Chronicles of Old Singapore

Loh Kah Seng
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  • Updated Semiweekly

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I’m Dr Loh KS, a people’s historian. I’m interested in the history of Singapore and the lives of its people. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their memories of Singapore before it became a global city today. We discuss three topics: 1. People and places. 2. Change and continuity. 3. The importance of heritage. Caveat: this is a podcast based on personal memory. As has been well-documented in oral history, memory is not always reliable and what is recalled here should not be taken as fact.

  1. 1d ago

    Tong Kok Wing – 110 Years of Chop Wah On in Chinatown Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Founded in 1916, Chop Wah On is a manufacturer of the Shake Hand brand of medicated oil and balm. Tong Kok Wing, who runs the shop with his siblings, traces his roots in Chinatown. He tells how his father once kept a mini-zoo at the back of their original shophouse at Pagoda Street and the origins of their crocodile and herbal oils. Today, Chop Wah On is a certified heritage business. 00:00 Introduction 00:14 Our Books 03:52 30 Years in Chinatown 07:00 My Father from Special Branch 12:22 Animals of Pagoda Street 16:10 Crocodile Oil & Shake Hand Brand 22:57 Herbal Oils 29:49 Story of Wah On 32:32 Family Business 37:21 GM vs. Shopkeeper 40:38 Ax Brand & Tiger Balm Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Tong Kok Wing – 110 Years of Chop Wah On in Chinatown Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  2. Oct 12

    Loh Kah Seng – Shopkeepers of Chinatown Part 2: People’s History | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. My new book, co-authored with Stephen Dobbs, recounts the little-known history of shopkeepers. As a varied group of small capitalists, they made Old Chinatown such a fabulously memorable place. Over the last 60 years, they struggled to cope as Chinatown was drastically redeveloped. I discuss two businesses that are trying to survive today – the effigy carver Say Tian Hng and small Chinese bookstores. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/1gowQfMb44E Part 2 | https://youtu.be/zjajjG3agts Part 3 | https://youtu.be/8OAnQpxBmCc 00:00 Introduction 02:02 Origins of the Book 04:35 People’s History of Shopkeepers 06:46 Ji Ji Noodles 08:30 The Shopkeepers’ Town 12:24 The Research 14:36 Letter-Writer 17:06 UN Reports & Other Sources 21:03 Speaking to Shopkeepers 26:19 Eng Tiang Huat 27:09 Thye Shan Medical Hall 27:51 Pearl’s Optical 28:36 Signcraft, Brothel, Goldsmith 30:42 Say Tian Hng 34:21 Chinese Bookstores 38:50 Conclusion Shopkeepers of Chinatown: A Business World in Motion, 1819-2025 Kinokuniya https://kinokuniya.com.sg/products/9786297575698 Shopee SG https://shopee.sg/Shopkeepers-of-Chinatown-Loh-Kah-Seng-Stephen-Dobbs-(SIRD)-i.279887392.52914597553 City Book Room https://citybookroom.com/products/pre-order-shopkeepers-of-chinatown-loh-kah-seng-stephen-dobbs SIRD (Publisher) https://www.gerakbudaya.com/product/shopkeepers-of-chinatown NLB https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=ccfd463e-d61b-53ef-9843-956e9a0d8652&entityType=FormatGroup Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Loh Kah Seng – Shopkeepers of Chinatown Part 2: People’s History | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  3. Oct 11

    Yeo Hock Yew – NAFA, Comics & My Love for Art & Football Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I learned a lot from speaking to Yeo Hock Yew about little-known parts of our history. He grew up in a kampong house in Kampong Bahru near Singapore General Hospital (See Pai Poh) before moving into an SIT flat at Strathmore Avenue, Queenstown. Hock Yew loved art as a kid and studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where he was taught by the Nanyang artist Lim Yew Kuan. This merged with his other interests – football and reading – and led him to the exciting, forgotten world of football comics. 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Kampong Bahru Childhood 08:07 SGH & Other Places 11:18 Peranakans from Riau 16:43 Moving to Strathmore Avenue 21:00 Straits Times 22:52 My Schools 30:31 Early Interest in Art 34:38 Sociology in University 38:03 Painting at NAFA 45:29 Art in Church & University 47:35 Football Comics Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Yeo Hock Yew – NAFA, Comics & My Love for Art & Football Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  4. Oct 7

    Gary Koh – Pioneer Women Footballers of Singapore Part 2 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Gary Koh recounts both the golden and dimmer years of women’s football in Singapore from the ‘80s but offers some hope – there has been a resurgence in recent years. The semangat (spirit) that drove the earlier Lionesses could be an inspiration for the current generation. Gary and I discuss the strengths of the women’s game (compared to the men, less playacting) and how it can continue to grow in Singapore. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/ilmPmbx61yQ Part 2 | https://youtu.be/LhAarwfOO64 00:00 Winning Lionesses 06:14 Guangzhou Tournament 07:50 Difficult Years 11:10 Recent Resurgence 16:33 Semangat (Spirit) 20:37 Turning Pro? 27:52 Raising Interest 32:14 The Women’s Game Coach Choo Seng Quee, a Giant of Singapore Football https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-19-issue-3-oct-dec-2023-choo-seng-quee-football-coach/ ROAR: Football Legends of Singapore https://pagesetters.sg/ROAR/ A princely endeavour: Meet Chelsea's rising star who's Bruneian royalty https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/princely-endeavour-meet-chelseas-rising-star-whos-bruneian-royalty Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Gary Koh – Pioneer Women Footballers of Singapore Part 2 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  5. Oct 4

