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3,400 remains at Bukit Brown, Seh Ong unclaimed as of final deadline: LTA

April 17, 2018, 4:33 am
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Staff Writer, Singapore
Editorial Team
Yahoo News Singapore17 April 2018

UPDATE: There was one claim by next-of-kin for the human remains since 12 January 2018, the Land Transport Authority said.

About 3,400 unclaimed human remains exhumed from the Bukit Brown and Seh Ong cemeteries will be scattered at sea next Thursday (26 April).

“There were no claims by next-of-kin since 12 January 2018,” said a Land Transport Authority spokesperson (LTA) on Sunday in response to queries by Yahoo News Singapore.

A brief religious ceremony to offer prayers before scattering the ashes at sea will be arranged by the LTA.

In a series of final notices published on 12 January in The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, the LTA had called for descendants or next-of-kin to claim the remains by last Thursday (12 April).

These remains were not claimed by descendants or next-of-kin at the time of exhumation and during the storage period of three years, according to the notices.



(A notice by the LTA published in Lianhe Zaobao on 12 January, 2018. Source: Raymond Goh/Facebook)

More About 4,700 graves were exhumed from both cemeteries between January and December 2014 to make way for the construction of Lornie Highway.

The construction of the highway, which was announced in September 2011, was delayed twice due to various reasons, including financial difficulties faced by its main contractor and a public exhumation exercise that completed a year later than projected.

First slated to be completed by 2016, and then end-2017, the development of the dual four-lane road also faced strong objections from heritage groups and members of the public.

Set to connect MacRitchie Viaduct to Adam Flyover, it affected parts of the Bukit Brown and Seh Ong cemeteries, which had been closed off to burial since the early 1970s and were areas deemed to have rich heritage value.

Lornie Highway will now be progressively opened from the third quarter of this year, starting with the southbound highway towards Adam Flyover, said the LTA in a press release issued in November last year.

The northbound highway towards MacRitchie Viaduct will open in the first quarter of 2019
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Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 2: Charlie Teo

April 24, 2018, 2:04 am
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Apr 24 2018

Internationally renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Charlie Teo has extended countless lives performing risky brain surgery on patients who have often been turned away by other doctors. In doing so, he's been ostracised by parts of the medical establishment.

Searching out his family's past, Charlie Teo will find an ancestor who left an enduring landmark, another life extinguished too soon, and looking for his warrior blood, he'll come to see himself in a brand new light.


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More war graves beneath grounds of Bukit Brown?

May 2, 2018, 1:11 am
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The Straits Times May 2, 2018

by Melody Zaccheus, Heritage and Community Correspondent

Bukit Brown may have been dumping grounds for Outram Gaol prisoners who died during the Japanese Occupation


Tomb researcher Raymond Goh (back) with tomb keeper Soh Hung Seng at a valley at the Block 4 area of Bukit Brown Cemetery, where some people believe war victims might lie. More research and archaeological work need to be conducted.ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

Hidden beneath the dirt of Bukit Brown Cemetery are the remains of thousands of men, women and children unceremoniously dumped into unmarked graves, the victims of a brutal war.

Historical records tell of trucks with bodies piled high in the back, and witnesses described how medicos would lift the bodies on stretchers, one by one, before tipping them over into open pits.

But this was known to historians. Now one man's obsession with clawing through old records to tell the stories of the forgotten has unearthed another tragic tale.

Somewhere in Bukit Brown Cemetery are dumping grounds for almost 1,400 civilians who died in the lesser-known Outram Gaol prison during the Japanese Occupation.

Tomb researcher Raymond Goh made the discovery after matching the names of the 1,400 people, mostly civilians, who were executed or died from diseases at the Outram Gaol prison, to Bukit Brown's burial registry. Their names were published over three days in The Straits Times in February 1946.

His finding is supported by other records which note the existence of mass graves at the site, and dovetails with other research and accounts.

