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Chronicles of Old Singapore
Loh KS
173 episodes
1 hour ago
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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All content for Chronicles of Old Singapore is the property of Loh KS and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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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History
Episodes (20/173)
Chronicles of Old Singapore
Pek Sin Choon & Nanyang Tea Part 3 – Kenry Peh | Chronicles of Old Singapore |

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Tea man Kenry Peh and I discuss the ongoing revitalisation of Smith Street by the Chinatown Business Association. We talk about bringing Nanyang tea to the street and to Chinatown more generally.


00:00 Revitalisation of Smith Street

05:01 Tea & Culture at Smith Street

14:58 Encouraging Interest in Chinatown

18:03 The Nanyang Tea Challenge

23:10 The Steward of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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1 hour ago
30 minutes 21 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Changi Beach Club & Grassroots – Wilson Chua | Chronicles of Old Singapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Wilson Chua rounds up the podcast by recounting how he joined the Changi Beach Club in 1982 and what he did for the club over the years, especially as its Chairman. He also reflects on his grassroots work among the residents of private housing in Paya Lebar and meeting the weightlifter Tan Howe Liang, who won the silver medal at the 1960 Olympics.


00:00 My Time with Changi Beach Club

11:58 Grassroots at Paya Lebar

18:10 Tan Howe Liang, the Weightlifter


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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2 days ago
26 minutes 36 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Malayalees of Singapore & Kerala Part 2 – Ullas Kumar | Chronicles of Old Singapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Ullas Kumar and I discuss the process of integration for new citizens and recent migrants from India. We talk about finding the balance between retaining practices from Kerala or India and accepting local ways and customs. When Ullas first came to Singapore, he thought that a 10 am meeting would only start an hour later, as in Kerala. The key for migrants is to be sensitive to local sentiments and find opportunities to interact with locals.


00:00 Why Malayalam is not Taught as a Second Language

09:48 Malayalee Associations Formed by New Citizens

18:35 The Question of Integration

20:42 Singaporeans’ Sense of Time

23:07 Employment & Economic Issues

26:28 Bridging Locals & Migrants

35:36 How Locals can Help Integration

41:44 How New Citizens & Migrants can Further Integration


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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



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4 days ago
47 minutes 51 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Tamils of Singapore & Tamil Nadu Part 1 – Darinee Alagirisamy | Chronicles of Old Singapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Dr Darinee Alagirisamy talks about the history of Tamil migration (both involuntary and voluntary) to Singapore from the vantage point of Tamil Nadu. We discuss the contributions of Indian convict labour, abuses in the kangany system, colonial self-interest, and the social reformers who tried to uplift the Tamil working class.


00:00 Introduction

02:16 My Research & Teaching

08:35 The Perspective from Tamil Nadu

14:06 Convict Labour

19:13 Tamil Migration

23:41 Abuses of the Kangany System

30:17 British Self-Interest

36:11 Tamil Reformers


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1 week ago
39 minutes 55 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Pek Sin Choon & Nanyang Tea Part 1 – Kenry Peh | Chronicles of Old Singapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Kenry Peh is the proprietor of the hundred-year old heritage tea merchant Pek Sin Choon. A professed tea man, he talks about how his great grandmother Bai-Zhuang Dan Niang & her son Pek Kim Aw migrated from Anxi, Fujian to the Nanyang. They set up a tea shop at George Street in 1925 before moving to other streets of Chinatown. Blending different varieties of tea, he explains, was part of their business survival strategy since the early days.


00:00 Introduction

00:39 One Hundred Years of Pek Sin Choon

07:19 Bai-Zhuang Dan Niang & Pek Kim Aw

13:44 Small Family Business

21:10 George Street

25:03 New Market Road

27:35 Tew Chew Street

30:03 The Tea Merchants Association

36:01 Blending Tea as Survival Strategy

45:27 Sharing Tea with Arts & Community Groups


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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1 week ago
51 minutes 1 second

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | The Bukit Ho Swee Fire Part 6 – Rumours & Conspiracy Theories

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. How did it start? Dr Loh Kah Seng looks at the evidence for the most controversial part of the 1961 Bukit Ho Swee fire: the rumours that the government wanted to remove the kampong for public housing.


00:00 Introduction

03:00 Researching the Rumours

03:51 Arson?

