CHIA, John Ah Hang
Visual Arts,
Accession Number 003660
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 6
Total Reels
- Sian Eira Jay (Dr)
Interviewer
- 05:51:01
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 6
Metadata
- 28 Oct 2011
Recording Date
- 00:58:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Born 1939 in Kampong Ubi at Punggol. Area was part of Trafalgar Estate owned by British. Present location is now HDB flats near Punggol Fire Station. Kampong had around 12 houses, mainly Chinese and one Indian family with cattle. Malay kampong next to the Chinese kampong. Most of the Chinese were Teochews. Interviewee is a Enghwa. He had three older sisters, one older brother and one younger sister.
Interviewee explained the history of the Teochews in Hougang and Punggol. His father came alone to Singapore at age 16. He was a rubber tapper.
Talked about father's family. Maternal grandmother and her siblings all had English names - John, Jand and Emma. Believed that grandmother was Portuguese. She was abandoned at Chijmes. Talked about his father opening provision shop and having gramophone that he played for villagers. He carried goods to Malay kampong where Rivervale Condominium now stands.Talked about father's kampong and people bringing fish along the Serangoon river to Upper Serangoon fish auction market.
At end 1942 kampong was taken over as Japanese base and family was forced to move. Went to stay with mother's brother (John) at Kampong Ubi Kayu. Aunt Jane stayed at Jalan Payoh Lai near Woodbridge Hospital. Uncle was sickly. Maternal grandfather was cook for British manager (Mr Richards) on rubber estate. Had two older sisters already married.
In new kampong father planted tapioca and collected eggs to sell in town through the sisters. Talked about tJapanese Occuaption, rice rationing.
People in kampong made the young girls look dirty and hid them in the swamp when the Japanese came. Recalled men being rounded up and driven off. Some were taken to Punggol and shot. Talked about some of the incidents where people escaped from the Japanese and things Japanese did to the Chinese. Mainly stories his father and mother late told him.
Talked about his earliest recollections of Kampong Ubi Kayu. Crudely built house, oil lamps, kitchen outside. Grew own food. No meat. Catching prawns and fish in swamp. Eating tapioca leaves and tubers. Mother taught him how to collect mussels. Also caught catfish.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 2 of 6
Metadata
- 28 Oct 2011
Recording Date
- 00:58:11
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talked about getting stung by catfish. Difference between fresh and salt water catfish. Interviewee was three when Japanese came and he suffered from lack of nutrition. Baby sister suffered worse.He went to school in 1946. Other children called him a leper because he had sores and scars from the war. Talked in more details about Kampong Ubi Kayu and the Malay kampong next to it. Fandi Ahmad's mother and grandfather lived there. He met Fandi Ahmad many years later. Talked about Fandi Ahmad.
Talked about Lim Boon Heng whose family lived on the other side of the kampong. There was a leper camp nearby(near old Woodbridge hospital) and recalled visiting it with a priest to say mass. Boundary of the kampong was Yio Chu Kang Road, Punggol Road and Serangoon River.
Talked about father buying rubber seeds and taking them to Ah Kwang, an old man in the kampong. Told story of father meeting ghosts and the legend of the Bedok drownings. House near kampong built by wealthy Chinese in 1920s-30s in the middle of a swamp that had a trapdoor so they could pull in sea food. Story about woman who hung herself there and people started leaving offerings to her spirit. Recounted ghost stories of the area.
Mother told story of Black Bridge where there were wild crocodiles that would sometimes seize animals. There was one crocodile that was said to be the guardian of Black Bridge, He was caught in the trap at the rich man's house. One story said the crocodile was shot and displayed at Raffles Museum.
Talked about people who committed suicide in kampong, and about child marriage.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 3 of 6
Metadata
- 4 Nov 2011
Recording Date
- 00:58:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Told story of child bride. Girls were brought up by family to be married to their sons. Talked generally about his own interest in nature. Birds were the alarm clock, roster knew when the tide is coming in and would crow to warn hen and chickens to leave the swamp.
Talked in detail about the Teochew community, his recollections of Trafalgar Rubber Estate and origins of Kampong Ubi Kayu. Talked about Ah Loo who was kampong head-rich man with 20 pig styes. He had vegetable gardens and employed people to farm them. Mentioned a primary school in the Kampong.
Talked about a well in the village that never ran dry; about Ah Loo's fish ponds (20 by 30 metres) which were harvested once a year when drained and fish removed from the mud. By 1960s the river became dirty and polluted.
Recalled around 30-40 families living in the neighbourhood - Chinese and Malay. Stories told by grandmother about her chickens. Mother bitten by rat. Relied on traditional Chinese medicine- there was a medical shop run by Kee Wang Ting at 6th mile stone. There were two doctors- one Chinese, one Eurasian. Every family grew herbs for cooking and medicine. When sister had fever, they boiled bamboo leaves. Banana leaf dew cure for sore eyes.
Few jobs postwar. Talked about the way people cared for farm plots. Raising pigs and chickens. Talked about celebrating Chinese New Year-preparations, drinking F & N orange crush, special vegetables. Sister would come to kampong by car with their children. Sister lived at Dixon Road.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Loading...
Loading...
Reel/Disc 6 of 6
Metadata
- 16 Dec 2011
Recording Date
- 00:58:10
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Elaboration on the three little boys their mother took in to care for. They had to be returned when they were three. Their mother rarely visited them as babies. Paid his mother around $60 a month to look after them. Recalled that girls had to work and often did not attend school. There was a Chinese School in the kampong and during war, Japanese schools.
Interviewee went to Holy Innocent English School (age 6)in 1946. He spoke no English at that time. The School had been set up by the brothers of St. Gabriels. His teacher was Mrs Ambrose, a Eurasian whose husband was an Indian. He was frightened of her. Recalled missing school for wedding and being afraid to tell her why. Talked about his fear during first day at school as he spoke no English. His third sister would bring him food at recess. If she did not turn up, he would go hungry. She was in the Chinese School next door.
He was in a class of 40 children, age 6- 10. Was taught English and Maths in Primary 1 with teacher explaining in Teochew. Talked about use of Teochew and Henghua. Talked about dialects.
Talked about school assembly, prayers and classes on hygiene. Many of the children were undernourished. Truck would bring rice, sardines, corned beef, beans - children had to bring their own plates and spoons. This was for a few months only. Rice was rationed after postwar. There was canteen food -tau suan for 5 cents, mee siam for 10 cents. Parents gave him bread and kaya to take to school. Had to walk 3 kilometres home as had no money for bus. Sometimes road would be flooded.
English was still difficult for him in Primary 2. He was afraid because did not know English. Went eventually into Standard 1. Taught by Mr Pillay from St Joseph's who was so soft spoken that no one could hear him. Said interviewee was a good and obedient student and managed to pass into Standard 2 where he was taught by Mr. Ambrose. Parents had no education. Younger sister went to Holy Innocent Primary Girl's School for 5 years and did not complete her education. His niece (three younger) was also to same school.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