Bukit Brown burial records show that during the Japanese Occupation, Singapore Municipal Commission lorries used to dump the bodies of the war dead there.

And in a 2012 book on his war experience, an Outram Gaol survivor, Australian prisoner of war Billy Young, said he and a friend saw 30 or 40 corpses piled together in a truck at the cemetery in 1942. The workers told the pair that three to four such trips were made to the cemetery daily.

If Mr Goh's finding is confirmed by archaeological evidence, it would be the first major discovery of a war grave since more than 400 urns holding the remains of war victims were found in the Siglap area in 1962.

As of now, no remains have been dug up yet and more research needs to be done to to locate where the 1,400 are precisely buried.

The Outram Gaol prison stood at the foot of Pearl's Hill before it was demolished in 1963.

Archaeologist Lim Chen Sian said that to narrow down the site of the mass grave or graves, more archival work and interviews with witnesses need to be conducted. Mr Lim said: "It would only be respectful to account for the people who died in the war and lay the victims to rest properly."

Some clues suggest the graves may be at Block 4 at the cemetery.

One of Bukit Brown's tomb keepers, the late Mr Soh Gor Tong, witnessed bodies being dumped into communal trenches around that plot of land. Born in the 1920s, Mr Soh worked in the cemetery all his life. He died in the early 2000s.

Last month, Mr Soh's son, also a tomb keeper, took The Straits Times to Block 4.

Mr Soh Hung Seng, 65, said: "My father saw the lorries with the bodies... he would run and hide.

"After the war, when people asked why these plots weren't better utilised for other burials, he would say it was because they held the bodies of the war dead who were dumped into trenches."

Bukit Brown volunteer Simone Lee, 36, said the burial registry indicates that mass burials took place at the cemetery from 1941 to 1946, and Blocks 1, 2 and 3 were presumably full by the time World War II came around. The next available area for mass trenches would be at Block 4, she added.

The burial registry indicates that from Dec 9, 1941 to Feb 8, 1942, the total number of the war dead buried in communal trenches at the cemetery stood at 848. The Japanese formally surrendered only in September 1945.

Mr Goh said: "In the chaos, many bodies were dumped, and families who were themselves incapacitated by the war could not always claim the bodies."

The researcher's 2016 discovery of a war memorial in Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, which housed the remains of several Chinese who died during the Occupation, resulted in the authorities working to document, retain and relocate it.

Battlefield archaeologist Jon Cooper said it is still possible to find evidence of grave cuts and temporary grave markers.

Mr Goh urged the authorities to dedicate resources to strengthen World War II research at Bukit Brown and its surrounding areas "so that the deaths of the thousands of victims, many of whom were tortured brutally, are not in vain".

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Reports of torture and hangings

Some Chinese prisoners in Outram Gaol were hanged just for listening to broadcasts from mainland China, said Australia's The Morning Bulletin on Sept 12, 1945.

In another incident, a 17-year-old boy was hanged for donating 60 cents to the British Spitfire fund before the Japanese invaded.

According to the same report based on an account by Australian private A.K. Mitchell, who had survived imprisonment in Outram Gaol, hangings were "clumsy affairs".

The report said that many bodies were mutilated as the Japanese could not properly work the triple gallows. Executions were always watched by Japanese officers "seated on chairs laughing and joking".

Private Mitchell said the Outram Gaol echoed daily with the screams of natives being thrashed with heavy rattan. Prisoners were tied across a rack and the "backs of many of them were cut to ribbons".

The guards would also drag prisoners into cells and practise jujitsu on them, "slamming them into unconsciousness on the stone floors", said the article. Men were bashed on the slightest provocation and "every man who died was murdered".

The report further stated that at least 14 British, Australian and Dutch soldiers either died or were executed in the prison.

The Gaol's prisoners were described as being in bad shape. "Their eyes gazed blankly from their sockets and their skin was stretched tightly over their skeleton frames. They had ghastly tropical ulcers and unkempt, matted hair, and bearded, yellow faces."