09:28 The Historical Context

10:25 The Thinking Behind the Rumours

15:20 Police Investigation

16:58 40 Years Later

21:58 Wild Talk

23:59 My Professional Opinion

26:49 Debating the Rumours

30:53 Further Research

32:17 Outro


My books, Squatters to Citizens:

https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/products/squatters-into-citizens


Controversial History Education in Asian Contexts:

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9780203753491/controversial-history-education-asian-contexts-mark-baildon-kah-seng-loh-ivy-maria-lim-g%C3%BCl-i%CC%87nan%C3%A7-junaidah-jaffar


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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1 week ago
33 minutes 21 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | Wilson Chua – Part 2 Accidental Businessman

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. After leaving Dunearn Technical, Wilson Chua worked in sales of air freight services for multinationals in Singapore, including the German multinational Birkat. Forced to leave the company, a friend encouraged him to set up his own company. Thus, UT-Ways, a freight forwarding business, was born. Wilson talks about manpower issues, competition from the big companies, treating his staff, and the need for honesty and good customer service.


00:00 A Novice Salesman in Air Cargo

05:52 The German Company Birkat

11:38 Working in (German) MNCs

14:05 The Air Freight Business in Singapore

19:19 UT-Ways

27:32 Labour & Competition

33:18 My Son Joined the Company

40:03 Advice for New Businesses


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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1 week ago
44 minutes 48 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | V. Maheantharan – Remember our Port Workers & Singapore Polytechnic

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. V. Maheantharan studied at the University of Southampton on a government scholarship before being posted to the Singapore Polytechnic. There, he oversaw many innovative programmes which made the polytechnic an exciting alternative to the university, which it was unfortunately not allowed to develop into. He talks about the need to acknowledge the roles of both the port workers and the Singapore Polytechnic to Singapore’s development.


00:00 Nautical Studies at University of Southampton

08:55 My Father Struggled with Containerisation

13:06 Tanjong Pagar is Unrecognisable

16:49 Acknowledging the Port Workers

20:23 Singapore Polytechnic in Singapore’s Development

26:13 Polytechnic & Industry

31:48 Turning the Polytechnic into a University

36:41 The Polytechnic has Become Sexy

43:28 Acknowledging the Polytechnic and its Students


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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2 weeks ago
51 minutes 21 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | The Bukit Ho Swee Fire Part 5 – Nine Months after the Fire

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew promised a new home for every fire victim within 9 months. Find out how the Bukit Ho Swee fire became what the HDB called a ‘God-sent opportunity’ to rebuild the kampong into a housing estate and changed the lives of Singaporeans forever.


00:00 Introduction

03:45 Fire Site

05:32 Relief Centres

14:36 Temporary Housing

15:01 5 Ogres

19:10 God-Sent Opportunity

20:54 New Emergency Flats

26:50 Housing Chain Reaction

30:00 Squatters to Citizens

34:07 Further Research

36:00 Conclusion


My book, Squatters to Citizens:

https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/products/squatters-into-citizens


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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2 weeks ago
37 minutes 27 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | Ullas Kumar – Malayalees of Singapore & Kerala Part 1

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. The Malayalees are the largest minority within the Indian population. Ullas Kumar came to Singapore to work in 1999 and almost immediately joined and volunteered with the Singapore Malayalee Association. He talks about the Malayalees’ rich history, culture and community – the waves of migration from Kerala, the migrants’ mindset, the importance of education, and an almost innate ability to use their hands.


00:00 Introduction

02:08 Coming to Singapore

09:45 Joining the Singapore Malayalee Association

18:23 Malayalee Migration to Singapore

23:07 Post-1965 Migration from India

29:57 Kerala as a Migrants’ State

33:22 Importance of Education

40:00 Our Technical Talent


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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3 weeks ago
48 minutes 15 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | The Bukit Ho Swee Fire Part 4 – The Other Fires

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Dr Loh Kah Seng traces a history of seven calamitous fires in urban kampongs before the 1961 Bukit Ho Swee inferno. These paved the way for emergency housing the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) built for fire victims in the 1950s. Such semi-permanent housing – many being 1-room flats with shared kitchens and toilets – has mostly been forgotten. But it was to play a key role after the disaster at Bukit Ho Swee.


