GOH, Sebastian Siew Hua 吴秀和
Chinese Dialect Groups,
Accession Number 003661
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 4
Total Reels
- Sian Eira Jay (Dr)
Interviewer
- 03:49:00
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 4
Metadata
- 27 Oct 2011
Recording Date
- 00:58:14
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Born in 1944 in Kampong Tek Kia, Bukit Timah where father managed rubber estate owned by Bata Shoe Company. Father had joined Bata in 1938. Two older sisters, oldest born before the war and second during war. Mother died in 1945. Father’s mother lived with them and looked after the children. Father was adopted and his adopted father died when father was a child. Knows nothing about father’s natural parents.
Kampong memories begin at age five – described house they lived in and two smaller houses grandmother owned and rented out. Compound had badminton court – Wong Peng Soon lived nearby. Hung pressure lamps on trees at night in order to play. Had a huge hole in kampong that was a hiding place in war from bombs. Now used as dump.
Father sent to India by Bata to train after war – away 1½ years. Remarried on return to stepmother who was unkind to the first three children – would beat them. She had five children – Sebastian and sisters have no contact with them. Sisters had to look after the younger children and do chores. Sebastian had to do marketing – would buy everything they needed for $2.
Father left in early morning to work and returned late. Made supervisor on return from India. He travelled to Klang in Malaysia a great deal. Father had been to Holy Innocents' and Victory Junior School and had to drop out to help family. Spoke Teochew at home. Grandfather was English educated; grandmother was Peranakan and wore sarong kebaya. Father brought books home – Reader’s Digest from MPH.
Recalled people next door being Hakka. There was also a Hainanese family and a Catholic Teochew family whom he stayed with many years later when doing A levels. He converted to Catholicism when in Primary six. Two sisters were Methodist attending Payer Lebar Methodist Girls' School. Grandmother was Taoist.
Father died in 1998 but stepmother kept Sebastian and sisters away from him. Had been a good father and treated them all the same and played with his children. As eldest boy he had been close to father who taught him how to do carpentry. Talked about games they played after school.
Most kampong people were labourers, a lorry driver, shop assistants. Most were Teochews. Grandmother worked for Eurasian family washing clothes. She kept a garden and grew things for sale; also had chickens. She paid ground rent of $1 per month.
Kampong had been there before war. Grandmother also had adopted daughter who had married and moved to Kampong Bahru. Aged eight Sebastian would go there by tram and then bus to deliver things to her. She would give him $1. She was married to a Hakka who held a clerical post. She sewed school uniforms. Lost contact with her.
Described the kampong: provision shop, house with two old Peranakan ladies, Taoist temple near Serangoon Road, public standpipe for use when wells dried up, food stalls, Teochew biscuit shops, post office at corner of Serangoon and Chua Chu Kang. Talked about activities surrounding the temple: mediums, wayang: Sing Yong Hua and Lau Sai Tor.
Father bought old Ford when he was in Primary school. Recalled outings to Ponggol and Changi.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 4
Metadata
- 27 Oct 2011
Recording Date
- 00:57:01
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
1959 father bought house in Hillside Drive – wanted to upgrade. Grandmother rented out kampong house and three-four years later land was acquired by developer and grandmother got around $10,000 compensation. Father borrowed money from Borneo Building Society to buy and pay back $150 a month for 15 years. He was earning around $400-$500 per month. Some of the kampong people moved to a kampong next door to live. Father’s house was private development on Charlton Park Housing estate.
Between 1955–58 went to Charlton Primary School on Charlton Road, 10 minutes from kampong. School was built at same time as Rosyth. No homework, good teachers. Remembered Mrs Bertran, Mr. Row. Talked about school canteen. Has to pass dairy farm owned by Indians on way to school. Talked about grandmother taking a piglet.
School was mixed, mostly Chinese, few Eurasians and very few Malays. No Indians. Talked about primary school, uniform, books, punishment, and lessons. Memories of his lessons.
1958 went to Tanjong Katong Technical School – had to take two buses to get there. Had wanted to go to Raffles Institution and had been in top five in school. Father wanted him to have a practical education. Was at Tanjong Katong Technical School for a year. Described it.
End of 1959 family moved to Klang in Malaysia where father had been sent to run Bata Factory there. Oldest sister already in nursing school in General Hospital. Sebastian went to LaSalle in Klang. Talked about education there and being top of the class. Was a mixed school but predominantly Chinese. Brothers were Chinese, Indian and Eurasian and some lay teachers. They were not well qualified. Did not have Maths teacher and failed O level Maths. Older sister was in convent school.
1965 returned alone to Singapore to study at Beatty Secondary School, a pre-University school at Serangoon and Balestier (now Tamil Language Centre). Was not a good school.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 4
Metadata
- 3 Nov 2011
Recording Date
- 00:58:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
His return to Singapore and Beatty School. Stayed at Joo Chiat and then moved to stay in old kampong. Did Maths, chemistry and physics.
Talked about race riots of 1963 and school being closed. Chinese protected Malay families in their kampong. Recalled Maria Hertogh riots in 1955. Saw European car being stoned at Upper Serangoon and European on motor cycle being stoned. Talked about his feelings at time of 1963 riots.
Graduated with three ‘A’ levels (Maths, Physics and Chemistry) – went to University of Singapore (Bukit Timah campus) to do Maths. Stayed in 1 Raffled Hall. Talked about social activities, sports, courses and other students. Tommy Koh was Senior fellow in Hall and brought in Chen Wen Hsi to do demonstration. Recalled President Yusof being invited to speak at one of the formal dinners. He came in a Rolls Royce.
Talked about entrance criteria, Law Faculty. Recalled Faidz Darus from Malaysia, Robin Hayar and Lai Kew Chai from hostel. Talked about university lectures and classes, lecturers: Hong Yoon Seng was Dean of Science, Lawrence Chia taught Chemistry, Dr. Menon taught Physics and Mr Yap from Nanyang University taught Maths. Talked about high attrition rate in law. Talked generally about his views on university training.
Left in 1969 – did not graduate as stepmother stopped his father from supporting him. Talked about what that meant. Went to Bata as management trainee. Managing Director was Mr. Bursik. Sent to India, Calcutta for conference and then stayed on for four months to observe the Bata factories there – Bihar, New Delhi. Talked about the experience.
Returned to factory in Telok Blangah. Employed around 600 people. Explained their structure and lines. Mostly local consumption but bought in for export to Middle East. Talked about Bata in greater detail. Spent one year in Malaysia in factory there. Left after eight years.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 4
Metadata
- 3 Nov 2011
Recording Date
- 00:55:05
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talked about older sister who was married to a Eurasian called Robson. Had been a teacher and volunteer called up in riots. Talked about his role during confrontation. Became army officer. Sebastian lived with sister till 1975 when he married and moved to nearby house.
Father had set up new factory in Malaysia and needed someone to work in import and export. Had left Bata in 1978 and began working in business with father. Made Nike shoes and own brand called Marco. Talked about the business. Did that for five years but never made headway.
Brother-in-law – John Chia – suggested he go to St Gabriel's and relief teach for few months to teach Maths. Talked about that experience and having to teach problem boys. Found that he liked working with young people. Became Maths tutor. His role as tutor. His perception of tutoring in Singapore. Charged $100 per month for two sessions a week, went up to $200 and then $300 per month by time he stopped in 2008. Talked about his son and his experience in school. Son now studying to be Jesuit.
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