Video Link

https://youtu.be/DVm2o6lCbRc

Source : https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-war-graves-beneath-grounds-of-bukit-brown
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The clerk that saved the prison's death register

May 6, 2018, 3:01 am
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There was once a gaol clerk who risked his life to secretly record and save the name list of those who are executed or died in Outram prison, and even let POWs copied the name list secretly on the pages of the Bible.

Today we would like to pay tribute to this man and publish this name list of the 1470 deaths who are buried in mass trenches in Bukit Brown.

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On 12 Sep 1945,  not so long after the war ended,  The Australia Morning Bulletin published the prisoners' stories of Singapore Gaol Horrors, describing Outram Gaol as the Blackest Spot of All"




It was reported that Pte A. K. Mitchell, of Seymour (Victoria) and a British doctor copied death records on the pages of a Bible belonging to a friendly Chinese gaol records clerk.




Pie Mitchell said that in the 15 months from May, 1944, up till July this year 1136 natives died
of starvation and disease. In the two years up till July this year 142 Chinese were hanged.
Pte Mitchell described the hanging of the Chinese as shocking.
Their courage, he said, was amazing. Most of the Chinese were men and boys. Some were hanged for listening to Chungking broadcasts. One lad of 17 was hanged because he had donated 50
cents to the British Spitfire fund before the Japanese invaded.

Who was this friendly Chinese gaol record clerk who let the POWs copy death records on the pages of his Bible at the risk of his life?


On 23 Feb 1946,  there was an important article published in Straits Times.   It was a name list of 1470 prisoners who died in the Outram Road Gaol (Civilian) during the Japanese occupation.

This list was secretly by two people employed in the gaol.  The list was kept in English and it is possible that some of the names differ slightly from their Chinese equivalents as there is a variety of ways in which Chinese names can be romanised.   As the Japanese did not let relatives or friends know the fate of those who are arrested, it is probable that most of the people in this list are among those posted as "missing, fate unknown"



Some time later during the war crimes trial for the Outram Road Civil Gaol Crimes, the name of the prison clerk who had saved the register of the prisoner with its grim record of 1,000 deaths was make known and complimented.  He was Mr Benjamin Cheah, Chief Records Clerk at Outram Road Gaol, before and during the occupation.


Who was this Benjamin Cheah who risked his life to secretly saved the name list of those who are executed or died in the prison, and even let POWs copied the death records on the pages of the Bible?

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It was a Death Notice published on Straits Times. 22 Aug 1951.  It reported the death of Benjamin Cheah Chun Hoi, age 60 years, who passed away at 24, Pearl's Hill Terrace, on the 20 Aug 1951, leaving his beloved wife, 4 sons and 4 daughters.



Pearl's Hill Terrace used to house government servants.   Benjamin Cheah held the post of chief clerk of Outram Gaol and also acted as interpreter.

Benjamin must have rose through the ranks.  On 1 Apr 1908, when he was just 17 years he joined as an Extra Clerk in the Chinese Protectorate.  At that time Ho Siak Kuan was the Chinese Translator and Interpreter.

Benjamin first wife died in 1924, and he married again in 1931 to Ms Lee Ah Moi who taught in St Andrew's School from 1947 till her retirement in 1960.

On 24 May 1990, Mrs Cheah, Benjamin wife,  passed away at age 88 and was survived by her sons Dick and Andrew and daughters.

Dick Cheah (Benjamin's son), a nursing officer, married Kate in 1976, and together they have 2 sons.
Mrs Kate Cheah is actually the daughter of the founder of Polar Cafe, Chan Hinky
(Now Polar Puffs and Cakes).

They have met each other as early as 1950/51 whereby the Chan family was staying temporarily in Pearl's Hill Terrace, where Kate eldest sister 's husband was working as an interpreter in Outram Gaol.

