diberitahu oleh suami mereka bahawa
suami mereka akan menceraikannya jika wanita tersebut menyertai
kami. Kami memberitahu mereka bahawa sekiranya mereka takut,
mereka tidak akan mampu melakukan banyak perkara. Sesetengah
wanita tersebut tidak takut dan berkata sekiranya mereka dihalau
keluar dari rumah sekalipun, mereka akan tetap berjuang. Kami
menemui para peguam dan mengutarakan perkara-perkara seperti
undang-undang perceraian dan poligami. Akhirnya, usaha kami
membawa kepada undang-undang yang lebih baik. Kami juga
memberitahu mereka bahawa masyarakat Islam perlukan tempat di
mana wanita boleh pergi dan membentangkan masalah-masalah
mereka demi mendapatkan lebih banyak hak, dan ini berhasil
dengan adanya Mahkamah Syariah.
Saya juga berasa bahawa oleh kerana saya terlibat dalam semua kerja
ini, saya harus tahu lebih banyak tentang undang-undang. Jika kita tidak
tahu tentang undang-undang, bagaimanakah kita boleh menolong
orang? Tetapi, belajar pada usia lanjut begitu sukar, lebih-lebih lagi
saya juga sedang bekerja. Saya mula menghadiri kelas-kelas bimbingan
Encik Ahmad Ibrahim (Ketua Hakim pertama Singapura) dan beliau
mengajar saya banyak perkara.
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Pada tahun 1964, kami memulakan Majlis Kebajikan Wanita Islam.
Walaupun setelah undang-undang perceraian dan poligami ditukar,
masih terdapat masalah kerana ramai orang lelaki bertindak sesuka hati.
Kebanyakan wanita tidak terpelajar dan ibu-bapa serta suami mereka
akan mengongkong mereka di rumah. Dengan adanya majlis tersebut,
kami melakukan kerja amal dan kebajikan, dan kami cuba membantu
wanita tersebut dengan memberi mereka nasihat guaman dan perubatan.
Apa yang membuat saya terus berkhidmat adalah keinginan untuk
membantu golongan yang kurang bernasib baik. Terdapat begitu
banyak wanita dan kanak-kanak yang kurang bernasib baik, termasuk
lelaki yang kurang bernasib baik. Saya rasa saya harus membantu
dengan apa pun cara yang terbaik.
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139
Othman bin Tubah
Lahir pada tahun 1947
Bekerja sebagai seorang kontraktor selepas menamatkan persekolahan. Salah satu tugas awalnya
bertempat di stesen janakuasa Pasir Panjang.
Kami terpaksa menggunakan tangan untuk
menarik kabel elekrik yang tebal. Bahagian
luar kabel tersebut dibuat daripada getah,
tetapi dalamnya ada kabel elekrik, semuanya
besi, kerana itu ia sangat berat. Kami perlu
mengeluarkannya daripada gulungannya
yang besar dan memasukkannya ke dalam
pasir. Ramai kakitangan yang diperlukan untuk
menariknya. Terdapat semacam terowong
dalam pasir tersebut, kami memasukkan
kabel tersebut di dalamnya dan menutupinya
selepas itu. Pada masa itu, stesen janakuasa
masih dikendalikan oleh pihak British.
Kemudian, saya juga bekerja di pelabuhan di
Pasir Panjang, mengangkut barang-barang
daripada kapal-kapal British. Pada masa
itu memang sangat sukar untuk mendapat
pekerjaan. Terdapat sebuah syarikat bernama
Chua Chua Leong dan kami akan pergi ke
sana dan menunggu untuk melihat sekiranya
mereka perlukan orang untuk bekerja pada
hari itu. Apabila kapal-kapal berlabuh, mereka
akan tentukan berapa ramai orang yang
mereka perlukan, dan jika kami dipanggil,
kami akan pergi dan membawa peluru-peluru
daripada kapal tersebut ke trak-trak yang
sedang menunggu. Bekas pelurunya besarbesar. Sangat berat. Kerja-kerja seperti ini tidak
selalu ada, semuanya bergantung pada situasi.
Selepas itu, pada tahun-tahun 1960an, saya
bekerja di Limbungan Jurong. Seorang kawan
saya merupakan pemandu kren di sana dan dia
menyarankan saya bekerja di sana. Tetapi saya
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tidak tahu memandu, jadi saya memasang
pelantar untuk bilik enjin. Ini bermakna kami
menyediakan tempat tersebut supaya pekerja
yang perlu mematri, mengecat sembur
atau membetulkan peralatan dapat masuk
ke dalam setelah kami menyediakannya.
Kemudian, saya memiliki satu pasukan yang
mungkin terdiri dari tiga atau empat orang,
dan saya merupakan penyelianya.
Pengurus saya dari Limbungan Jurong
berpindah ke Limbungan Mitsubishi. Dia
mengajak saya menyertainya di sana.
Limbungan tersebut terletak di Pioneer Road.
Bagaimanapun, saya bertugas tidak lama
dengan Mitsubishi. Semasa saya menyertai
mereka, pada mulanya saya diminta bekerja
di bilik enjin, serupa dengan apa yang pernah
saya lakukan sebelum bertugas di sini. Di sini
mereka menempatkan saya dalam tangki,
yang bermakna kami harus membersihkan
tangki tersebut dan memasang pelantar
di sana. Ia sangat dalam dan licin. Ini
merupakan tangki di mana mereka mengisi
minyak untuk kapal tersebut, jadi ia juga
berbau busuk dan sangat berbahaya.
Untuk pengetahuan semua, kira-kira setahun
setelah saya meninggalkan tempat itu, kapal
tersebut pun meletup. Kamu tahu Spyros?
Beberapa orang yang pernah bekerja di
bawah penyeliaan saya berada dalam kapal
tersebut. Saya berasa amat bersyukur.
Mereka yang terlibat adalah rakan-rakan
kerja saya; di antara mereka adalah seorang
pematri dan dua orang wanita. Saya kenal
kedua-dua wanita tersebut, mereka berdua
pekerja pembersihan, mereka berada atas
kapal tersebut semasa ia meletup. Ia sungguh
memilukan. Apabila berita itu dilaporkan, ada
orang menelefon saya dan memberitahu, “Kau
kenal si dia ni, kau dulu ketuanya? Dia ada di
sana. Sekarang dah arwah.”
Kehidupan pada masa itu susah. Saya
mempunyai tiga orang anak, semuanya
sedang bersekolah. Seorang kenalan di bawah
blok saya menyarankan agar saya mengambil
lesen memandu supaya saya dapat melakukan
pelbagai kerja. Saya pun pergi mengambil
kursus. Pada masa itu sangat mudah. Apabila
gagal, kamu boleh cuba lagi selepas dua
atau tiga hari. Tidak seperti sekarang. Saya
bernasib baik, saya lulus ujian pertama.
Kursus menonggang motosikal pun saya lulus
dalam ujian pertamanya. Walaupun kamu
tidak ada lesen motosikal, kamu hanya perlu
mempamerkan tanda ‘L’ dan kamu dibenarkan
memandu di jalan raya.
Selepas saya lulus ujian, saya cuba dapatkan
pekerjaan sebagai pemandu. Mereka gelarkan
saya Ahmad. Saya terbaca di surat khabar
tentang sebuah tempat di International Plaza
yang sedang mencari seorang pemandu.
Jadi saya pun pergi untuk ditemuduga, tetapi
mereka tidak bertanyakan tentang lesen
saya yang merah. Pada masa itu, kamu akan
mendapat lesen berwarna merah apabila baru
sahaja lulus ujian memandu. Setelah setahun,
barulah kamu akan diberikan lesen biasa.
Mereka tidak pernah bertanya saya tentang
lesen tersebut. Sejurus itu, saya dikehendaki
mula bekerja dua atau tiga hari kemudian.
Ketika melaporkan diri untuk bekerja,
mereka menyuruh saya memandu kereta
yang disediakan. iaitu sebuah kereta
Mercedes. Saya rasa gementar! Jadi saya
memandu sangat perlahan. Tidak berapa
lama kemudian, saya rasa selesa, tetapi
apabila saya perlu ke pejabat, saya terpaksa
memandu ke atas, jauh ke atas ke tempat
letak kereta di International Plaza. Berpeluh!
Tugasan utama saya ialah memandu ibu
majikan saya ke merata tempat. Kamu
tahu, si Ah Ma. Kakinya kecil. Saya akan
memandunya untuk mencuci rambutnya
di salon, dan bila-bila dia ingin pergi
bersembahyang di kuil Guang Meng Sua.
Saya ada kawan-kawan Cina di kampung, jadi
saya belajar sedikit bahasa Cina, perkataanperkataan yang mudah sahaja. Kemudian
ketika Ah Ma bercakap dalam bahasa Cina
dengan saya, dan bertanya jika saya hendak
ke sini atau ke sana, saya jawab, “Chin chye
(sebaranglah)!” Lalu dia kata, “Eh, kamu
boleh cakap Cina?” Jadi mereka suka pada
saya. Saya bekerja di sana selama 25 tahun,
sehingga khidmat saya tidak lagi diperlukan
sebab tiada orang untuk dijaga. Semua anakanaknya sudah dewasa, tiada orang lagi untuk
saya pandu.
Roslina Baba
Lahir pada tahun 1963
Peguambela dan peguamcara sejak 1994 sehingga kini.
Saya ingin menjadi seorang guru bahasa Inggeris atau sastera,
kerana saya gemar belajar tentang bahasa dan perkataan. Tetapi
bapa saya melihat kecenderungan saya dalam pendidikan tinggi
dan mengatakan bahawa saya harus mendapatkan segulung ijazah
profesional. Pada zaman itu, ini bermakna perubatan, undangundang, kejuruteraan atau perakaunan.
Ketika di pra-universiti, sekolah kami membawa kami melawati
Mahkamah Timbangtara Perindustrian. Walaupun tidak ada peguam
di sana, penghujahan kes-kes dan perbicaraannya menarik minat saya.
Saya merumuskan bahawa mempelajari undang-undang bukanlah
sesuatu pengorbanan yang teruk. Lagi pun, undang-undang juga ada
kena mengena dengan bahasa.
Saya merupakan sebahagian dari kumpulan pertama penuntut
undang-undang NUS (Universiti Kebangsaan Singapura) yang
menghabiskan masa selama empat tahun di kampus Kent Ridge.
Walaupun nisbah pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan adalah sekitar
50:50, saya merupakan satu-satunya pelajar Melayu wanita dalam
jabatan tersebut.
Saya agak cergas dalam Persatuan Islam di sana. Kami menganjurkan
ceramah dan bahas tentang falsafah, agama dan perbincangan
semasa. Semasa tahun terakhir saya, terdapat satu lagi kumpulan yang
menganjurkan petisyen menentang kuota untuk pelajar Perubatan
wanita, yang membataskan kemasukan mereka kepada sekitar cuma
3 daripada setiap 10 pelajar. Kami rasa ini tidak adil terhadap wanita.
