The Historyogi Podcast

Dhevarajan Devadas
  • 5.0 (2)
  • History

A podcast on political, social and cultural history in Singapore for researchers, heritage buffs and the general public.

  1. Sep 20

    #46 - The 55 Objects: India's 1959 donation to Singapore & the making of art history

    In 1959, the University of Malaya Art Museum in Singapore received a donation of fifty-five objects and one hundred photographs from the Government of India. Archival sources hint at the donation’s expression of a growing India-Malaya partnership in a new third world order. But amid the overlapping political, institutional, and personal contexts of the mid-twentieth century, what else might have motivated the donation? Today we speak to Dr Priya Jaradi, Senior Lecturer and Convenor of the Art History Programme at the National University of Singapore about her book Transcultural Imaginations. We discuss why India gave those objects, the local political context in Singapore and Malaya, and how we can understand the discipline of art history as it was taught here.

    #46 - The 55 Objects: India's 1959 donation to Singapore & the making of art history

  2. Jun 21

    #45 - Radio War: The history of the Voice of Malayan Democracy

    Between 1981 and 1990, the Communist Party of Malaya’s clandestine radio station Voice of Malayan Democracy broadcast from southern Thailand, seeking to reach audiences in Malaysia and Singapore with revolutionary messages. Long after the armed insurgency had waned, the battle for hearts and minds continued through radio. We speak to Dr Ong Weichong, Senior Associate Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies about his new book Voice of Malayan Democracy: The Communist Party of Malaya’s Revived Radio War. We discuss the station’s programming, why it failed, and what it tells us about Cold War insurgencies and revolutionary politics.

    #45 - Radio War: The history of the Voice of Malayan Democracy

  3. Feb 8

    #44 - Making Fish: The history of colonial fish experiments in Singapore & Malaya

    In 1923, the Fisheries Department of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States was formed. During the period between the two world wars, the department conducted experiments on catching fish, preserving fish and growing more fish in Singapore and Malaya. Today, we speak to Choo Ruizhi, a PhD Candidate in History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, about his research into the fisheries department’s attempts to change local fishing and consumption practices by introducing European methods. We also discuss why it’s useful to understand this forgotten era of experimentation and its relation to colonial power and science.

    #44 - Making Fish: The history of colonial fish experiments in Singapore & Malaya

  4. 09/08/2025

    #43 - Mayhem in May: The 1957 Asian Flu epidemic in colonial Singapore (with Liam Hoo)

    Singaporeans are generally familiar with the Covid 19 pandemic and the Sars epidemic from 2003. But did you know Singapore faced a flu epidemic in 1957? Today, we speak to Liam Hoo, author of a new journal article on the 1957 Asian Flu’s impact on Singapore. We discuss the poor response of the colonial authorities as well as how media coverage shaped social responses to the flu outbreak. The curious case of Pulau Sudong provides an interesting example of how these factors came together.

    #43 - Mayhem in May: The 1957 Asian Flu epidemic in colonial Singapore (with Liam Hoo)

  5. 08/03/2025

    #42 - The First Fools: Lesser-known histories of Singapore's Old Guard (with Peh, Derek & Jaime)

    Singapore’s Old Guard leaders are well known as politicians and cabinet ministers. But the ten of them also had lesser-known passions and careers beyond politics. Today, we speak to Peh, Derek and Jaime, co-writers of the book The First Fools: B-Sides Of Lee Kuan Yew’s A-Team. In this episode, we focus on three specific Old Guard leaders: E.W. Barker, Othman Wok and Yong Nyuk Lin, and learn about what kept them going amidst the huge challenges of Singapore’s early years.

    #42 - The First Fools: Lesser-known histories of Singapore's Old Guard (with Peh, Derek & Jaime)

  6. 05/12/2025

    #41 - The story of Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General who cleaned up Singapore (with Samantha & Matthew)

    Singapore has a long standing reputation as a clean and green city. It is also known as the Garden City. But did you know things were completely different in the 1960s? People were crammed in overcrowded and unsanitary living spaces and public areas, allowing diseases and pollution to spread easily. A pioneer civil servant, Lee Ek Tieng, stepped up to implement major reforms to improve Singapore’s environment. Today, we speak to Samantha Boh and Matthew Gan, co-writers of the new book “Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General of Lee Kuan Yew”. We discuss how this Green General marshalled resources to clean up Singapore and set new standards for the city we now live in.

    #41 - The story of Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General who cleaned up Singapore (with Samantha & Matthew)

  7. 02/09/2025

    #40 - Malayan Classicism: The history of classical architecture in Singapore (with Soon-Tzu Speechley)

    Across Malaysia and Singapore, thousands of historic buildings are richly ornamented with motifs drawn from Ancient Greece and Rome.These classical details mix with ideas drawn from other architectural traditions from across Asia in a style that is unique to the region. Today, we speak to Dr Soon-Tzu Speechley, Lecturer in Urban and Cultural Heritage at the University of Melbourne, about his book Malayan Classicism, which explores how the British Empire’s classical architecture was transmitted, translated, and transformed in the hands of local builders and architects. The paperback version of Malayan Classicism is nowavailable.

    #40 - Malayan Classicism: The history of classical architecture in Singapore (with Soon-Tzu Speechley)

  8. 11/28/2024

    #39 - From Streets to Stalls: The history of hawker policies in Singapore (with Ryan Kueh)

    Singapore’s hawker centres are a cultural institution, serving a huge variety of affordable dishes to the masses. In 2020, Singapore's hawker culture was even added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. But how did hawker centres and hawker culture evolve through our history? Today, we speak to Ryan Kueh, author of the book “From Streets to Stalls: The History and Evolution of Hawking and Hawker Centres in Singapore”. We discuss how the colonial government managed hawking and the extensive reforms enacted by the PAP government in the late 1960s.

    #39 - From Streets to Stalls: The history of hawker policies in Singapore (with Ryan Kueh)
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About

A podcast on political, social and cultural history in Singapore for researchers, heritage buffs and the general public.

Information

  • Creator
    Dhevarajan Devadas
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 354858
  • Show Website
    The Historyogi Podcast