Historyogi Post (94): A New Home for Old Stuff
"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." - Rabindranath Tagore.
Refreshed Newsletter
Welcome to the Historyogi Post, now on Substack! You are receiving this issue because you subscribed previously via TinyLetter. Here is what you can expect in each issue going forward:
Classroom: An introduction to the latest Historyogi Podcast episodes and selected TikTok posts.
Digging Deeper: A selection of history feature stories and academic publications.
This Month in History: Top local historical anniversaries of the month.
Down Memory Lane: Learn the histories behind our road names.
Quotable Quotes: Wise and unwise words from local history
Classroom
#23 – The history & design of Singapore’s Kranji War Memorial (With Athanasios Tsakonas)
Generations of Singapore students will remember going on learning journeys to the Kranji War Memorial. But few of us know why it’s in Kranji in the first place or how its design came about. Today, we speak to Athanasios Tsakonas, an Australian architect, who has researched the history of Kranji War Memorial’s construction and its perception by various groups in Singapore and abroad.
His book titled “In Honour of War Heroes: Colin St Clair Oakes and the Design of Kranji War Memorial” is now available in bookshops.
#24 – Curating 135 years of student writing at Raffles Institution (With Theophilus Kwek & Lara Tan)
Raffles Institution celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2023. The school is more than an institution, weaving itself into Singapore’s history through the decades. Nowhere is this documented better than in The Rafflesian, which has been the official school magazine since 1886, and many other student publications. Today, we speak to Theophilus Kwek and Lara Tan about 135 years of student writing they have helped curate in the new anthology titled “Some Dreams From Now”.
The book Some Dreams From Now: 135 Years of Rafflesian Writing is now available at Kinokuniya.
#25- Journeying through Singapore’s little-known LGBT history (With Isaac Tng)
Singapore is a city renowned for its reputation as a stern, conservative environment. But history reveals a more colourful past, where queer people carved out spaces for their own voices despite overwhelming discrimination. Today, we speak to Isaac Tng, who has curated a walking tour exploring Singapore’s LGBT past, and discuss the significance of learning that history.
Sign up for the walking tour here.
Historyogi TikTok Highlights
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Digging Deeper
Chilli crab: The woman behind Singapore's beloved dish (BBC News): In 1950, Ms Cher Yam Tian stir-fried in tomato sauce and chilli some crabs her husband had caught. And legend says that is how Singapore’s famous chilli crab dish was born. Learn more about the history of this iconic yummy dish.
'Albatross file' with details of top-level talks before Singapore separated from Malaysia to be declassified, released publicly (TODAY): The Government announced in February that it would declassify and release the famous Albatross File kept by Dr Goh Keng Swee. The file provides insights into top-level discussions among the leaders of Singapore and Malaysia in the weeks leading up to the separation.
What the release of Goh Keng Swee’s Albatross File means for Singaporeans (TODAY): Researcher Edmund Lim, who has written previously about Singapore’s separation from Malaysia, discusses what this release means to understanding national history. “It may be unsettling for certain individuals, who cling on to the earlier historical views, but it will be useful for them to be receptive to the available evidence, declassified documents and various valid perspectives.”
This Month in History
Singapore allows US troops to visit for R&R (March, 1966): During this period, Singapore concluded an agreement with the US Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs William Bundy to allow American troops stationed in South Vietnam to visit the island for Rest & Recreation. The first batch of 100 American officers arrived later that month. Singapore maintained a restrictive policy on any publicity surrounding the programme and other business activities relating to the Vietnam War, but the Barisan strongly opposed the Vietnam War. Graffiti, flyers and posters with anti-American slogans soon appeared on the streets, leading the government to enact the Punishment of Vandalism Act which criminalised such acts of political protest and mandated caning as a potent deterrent.
Hotel New World collapses (Mar 15, 1986): On this day, the Lian Yak building (which housed the Hotel New World) at the junction of Serangoon and Owen Roads, collapsed suddenly. The structure was reduced entirely to rubble, trapping dozens of people (above). Rescue services were activated immediately, and were assisted by European and Japanese engineers building the MRT tunnels nearby. After four days, 17 survivors had been pulled out. Thirty-three people lost their lives, making this Singapore's worst civil disaster since the Spyros explosion in 1978. The collapse was attributed to poor structural design and major reforms were made to tighten building regulations and maintenance checks.
Devan Nair resigns as president (Mar 28, 1985): On this day, President CV Devan Nair resigned from office under a cloud of scandal (above). In his resignation letter, Nair admitted that his "medical condition" (alcoholism) had rendered him unable to discharge his presidential responsibilities properly. At that time, it was understood that Nair had become ill while on a visit to Kuching and was then rushed back to Singapore for treatment. However, after he made allegations against the Singapore government, a Parliamentary white paper was tabled in 1988 stating that Nair had acted inappropriately with women, hit his wife, met a mysterious German woman and became friendly with an Indian "healer". Nair migrated to the US and later Canada. He remained a fierce critic of Lee Kuan Yew and died in Hamilton in 2005.
Down Memory Lane
Pagoda Street: This road got its name from the nearby Sri Mariamman Temple along South Bridge Road. The pagoda (or gopuram in Tamil) built over the main gate of the temple was a significant feature on the street. On the other side of the street lies the Jamae Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Singapore. In days past, Pagoda Street housed notorious opium dens, then became a centre for the coolie trade. There were around 12 coolie lodging houses here in 1901. The street is now part of the Chinatown Historic District.
Pasir Panjang Road: This road once stretched along Singapore’s southwest coastline, running beside the sandy beach. Pasir Panjang means “long sand”. It was built around 1850 by John Turnbull Thomson (which Thomson Rd is named after). In the 1920s and 1930s, wealthy Chinese families built bungalows along this road. They shared the area with several Malay fishing villages. The road later lost its sea view once land was reclaimed for port expansion.
Quotable Quotes
"No man need feel that to belong to a particular religion puts him at a disadvantage or gives him an advantage... This is how things are in Singapore and this is how things must always be in our country. Only in this way can a multiracial society like Singapore live in peace and prosperity."