According to Mrs Kate Cheah's book "Sweet Memories, Sweet Success",  Dick forefathers had been part of a minority Chinese exodus that went to British Guiana to seek a better life.   Benjamin, Dick's father was born there but came to Penang when he was still a teenager. He then came to Singapore to work.

The Name List secretly recorded in English by Benjamin Cheah


2


3


4


5

6


7


8


9


10



11


12


13

14


15


16


End of Name List
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Cracks on Adam Road traced to water pressure

May 31, 2018, 8:20 pm
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The Straits Times
Jun 1, 2018
by Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent
Khoe Wei Jun


SINGAPORE - Cracks across at least two lanes on Adam Road caused a massive traffic jam tailing back to Bartley and Serangoon during the morning rush on Friday (June 1).

The Land Transport Authority said the cracks, which appeared right next to a huge excavation to build an underpass which will be part of the Bukit Brown road, were caused by water pressure that had built up because of heavy rain.

The cracks, which appeared right next to a huge excavation to build an underpass which will be part of the Bukit Brown road, were caused by water pressure that had built up because of heavy rain.PHOTO: ST READER

The LTA said the it discovered the cracks at 8am along a stretch of Adam Road after the MacRitchie Flyover.



“Two out of four lanes were immediately closed to facilitate repairs,” a spokesman said, adding that all lanes were reopened at about 10am, “after we ascertained that the road is safe for use”.

The widespread congestion however, was still apparent well past 10.30am.

After investigating, the authority issued a follow-up statement at around 6.40m. In it, it said heavy rain had led to water to accumulating and seeping under the road base.

The built-up pressure from the water caused the road section “to heave, thus resulting in the cracks on the road surface”.



Cracks found along Adam Road repaired, all lanes reopened to public

It said the cracks were not caused by the nearby construction works, and “do not pose any structural risks”. It added that water under the road base has since been drained..

When the Straits Times arrived at the scene at 10.30am, the roads were cleared and construction workers were seen near the area of the crack.

Personnel from the Public Utilities Board and LTA were also spotted assessing the situation.


Ms Ong, a motorist who was affected by the traffic jam, said she left her home in Lorong Chuan at 7.30am and ended up being "very late" for her 8am meeting with her friends.

Said the 44-year-old housewife: "The jam was so terrible. My car was going up (due to the uneven ground) as I drove past the area (with the cracks). It was very dangerous as no one knew what was going on.

"Fortunately no one had an accident."

A civil engineer who declined to be named said the cracks were likely to have been caused by soil movements below the road related to nearby construction works.

He said the rain might have contributed to the "loss of ground... by draining away soil, thereby weakening the site".


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160年孤坟遗骨 庆德会出面认领

July 26, 2018, 7:51 pm
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2018年7月27日
联合晚报 / 陈可扬

受南北高速公路工程影响需要迁坟，当局多次刊登通告后仍无后人认领，位于汤申路的一座160年历史孤坟内的遗骨，日前由庆德会出面认领；遗骨火化后，已于前天（7月25日）安放在蔡厝港骨灰塔。



左图：位于汤申路李亚妹安老院后山的孤坟，1859年至今都未曾迁移，保存良好，日前因南北高速公路工程起坟。右图：认领遗骨的庆德会会长陈坤祥（左）以及从中穿针引线的寻墓人吴安全在“陈门梁孺人”骨灰安放处前留影。（受访者提供）