Maka sekumpulan pelajar dan pensyarah memulakan satu petisyen.
Ahli-ahli kumpulan ini akhirnya berkembang menjadi AWARE
(Persatuan Wanita Untuk Tindakan & Kajian).
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Selepas saya menamatkan pengajian undang-undang, saya kurang
berminat menyertai syarikat-syarikat besar yang kebanyakannya
menumpukan kepada undang-undang korporat. Saya rasa saya
dapat menolong orang ramai sebagai seorang peguam. Lalu saya
berkhidmat dengan sebuah syarikat guaman yang kecil di Geylang
yang banyak berbakti kepada golongan kurang bernasib baik. Saya
masih ingat menjadi peguambela untuk seorang penjaja dengan
bayaran hanya $300.
Ia merupakan sebuah syarikat yang sangat kecil, yang terdiri daripada
tiga rakan kongsi dan hanya seorang murid. Kemudian, seorang rakan
kongsi meninggalkannya untuk berhijrah ke luar negara dan seorang
lagi mengambil cuti panjang, jadi hanya tinggal ketua peguam dan saya
sahaja. Saya baru sahaja bekerja selama kira-kira 18 bulan apabila ketua
peguam saya ditahan oleh ISD. Tiba-tiba, saya terpaksa mengendalikan
syarikat tersebut dan pada masa yang sama cuba menangani kes ketua
saya. Percayalah, ia bukanlah pengalaman menimba ilmu guaman yang
lazimnya diterima oleh kebanyakan peguam muda!
Akhirnya, keluarga peguam yang ditahan tersebut memutuskan
untuk menutup syarikat tersebut supaya beliau tidak perlu bimbang
tentangnya semasa tempoh penahanannya dan saya tidak perlu
mengendalikannya sendirian. Selepas peristiwa itu, saya pergi ke
London untuk melanjutkan pengajian ke peringkat Sarjana.
Saya berasa seronok waktu di London dan bekerja di sana juga menarik.
Tetapi sebagai seorang orang Asia, kamu harus pulang apabila ibubapa kamu meminta kamu pulang, dan itulah kemahuan ibu-bapa saya.
Saya kembali semula dan menyertai syarikat ini hingga sekarang. Saya
telah berkhidmat dengan mereka sejak 22 tahun yang lalu.
HANDS
143
Syed Abdul Kadir
Lahir pada tahun 1948
Mula bertinju pada usia 11 tahun. Merupakan rakyat Singapura yang pertama memenangi sebuah
pingat untuk tinju dalam Sukan Komanwel. Mewakili Singapura pada tahun 1972 dalam Sukan
Olimpik di Munich. Bersara daripada sukan tersebut pada lewat 1976 dan terus menjadi jurulatih
pasukan kebangsaan Singapura.
Sukan Olimpik merupakan impian saya. Saya berazam ingin mewakili
Negara tetapi kawan-kawan saya mempersendakan saya.
Mereka berkata, “Sukan ini sangat sukar, engkau tak boleh…” Saya
katakan saya akan buktikan kepada mereka. Kita selalu katakan
bahawa jika orang ini boleh, saya juga boleh. Tapi kamu tak boleh
gunakan mulut saja. Kamu mesti berusaha untuk mencapainya. Cuma
latihan, latihan, latihan. Berusaha, berlatih. Itulah kehidupan saya.
Selama sepuluh tahun saya melakukannya.
Saya menang dalam kejohanan terbuka kebangsaan saya yang
pertama pada usia 19 tahun. Saya dipilih untuk meyertai Sukan
Olimpik. Itu kemuncak saya. Pencapaian yang tertinggi. Saya benarbenar bersedia dengan baik. Saya berlawan dengan semua petinju
yang lebih berat. Jadi, orang lihat bahawa saya boleh hadapi dan
atasi mereka yang lebih berat. Lain-lain pesaing dari negara-negara
lain, dalam kategori berat badan berasa agak bimbang. Mereka tidak
mahu berlawan dengan saya.
Sejurus itu kami pun berangkat ke Munich. Saya berasa amat yakin.
Pertandingan seterusnya menentang Cuba dan saya tahu saya akan
menang. Tetapi pada pusingan kedua, lawan saya melepaskan
tumbukan ke atas kepala saya. Terdapat luka yang sangat kecil, ia
sangat kecil. Maka pengadil menghentikan perlawanan. Doktor
datang dan memeriksa luka tersebut. Pembantu saya sekadar
mengelapnya dan menekapnya. Pendarahan berhenti. Ia cuma luka
144 HANDS
yang sangat kecil; kita sepatutnya boleh teruskan. Tetapi saya tidak
dapat berbuat apa-apa; mereka tidak membenarkan saya berlawan.
Saya menangis. Saya tidak dapat lakukan apa-apa.
Walaupun saya pernah pergi ke Sukan Olimpik, sukan Semenanjung
Asia Tenggara pada tahun 1971 merupakan perlawanan yang terbaik
buat saya kerana pesaing saya di peringkat akhir merupakan warga
Burma. Dia sengaja dibawa turun dari kalangan kaum bukit untuk
tujuan bertinju. Dia kelihatan menakutkan, seorang yang sangat
garang. Dan dia merupakan petinju nombor satu di Asia pada masa
itu. Jurulatihnya sangat angkuh. Apabila kami bertemu di dewan
makan, dia datang kepada saya dan berkata, “Kau akan bertemu
dengan anak didikku, kau harus makan lebih banyak.” Dia suruh saya
makan lebih banyak! Dia bersungguh-sungguh. Lalu saya katakan,
“OK, saya akan bertemu kamu malam ini.” Itu sahaja. Kemudian,
apabila saya mengalahkan anak didiknya, saya boleh katakan saya
telah menggoncang dunia. Mereka tidak tahu bahawa Singapura
mempunyai para petinju yang boleh menjadi juara.
Saya tidak tahu apa makna bersara. Ia tidak wujud dalam kamus hidup
saya. Kata orang dalam sukan apa pun, kamu harus berkorban. Masa
dan zaman muda kamu. Selagi saya masih kuat, saya akan teruskan
membantu kanak-kanak kecil. Mereka perlukan panduan. Saya rasa
jika saya tidak mengembalikan apa yang telah saya pelajari daripada
sukan tersebut, saya tidak akan berasa berpuas hati .
HANDS
145
tho;f;iff; Fwpg;G
Nfg;ld; gy;Njt; rpq;
gpwg;G 1951
rpq;fg;G+u; tpkhdj;Jiwapy; 40 Mz;Lfs; tpkhdpahfg; gzpahw;wpatu;.
ehd; fle;j 40 Mz;Lfshfr; rpq;fg;G+u; tpkhdg; gilapy; tpkhdpahfg;
gzpGupe;J tUfpNwd;. rpWtajpypUe;Nj tpkhdpahf Ntz;Lk; vd;gij
tpl tof;FiuQuhf Ntz;Lk; vd;gNj vdJ tpUg;gk;.
ehd; 'Nfk;gpupl;[;" ,y; cau;fy;tpiaj; njhlq;Fk;NghJ vdJ tFg;Gj;
Njhod; 'rpyhj;jhu;" tpkhd jsj;jpy; tpkhdg; gapw;rpapy; <Lgl;bUe;jhd;.
gapw;rp Kbe;J mtdJ gapw;rp rk;ge;jg;gl;l midj;Jr; nra;jpfisAk;
vd;dplk; gfpu;e;Jnfhs;Sk;NghJ mJ vdf;F kpfTk; rthyhdjhfTk;>
gutr%l;LtjhfTk; ,Uf;Fk;. mjdhy;> ehDk; xU tpkhdpahf
Ntz;Lk; vd;w vz;zk; vdf;Fs; cUthdJ. vdJ tpUg;gj;ijg;
ngw;Nwhuplk; njuptpj;Njd;. mtu;fSk; vdf;F kpfTk; Cf;f%l;bdhu;fs;.
mjdhy;> tpkhdpahf cupkk; ngWtjw;fhf ehd; 'nky;ngu;d;" nrd;Nwd;.
Nkw;fy;tpf;fhfg; gy;fiyf;fofk; nry;tijj; jtpu;j;J tpkhdpahf
Ntz;Lk; vd;w vdJ tpUg;gj;ijj; njhlu;e;Njd;.
ehd; gapw;rp Kbe;J jpUk;gp te;jNghJ 'kNyrpah rpq;fg;G+u;" vd xd;whf
,Ue;j tpkhdj;Jiw kNyrpah tpkhdj;Jiw> rpq;fg;G+u; tpkhdj;Jiw
vd;W ,uz;lhfg; gpupe;jpUe;jJ. ehd; ,uz;L gpupTf;Fk; Ntiyf;F
tpz;zg;gk; nra;Njd;. vdf;F ,uz;L ,lq;fspypUe;Jk; Ntiyapy; Nru
mDkjp fpilj;jJ. Mdhy;> rpq;fg;G+u; tpkhdj;JiwapypUe;J te;j
Ntiyf;fhd cj;juT Kjypy; fpilj;jjhYk; rpq;fg;G+upy; tho;tjhYk;
mjpy; Nru;tNj nghUj;jkhf ,Uf;Fk; vd;W vdJ jhahu; fUjpdhu;.
mjdhy;> ehd; rpq;fg;G+u; tpkhdj;Jiwapy; Nru;e;Njd;. ,d;Wtiu me;j
Ntiyapy;jhd; ePbf;fpNwd;. ngUikf;Fupa ,e;j tpkhdj;Jiwapy;
Rkhu; 40 Mz;Lfshfg; gwe;J rhjidahsdhf ePbg;gjpy; ehd;
ngUikailfpNwd;. vd;NdhL gzpahw;Wk; ,isNahu;> tpkhdpfs;>
tpkhdg; gzpahsu;fs; kw;Wk; mYtyf ez;gu;fsplk; 'cq;fsJ Ntiy
kpfTk; Kf;fpak; vd;gjhy; mijf; ftdj;Jld; ghJfhj;Jf; nfhs;Sq;fs;"
vd;W ehd; vg;NghJk; $WNtd;.
148 HANDS
me;ehl;fspy; tpkhdj;jpy; gwg;gJ vd;gJ xU ngUikf;Fupa nra;jp.
Vndd;why; mg;Nghnjy;yhk; vy;NyhuhYk; tpkhdj;jpy; gwf;f KbahJ.
mg;gbg; gwg;gJ xU Kf;fpa epfo;thf ,Uf;Fk;. me;jf; fhyq;fspy;
tpkhdj;jpy; nry;Yk;NghJ tpkhdj;ij ,ilapy; epWj;jpa gpd;Ng nry;y
Ntz;bapUe;jJ. cjhuzkhf 'yz;ld;" nry;y Ntz;Lnkd;why; ,ilapy;
,uz;L my;yJ %d;W ,lq;fspy; epWj;jpa gpd;Ng nry;y KbAk;.
kf;fSk; mijg; ngupjhff; fUjtpy;iy. tpkhdj;jpy; nry;y tpUk;Gk;
gazpfs; ey;y cil cLj;jp ey;y myq;fhuj;Jld; tpkhdg; gazj;ij
mDgtpf;fj; jahuhthu;fs;. tpkhdj;jpy; ve;j xU nghOJNghf;F
mk;rq;fSk; ,y;yhkNyNa gazpfs; nfhz;lhl;l czu;itg; ngw;wdu;.
