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The Photography of Yip Cheong Fun
By Admin | June 29, 2008
by Zhou Zhong
Yip Cheong Fun (叶畅芬, 1903-1989) was a distinguished and influential Singaporean documentary photographer. Renowned internationally for his seascapes, Yip also recorded through his photographs the many different facets of Singapore life with his keen eye and humanistic understanding of his surroundings. His sensitivity to change also helped document the cultural landscape in Singapore before urbanization. [Kwek, 2006, 1]
Born in Hong Kong in 1903, Yip arrived in Singapore with his parents when he was seven months old. His father died when he was four and he then stayed with his mother at Sago Street in Chinatown. When Yip was six, he was sent to Dongguan, China by his mother as it was difficult to make a living in Singapore. However, Yip was neglected by his supposed care-givers in the subsequent four years. Fortunately, he was taken in by kind-hearted neighbours and they contacted Yip’s mother. Yip was then brought back to Singapore where he later studied at a private school in Chinatown. [Ahmad, 2007, 1]
Yip was passionate about photography. It started as a hobby to him when he was in his twenties. Working as a technician and an engineering supervisor, he managed to save up enough money to buy his first camera – a Rolleiflex - so that he could take photos for his family album.
His interest was disrupted when the Japanese confiscated his camera during the Japanese Occupation; but it did not die and he continued to pursue photography after the Second World War. [Ahmad, 2007, 1]
Yip became a member of the Photographic Society of Singapore in 1964 at fifty years old, and became the society’s vice-president in 1966 (until 1974). He was also Advisor to the Kreta Ayer Community Centre Camera Club in 1976, and played an active role in inspiring and guiding many young people who are interested in photography. [Andrew Yip, email interview, 26 March 2008] Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Singapore, Impressions | Conversations, singapore arts and culture, Yip Cheong Fun, photography | No Comments »
David Marshall: His Thoughts and Convictions
By Admin | June 7, 2008
by Kevin Khoo
This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the birth of David Marshall (1908–1995), the celebrated Singapore nationalist, politician, lawyer and diplomat. Born on 12 March 1908 into a Sephardic Jew family, Marshall rose to prominence in the late 1940s as a brilliant young criminal lawyer whose extraordinary legal acumen and oratorical skill left him victorious in numerous court cases. He was so skilled in law that Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong regarded him as “the greatest criminal advocate that has ever graced the halls of justice in Singapore and Malaya – A giant among pygmies at the criminal Bar.”[i
Marshall subsequently entered politics at the head of the Labor Front party and became Singapore’s first elected Chief Minister between 1955 and 1956. As Chief Minister, Marshall was a fearless opponent of British colonialism and led the early political struggles for Singapore independence. A socialist by inclination, he helped found the Singapore Worker’s Party (WP) in 1957 after he left the Labor Front. Afterwards he became a vocal critic of the People’s Action Party (PAP) which came to power in Singapore in 1959.
In spite of this, the PAP government appointed him Ambassador to France in 1978, a post he accepted and held with distinction, and which was later expanded to include the embassies of Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. He retired as in 1993 and passed away two years later on the 12 December 1995. Marshall was, in short, a key figure in Singapore’s post-war history.
Besides his achievements on the public stage, Marshall also left a lasting impression on many prominent people who knew him privately. Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-large and Chairman of the National Heritage Board, studied under Marshall as a young lawyer and remembered him as “a gifted teacher… [who] brought both learning and enthusiasm to his classes…a truly an unforgettable person”.[ii] Professor Koh Kheng Lian, Emeritus Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore, recalled Marshall as “a man of great humanity and compassion, a man who lived life to the fullest, a man dedicated to his profession, his country and his people”.[iii] Marshall was regarded as by his admirers an exemplary person, both professionally and ethically.
In 1984, the National Archives of Singapore conducted an in-depth oral history interview with David Marshall containing valuable insight into his ethical beliefs and how they were formed. The rest of this article draws on this interview.
Topics: National Archives Singapore, Singapore, Impressions | Conversations, singapore history, David Marshall | No Comments »
Mental Health in Singapore: Into the Twentieth Century
By Admin | June 6, 2008
by Tan Mei Yan
Continuing The First Hospital for the Mentally Ill
The Grand Jury made their last Presentment on 18 October 1865, and was abolished by Ordinace VI on 1873 passed on 9 September 1873 (Lee 1978, 204). At that point of time, doctors had both clinical and administrative duties to fulfil (Ng 2001, 15). As a result, clinical matters took up the bulk of their time, while the running of the Asylum was neglected (Ng 2001, 15). Moreover, men had always been in-charge of caring for the lunatics at the Asylum. This was inconvenient due to lunatics in the female wards, so in January 1867 the first female employee to work in the Medical Department was sought (Ng 2001, 14).