陆路交通管理局日前为进行南北高速公路工程，征用汤申路李亚妹安老院旁的一块土地，其中就包括一座1859年下葬的坟墓。

当局后来在报章上多次刊登通告，要求后人认领遗骨，却无人回应。


按当局工作流程，被征用的坟墓如果无人认领，将在宗教信仰允许下，将遗骨火化，保存骨灰三年后撒入大海。

墓碑上的文字显示，这个坟属于一位“陈门梁孺人”，也就是嫁入陈家的梁姓妇女。

本地知名寻墓人吴安全（54岁）多年前受人之托寻找新加坡开埠时期潮州帮领袖佘有进的坟墓时，无意间发现这座坟墓。

他后来研究这块地的旧地契时发现，这块地在1853年被梁赞源买下，因此推断墓主属于梁赞源家族，而梁赞源就是本地最古老的互助团体“庆德会”的36位创建人之一。

在吴安全穿针引线之下，庆德会出面认领遗骨火化，并于前天安置在蔡厝港骨灰塔。

庆德会会长陈坤祥受询时透露，墓主有可能是创建人梁赞源的女儿梁魁娘，庆德会考虑到这一层关系，而且该墓下葬近160年，至今未曾迁移，有其历史意义，于是决定出面认领。他说：“我们考虑到这个坟墓的历史价值，觉得有责任确保这段历史记录不被时间掩埋，因此决定接手。”

早报数码去年制作《完成一个梦》时，曾有一集讲述梁赞源的迁葬墓在武吉布朗被发现后，如何找回墓主后人的故事，当时就是通过陈坤祥联络上梁赞源的后人梁英杰以及梁达骏。

陈坤祥说：“据我们了解，梁家后人目前不在新加坡，我们已经给留言通知他们古墓迁葬的消息。”
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记者与受访者相互扶持共成长：走遍古墓拼凑被遗忘过去

September 5, 2018, 7:58 pm
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联合早报
2018年9月6日

文/谢燕燕 摄影/萧紫薇



寻墓人吴安全（左）与文化历史线记者谢燕燕的合照。



早报团队报道过无数大小新闻，而这一篇篇新闻报道，向读者传递信息，同时对记者和受访者产生一定的影响，且通过三名资深记者与他们受访者的故事，一窥究竟。

新加坡开埠200年，建国却仅仅半个多世纪。历史学家如今认为700多年前，这里已是各地船只停靠和进行交易的市集。从开埠建国算起，我们的历史还短浅，编写工作尚在进行，这也就让采访文化历史线的工作变得更有意思。

我们在建国过程中，急急忙忙求发展，好些时候毫无眷恋地让发展巨轮迅速地碾平我们的甘榜、学校、戏院、庙宇，让这些与一代人成长记忆息息相关的景致，永远从岛国消失。

很多历史性建筑，例如国家图书馆和国家剧场，顺应建国时期的社会需求，匆忙地拔地而起；在社会变得富裕时仓促拆毁，却忘了这些建筑承载着一代人的集体文化记忆。

有很长一段时间，我们只往前看，一味追求发展，漠视社群的共同经历与记忆，缺乏历史意识。不过这种趋势近年似乎有所缓和，民间涌现一批热衷族群历史的文史爱好者，愿意一头栽进历史的搜集与研究，肯花时间从历史遗留下来的蛛丝马迹，一点一滴地拼凑先人的故事。

这群人当中有的还很愿意动员亲友同学，一起重新拼凑已散落成碎片的记忆，述说已不复存在的聚落、社区、甘榜、学校或庙宇的故事，重构自身的微历史。例如，乌敏岛和德光岛前岛民都在重构岛民历史，很多已消失的学校的校友，退休后着手整理校史。


前内阁部长杨荣文曾在一篇题为《没有过去的记忆就没有未来》的专访中说，历史是很奇怪的，在一个族群部落里，从基因上来说，总有一些人喜欢收藏，一些人专门做记录，一些人对历史产生兴趣，其他人毫无兴趣，但是历史却给了大家力量、慰藉和保障。