1973-,y; ehd; vdJ gapw;rpiaj; njhlq;Fk;NghJ ehq;fs; 'ghah Nygu;"
tpkhd jsj;ijg; gad;gLj;JNthk;. me;j tpkhd jsk; tpkhdq;fs;
te;J nry;y trjpahf ,Ue;jhYk; ehq;fs; tPLfSf;F Nky; gwe;J nry;y
Ntz;ba mtrpak; ,Ue;jJ. NkYk; gioa tpkhdq;fs; Ngupiur;riy
cz;lhf;fpajhy; nghJkf;fSf;Fr; rpukk; Vw;gl;lJ. 'ghah Nygu;" tpkhd
epiyak; rpwg;ghdJ ghJfhg;ghdJ.
1970-fspd; ,Wjpapy; rhq;fp tpkhd epiyak; fl;lg;gl;L 1981- ,y;
gad;ghl;bw;F te;jJ. mq;F midj;J etPdr; rhjdq;fSk; ,Ue;jd.
tpkhdq;fs; NknyOk;gTk;> jiuapwq;fTk; jdpj;jdpahf xLjsq;fs;
,Ue;jd. N`hz;lh tz;bia Xl;ba xUtUf;F 'gp vk; lgps;A+" tz;b
fpilj;jhy; vt;tsT NtWghL njupANkh mJNghd;wJjhd; 'ghah Nygu;"
tpkhd epiyaj;jpw;Fk; rhq;fp tpkhd epiyaj;jpw;Fk; cs;s NtWghL
vd;gJ vdJ fUj;J.
HANDS
149
`rd; Fj;J}];
gpwg;G 1947
njhiyj;njhlu;Gj; Jiwapy; 1965-1969 tiuAk; gpd;G rpq;fg;G+u; mQ;ry; Jiwapy; 2003 tiuAk;
34 tUlq;fshfg; gzp nra;jtu;. ,g;NghJ jdJ kidtpAld; jhQ;Nrhq; gfhu; re;ijapy; xU
krhy; nghUs;fs; tpw;Fk; fil itj;jpUf;fpwhu;. rpq;fg;G+u; njd;fhrp ,];yhkpa eyr; rq;fj;jpd;
jiytuhfTk;> nksyhdh KfkJ myp kR+jpapd; cWg;gpduhfTk; cs;shu;.
,d;W jQ;Nrhq;; gfhu; gpshrh vd;W miof;fg;gLfpd;w jQ;Nrhq;; gfhupy;
cs;s 'nrq; Jthd;" njU 4-,y; ehd; gpwe;Njd;. 1968-tiu mq;F
tho;e;J gpd; 'fpk; jpahd;" rhiyf;Ff; Fbngau;e;Njhk;. vdf;F 5 tajhf
,Uf;Fk;NghJ vd; je;ij ,we;JNghdjhy;> krhiyg; nghUs;fis
miuj;Jf; filfspy; nfhLj;J mjpy; fpilf;Fk; tUkhdj;jpypUe;J
vd;idAk; vd; jq;ifiaAk; vdJ jhahu; tsu;j;jhu;.
ehq;fs; tho;e;j tPl;by; gy FLk;gq;fs; xd;whf tho;e;jdu;. cjhuzkhf
xU tPl;by; 20 FLk;gq;fs;$l xd;whf tho;thu;fs;. xt;nthU
FLk;gj;jhUk; Xu; miwapy; tho;thu;fs;. xU FLk;gj;jpy; Rkhu; 10
gps;isfs;$l ,Ug;ghu;fs;. rikayiw xd;whf ,Ue;jhYk; xt;nthU
FLk;gj;jhUk; jdpj;jdp mLg;igg; gad;gLj;JNthk;. nghJthd
fopg;giwAk; %d;W my;yJ ehd;F Ngu; xNu Neuj;jpy; Fspf;Fk; msTf;F
xU ngupa FspayiwAk; ,Uf;Fk;. tPl;bypUf;Fk; FLk;gj;jpdu;
czitj; jq;fSf;Fs; gupkhwpf; nfhs;tJk; cz;L. mtu;fs;
jq;fpapUe;j tPl;L miwfs; rpwpait vd;gjhy; rpyu; ,uT Neuq;fspy;
ruf;Fe;JfspYk;> rpyu; klf;F nkj;ijia tpupj;J 5 mb mfyk;
kl;LNk cs;s eilghijapYk; gLj;J cwq;FtJ cz;L. tho;f;if
fbdkhf ,Ue;jhYk; mJNt gofptpl;lJ vd;gjhy; mjw;fhf ahUk;
tUe;Jtjpy;iy. ehq;fs; Viofshf ,Ue;jhYk; epk;kjpahf tho;e;Njhk;.
mg;NghJ gps;isfs; vy;yhUk; ngw;NwhUf;F cjTtJ tof;fk;. mJNghd;W
ehDk; vdJ jha;f;F cjtp nra;Ntd;. jhahu; miuj;j krhiyiaf;
filfSf;Ff; nfhz;L nry;tJ vdJ Ntiy. fhiyapy; krhy;
nghUs;fisr; rikaYf;fhff; filfSf;Ff;; nfhz;LNgha;f; nfhLg;gJ>
gpwF kjpak; CWfha; Nghd;w nghUs;fisf; nfhLg;gJ> khiyapy;
gzk; thq;Ftjw;fhf vd;W xU ehisf;F %d;WKiw filfSf;Fr;
nrd;W tUNthk;. fhiyapy; gs;spf;Fr; nry;tjw;F Kd;G 8 kzpastpy;
krhiyiaf; filfSf;Ff;; nfhz;L nry;Ntd;. kjpaKk; khiy
Neuj;jpYk; vdJ jhahu; me;j Ntiyiar; nra;thu;. khiyapy; kPz;Lk;
ehd; mijj; njhlu;Ntd;.
150 HANDS
me;jf; fhyq;fspy; vq;fSf;Ff; fy;tpapd; Kf;fpaj;Jtk; njupatpy;iy.
Mdhy;> ,d;W tho;f;ifapy; Kd;Ndw Ntz;Lkhdhy; fy;tp mtrpak;
vd;gij ehq;fs; ed;F czu;e;jpUf;fpNwhk;. murhq;fKk; mjw;F KO
xj;Jiog;Gf; nfhLf;fpwJ.
rpq;fg;G+u; mQ;ry; JiwapypUe;J Xa;T ngw;w gpd;G> ehDk; vdJ kidtp
\hgd; gPtPAld; Nru;e;J jhQ;Nrhq; gfhu; re;ijapy; ,Ue;j vq;fs;
krhiyg; nghUs;fs; tpw;Fk; filiaf; ftdpj;Jf;nfhz;Nlhk;. nkhj;j
tpw;gidahsuplkpUe;J nghUl;fis nkhj;jkhf thq;fpg; gyjug;gl;l
czT tiffSf;F Vw;g krhiyg; nghUl;fisj; jahupg;Nghk;. gpupahzp>
FUkh> R+g;> krhf; nkuh> nuz;lhq;> kPd; jiyf;fwp Nghd;wtw;wpw;F
krhy; nghUs;fisj; jahupf;Fk; Kiw vq;fSf;F ed;whfj; njupAk;. rpy
ngsj;j kjj;jpdu; ntq;fhaj;ijAk; ,Q;rpiaAk; tpUk;gkhl;lhu;fs;
vd;gjhy; mtw;iw vq;fs; krhiyfspy; Nru;f;fkhl;Nlhk;. ehq;fs;
vq;fs; krhy; rhkhd;fisf; filfs;> cztfq;fs;> czT jahupj;J
tpepNahfk; nra;Nthu; vdg; gy ,lq;fSf;F mDg;gp itg;Nghk;.
vq;fsJ thbf;ifahsu;fspy; ngUk;ghNyhu; irdh lTd; tl;lhuj;ijr;
Nru;e;jtu;fs;.
jQ;Nrhq; gfhu;> re;ijf; filf;fhuu;fs; vy;NyhUk; xUtiu xUtu;
kjpj;J ez;gu;fshfg; gofpNdhk;. $ilfspy; itj;J tpw;w krhiyg;
nghUl;fis 1976-Mk; Mz;L xU filahf khw;wpdhu; vdJ jhahu;.
mjpypUe;J cUthdJjhd; vq;fsJ krhiyf; fil. me;j tpahghuk;
vq;fsJ ,uj;jj;NjhL fye;jJ. kf;fs; ey;y> MNuhf;fpakhd czit
cz;z Ntz;Lk; vd;gJjhd; vq;fsJ tpUg;gk;. ehq;fs; tpw;Fk; krhiyg;
nghUisj;jhd; tPl;bYk; rikf;fpNwhk;. ey;y krhiyiaj; jhahupg;gjw;Fj;
juKk; msTk; mDgtKk; Kf;fpak;. rpy krhiyf; filf;fhuu;fs; jq;fs;
nghUl;fspd; nra;Kiwfis ahUf;Fk; nrhy;ykhl;lhu;fs;. Mdhy;> ehq;fs;
ahu; Nfl;lhYk; mtu;fSf;F krhiy nra;Kiwfisg; gw;wp kiwf;fhky;
$WNthk;. ehq;fs; vq;fsJ ePz;l ehs; thbf;ifahsu;fNshL ey;y njhlu;G
nfhz;Ls;Nshk;. ,e;j vy;yhg; GfOf;Fk; ,iwtDf;F ed;wp $WfpNwhk;.