    Sukhdev Singh Gill – Sikhs, Jagas & Policemen Part 3 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Retired policeman Sukhdev Singh Gill recounts the threat posed by secret societies in the past and how they were brought to heel by the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act 1955. He also reflects on issues faced by security guards today, mostly seniors and unemployed young people, as well as problems of molestation, voyeurism and mobility devices. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/yrwMp7NRj0Y Part 2 | https://youtu.be/Vowo8sDLBmk Part 3 | https://youtu.be/p-uLp9hkWBg Part 4 | https://youtu.be/QOjXxK6UxtI 00:00 Ang Soon Tong 03:14 Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act 09:35 Secret Society Kingpins 17:10 Security Guards 22:16 Improving the Sector 26:16 Molest & Voyeurism 29:16 Mobility Devices Sukhdev’s books: Boh cheng hoo: a Sikh boy in Hokkien gangland https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=d9a97a7b-3534-5db2-9281-f87020349847&entityType=FormatGroup Bang cheng hoo: a Sikh man in SG police force https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=620f135a-c12b-5ded-9b00-d747bb46962a&entityType=FormatGroup Gong cheng hoo: a Sikh elder in Sulawesi & SG politics https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=8a184efd-f699-595e-8896-64910dc74851&entityType=FormatGroup Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Sukhdev Singh Gill – Sikhs, Jagas & Policemen Part 3 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  6. Sep 30

    Uncle Ringo – Sembawang Bands & Travelling Carnivals Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Uncle Ringo, the man behind the famous travelling carnivals, recounts growing up in the bustling, rowdy and expletive-filled Sembawang Strip. This was a street of bars and restaurants serving sailors from the Naval Base but also filled with the music of the ‘60s. Here, Uncle Ringo learned the guitar and played Beatles covers in bands like many of his Sembawang friends. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/PDV7_d_WXzA Part 2 | https://youtu.be/BAzGYSyei7Y 00:00 Introduction 01:50 Sembawang Strip 05:14 The Beatles 08:03 Hainanese & Others 13:42 Seafarers & Bars 18:48 My Guitar 25:29 Victoria School 27:39 The 3 Worlds 36:33 The Blue Flames Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Uncle Ringo – Sembawang Bands & Travelling Carnivals Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  7. Sep 27

    Loh Kah Seng – The British Bases Part 2: Withdrawal & New Buzz | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    The British military withdrawal in the late 1960s caused much anxiety for Singapore’s leaders. But they had an ace in the pack – the bountiful real estate and facilities the British were leaving behind. Instead of a crisis, the pullout played out as a new buzz – a catalyst for Singapore’s growth into an industrial powerhouse in the ‘70s. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/sdnXHH92Ueo Part 2 | https://youtu.be/xAE-EsRyHco Part 3 | https://youtu.be/y15UOOJd5I4 00:00 Triple Whammy 03:50 All Out By 1971 07:50 The Sweetener & Bribe 10:20 Two Ministers 13:23 Counter-Recession 16:20 Windfall 18:33 Sembawang Shipyard 23:28 JTC Flats 26:08 Remaking Changi 28:48 Aerospace at Seletar 29:24 RSAF Tengah 29:40 Industry across Pasir Panjang 31:28 University & Polytechnic 32:35 Sentosa & Brani Naval Base 34:55 The Catalyst 37:23 Singapore’s Gratitude I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Loh Kah Seng – The British Bases Part 2: Withdrawal & New Buzz | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  8. Sep 23

    Jeffrey Eng – Teochew Qiaopi of Singapore & China Part 3 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Jeffrey Eng talks to me about the old Teochew areas in Chinatown and River Valley, the Ellenborough Market fire of 1968 during the Chinese New Year and the Teochew names of streets. We also reflect on the Speak Mandarin Campaign debate arising from the film Dear You, and how the campaign has prevented younger Teochews from knowing the language. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/WdXYrCIj3UI Part 2 | https://youtu.be/H95nfHI9yrM Part 3 | https://youtu.be/89Vj7nBG3s4 00:00 Teochews in Old Chinatown 06:37 The Ellenborough Market Fire 11:52 Teochew Place Names 15:13 Teochew, My Mother Tongue 18:57 Speak Mandarin 24:20 Learning Teochew Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Jeffrey Eng – Teochew Qiaopi of Singapore & China Part 3 | Chronicles of Old Singapore
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Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I’m Dr Loh KS, a people’s historian. I’m interested in the history of Singapore and the lives of its people. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their memories of Singapore before it became a global city today. We discuss three topics: 1. People and places. 2. Change and continuity. 3. The importance of heritage. Caveat: this is a podcast based on personal memory. As has been well-documented in oral history, memory is not always reliable and what is recalled here should not be taken as fact.

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