00:00 Introduction

00:34 Recap

02:40 Seven Forgotten Fires

06:13 The Fire Risk

14:06 Bukit Ho Swee 1934

15:04 Kampong Bugis 1951

17:27 Geylang Fires 1953

19:09 Emergency Housing as Slums

20:33 Tiong Bahru 1955

22:02 Kampong Koo Chye 1958

26:04 Tiong Bahru 1959

31:38 Further Research

34:39 Outro


My book, Squatters to Citizens:

https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/products/squatters-into-citizens


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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3 weeks ago
35 minutes 34 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | Winston Wong – Farrer Park, Serangoon Road & Sport History Part 2

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Winston Wong remembers other interesting parts of Farrer Park and nearby Serangoon and Race Course Roads – curry restaurants, Tekka Market, Kandang Kerbau Hospital, and the various schools he attended. He talks about the demolition of the Farrer Park sports grounds in the 1990s and his wish to lead another tour of the area’s unique mix of sports, food, religion, and business heritage.


00:00 Places of Worship

05:59 Muthu’s Curry & Race Course Road

10:28 Tekka Market

14:34 Princess Elizabeth Flats

16:57 Kandang Kerbau Hospital

19:10 Towner, Owen & Dorsett Schools

21:49 Gan Eng Seng School

27:00 Demolition of Farrer Park

29:13 Heritage Tour of Farrer Park


By My Old School on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Bymyoldschool


To support Winston’s book on old Pulau Blakang Mati & Sentosa, contact:

bymyoldschool@gmail.com


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


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4 weeks ago
40 minutes 35 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | Wilson Chua – Part 1 Lavender Street & Dunearn Technical School

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Wilson Chua is one of the pioneers of independent Singapore’s technical education system and small-medium enterprises (SMEs). He talks about growing up in a shophouse at Lavender Street and studying at Dunearn Secondary Technical School. His PE teacher was the famed national sprinter C. Kunalan and he enjoyed scouting and sports more than his studies.


00:00 Introduction

03:05 The Story Behind UT-Ways 有地位

05:21 My Shophouse at 239-A Lavender Street

10:20 Move to Pasir Panjang Estate & Back

19:17 Living in a Shophouse

25:01 Dunearn Technical

32:21 Interest in Scouts & Sports

38:28 C. Kunalan

46:36 Discos & Long Hair


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


Show more...
1 month ago
56 minutes 16 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | The Bukit Ho Swee Fire Part 1 – The Biggest Fire

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Loh Kah Seng begins a new series on the 1961 fire at Bukit Ho Swee – the biggest in Singapore history and the place where he traces his roots. He relates the terror and chaos on that fateful day on 25 May 1961 as the inferno crossed two main roads and rendered 16,000 people homeless in a matter of hours. The fire was the topic of his PhD dissertation. In subsequent episodes, he will talk about what the fire meant to the people and how it changed Singapore forever.


00:00 Introduction

00:51 My Story in Bukit Ho Swee

02:15 The Fire as a Milestone for Singapore

06:30 A Typical Kampong

09:08 174-A Kampong Tiong Bahru

11:18 Battling the Fire & Fire-fighters

14:14 Arc of Destruction

18:03 In the Inferno’s Path

20:13 4 Dead

22:26 The Fire Site

24:27 Further Research

25:54 Outro


My book, Squatters to Citizens:

https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/products/squatters-into-citizens


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


Show more...
1 month ago
36 minutes 52 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | V. Maheantharan – Life at Blair Plain, Cantonment Rd & Taman Ho Swee

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. V. Maheantharan remembers three types of early housing he lived in – a cramped house at Cantonment Road, a ‘palatial’ 2-room HDB flat at Taman Ho Swee and one of the flats at Blair Plain newly built by the PSA. He talks about his father’s work and influence among the Indian port workers of Tanjong Pagar and how the community revolved around the Sri Mariamman Temple and other temples. He went to Raffles Institution where he had to fight his way up from the bottom of the class.


00:00 Introduction

02:06 First Home at Cantonment Road

05:18 ‘Palatial’ Taman Ho Swee

11:12 PSA Flats at Blair Plain

22:49 Blair Plain Photos

30:49 Lee Kuan Yew Asked for My Father’s Support

40:38 Indian Community in Tanjong Pagar

45:53 Importance of Sri Mariamman Temple

51:15 Early Trauma at Raffles Institution


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I speak to people on their 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


Show more...
1 month ago
59 minutes 28 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | The Bukit Ho Swee Fire Part 2 – Black Areas

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. By looking at life in the urban kampongs after WWII, Loh Kah Seng unpacks the myth that they were black areas. While there were poor housing, insanitation and secret societies, the kampongs were legitimate communities. There were many efforts towards self-help and gotong royong: celebrations of Chinese festivals, tontines and voluntary fire-fighting squads. Though jobs were few, kampong dwellers generally worked hard and sent their children to school, so they might find a way to a better future.