他认为，“对过去太执着没有未来，但完全不知道过去同样没有未来。两者之间，一定要对记忆有平衡和新颖鲜活的处理方式”。

从事新闻工作超过30年，2008年初从《新明日报》调到《联合早报》后，开始采访文化历史和社团动态，触摸本地历史。这是我的记者生涯中最有收获最有满足感的一段经历。

我被调到早报前，曾担任《新明日报》两本《庙宇文化》书籍的文字编辑，当时便意识到可以从庙宇挖掘地方历史。庙宇作为某个村落或族群的核心，往往是社会变迁的见证者。

很多本地文史工作者正是从庙宇切入，开始挖掘地方志和人文历史。2008年曾报道石叻学会以中英文出版的《万山港福德祠历史溯源——投桃之报》。两名作者吕世聪和洪毅瀚借助这座广东社群的百年古庙，鲜活而深入地挖出加冷河流域的历史，从建庙先贤带出早期社群领袖，又从庙宇祭祀习俗和神祇，勾勒出本地民间信仰的缘由与发展。

除了庙宇，会馆也是族群历史的重要载体。注重历史传承的社团会馆，总会在大庆时出版纪念特刊，重述或重新梳理会馆历史。华人向来对能被“载入史册”特别自豪，很多会馆因此愿意花钱出版特刊。

想要研究历史，首先必须有资料。近代史学家傅斯年（1896年－1950年）曾说：“上穷碧落下黄泉，动手动脚找资料”。要研究历史，不能单靠纸上文献，还要从墓碑和“地下”寻找考古的依据。

已数不清曾经和吴安全这位寻墓人到过新恒山亭、老山、武吉布朗寻墓多少回，但每次踏青，总能在古墓间挖出先辈们一些鲜活有趣、却已被遗忘的历史，并把这些新发现的旧事当“新闻”刊在报章上。

拼出李光耀柯玉芝家族历史
这些算不上是新闻，却是细心拼凑后重新被激活的新加坡故事，是从土地里被唤醒的记忆，是岛国先民的微历史。把这些故事串联起来，就能展现早期历史的某个面向。这类故事收集得越多，就会发现不同故事的主人翁，有着千丝万缕，错综复杂的关系，毕竟是发生在同一个时空下的事儿。

2014年6月，我应建国总理李光耀的弟弟李祥耀医生之邀出席一个聚餐会，目的是拼凑李家人力车夫高长古与年少李光耀一段死里逃生的故事。聚餐者包括高长古两名来自香港的孙子高洪庆和高洪旺，以及协助李医生联络上高家后人的退休商人陈进福。

《寻找人力车夫高长古》一文见报后，引起吴安全的注意，让他想起李光耀曾在回忆录中提到外公蔡金鼎和外婆梁亚顺。更巧的是，他有个专门帮人打理墓园的朋友苏亚明，正好在那个时候用手机把蔡应昌和蔡金鼎的坟墓照片传给他看。

经常在深山老林里打转的吴安全其实见过蔡应昌、蔡金鼎父子的墓，只是之前没多加留意，也不清楚墓主人身份。当他再回去研究那些墓时，已能从李光耀曾外祖父蔡应昌、外祖父蔡金鼎、蔡金鼎第二任妻子萧玉銮，还有李光耀亲外祖母梁亚顺（蔡金鼎第三任妻子）的墓找到各种资料来拼凑蔡家历史。李祥耀医生对外公的记忆，还有他手上的资料与照片则补充了这段家族史的内容。

2016年4月，吴安全从阮添筹位于老山的古墓拼凑了另一则故事，把这位曾被列入宋鸿祥《新加坡华人百年史》的著名律师，与早期义兴公司大总理阮锡禧，还有李光耀夫人柯玉芝的外祖父阮添成串联起来。原来阮锡禧是阮添筹的祖父，阮添成是阮添筹的弟弟，这意味着阮锡禧是柯玉芝的高外祖父。