The administration of the Straits Settlements was transferred from the India office to the Colonial Office on 1 April 1867, and the Settlements became a Crown Colony (Lee 1978, 205). The immediate impact on the Medical Department was an in-depth inquiry into the state of affairs in all hospitals. The Governor, Sir Harry Ord, was at first indignant until it was made clear that the purpose “was to indicate the standard of care expected” and not to put blame (Lee 1978, 205).
Since then, the Asylum was to be managed according to the Digest on Hospitals and Asylums, published on 14 January 1867 and sent to Singapore on 18 December 1867 (Lee 1978, 205). The law in place at the time of transfer was the Indian Lunacy Act of 1858, which was a simplified version of the Shaftesbury’s Act for the Regulation of the Care and Treatment of Lunatics passed on 4 August 1845. The Digest also incorporated the spirit of provisions of the English Act, and that was the benchmark expected after 1869 (Lee 1978, 206).
Topics: Singapore, Impressions | Conversations, singapore history, mental health, woodbridge hospital | No Comments »
Mental Health in Singapore: The First Hospital for the Mentally Ill (1841-1928)
By Admin | June 6, 2008
by Tan Mei Yan
Continuing The Early Years (1819-1840)
Completed in 1841, the Insane Hospital was situated at the corner of Bras Basah Road and Bencoolen Street (Ng 2001, 9; IMH 2003, 16). In spite of the unfortunate death that occurred, due regard was still not given to mental health care. Conditions at the Hospital were not better than had been at Convict Gaol. It was a 30-bed hospital, and “the number of lunatics seldom exceeded 30 or 40” (Ng 2001, 9). The lunatics were taken care of by warders who also guarded the convicts jailed in the adjacent brick structure (Ng 2001, 9).
Colonel W. J. Butterworth was made Governor of the Settlements on 14 June 1843 (Lee 1978, 196). On his familiarisation tour of government institutions, he noticed the poor conditions at the Hospital (Ng 2001, 9; Lee 1978, 196). On 20 June 1844, the Singapore Free Press reported one of nine Presentations by the Grand Jury, who played an important role in influencing the management of lunatics in Singapore and whose role was different from those in criminal courts (Lee 1978, 195). The Grand Jurors had noted that little was being done to care for the mentally ill in addition to the lack of space at the Hospital (Lee 1978, 196).
Governor Butterworth was annoyed as he had believed improvements would have been made since his last visit (Lee 1978, 196). He then ordered that the Hospital be put under the personal charge of Dr Thomas Oxley, who had become Senior Surgeon in 1844 (Ng 2001, 9; IMH 2003, 16). Dr Oxley’s first step was to appoint Assistant Apothecary Henry Lloyd, a qualified medical person, to be in charge of the Hospital and personally answerable to him for the care of the lunatics (Lee 1978, 197).
By February 1846, Dr Oxley reported improvements in the Hospital conditions (Ng 2001, 9; IMH 2003, 16; Lee 1978, 197). He was also actively sourcing for avenues to supplement the Hospital income (Lee 1978, 197). Dr Oxley made three such attempts. The first was picking oakum for sale. The second was basket weaving (Ng 2001, 9; Lee 1978, 197), which was the earliest semblance to occupational therapy (IMH 2003, 16). The money earned from the sale of oakum and baskets provided for two sets of clothing per person (IMH 2003, 16).
Topics: Singapore, Impressions | Conversations, singapore history, mental health, Insane Hospital | No Comments »
Mental Health in Singapore: The Early Years (1819-1840)
By Admin | June 6, 2008
by Tan Mei Yan
Mental health in Singapore has its roots in the West. The first medical personnel in the field were mostly from Britain. Medical education in the early years was almost exclusively for the British, until the establishment of King Edward VII College of Medicine on the island in 1907. Hence, many ideas influential through the years flowed over from the West.
When Sir Stamford Raffles set foot on the island on 28 January 1819, he had with him Sub-Assistant Surgeon Thomas Prendergast, who was the medical officer-in-charge in the expedition. In May, he was joined by Assistant Surgeon William Montgomerie, a more senior officer. Their duties were of military and civil nature, and they served in Singapore till 1823 and 1827 respectively before returning to Bengal (Lee 1978, 194).