HANDS
151
[pjh rpq;;
gpwg;G 1949
Njrpaf; fhw;ge;jhl;lf; FOtpy; (1969-1973) 5 Mz;Lfs; cWg;gpdu;. mjd; gpwF Mu;tj;jhy;
rPf;fpaf; fhw;ge;jhl;lg; gapw;Wtpg;ghsuhdhu;. Njrpaf; fhw;ge;jhl;lf; FOTf;F 1979 ,ypUe;J 1984
tiu gapw;Wtpg;ghsuhf ,Ue;jhu;. jw;NghJ rpq;fg;G+u;f; fhw;ge;jhl;lr; rq;f Nkk;ghl;Lf; FOtpd;
%j;j jiytuhf cs;shu;.
mf;fhyq;fspy; fhw;ge;J tpisahLtJ Rygkhf ,Ue;jJ. eq;fs;
vq;F ,lk; fpilj;jhYk; fw;fisNah my;yJ Fr;rpfisNah Nfhy;
fk;gq;fshf;fp ntWq;fhy;fNshL gpsh];bf; ge;Jfisf; nfhz;L
tpisahLNthk;. rkkpy;yhj fuLKulhd jplypy; tpisahLk;NghJ clypy;
fhak; Vw;gLtJz;L. ,Ue;jhYk;> mJFwpj;J ehq;fs; ftiyg;gl;ljpy;iy.
ehd; xU tpisahl;L tPuu;. gs;spapy; FWfpa kw;Wk; neLe;J}u Xl;l
tpUJfisg; ngw;Ws;Nsd;. NkYk; gs;spiag; gpujpepjpj;J `hf;fp
tpisahbapUf;fpNwd;. MdhYk;> fhw;ge;jhl;l tpisahl;Nl kpfTk;
rthyhdjhfTk; Mu;t%l;LtjhfTk; ,Ue;jJ. ehd; rPf;fpa r%fj;ijr;
Nru;e;jtd;. rPf;fpa r%fj;jpdu; ngUk;ghYk; `hf;fp tpisahl;ilNa
tpUk;gp tpisahLthu;fs;. rPf;fpar; r%fj;Jf;Fk; `hf;fpf;Fk; neUq;fpa
rk;ge;jk; cz;L.
1960-fspy; ehd; gjpd;k tajhf ,Uf;Fk;NghJ vdJ r%fj;jpypUe;J
Vw;gl;l vjpu;g;gpd;; fhuzkhf ehd; fhw;ge;J tpisahlg; NghfpNwd; vd;gij
ntspg;gilahff; $wtpy;iy. Mdhy;> nrapd;l; [hu;[; ikjhdj;jpy;
elf;Fk; fhw;ge;jhl;lj;ijg; ghu;f;fg; Nghtjhfg; ngw;Nwhuplk; $wptpl;L
tpisahlr; nry;Ntd;. mf;fhyq;fspy; tzpf epWtdq;fSf;fhd Nghl;b>
murhq;f Nritf;fhd Nghl;b> el;GKiw Ml;lq;fs; vdg; gy Nghl;bfs;
ele;jd. ehd; me;jf; FOf;fspy; vd; ngw;Nwhu; mwpe;Jnfhs;sf; $lhJ
vd;gjw;fhf Nkw;rl;il $l ,y;yhky; tpisahLtJz;L. tpisahb
Kbj;jgpwF tpau;itiaj; Jilf;f tPl;bypUe;J nfhz;Lnrd;w
iff;Fl;iliag; gad;gLj;JNtd;. fhw;ge;J tpisahbaJ vq;fs;
FLk;gj;jhUf;Fj; njupahjthW ghu;j;Jf;nfhs;Ntd;.
,J vdJ njhlu; eltbf;ifahf ,Ue;jJ. Mdhy;> xU ehs; vdJ
je;ij jdJ ez;gu;fNshL fhw;ge;jhl;l tpisahl;ilg; ghu;f;f
152 HANDS
te;jpUe;jhu;. mg;NghJ ehd; tpisahbaij vd; je;ij ghu;j;jhu;. Mdhy;>
ehd; mtiuf; ftdpf;ftpy;iy. fhw;ge;jhl;lk; Kbe;jgpd; vdJ md;whl
Ntiyfis Kbj;Jtpl;L ehd; tPl;bw;Fr; nrd;wNghJ ''tpisahl;by;
ahu; ntw;wpngw;wJ?"" vd;W vdJ jhahu; Nfl;lhu;. mJ vdf;F ,f;fl;lhd
R+oiy cUthf;fpaJ. nghJthf ehd; ghu;f;f Ntz;ba tpisahl;bd;
Kbit mwpe;Jnfhs;tJ tof;fk;. Mdhy;> md;W Kbit mwpe;Jnfhs;s
kwe;Jtpl;Nld;. mk;kh Nfl;Fk;NghJ vd;dhy; gjpy; $wKbatpy;iy.
mjdhy;> vdf;Fg; gpuk;gb fpilj;jJ. gpwF tPl;bypUe;j
iff;Fl;ilfs; jpULNghdjw;F ehd;jhd; fhuzk; vd;gij mwpe;jhu;fs;.
tpd;l;]u; Nuhtu;]; fhw;ge;jhl;lf; FOtpypUe;J jpU [p.gp.Rg;igah
mtu;fs; vdf;Fg; gapw;Wtpg;ghsuhf ,Ue;jhu;. mjdhy;> vdJ
ngw;Nwhu; vd;id tpisahl mDkjpj;jdu;. mtu; vdJ ngw;Nwhuplk;
fhw;ge;jhl;lj;jhy; vdf;F ve;jg; ghjpg;Gk; tuhky; vd;idg; ghJfhg;ghfg;
ghu;j;Jf; nfhs;tjhf vdJ ngw;NwhUf;F cWjp mspj;jhu;.
ehd; Kjd; Kiwahfj; Njrpaf; FOtpy; ,lk; ngw;wpUe;jNghJ vq;fsJ
fhw;ge;jhl;lr; rPUil jbj;j gUj;jpj;Jzpahyhdjhy; mJ mzptjw;F
trjpahf ,y;iy. mg;NghJ ryit nra;Ak; trjpAk; ,y;iy vd;gjhy;
ehq;fs; Milfis tPl;bw;F vLj;Jr; nrd;Wjhd; Jitf;f Ntz;Lk;.
ehd; rpq;fg;G+Uf;fhf tpisahLtjpy; ngUik mile;Njd;. ,uz;L
kzpf;F xUKiw vdJ mykhupiaj; jpwe;J vdJ fhw;ge;jhl;l
cilia vLj;Jg; ghu;j;Jg; ngUikailNtd;. mg;NghJ rpq;fg;G+u;f;
nfhb fpilahJ. ehd;F tz;zr; rJuq;fshyhd rl;ilia mzpNthk;.
Mdhy; jha;ehl;Lf;fhf tpisahLfpNwhk; vd;Dk; ngUik vq;fSf;F
kpFe;jpUe;jJ. mjdhy;> vdJ fhw;ge;jhl;lr; rl;ilia mbf;fb
vLj;Jg; ghu;j;Jg; ngUiknfhs;Ntd;.
HANDS
153
Nydh jk;igah
gpwg;G 1937
<LghLila r%f Nritahsu;. r%f eyj;Jiwapd; cjtp ,af;Feu;. (1961-1964). FLk;g
ey Nritj;Jiwj; jiytu;> Mrpag; ngz;fs; eyr; rq;fj;jpd; jiytu; (AWWA)(1975-1978).
clw;FiwAs;s rpWtu; tpisahl;L mikg;gpd; jiytu; (1979-1985).
vdJ ngw;Nwhu; Nritj; Jiwapy; <Lgl;bUe;jJ vd;id kpfTk;
ftu;e;jJ. vdJ je;ij 'nrapd;l; Mz;L&]; kp\d;" kUj;JtkidapYk;>
vdJ jhahu; RaNritg; gpuptpYk; kpfTk; <LghLilatu;fs;.
ehd; jpUr;rigapd; ,isNahu; gpupitr; rhu;e;jtu;;. xU Kiw 'nrapd;l;
Mz;L&]; vYk;Gg; gpupT kUj;Jt kidiar; nrd;W ghu;j;Njhk;.
mg;Nghnjy;yhk; Foe;ijfSf;F ,sk;gps;is thj Neha; xU ngUk;
gpur;rpidahf ,Ue;jJ. mq;F ,sk;gps;is thj Nehahy; ghjpf;fg;gl;l
Foe;ijfs; gyu; ,Ue;jdu;. mtu;fSf;fhfj; jdpahf xU gs;spAk;
,Ue;jJ. mq;F mtu;fSf;Fg; ghlk; nrhy;ypf; nfhLf;f Mrpupau;fSk;
,Ue;jdu;. mjdhy;> mf;Foe;ijfs; jpUk;gg; gs;spf;Fr; nry;Yk;NghJ
ghlj;ijj; njhlu;tJ Rygkhf ,Ue;jJ. ehq;fs; xU ehs; me;j
kUj;Jtkidiag; ghu;itaplr; nrd;Nwhk;. mg;NghJ ehd; xU rpWtdpd;
gLf;iff;F mUfpy; mku;e;J fijfisf; $wpNdd;. ghu;it Neuk;
Kbe;J jpUk;Gk;NghJ me;jr; rpWtd; jdJ iffshy; vdJ fOj;ij
,Wff; fl;bf;nfhz;L> ''ePq;fs; Nghff;$lhJ> ,q;NfNa ,Ue;J vdf;Ff;
fijfs; $w Ntz;Lk;"" vd;whd;. mJ vd;id kpfTk; ghjpj;jJ. mjdhy;>
me;jf; Foe;ijfSf;fhf VjhtJ nra;a Ntz;Lk; vd;W KbT nra;Njd;.
mjw;Fr; r%f Nrit xU rpwe;j jPu;thf mike;jJ.
1990-fspy; Nydh Mrpag; ngz;fs; eyr; rq;fj;NjhL (AWWA)
neUf;fkhf Ntiy nra;J clw;Fiw cs;s gps;isfisg; nghJg;
gs;spfspy; Nru;j;jhu;.
Mrpag; ngz;fs; eyr; rq;fj;jpd; jiytuhf ,Ue;j 'Nfj;jyPd; rpah">
''vd;dplk; ,uz;L gy clw;Fiw khztu;fs; ,Uf;fpwhu;fs;. mtu;fs;
kpfTk; Gj;jprhypfs;. Mjyhy; mtu;fs; ,e;jg; gs;spapy; ,Uf;f
Ntz;bajpy;iy"" vd;whu;. mjdhy;> mtu;fis muRg; gs;spapy; Nru;f;f
Kide;Njhk;. Mdhy;> fy;tp mikr;rfk;> ''vq;fs; gs;spfspy; clw;Fiw
cs;s khztu;fisr; Nru;g;gjpy;iy. mjdhy;> mtu;fis muRg;gs;spapy;
Nru;f;f ,ayhJ"" vd;W $wp kWj;J tpl;ldu;. ,Ue;jhYk;> muRg;gs;spapy;
154 HANDS
epiwa clw;FiwAs;s khztu;fs; gbf;fpd;wdu; vd;gJ vdf;F
ed;F njupAk;.
ehq;fs; nrhe;jkhf Kaw;rp nra;J 100f;Fk; Nkw;gl;l clw;FiwAs;s
khztu;fs; muRg;gs;spfspy; gbf;fpd;wdu; vd;gijf; fz;lwpe;Njhk;.
