CHEOK, Sunny Hock Siew
The Public Service,
Accession Number 002234
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 4
Total Reels
- Jason Lim (Dr)
Interviewer
- 01:37:43
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 4
Metadata
- 28 Dec 1999
Recording Date
- 00:30:11
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:19) Personal and family background.
(0:04:42) Recollection of school life at St. Andrew's School until 1935.
(0:07:33) Reasons why he quit school and worked as a fisherman at Pulau Brani for two years.
(0:09:20) Helped at his uncle’s farm at Boon Teck Road. His tuition fees were sponsored by his uncle.
(0:11:39) Taught English by a Filipino teacher when working in Raffles Library (RL).
(0:13:07) How he became an assistant librarian in RL. His job responsibilities.
(0:16:19) Nearly got a scholarship.
(0:17:18) Library facilities and membership.
(0:19:16) Talked about what he could buy for 10 cents. Salary earned.
(0:20:29) Cycled to work.
(0:22:33) Staff of RL. Impressions of Mr Tweedie, the director of RL.
(0:24:44) Did not suffer much during the Japanese Occupation.
(0:26:43) The house at Pulau Brani was an office for the Japanese military. He learned Japanese from the soldiers.
(0:29:24) Reasons why he felt Japanese soldiers were harsher than the civilians.
Family and personal background. Studied at St. Andrew's School. Worked as fisherman at Pulau Brani. Helped at a farm at Boon Teck Road. Taught English by Filipino teacher. Job responsibilities as Assistant Librarian at Raffles Library (RL) in 1939. Nearly got a scholarship. Library facilities and membership. What he could buy for 10 cents. Salary earned. Cycled to work. Staff of RL. Impressions of M W F Tweedie. Did not suffer much during the Japanese Occupation. House at Pulau Brani was an office for Japanese military. Learnt Japanese from the soldiers. Japanese soldiers were harsher than the civilians.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 4
Metadata
- 28 Dec 1999
Recording Date
- 00:30:31
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:12) How he learnt Japanese. Acted as an interpreter between the Japanese soldiers and the British prisoners.
(0:01:54) Worked in the military camp for a year at Pulau Brani. Missed Japanese friends after the Japanese surrendered.
(0:04:00) Returned to Raffles Library (RL) to work until 1958. His impressions of Gibson-Hill.
(0:06:16) Small staff strength at RL.
(0:07:53) Library users and the genres of books they borrowed.
(0:11:10) Transferred to the Accountant-General's (AG) Department in 1959. Impressions of Mr Harrod.
(0:13:22) No major staff change at RL from 1939 to 1959.
(0:15:28) Job responsibilities at the AG Department.
(0:17:33) Impressions of Chua Kim Yeow.
(0:20:17) Transferred to Trade Division Library. Later did clerical work at the Trade Division office.
(0:23:57) Difference in work between typist and clerk.
(0:24:43) How he joined the Boys' Brigade (BB).
(0:26:26) Reasons why he left 6th Company and joined 4th Company in 1953.
(0:29:48) His work at Christ Methodist Church.
How he learnt Japanese. Missed Japanese friends after Japanese surrendered. Returned to Raffles Library (RL) to work. Small staff at RL. Library users. Impressions of L M Harrod. No major staff change at RL for twenty years. Helped National Library (NL) move to its Stamford Road premises. Job responsibilities following transfer to Accountant-General's Department. Impressions of Chua Kim Yeow. Transferred to Trade Division Library. Later did clerical work at Trade Division office. Difference in work between typist and clerk. How he joined Boys' Brigade (BB). Why he left 6th Company and joined 4th Company. His work at Christ Methodist Church.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 4
Metadata
- 28 Dec 1999
Recording Date
- 00:29:13
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:07) Preached at Christ Methodist Church.
(0:01:13) Involved in youth counselling. Dealt with the problem of parents neglecting their children.
(0:03:50) Could sense whether people had problems.
(0:07:12) Changes in attitudes of children. Helped a rickshaw puller.
(0:10:29) Perception that the government did not support the Boys' Brigade (BB).
(0:11:03) Helped the People's Action Party (PAP) in the 1959 and 1963 General Elections.
(0:12:24) His opinion of the PAP.
(0:14:29) Impressions of Dr Toh Chin Chye and Ong Eng Guan.
(0:16:29) His recollection of the 1964 riot in Geylang, where a Chinese man was killed.
(0:20:08) Christian outlook since Calvary Charismatic Church started in 1971.
(0:24:33) Attended churches after recovery from gastritis.
(0:25:49) Converted to Christianity in 1941 before the Japanese Occupation. Father was a Buddhist before conversion.
(0:27:23) Influence of Christianity on himself.
Preached at Christ Methodist Church. Youth counselling. Problem of parents neglecting their children. Could sense whether people had problems. Changes in attitudes of children. Helped a rickshaw puller. Perception that the government did not support Boys' Brigade (BB). Helped People's Action Party (PAP) in 1959 and 1963 General Elections. His opinion of PAP. Impressions of Dr. Toh Chin Chye and Ong Eng Guan. A Chinese man was killed in 1964 riot. Christian outlook since Calvary Charismatic Church started in 1971. Converted in 1941. Father was a Buddhist before conversion. Influence of Christianity on himself.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 4
Metadata
- 28 Dec 1999
Recording Date
- 00:07:48
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:27) How he upheld his Christian values and integrity at work.
(0:04:02) Worked at CWT (Container Warehousing) after his retirement in 1976. Moved to other places to work, including the Bible Society of Singapore.
(0:06:22) Worked at Kuo Chuan Primary School when he joined the Retired Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP).
Influence of Christianity on himself. Retired in 1976. Worked at CWT (Container Warehousing) after his retirement. Moved to other places to work. Presently working temporarily at the Bible Society of Singapore. Worked at Kuo Chuan Primary School when he joined the Retired Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP). Left RSVP later.
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