In June 1827, the medical duties were shared between Surgeon B. C. Henderson and Assistant Surgeon Warrand, who came with a detachment of troops to relieve Montgomerie. Henderson was responsible for the General and Pauper Hospitals while Warrand was responsible for the convicts and troops (Lee 1978, 194). No institution for the mentally ill was available then. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Singapore, Impressions | Conversations, singapore history, mental health | No Comments »
The Makers and Keepers of Singapore History (新加坡历史的创造者与守护人)
By Admin | June 6, 2008
Tangent Special Issue, 6 (2), 2007, edited by Loh Kah Seng
Synopsis
In this special issue of Tangent, the twelve contributors will examine an oft untold side of history. What follow are our reflections on ongoing or recently-completed research into Singapore’s history after World War Two. We write of our engagements with the “makers” and “keepers” of this history, of how, because the period is close to the present, both the archival and oral records are frequently difficult to obtain.
By “makers”, we refer to participants who had a hand in shaping the past, including the elites and ordinary people. By “keepers”, we mean public officials who manage access to government archives, and also the “makers” who, when interviewed, decide what and how much of their experiences are to be shared.
It is, we maintain, important to talk about our attempts to engage the makers and gatekeepers of history, because while history is about the past, an account of the research is invariably about the present. This issue, in other words, considers the uneasy, ambivalent relationship between present-day Singapore society and its past, and the mediating role of historians in between. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Role of history, Researching History, singapore history, 10-Stories: Queenstown Through The Years, historiography, understanding the past, Tangent | No Comments »
Tibet’s Recent Histories
By Admin | May 4, 2008
by Ang Cher Kiat
From fiery exchanges on internet forums to commentaries in international dailies on the outburst of pro-Tibet protests around the world, most often than not, the word “history” is thrown around putatively from both side.[i] A notable example came from a recent Jakarta Post editorial stating that “any student of history cannot but condemn the occupation (of Tibet).”[ii]
Despite some insightful points made on the cultural ties between Indonesia and Tibet by Anand Krishna, a well respected spiritual activist, I cannot agree that he speaks for all “students of history”. Placards waved by Pro-China demonstrators from San Francisco to Canberra with the words, “Tibet was, is and will always be a part of China” (emphasis mine) continues to betray the partisanships of the issue. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Impressions | Conversations, historiography, Tibet | No Comments »
The POSB Students’ Savings Scheme: A Largely Forgotten Childhood Experience
By Admin | May 4, 2008
by Sim I Lin Melissa
During a Chinese New Year gathering, a conversation between my mother and her friends somehow shifted to how various Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) branches were silently being renovated into Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) outlets instead. They agreed that this was a “smart move that will not cause a lot of disapproval” since people were not aware that it was happening. They then talked about their childhood days when they had just started saving with the POSB. They excitedly recall how they exchanged their savings for stamps to paste on their cards.
This was not the first time I have heard of collecting stamps to save, but it was something I had not experienced before. As such, it made me question how my parents’ generation remembers the POSB, in contrast to my own experience, and why this experience is only articulated through the context of the acquisition of POSB by DBS. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Impressions | Conversations, singapore history, POSB Student's Savings Scheme, history and memory | 2 Comments »
Shedding Some Light: From Club to City
By Admin | April 6, 2008
(Story and Pictures) by Kevin Lee
This story was first published at the MyStory portal. An initiative by the Public Education Division of the National Heritage Board, the portal encourages Singaporeans to upload and share (1) images and (2) memories and stories from the past.
Amidst the excitement about F1 racing in Singapore, perhaps there was similar enthusiasm when the first race course was built in on the island. In 1842, some racing enthusiasts founded The Singapore Sporting Club, which was sited at the old Race Course (now Farrer Park). The racing steeds then were horses, not gleaming cars with plenty of horsepower under their hoods.
In the 1800s, on non-racing days, the grounds were used by grazing sheep and golfers. The turf was used for other purposes in the 1900s too. The race course saw the flight of the first plane over Singapore in 1911 and the centenary celebrations of Singapore’s founding in 1919.
In 1924, the club changed its name to the Singapore Turf Club, and moved to Bukit Timah in 1933.
The former Turf Club, now known as Turf City, can be a pretty quiet place to visit Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Shedding Some Light, Singapore Turf Club, horse-racing | No Comments »
Researching History: List of Academic Exercises (Honours) - 1970s
By Admin | April 1, 2008
Compiled by Ho Chi Tim
The following is a list of academic exercises completed by honours students graduating from AY (academic year) 1970/1971 to 1979/1980. Aside from showcasing student works which may otherwise go unnoticed, we also hope that such a compilation will aid historical research and stimulate ideas for further study.
This list hopes to continue to collect academic exercises (1) submitted to the Department of History (NUS) for the Honours degree, and (2) concerning Singapore / Malaysia history from other colleges and universities (indicated after title). Titles concerning Singapore and Malaysia are marked with an asterix (*).
The list is not exhaustive and is put together by using information made available online by the Library INtegrated Catalogue (LINC) of NUS Libraries.
Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: University of Singapore, Researching History, singapore history, Honours Academic Exercises | No Comments »