mg;gs;sp Kjy;tu;fspd; md;Gk;> rpe;jidj; jpwDNk mjw;Ff; fhuzk;
vd;gijAk; mwpe;Njhk;. njhlf;fg;gs;sp Kjyhk; Mz;L gjptpd;NghJ
Foe;ijapd; gpwg;Gr; rhd;wpjio kl;Lk; gs;spf;F vLj;Jr; nrd;why;
NghJk;. Foe;ijfis mioj;Jr; nry;y Ntz;bajpy;iy. Mdhy;>
gs;spapy; Kjy; ehs; ,JNghd;w clw;FiwAs;s gps;isfs; rf;fu
ehw;fhypapNyh my;yJ Cd;WNfhYlNdh gs;spf;F tUk;NghJ mtu;fis
kWf;fhky; 'th" vd;W md;Gld; cs;Ns mioj;Jr; nrd;wdu;. NkYk;
mj;jifa clw;FiwAs;s khztu;fspd; tFg;Gfs; jiuj; jsj;jpNyNa
,Uf;FkhW ghu;j;Jf; nfhz;ldu;. khbf;Fr; nry;Yk; mtrpak;
Vw;gLk;NghJ MrpupaNuh ez;gu;fNsh mtu;fisj; J}f;fpr; nrd;wdu;.
mtu;fs; mg;gb md;NghL ftdpj;Jf; nfhz;lhYk; me;j khztu;fSf;F
mq;Fg; ghJfhg;gpy;iy vd;gij czu;e;Njd;. Njrpa nghJr;Nrit
mikg;gpd; jiytuhf ,Ue;j 'lhd; gp thd;" mtu;fs; muRg;gs;spfspy;
gbf;Fk; clw;Fiw khztu;fspd; fzf;nfLg;ig elj;j KbT
nra;jhu;. me;jg; gzpapy; fye;Jnfhs;SkhW vdf;Fk; kw;nwhU nghJr;
NritahsUf;Fk; miog;G tpLj;jhu;.
vq;fsJ fzf;nfLg;gpd; Kbtpy; muRg;gs;spfspy; gbf;Fk;
clw;FiwAs;s khztu;fs; kUj;Jtg; gupNrhjidf;Fr; nry;tjpy;iy
vd;Wk; mjw;Ff; fhuzk; mtu;fsJ ngw;Nwhu;fspd; nghUshjhu
trjpapd;ikAk; Neukpd;ikAk; vd;gij mwpe;Njhk;. vdJ rpWtajpy;
rpq;fg;G+u;f; fhrNeha; vjpu;g;Gg; gpupT> elkhLk; CLfjpu; (vf;];Nu)
fUtpfisf; nfhz;l thfdq;fs; fpuhkq;fSf;F tUtJz;L. mJNghd;W
ehq;fSk; thfdk; xd;iw kUj;Jkidahf khw;wpg; gs;spfSf;Ff; nfhz;L
nrd;Nwhk;. mJ kpfg; ngupa ntw;wpiaj; Njbj; je;jJ.
HANDS
155
jpUkjp KfkJ rpuh[;
gpwg;G 1925
\aupah ePjpkd;wj;jpd; Kjy; ngz; Nritahsu;. ,];yhkpag; ngz;fs; ,isNahu; gpupT (1952) kw;Wk;
,];yhkpag; ngz;fs; eyr;rq;fj;jpd; ,izj; Njhw;Wtpg;ghsu; (1964).
vdJ fztu; r%f NritapYk;> ehd; rpq;fg;G+u;f; Foe;ijfs;
rq;fk;> FLk;gf; fl;Lg;ghl;Lf; FO Nghd;w gy r%ff; FOf;fspy;
<Lgl;bUe;Njhk;. me;jr; rq;fq;fspy; ,];yhkpag; ngz;fs; vtUk;
,y;iy. mjdhy;> ,];yhkpag; ngz;fSf;F VjhtJ gpur;rpid vOe;jhy;
cjtp nra;a vtUk; ,y;iy vd;gij czu;e;Njd;.
xU Nkhrkhd mDgtkhf ,Ue;jJ. mit ngUk;ghYk; nghUshjhug;
gpur;rpidfshfNt ,Ue;jd. mg;ngz;fspd; fztd;khu; NtW
ngz;fisj; jpUkzk; nra;Jnfhz;L ghjpf;fg;gl;ltu;fSf;F ve;j xU
,og;gPLk; juhky; tUkhdj;jpw;F topapy;yhky; jdpNa tpl;Lr; nry;tJ
tof;fk;.
1950-fspy; Mz;fs; ntWk; tha; thu;j;ijfshy; ngz;fis tpthfuj;Jr;
nra;JtpLthu;fs;. mtu;fSf;Ff; Foe;ijfs; ,Ue;jhy; $l ,og;gPl;Lj;
njhifahf ntWk; 30 nts;spia %d;W khjq;fSf;Ff; nfhLj;Jr;
rupnra;JtpLthu;fs;. ,J Nghd;w Neu;ikaw;w Kiwfspy; ngz;fspd;
cupikfs; kWf;fg;gl;ld. ,];yhkpag; ngz;fSf;F ve;j xU ghJfhg;Gk;
cupikAk; mspf;fg;gltpy;iy. ehDk; vdJ ez;gu;fSk; mjw;F
VjhtJ jPu;T fhz Ntz;Lk; vd;w vz;zj;jpy; ,sk; ,];yhkpag;
ngz;fs; fofj;ijr; rl;lg;gb gjpahky; tha;nkhopahf cUthf;fpNdhk;.
mg;Nghnjy;yhk; ngz;fs; jq;fs; fztUf;Fg; gag;gLthu;fs;. vq;fs;
rq;fj;jpy; Nru;e;j rpyiu mtu;fs; fztd;khu;fs; tpthfuj;J
nra;JtpLtjhf kpul;bdhu;fs;. Mdhy;> ehq;fs; mtu;fsplk; nrd;W>
gae;jhy; ve;j xU fhupaj;ijAk; rhjpj;Jtpl KbahJ vd;W vLj;Jf;
$wpNdhk;. rpyu; jq;fs; FLk;g cwT ghjpg;gile;jhYk; mjw;fhfg;
gag;glhky; vq;fSld; Nru;e;J rhjpf;f tpUk;gpdhu;fs;. ehq;fs; rl;l
ty;Yeu;fis mZfp tpthfuj;J kw;Wk; gykzk; Nghd;w gpur;rpidfis
Kd;ndLj;Jr; nrd;wjhy; mtw;wpy; gy rl;l khw;wq;fs; Vw;gl;ld. NkYk;
,];yhkpag; ngz;fs; jq;fs; cupikfisg; ngw xU jdp mikg;G
Ntz;Lk; vd;W Ntz;LNfhs; tpLj;Njhk;. mjd; tpisthf '\aupah
ePjpkd;wk;" mikf;fg;gl;lJ.
vd;Dila gzpfspy; <LgLk;NghJ rl;l EZf;fq;fis mwpe;jpUe;jhy;
kf;fSf;F cjTtJ vspjhf ,Uf;Fk; vd;W ehd; czu;e;Njd;.
rl;lj;ij mwpahky; jhk; kf;fSf;F cjt KbahJ vd;gij mwpe;Njd;.
mjdhy;> rl;lk; gbf;f Muk;gpj;Njd;. tajhd fhyj;jpy; Ntiy
nra;Jnfhz;Nl gbg;gJ kpfTk; fbdkhf ,Ue;jJ. ehd; 'n`d;rpf;
mfkJ ,g;uhfpk;" (rpq;fg;G+upd; Kjy; murhq;f tof;FiuQu;) vd;gtuplk;
rl;lk; gbf;fj; njhlq;fpNdd;. ey;yKiwapy; rl;lk; gapd;Nwd;.
1964-,y; ',];yhkpag; ngz;fs; eyr; rq;fj;ij Muk;gpj;Njhk;.
tpthfuj;J> gykzk; Nghd;w rl;l khw;wq;fs; Vw;gl;l gpd;Gk; gy Mz;fs;
jq;fs; tpUg;gg;gb ele;J nfhz;ljhy; gy gpur;rpidfs; vOe;jd.
ngUk;ghyhd ngz;fs; fy;tpawpT ngwhjtu;fs;. mtu;fis> mtu;fsJ
fztu; kw;Wk; ngw;Nwhu; tPl;Lf;Fs;NsNa milj;J itj;jpUe;jdu;.
mtu;fSf;F vq;fs; rq;fj;jpd; %yk; ed;nfhil kw;Wk; gy cjtpfisr;
nra;Njhk;. me;jg; ngz;fSf;F kUj;Jt cjtpfisAk; rl;l
cjtpfisAk; ehq;fs; toq;fpNdhk;.
ngz;fs;> rpWtu;fs;> Mz;fs; vd;W Jd;gq;fis mDgtpf;Fk; gyUf;Fk;
vt;tifapyhtJ cjt Ntz;Lk; vd;w kdg;ghd;ikNa vq;fis me;jr;
Nritapy; Kd;ndLj;Jr; nrd;wJ.
ehd; me;j ePjpkd;wj;jpy; MNyhrfuhf Ntiy nra;jNghJ Vuhskhd
ngz;fs; jq;fs; fztuhy; Vw;gl;l gpur;rpidfisj; jPu;f;f mq;F te;jJ
156 HANDS
HANDS
157
Xu; rP fpahq;
gpwg;G 1951
16 MtJ tajpypUe;J ,d;Wtiu fl;Lkhdj;Jiwapy; Ntiy. fl;Lkhdj; Jiwapy;
Nkw;ghu;itahsuhf ,d;W tiu ,Ue;J tUfpwhu;.
rpq;fg;G+upy; gpwe;j ehd;> 'ehu;Nghy;f; v];Nll;" ,y; vdJ Foe;ijg;
gUtj;ijf; fopj;Njd;. vdf;F 8 tajhFk;NghJ fhy;if typg;G Nehahy;
vdJ jhahu; ,we;jhu;. gpd;G vdJ 11MtJ tajpy; vdJ je;ijAk;
,we;Jtpl;lhu;. ehq;fs; 7 gps;isfs;. ehd; MwhtJ ,s;is. vd;dhy;
njhlf;ff; fy;tpiaf; $l Kbf;f Kbatpy;iy.
vq;fs; je;ij ,we;j gpd;G murq;fNkh my;yJ epy cupikahsNuh
vq;fsJ ,lj;ij vLj;Jf; nfhz;ljhy; ehq;fs; jq;Ftjw;F tPL
fpilahJ. vq;fs; cwtpdu;fs; midtUk; nghUshjhu trjpaw;wtu;fs;
vd;gjhy; tho;f;ifia elj;JtJ fbdkhf ,Ue;jJ. cz;z czTk;>
jq;f ,lKk; ahu; nfhLj;jhYk; mtu;fs; nrhy;Yk; Ntiyiar; nra;J ehd;
fhyj;ijf; fopj;Njd;. fhyzpfs; nra;Ak; xU Njhy; njhopw;rhiyapy; xU
Foe;ijj; njhopyhspahf ehd; Ntiy nra;Njd;. NtiyNeuk; mjpfkhf
,Ue;jJ. NkYk; vdJ cztpw;fhf ehNd nryT nra;a Ntz;bapUe;jJ.