考究历史不断有新发现。两年前写阮添筹的故事时，学界都认定阮锡禧是本地福建帮义兴公司的大总理，但是吴安全最近从1971年报章上的迁坟通告发现，阮锡禧极可能是汕头溪南镇岱美村的潮州人。这正是研究历史有趣之处。
每次踏青，总能在古墓间挖出先辈们一些鲜活有趣、却已被遗忘的历史，并把这些新发现的旧事当“新闻”刊在报章上。这些算不上是新闻，却是细心拼凑后重新被激活的新加坡故事，是从土地里被唤醒的记忆，是岛国先民的微历史。把这些故事串联起来，就能展现早期历史的某个面向。

（作者为资深娱乐专线记者）
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First section of Lornie Highway opens to traffic

October 28, 2018, 8:13 pm
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The Straits Times,
Oct 29, 2018
by Janice Tai, Social Affairs Correspondent


Vehicles travelling along the southbound Lornie Highway yesterday. The northbound part of the highway will be completed in phases.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Southbound stretch to ease congestion from Thomson to PIE and Adam Road

After repeated delays stretching more than two years, the first section of the Lornie Highway - previously known as the Bukit Brown Road - was finally opened to traffic early yesterday.

The southbound section of the road, which runs parallel to Lornie Road, facilitates traffic flow from Thomson towards the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) as well as Adam and Farrer roads.

An underpass near the entrance of the highway allows motorists to access the residential area in Lornie Road, while a temporary road connection near Sime Road has been built to connect traffic from the existing southbound Lornie Road to the southbound Lornie Highway.


A drive by The Straits Times yesterday morning on both Lornie Road and the new Lornie Highway found traffic to be smooth.

Residents and motorists hope the new highway will ease traffic on Lornie Road, which can slow to a crawl during peak hours.

"The golden hour for the jam on Lornie Road is 8am," said entrepreneur Delane Lim, 33, who travels from Sengkang to Adam Road or Bukit Timah every day. "The filtering lane where vehicles enter the road is always jammed."


Grab driver Edwin Lim, 42, said the stretch from Toa Payoh to Lornie Road, then Farrer Road and Ayer Rajah, is usually slow-moving.


"With the new highway, I think it's likely to save five minutes of travelling time and ease the congestion a little," he added.

The Land Transport Authority said earlier this month that motorists heading towards the PIE, Adam Road and Farrer Road are advised to use the new highway to reach their destinations.

The new Lornie Highway, when fully completed by the first quarter of next year, will cater to expected growth in future traffic demand.


The existing southbound four-lane Lornie Road will also be reduced to two lanes. Traffic on the MacRitchie Viaduct flows directly onto the new highway. Southbound motorists using Lornie Road will have to access it via surface roads.

The northbound Lornie Highway will be completed in phases. When the stretch fully opens by the first quarter of next year, a new underpass at the Sime Road junction will remove the need for the existing signalised junction there.

Lornie Highway is meant to cater to growth in future traffic demand arising from redevelopment of the Bukit Brown area. Traffic is expected to increase by 20 to 30 per cent by 2020.

The road project had been delayed repeatedly. It was announced in 2011, and at first slated to be completed by mid-2016, then by end-2017, and then in two phases from the third quarter of this year.


When the project was announced, it stirred up strong protests from nature and heritage groups because it cut across a vast forested area and the Bukit Brown cemetery, where many of Singapore's pioneers were buried. More than 3,000 graves in the area have been exhumed.

Mr Alvin Tan, 52, chief operating officer of a renewable energy company, uses Lornie Road to travel from Bukit Timah to the Upper Thomson Road area a few times a week. He said he did not think there was a need for a new highway just to shave off a few minutes of travel.

Agreeing, research assistant Craig D' Souza, 30, who lives opposite Thomson Plaza, said it is a pity to see a section of the forest being cleared for a road.