00:00 Introduction

01:36 Urban Kampongs as Black Areas

02:21 A Children’s World

08:08 Housing & Living Conditions

11:23 Battle for Space

16:22 Living with Pigs and the Dead

19:00 Samseng & Pai Kia

20:46 Wa m chai

22:17 The Kampong Economy

25:32 Kampongs as Communities

28:30 Education & Progressive Kampongs

29:49 Further Research

31:10 Outro


My book, Squatters to Citizens:

https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/products/squatters-into-citizens


Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. This is Dr Loh KS, the people’s historian, and I talk about my research on the little histories of the Lion City.


Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.


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


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1 month ago
33 minutes 10 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | Gerard Ee – Part 2 Community Development & Social Service

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Gerard Ee reflects on the difference between community development and social service and how both can co-exist. He talks about how the problem today has shifted from the youth to low-income families and elderly. I asked him about the valuable research his team did on vulnerable families during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for practice research.


00:00 Community Development vs. Social Service

11:33 Community Projects at Beyond

15:34 Voluntarism in Singapore Today

18:28 Low-Income Families in Bukit Ho Swee Today

23:45 The Pandemic Research

31:13 Practice Research

35:33 Advice for the New Social Worker


I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their 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



Show more...
1 month ago
40 minutes 31 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | The Bukit Ho Swee Fire Part 1 – The Biggest Fire

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Loh Kah Seng begins a new series on the 1961 fire at Bukit Ho Swee – the biggest in Singapore history and the place where he traces his roots. He relates the terror and chaos on that fateful day on 25 May 1961 as the inferno crossed two main roads and rendered 16,000 people homeless in a matter of hours. The fire was the topic of his PhD dissertation. In subsequent episodes, he will talk about what the fire meant to the people and how it changed Singapore forever.


00:00 Introduction

00:51 My Story in Bukit Ho Swee

02:15 The Fire as a Milestone for Singapore

06:30 A Typical Kampong

09:08 174-A Kampong Tiong Bahru

11:18 Battling the Fire & Fire-fighters

14:14 Arc of Destruction

18:03 In the Inferno’s Path

20:13 4 Dead

22:26 The Fire Site

24:27 Further Research

25:54 Outro


My book, Squatters to Citizens:

https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/products/squatters-into-citizens


I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their 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


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1 month ago
27 minutes 38 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | Laura Yan – My Love for Teaching & Sailing the World Part 2

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. On and off, Laura Yan sailed and lived overseas with her husband from 1976 to 1984. Upon returning to Singapore, she taught at Fuhua Primary School till she retired in 2001. She then taught class management to trainee teachers at the National Institute of Education for a few years. She highlights the importance of caring for the students and providing them emotional support.


00:00 Sailing with Yan Yim Tong & Cleaning Toilets

07:34 My Son was Born While Sailing

15:25 Friends in Glasgow

19:29 Back to Teaching: Yuhua Primary School

23:14 Thinking Schools, Learning Nation

27:14 Class Management at NIE

37:17 Reading & English Literature

39:19 Emotional Support for Students


I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their 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


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1 month ago
48 minutes 10 seconds

Chronicles of Old Singapore
Chronicles of Old Singapore | Winston Wong – Farrer Park, Serangoon Road & Sport History Part 1

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Winston Wong grew up in a SIT flat at Farrer Park, named after Princess Elizabeth. His balcony looked out to the famous Farrer Park sports ground. He recalls the diverse range of sporting events at the grounds, especially football. Many football teams played in the open fields, including a team of his neighbours called Hampshire United, as well as renowned national players.


00:00 Introduction

01:50 Kampong at Bencoolen Street

09:35 Princess Elizabeth Flats at Farrer Park

16:18 Sports at Farrer Park

23:37 Christian Cemetery at Kampong Java

25:18 Football at Farrer Park

31:40 Residents Playing Football


By My Old School on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Bymyoldschool


To support Winston’s book on old Pulau Blakang Mati & Sentosa, contact:

bymyoldschool@gmail.com


I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their 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



Show more...
1 month ago
40 minutes 1 second

Chronicles of Old Singapore
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.