rPdg; Gj;jhz;il vy;NyhUk; tPl;by; nfhz;lhb kfpo;e;jNghJ ehd;
'nuhl;b gNuhl;lh" rhg;gpl;Lj; njhopw;rhiyapy; cwq;fpaJ ,d;Dk; vd;
epidtpy; epw;fpwJ.
ehd; vdJ Ntiyia tpiuthfr; nra;J Kbg;Ngd;. xU Kiw
njhopw;rhiy mr;R ,ae;jpuj;ijg; gad;gLj;jpj; Njhiy mOj;Jk;NghJ
vdJ Ml;fhl;b tpuiy eRf;fpf; nfhz;Nld;. mjdhy;> %d;W
khjq;fSf;F ehd; NtiyapypUe;J tpyf;fp itf;fg;gl;Nld;. vdNt>
vdf;F 270 nts;sp epthuzj; njhifahf mspf;fg;gl;lJ. mJ vdJ
%d;W khjr; rk;gsk;. mjd; gpwF vd;id Ntiyia tpl;L ePf;fptpl;ldu;.
vdf;F taJ 16 MFk;NghJ> cly; typikNahL ,Ue;j vd;idg; ghu;j;j
xUtu; fl;Lkhdj; jsj;jpy; kz; Rkg;gJ kw;Wk;> rpnkz;l; fyit nra;tJ
Nghd;w NtiyfSf;Fr; rpghupR nra;jhu;.
ftdk; nrYj;jp xU tUlj;jpw;Fs; fl;Lkhd Ntiyiaf; fw;Wf;
nfhz;Nld;. ehd; fbd ciog;ghsp. mjdhy; vdJ ehs; Cjpak; xU
tUlj;jpw;Fs; 3 nts;spapypUe;J 10 nts;spahf mjpfupj;jJ. fl;llg;
nghwpapay; Jiwapy; cNyhf Ntiyfs; nra;tJ> fhy;tha;fs; kw;Wk;
fopTePu; fhy;tha;fs; mikg;gJ> Nkk;ghyq;fs; mikg;gJ Nghd;w
NtiyfSf;Fj; Jiz xg;ge;jf;fhuuhfg; gzp nra;Njd;.
1970-fspy; fl;Lkhdj; Jiw kpf Ntfkhf tsu;r;rpaile;jJ. ehd;
'lhd; fpk; `{thl;" fl;Lkhdj; Jiwapy; ,Uk;Gj; jsthlj; Jiz
xg;ge;jf;fhuuhf vdJ Ntiyia Muk;gpj;Njd;. rhq;fp tpkhd
epiyaj;jpy;> tpkhdk; gOJghu;f;Fk;nfhl;lif mikf;Fk; gzpapy; 3
Mz;Lfs; gzpahw;wpNdd;. NkYk; rhq;fp tpkhd epiyaj;jpy; G+kpf;fbapy;>
vupnghUs; (ngl;Nuhy;) Nrkpg;Gf; fplq;F kw;Wk; fopT ePu;f; fhy;tha;fis
ehq;fs; mikj;Njhk;.
mg;Nghnjy;yhk; Ntiyaplr; rl;lg; ghJfhg;G eltbf;iffs; vJTk;
,y;iy. fhypy; nrUg;G mzpahky; Ntiyf;Fr; nrd;wjhy; jpdKk; fhypy;
Mzp Fj;JtJ xU rhjhuz epfo;T. 1980-fspy;jhd; jiyf;ftrk;
mzptJ> fhypy; ghJfhg;Gr; nrUg;G mzptJ Nghd;w ghJfhg;Gr;
rl;lq;fs; eilKiwg;gLj;jg;gl;ld.
mjd; gpwF ehd; 'jpahq;ghU" 'n`sfhq;" Nghd;w ,lq;fspy; fhy;tha;
mikf;Fk; gzpapy; <Lgl;bUe;Njd;. vd;dhy; epidtpy; itj;Jf;nfhs;s
Kbahj msTf;Ff; fhy;tha;fisAk; fopT ePu;g; ghijfisAk;
fl;bAs;Nsd;. 1985-fspy; <];l;u;ld; njhopw;rhiyaplkpUe;J
ngUtpiuTj; njhlu; tz;br; Nritf;fhf 'Gf;fpl; Nkuh" tpypUe;J
'G+d;Ny" tiu J}z; kw;Wk; mbj;jsk; mikf;Fk; gzpiag; ngw;W
mjidr; nra;J Kbj;Njd;.
vdf;Ff; fl;ll tbtikg;G> nraw;jpl;lq;fis Muha;tJ> fk;gp fl;LtJ
Nghd;w Ntiyfspy; Mu;tk; mjpfk;. mjdhy;> me;j Ntiyfspy; mjpff;
158 HANDS
HANDS
159
,uhkr;re;jpu KUifah
gpwg;G 1931
1948-,y; rpq;fg;G+u; tUif. 1960-,y; N[hjp G+f;filj; jpwg;G. rpfnul;L> ntw;wpiy kw;Wk; G+ir
rhkhd;fs; tpw;wy;.
mf;fhyj;jpy; rpq;fg;G+u; xU fpuhkk;Nghy; fhl;rpaspf;Fk;. njU tpsf;Ffs;
fpilahJ. rhiyfspy; xUtopg; Nghf;Ftuj;J kl;LNk ,Uf;Fk;.
mg;NghJ ];lhk;Nghu;L rhiyapy; xNu xU rhiyg; Nghf;Ftuj;J tpsf;F
kl;LNk ,Ue;jJ. mjdhy;> mij Ntbf;if ghu;g;gjw;fhf kf;fs; mq;F
tUtJz;L.
ehd; Kjd; Kjypy; 1948-ypUe;J 1950-tiu 'jp ];nluapl;; ilk;];"
ehspjopy; njhFg;ghsuhf Ntiyiaj; njhlq;fpNdd;. ,g;NghJ vy;yhk;
kpd;kakhfptpl;lJ> Mdhy;> mg;NghJ vy;yhtw;iwAk; ifahy;jhd;
vOj Ntz;Lk;. mjd;gpwF 'rpq;fg;G+u; ilfu; ];lhz;lu;l;L" ehspjo;
njhlq;fg;gl;lJ. mq;Fr; rk;gsk; mjpfk; vd;gjhy; mq;Fr; nrd;W
Ntiy ghu;f;Fk;gb rpyu; vd;dplk; $wpdu;. ehd; mq;F Ntiy
ghu;f;Fk;NghJ Kd;dhs; ntspAwTj;Jiw mikr;ru; jpU v];.
,uh[uj;jpdk; mtu;fSk; vd;Dld; Ntiy nra;jhu;. mtiuf;
fhz;gjw;fhfg; gyu; tUtJz;L. Kd;dhs; kjpAiu mikr;ru; jpU.
yP Fthd; A+ mtu;fs; gy Kiw mtiug; ghu;f;f te;jpUf;fpwhu;.
Mdhy;> rpq;fg;G+upy; Gjpa murhq;fk; nghWg;Ngw;wTld; me;j epWtdk;
%lg;gl;lJ. 1959- Kjy; 1960- tiu Rkhu; xU tUl fhyk; Ntiy
fpilf;fhky; miye;Njd;.
mjdhy;> 1960-Mk; Mz;L xU rpwpa filiaj; njhlq;fpNdd;. me;jf;
filapy; rpfnul;L> ntw;wpiyg; ghf;F kw;Wk; G+ir rhkhd;fis tpw;Nwd;.
160 HANDS
xU ehisf;Fr; Rkhu; 60Kjy; 100 nts;sptiu kl;LNk tUkhdk;
fpilj;jJ. filAk; kpfTk; rpwpajhf ,Ue;jjhy;> Kd;Ndw Kbahky;
rpukg;gl;Nld;. vdf;F ehd;F Foe;ijfs;. fil tUkhdj;jpy;jhd;
ehd; vdJ FLk;gj;ij elj;j Ntz;Lk;. fhiy 6 kzp Kjy; ,uT 11
kzp tiu kpfTk; fbdkhf cioj;Njd;. mjdhy;> ahiug; ghu;j;jhYk;
fbdkhf cioj;J Kd;Ndw Ntz;Lk; vd;W ehd; mwpTiu $WtJz;L.
,uz;L tUlq;fSf;Fg; gpwF vdJ Nrkpg;gpd; xU gFjpia vLj;J xU
G+f;fil Muk;gpj;Njd;. vdJ kfDf;F 2 tajhFk;NghJ vdf;F ,Ue;j
Nkhrkhd fld; gpur;rpidfshy; vd;dhy; Nrkpf;f Kbatpy;iy. fld;
Vw;gl;ljhy; vdJ tUkhdj;jpy; ngUk;gFjpia ehd; ,of;f Neu;e;jJ.
vdJ %j;j kfs; ngau; 'N[hjp". mjdhy;> vdJ midj;J
epWtdq;fSf;Fk; 'N[hjp" vd;w ngaiuNa itj;Njd;. 'N[hjp" vd;gjw;F
xsp vd;W nghUs;.
vdJ filf;F> 50 Mz;Lfshf tUfpd;w gy thbf;ifahsu;fNshL
vdf;F neUq;fpa njhlu;G cs;sJ. fbd ciog;ghy; cUthf;fpa 'N[hjp"
filia ,g;NghJ vd; kfd; nghWg;Gld; ftdpj;J tUfpwhu;. mtu;
filia ed;whf elj;JtJ vdf;F kfpo;r;rp mspf;fpwJ. ehd; fy;tp
mwpT ,y;yhjtd;. Mdhy;> vd; kfd; ed;F gbj;jpUg;gjhy;> filapd;
midj;Jg; nghWg;GfisAk; mtNu ftdpj;Jf; nfhs;fpwhu;.
HANDS
161
rhe;jh gh];fu;
gpwg;G 1939
3 tajpy; gujk; kw;Wk; ,ir gapd;wtu;. ,e;jpahtpd; Nfush khepyj;jpypUe;J te;J rpq;ifapy;
jpUkzk; Gupe;Jnfhz;ltu;. eld mikg;ghsu; kw;Wk; ehl;bak; MLgtu;. ehl;bar; Nritf;fhf
1990-,y; fyhr;rhu tpUJ ngw;wtu;.
1950-fspd; njhlf;fk; Kjy; vdJ fztu; jpU. Nf.gp. gh];fu; rpq;ifapy;
tho;e;J tUfpwhu;. 3 tUlq;fSf;Fg; gpwF ,e;jpahTf;F te;J ehl;bak;
fw;wwpe;j ngz;zhd vd;idg; ghu;j;Jj; jpUkzk; Gupe;Jnfhz;lhu;.
