KENNEDY, George
Communities of Singapore (Part 1),
Accession Number 000591
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 20
Total Reels
- Daniel Chew (Dr)
Interviewer
- 09:22:30
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 20
Metadata
- 15 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:28:34
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Personal background. Father's occupation. His maternal grandparents and other relatives. Closer to mother's relatives; never met father's family. Location of his home town. School life; boarding at school. Discipline in school. Subjects taught. Size of school. Went home once a year in December holidays. His pastimes.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 20
Metadata
- 20 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:27:29
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
What he does during school holidays at home. How Christmas was celebrated. Mixed mostly with Anglo-Indians. Type of food cooked by his mother. English spoken mainly at home; Hindi as second language. Spent 8 years in school. Difference between two classes of boarders. No idea of what type of work he liked to do.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 20
Metadata
- 20 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:28:04
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Final exam before leaving school. How he got job in hospital ship travelling between Bombay and Bussara. Description of hospital ship. His experience on board ship. Size of ship. Crew on board. His duties. Frequency of run. Working hours. Relationship between European and Indian officers on board. Parents' reaction to his job. How he spent free time on board.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 20
Metadata
- 20 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:27:38
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
After war, joined mercantile shipping. Hospital ship changed name; refitted as passenger boat for Madras-Singapore run. Places where ship stopped at. Description of ship after refitting. Number of passengers ship could accommodate. His duties on board. Type of cargo taken aboard. Frequency of run. Conditions on deck for deck passengers. Deck passengers mainly contract labourers recruited for rubber plantations in Malaya by Malayan government.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 20
Metadata
- 23 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:29:12
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Space allocated to each deck passenger. Labourers repatriated if sick and could not work. State of these repatriated workers. How agents recruited contract labourers in India. Paid 10 rupees for each recruit. Passage fare paid by plantations. Labour inspectors accompanied labourers on board. Food for deck passengers. His duties on board. Clothes worn by labourers; each given name tag.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 20
Metadata
- 23 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:28:34
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Pastimes on board for contract labourers and saloon passengers. Composition of crew. Ports called at. Procedure for clearing contract labourers at Penang and Port Swettenham. Where ship berthed in Singapore. Type of cargo brought in and taken back to India. Places he visited in Singapore. His first impression. Rumah Miskin and Dhoby Ghaut in 1940s/50s. His impression of local people and life then.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 20
Metadata
- 30 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:29:18
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
His leisure activities. Facilities available in Happy World Amusement Park. New World had cabaret. Transportation then. Brothels found along Bugis Street/Johore Road. Left ship after 7 years to get married. Shore job not available, returned to ship for another trip. Eventually joined Customs Department. Advantages in working for government. His starting salary. Opium shops. Location of opium packing plant in Pasir Panjang.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 20
Metadata
- 30 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:27:50
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
His duties in Customs headquarters. Buying opium dross; amount paid for first quality dross. Mixed in iron filling to get weight up. Required analyst to test dross. Mostly Chinese patronised opium shops. Government also run opium dens. Description of opium den. Impression of his boss, Andrew Gilmore. Promotion to Assistant Supervisor. Why he was chosen for preventive job. Comparing working conditions of Europeans and locals.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 20
Metadata
- 30 Aug 1985
Recording Date
- 00:29:31
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
His duties as preventive officer. Had team of officers with different skills. His first assignment in catching offenders. Places where he was stationed. Description of procedure of ship searching. Senior officers not involved in actual search; only come aboard when large quantities of contraband were found. How passenger belongings were searched. Passengers' reaction normally gave themselves away.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 20
Metadata
- 5 Sep 1985
Recording Date
- 00:27:54
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Description of one particular case of opium smuggling from Hong Kong to Singapore. How customs kept a lookout for vessel. Rewards given to officers -20 cents per tahil of opium. There were 500 preventive officers in pre-war period. When war was approaching, less preventive work done. He was seconded to food control.
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