,Jjhd; ehd; rpq;if te;jjw;fhd fhuzk;. rpq;if te;J vdJ
gzpiaj; njhlq;f Ntz;Lk; vd;gJ ,iwtd; mspj;j tukhf KbT
nra;Jnfhz;ljhy; ehd; rpq;if te;jjw;fhf tUe;jtpy;iy.1952-,y;
gh];fu; eldg; gs;sp njhlq;fg;gl;lJ. ,g;NghJ ,Ug;gJ Nghd;w
trjpahd ,lk; mg;NghJ ,y;iy. mg;NghJ vdJ fztu; 'fpu;f; nlu];"
,y; cs;s ,yq;ifj; jkpo;r; rq;fj;jpy; eld tFg;Gfis elj;jpdhu;.
mJkl;Lkd;wp> eld tFg;Gis elj;Jtjw;fhf 'N[h$u;> kyhf;fh>
%thu;> nruhk;ghd;> gj;Jgfhj;> gpdhq;F" Nghd;w gy ,lq;fSf;Fk; ehq;fs;
nrd;W tUtJz;L. rpq;fg;G+u; xU rpwpa ,lk; vd;gjhy; eldg; gs;sp
%yk; fpilf;Fk; tUkhdk; vq;fs; tho;f;iff;Fg; NghJkhdjhf ,y;iy.
mjdhy;> tFg;Gfs; elj;JtNjhL eld epfo;r;rpfisAk; elj;JNthk;.
,Ug;gpDk; mjd;%yKk; Nghjpa tUkhdk; fpilf;ftpy;iy.
ehl;ba ehlfkhf;f Ntz;Lk; vd;w vz;zk; cUthfpaJ. mg;NghJ vdf;F
taJ 19. vd;Dila %j;j kfd; gpwe;jpUe;j Neuk;. rPd khztu;fs; gyu;
vq;fs; eldg; gs;spapy; ,e;jpa eldk; gapd;wdu;. mf;fhyq;fspy; ehq;fs;
'Rq; nrq; cau;epiyg; gs;sp> rPd cau;epiyg; gs;sp> ed;Fth cau;epiyg;
gs;sp> th Nrhq; cau;epiyg; gs;sp" Nghd;w gs;spfSf;Fr; nrd;W eld
tFg;Gfis elj;JNthk;. mjdhy;> 'jp gl;lu;gpis yt;tu;];" vDk; rPdj;
jpiug;glj;ij ehl;ba ehlfkhf elj;Jtjw;Fr; rPd khztu;fs; kpfTk;
MjuT mspj;jdu;. vq;fs; ehl;ba eldj;jpw;fhd xU thu fhy EioTr;
rPl;Lfs; midj;Jk; tpw;Wj; jPu;e;Jtpl;ld. mJjhd; ehl;ba ehlfj;jpy;
vdJ Kjy; mDgtk;. mjw;F Kd;G ,e;jpa ,jpfhrq;fis kl;LNk
ehq;fs; NkilNaw;wpapUf;fpNwhk;.
Muk;gf; fhyj;jpy; ,yq;ifj; jkpou;fNs vq;fsplk; Mu;tj;Jld; eldk;
fw;Wf;nfhs;s tUthu;fs;. rpq;ifj; jkpou;fs; ,ir> eldk; Mfpa
fiyfspy; mt;tsthf <LghL fhl;Ltjpy;iy. Mdhy;> ,yq;ifj;
jkpou;fSf;Ff; fiyfisf; fw;Wf;nfhs;tJ xU mj;jpahtrpaj;
Njitahf ,Ue;jJ. Vndd;why;> ,yq;ifj; jkpo;g; ngz;fs;
jpUkzj;jpy; epiwa tujl;riz nfhLf;f Ntz;ba epiy ,Ue;jJ.
mjpYk; nghwpapay;> rl;lk;> kUj;Jtk; gbj;j khg;gps;isfs; vd;why;
xU ngupa njhifia tujl;rizahff; nfhLf;f Ntz;bapUe;jJ.
Mdhy;> mtu;fs; ,irNah eldNkh fw;wpUe;jhy; mjpf tujl;riz
nfhLf;fj; Njitapy;iy vd;w epiy ,Ue;jjhy; ,yq;ifg; ngz;fspy;
mjpfkhNdhu; eldk; fw;Wf;nfhz;ldu;.
1950-fspy; ,q;Ff; fhzg;gl;l gy,df;fyhrhuk; vdf;F kpfTk;
gpbj;jpUe;jJ. xUtu; kw;wtu; fyhrhuj;ij kjpj;J xw;WikAld;
tho;e;jdu;. rPd> kyha; eldq;fNshL 'ghNy" eldq;fSk; vd;id
kpfTk; ftu;e;jd. ehd; ,e;jpahtpy; ,Ue;jpUe;jhy; xU rPd elj;ijf;
fz;Lfspf;Fk; tha;g;G$l vdf;Ff; fpilj;jpUf;fhJ. ehd; rpq;fg;G+u;
te;jjhy; kw;wf; fyhrhuj;jpy; cs;s moifg; Gupe;Jnfhz;L mij vdJ
eld mikg;gpd; $Wfspy; gpujpgypf;fr; nra;Njd;. vdJ eldKiwfs;
rpq;fg;G+iug; gpujpgypg;gjhf ,Uf;Fk;. rpq;ifapy; khztu;fs; jpdKk;
tFg;Gf;F tu ,ayhJ vd;gjhy; mtu;fsJ Njitf;Nfw;g eld
tFg;Gfis elj;j Ntz;Lk;. ,e;jpahtpy; fw;Wj; jUtJ Nghd;W jpdKk;
nrhy;ypf; nfhLf;f ,ayhJ. ehd; xU rpq;fg;G+uu; vd;gjhy; gy ,df;
fyhrhuj;jpypUe;J vd;idg; gpupj;Jg; ghu;g;gJ fbdkhd xd;whFk;.
gpw;fhyj;jpy; ',e;NjhNdrpah" tpypUe;J te;j xU rPd khjplkpUe;J rPd
eldq;fshd 'jhtzp eldj;ijAk;> fj;jp eldj;ijAk; fw;Nwd;. gpwF
kyha; eldj;ijAk; fw;Wj; Nju;e;Njd;.
1958-,y; ehDk; jpU.gh];fUk; 'jp gl;lu;gpis yt;tu;];" vDk; rPdj;
jpiug;glj;ijg; ghu;j;Njhk;. mijg; ghu;j;j gpwF me;jf; fijia xU
162 HANDS
HANDS
163
lhf;lu; rhe;jh fpwp];Bdh ,khDNty;
gpwg;G 1943
kUj;Jj; Jiwapy; 42 Mz;Lfs; gzpGupe;jhu;. rpq;if kUj;Jtj; JiwapypUe;J 2012-,y;
Xa;Tngw;whu;. Xa;T ngWk; fhyj;jpy; ehs;gl;lNeha; epu;thfg; gpuptpd; jiytuhf ,Ue;jhu;.
kUj;Jtuhf Ntz;Lk; vd;gJ vdJ jPuhj Mirad;W. Mdhy;> vdJ
je;ij vq;fs; ,Utupy; ahuhtJ xUtu; kUj;Jtuhf Ntz;Lk; vd;W
tpUk;gpajhy; ehd; kUj;Jtg; gbg;igj; Nju;e;njLj;Njd;. kUj;Jtk;
6 tUlf; fy;tp vd;gjhy; mJ vdf;F kpfTk; fbdkhf ,Ue;jJ.
Mdhy;> ehd; Nru;e;j mLj;j Mz;Nl 6 tUlk; vd;gJ 5 tUlq;fshff;
Fiwf;fg;gl;lJ.
ehd; gapw;rp kUj;Jtuhf ,Uf;Fk;NghJ vdf;Fj; jpUkzk; ele;jJ.
mg;NghJ ehd; 6 khjf; fu;g;gpzpahf ,Ue;Njd;. mjdhy;> vdJ gapw;rp
tFg;Gfs; Kbe;J Ntiy toq;Fk;NghJ vdJ fu;g;gj;ijf; fhuzk;
fhl;b> kUj;Jtkidapy; Ntiy nfhLf;fhky; gs;spfSf;Fg; gapw;rp
kUj;Jtuhfg; gzpaku;j;jpdu;. mg;NghJ me;jg; gapw;rp Fwpj;J vdf;F
ve;j mDgtKk; fpilahJ. Mdhy;> rpq;fg;G+upy; gy gs;spfs; ,Ue;jd.
xU Fwpg;gpl;l rpy ehl;fSf;Fg; gpd; Gjpa gs;spf;F khwpr; nry;y
Ntz;bapUe;jJ. mg;Nghnjy;yhk; rpq;fg;G+u; ,g;NghJ ,Ug;gJ Nghd;W
,Uf;fhJ. rpy rkak; ehq;fs; fpuhkq;fSf;Fr; nrd;W jpUk;gptu top
njupahky; jtpj;jJz;L. gs;spfspy; vq;fSf;F vd;W miw fpilahJ>
kUj;Jtj;jpw;Fj; jdp miwia xJf;f ahUk; Kd;tuTk; ,y;iy.
mjdhy;> gs;spfspy; nghUs;fs; itf;Fk; miwf;F ntspapy; vq;fis
kUj;Jtk; ghu;f;fr; nrhd;dhu;fs;. vq;fsJ Nrit kpf cd;djkhdJ
vd;gij mtu;fs; czutpy;iyNa vd;W vz;zp ehd; tUe;JtJz;L.
mjdhy;> gs;sp kUj;Jtuhf ,Ue;j vdf;Fg; gyJiw kUj;Jtkidapy;
Ntiy fpilj;jNghJ kpfTk; kfpo;r;rpahf ,Ue;jJ.
'FtPd;];lTd;" kUj;Jtkid kw;w kUj;Jtkidfis tpl
Nkk;gl;bUe;jjhy; mq;F Ntiy nra;tJ vdf;Fg; gpbe;jpUe;jJ.
Vndd;why; 'Gf;fpl; jPkh> Mkh nfq;" Nghd;w ,lq;fspy; Ntiy
nra;gtu;fs; jhq;fs; J}q;fp vOe;jNghJ jq;fs; jiyaizf;F mbapy;
164 HANDS
ey;y ghk;G ,Ue;jjhfTk;> mtu;fs; jq;fpapUe;j ,lq;fisr; Rw;wpf;
Nfhiug; Gw;fs; mjpfkhf ,Ue;jjhfTk;> jhjpfs; ntspapy; nry;Yk;NghJ
eha;fs; fbj;jjhfTk; $wf; Nfl;bUf;fpNwd;.
gyJiw kUj;Jtkidapy; xU ehisf;Fr; Rkhu; 150 Nehahspfisf;
ftdpg;Nghk;. mtu;fs; mq;F tUtij tpUk;gtpy;iy vd;W
$WtJz;L. mtu;fsplk; ,uj;j mOj;jg; gupNrhjid elj;Jk;NghJ
mtu;fsJ ehw;fhypia NkirNahL ,izg;gJz;L. mg;NghJ
mtu;fs; ''ehq;fs; ehw;fhypiaj; J}r;fpr; nrd;WtpLNthkh? Vd;
,t;thW fl;LfpwPu;fs;?"" vd;W Nfl;ghu;fs;. ehd; mtu;fsplk; '',uj;j
mOj;jg; gupNrhjidapd;NghJ rpy rkak; ehw;fhyp gpd;dhy; efUk;>
mt;thW efuhky; ,Ug;gjw;fhfj;jhd; ehw;fhypia NkirNahL
,izj;jpUf;fpNwd;"" vd;W ehd; gjpy; $WNtd;.
mg;Nghnjy;yhk; 'Gyht; cgpd;> Gyht; nlfhq;" Mfpa jPTfnsy;yhk;
fpuhkq;fshf> kf;fs; FbapUf;Fk; ,lq;fshf ,Ue;jd. mjdhy;> me;jf;
fpuhkq;fSf;F tUlj;jpy; ,uz;L KiwahtJ (jhjp) kUj;Jtr;rp
nry;y Ntz;Lk;. kUj;Jtu; tUlk; xU Kiw nrd;W kUj;Jtk;
ghu;g;ghu;. mg;NghJ rpwe;j glFj;Jiw fpilahJ. vq;fSf;Fk; ePr;ry;
njupahJ. me;jf; fpuhkq;fspy; ,Ue;j Foe;ijfSf;Fj; jLg;G Crp
NghLtJ> fu;g;gpzpg; ngz;fisf; ftdpj;Jf; nfhs;tJ kw;Wk; gps;isg;
Ngw;Wf;fhf mtu;fis mioj;J tUtJ Nghd;w NtiyfSf;F
ehq;fs; rpwpa kug; glfpy;jhd; nry;Nthk;. vq;fisg; glfpy; mioj;Jr;
nry;Yk; glNfhl;bia ek;gpj;jhd; vq;fsJ gazk; mike;jpUe;jJ.
glfpy; nry;Yk;NghJk; tUk;NghJk; Gjpa kPd;fs; kw;Wk; Lupahd; gok;
Nghd;wit fpilf;Fk;. 1973-,ypUe;J 1974-tiu mJjhd; vq;fsJ
tho;f;ifKiw.
HANDS
165
jhk]; jhk];;
gpwg;G 1952
rpq;fg;G+u; n\y; njhopyhsu; rq;fj;jpd; nghJr; nrayhsu;. Njrpaj; njhopw;rq;f fhq;fpu]py; 1987-Kjy;
2007-tiu Ntiy nra;jtu;. epakd ehlhSkd;w cWg;gpdu;. ,d;W rpq;fg;G+u; $l;L epWtdq;fspd;
r%fg; nghWg;Gzu;T epu;thf ,af;Feu;.
Ntiyaplj;jpy; ehd; rpy xOq;fw;w Kiwfisg; ghu;j;jpUf;fpNwd;.
Kjyhspfspy; rpyu; gzp nra;gtuplk; md;NghLk; rpyu; xOq;fw;w
KiwapYk; ele;J nfhs;tij mwpe;J mtw;iw khw;wpaikf;f Ntz;Lk;
vd;gjw;fhf xU rq;fj;ij cUthf;fpNdd;.
njhlf;fj;jpy; rw;Wf; fbdkhf ,Ue;jhYk; mDgtj;jpd; %yk;
Copau;fsplk; ek;gpf;ifiag; ngw;W mtu;fis xd;wpizg;gjpy;
Kd;Ndw;wk; Vw;gl;lJ. epu;thf eilKiwfis khw;wp mij kf;fs;
rhu;e;j gzpahf khw;w Ntz;Lk; vd;w vz;zNk xU rq;fkhf cUkhwpaJ.
vq;fsJ cWg;gpdu; xUtUf;F Ntiy nra;Ak;NghJ Vw;gl;l tpgj;jhy;>
jiyapy; fhak; Vw;gl;L kUj;Jtkidapy; Mo;kaf;f epiyapy; ,Ue;jhu;.
gpd;G mtUf;F %isapy; mWit rpfpr;ir nra;ag;gl;lJ. mtUf;F
epu;thfk; nfhLj;j ,og;gPl;Lj; njhif FiwT vd;gjhy; mtiug; nghJ
ePjpkd;wk; nrd;W Fbikapay; rl;lg;gpuptpy; xU tof;Fg; gjpT nra;a
itj;Njhk;. mJjhd; vdJ Kjy; mDgtk;. epu;thfj;jpdu; rpyu; mtuplk;
,og;gPl;Lj; njhifiag; ngw;Wf;nfhz;L mNjrkak; Fbikapay;
rl;lg;gpuptpy; tof;Fg; gjpT nra;ayhk; vd;W jtwhf top elj;jpdu;.
mjdhy;> mtu; epWtdj;jpw;Fr; nrd;W mtNuhL rz;ilNghl;L mtiu
mbj;J tpl;lhu;. mjdhy;> epu;thfk; mtiu Ntiy ePf;fk; nra;jJ.
vq;fs; rq;fk; mijj; jtwhd eilKiwahff; fUjpaJ.
ehq;fs; mtuJ tof;if Vw;W elj;jpNdhk;. me;j epfo;r;rp ele;jJ
rPdg; Gj;jhz;Lf;Fr; rpy ehl;fSf;F Kd;G vd;gJ vdf;F ed;F
epidtpUf;fpwJ. mjdhy;> ehq;fs; me;j epu;thfj;jpdiur; re;jpj;J>
'',tUf;F ehd;F Foe;ijfs; cs;sdu;. tof;F eilngWtjhy;
mtUf;F ePq;fs; nfhQ;rk; ,og;gPl;Lj; njhif mspf;f Ntz;Lk;""
166 HANDS
vd;W Nfl;Nlhk;. epu;thfj;jpdu; kWj;Jtpl;ldu;. mtu;fsplk; mtu;fsJ
caujpfhupfspd; Kftupiaf; Nfl;Lg; ngw;Wr; rPdg; Gj;jhz;bd;NghJ
Ntiy ePf;fk; nra;ag;gl;ltuJ FLk;gj;jpdNuhL mtu;fsJ tPl;bw;Fr;
nrd;W cjtp ngwyhk; vd;W KbntLj;Njhk;. epu;thfj;jpdu; vd;d
epidj;jhu;fNsh clNd mtUf;Fg; gz cjtp mspj;J caujpfhupfspd;
tPl;bw;Fr; nry;tijj; jLj;J tpl;ldu;.
ehq;fs; mtuJ tof;if NknyLj;Jr; nrd;w fhuzj;jhy; mtUf;Fj;
jpUk;gTk; Ntiy fpilj;jJ. vijr; nra;a tpUk;gpdhYk; mjw;fhff;
fbdkhf ciof;f Ntz;Lk; vd;gij me;epfo;r;rp vq;fSf;F
czu;j;jpaJ. epu;thfk; vq;fNshL fye;jhNyhrpg;gJ Kf;fpak; vd;W
fUjpajhy; mtu;fNshL vq;fs; cwT Nkk;gl;lJ. Copau;fis
kupahijNahLk; Neu;ikahfTk; elj;JtJ Nghd;wtw;wpy; epu;thfj;jpd;
juj;ij cau;j;jpNdhk;.
filepiy Copau;fspd; tUkhdk; kpfTk; Fiwthf ,Ue;jJ xU
gpur;rpidahff; fUjg;gl;lJ. mYtyfj;jpy; filepiy Copak;
ghu;f;Fk; xUtd; Ntiy Kbe;jgpd; ngl;Nuhy; epyaq;fspy; gFjp Neu
Ntiy ghu;g;gij ehd; ghu;j;jpUf;fpNwd;. Cjpa epu;zak; Fwpj;Jg;
Nguk; NgRk;NghJ ehd; filepiy Copau;fspd; rk;gsk;> mtu;fs;
,uz;lhtjhf xU Ntiyiaj; Njbr; nry;yhj msT mjpfupf;fg;gl
Ntz;Lk; vd;W thjhbapUf;fpNwd;. mjd; gpwF epu;thfj;NjhL
,ize;J filepiy Copau;fspd; rk;gsj;ij mjpfupj;jNjhL
mtu;fspd; Ntiy Nkk;ghl;Lf;Fk; cjtp nra;Njhk;. xt;nthU Cjpa
xg;ge;jj;jpd;NghJk; gFjpNeuk; kw;Wk; Row;rp Ntiy ghu;g;gtu;fSf;F
ey;y Cf;fj;njhifiag; ngw;Wj; je;Njhk;. ehq;fs; mile;j rpwpa ntw;wp
Copau;fSf;Fg; NgUjtpahf ,Ue;jJ.
HANDS
167
Any major exhibition is the work of many
hands. While the collection of memories has
been an ongoing process since 2011 when the
Singapore Memory Project was first launched,
the actual work for the exhibition started at the
end of 2012. Tan Huism, Head of Exhibitions
and Curation at the National Library, was
assisted by a team of people during the nine
months it took to put together the “Hands:
Gift of a Generation” exhibition. Huism began
her curatorial career at the National Museum of
Singapore and later continued her work at the
Asian Civilisations Museum.
Sean Lee is a teller of short stories through
his photographs. He was a winner of the
2011 ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu and a
member of the Reflexions Masterclass
(2011­–2013). His work has been exhibited
at the Prix Decouverte, Les Rencontres d’Arles
(2009), Galeria TagoMago, Barcelona (2011),
New York Photo Festival, New York (2011),
Hands: Gift of a Generation is a book
born from the multi-sensory exhibition
of the same name by the Singapore
Memory Project (SMP) held between
August and October 2013 at the
National Library.
About the Singapore Memory Project
Comprising 45 individual profiles, each
accompanied by a striking photograph,
this book is a valuable collection of
stories that reflects the transformation
of Singapore through the years.
but also organisations, associations,
The Singapore Memory Project (SMP) is a
national movement that aims to capture and
document precious moments and personal
memories related to Singapore; recollections
not merely from individual Singaporeans,
companies and groups.
The SMP currently involves partners (academic,
research and library institutions, heritage
agencies, public agencies, private entities and
community organisations) and Memory Corps
These anecdotes encapsulate a diverse
cross section of everyday Singaporeans,
each connected through their unique
experiences and perspectives of
Singapore. Reflecting this diversity,
the book contains 10 translated profiles
in each of Singapore’s mother-tongue
languages of Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
– volunteers who serve various roles, such as
helping individuals with difficulties documenting
their memories; connecting the SMP to people
with memories of key Singapore events,
personalities and places; and enrolling more
volunteers to join the SMP cause.
Empire Project, Istanbul (2011) and TantoTempo
Gallery, Kobe (2012), among others.
Photography
ISBN 978-981-45-1656-3
,!7IJ8B4-fbgfgd!
Front cover: Hands of former firefighter, Abdul Rahman bin Osman
Back cover: Hands of dancer and choreographer, Santha Bhaskar