"However, I understand there are practical reasons for this highway, especially since future development around the area is expected."
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武吉布朗坟场新道路再延迟启用 南向路段推迟到第四季启用

November 12, 2018, 7:02 pm
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2018年9月13日 

Ch 8 聂国威报道



俗称咖啡山的武吉布朗坟场新道路又延迟启用，原定最迟这个月底通车的南向路段将推迟到第四季才启用。

陆路交通管理局答复本台询问时证实，衔接麦里芝高架桥和亚当高架桥的罗尼大道(Lornie Highway)，南向路段的部分预计延至到今年第四季才启用，比早前宣布的第三季竣工时间更长了。

一旦这部分的路段通车后，驾车人士可以从麦里芝高架桥直接开往泛岛快速公路和亚当高架桥。到时，罗尼路南向的部分路段，将从四条车道改为两条车道。那么做是为了建造一条从罗尼路衔接到罗尼大道的道路。到了明年第一季，整条罗尼路将变成两条车道。陆路交通管理局表示，从8月5日起，罗尼路南向路段开始改道。


另外，往麦里芝高架桥的北向路段则分阶段完成，预计明年第一季通车。陆路交通管理局将密切监督工程进度，以确保工程在安全的情况下完成，同时减少对驾车人士的不便。当局也已同附近的居民保持沟通，让他们了解工程的进度。

陆路交通管理局是在2011年9月，宣布兴建一条穿过咖啡山的新道路，工程包括一段670米长的汽车天桥，并在安德烈路附近兴建地下车道连接到罗尼路。

工程原定2016年底竣工，不过，咖啡山挖掘坟墓的工作却展延到2014年底才完成，以让亲人有更多时间登记和认领。

此外，标得设计与建造合约的主要承包商瑞丰后来面对财务问题，进一步拖延了施工时间，导致工程无法按时间表完成。

- CH8/LW
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Lornie Highway sees slow, heavy traffic on second day

November 22, 2018, 7:08 pm
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The Straits Times
Oct 30, 2018
Melissa Heng

The new Lornie Highway - previously known as Bukit Brown Road - was greeted on its first working morning yesterday with heavy and slow traffic.


The traffic in Lornie Highway towards the Pan-Island Expressway as well as Adam Road and Farrer Road yesterday morning. The first section of the new highway had opened to much lighter traffic on Sunday.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The first section of the new highway had opened to much lighter traffic on Sunday.

Yesterday, strategic analyst Mahindra Jith, 32, said his usual 30-minute journey to work took around twice the time.

He drove from his home in Serangoon to his office in Clementi, taking the new highway. Though he entered the highway at about 8am, he was stuck there for almost an hour.

"Traffic was very heavy both going into and out of the highway. I think drivers were unsure of the new road and the exits and were going a little slow," he said.

Administrative assistant Christine Lim, 37, also experienced slow traffic on the highway at around 8am yesterday, taking 15 minutes more to get to her Bukit Merah office from her Yishun home.

"I expected traffic to be slow since it was the first working day for the highway. It's a different road, so people would take their time and look around," she said.

When asked about the slow traffic, a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman said Lornie Road typically experiences heavy traffic during morning and evening peak hours.

"While peak traffic is still expected with the opening of the new southbound Lornie Highway, the full completion of Lornie Highway in the first quarter of 2019 will help to ease congestion in Lornie Road and the PIE (Pan-Island Expressway), and cater to expected growth in future traffic demand."

The LTA will continue to closely monitor traffic conditions in Lornie Road, said the spokesman, noting that traffic signs have been provided on site to help motorists navigate to their destinations using the new road.

"During this interim period, we seek motorists' patience and understanding as construction works are carried out to complete the remaining tunnels and road system," said the spokesman.

Lornie Highway was announced in 2011 and at first slated to be completed by the middle of 2016. It went through repeated delays in the past two years.

The southbound section of the road, which runs parallel to Lornie Road, facilitates traffic flow from Thomson towards the PIE as well as Adam Road and Farrer Road.

The LTA said this month that motorists heading towards the PIE, Adam Road and Farrer Road are advised to use the new highway to get to their destinations. The existing southbound four-lane Lornie Road was reduced to two lanes on Sunday.

Though Lornie Highway has not seen a great start, drivers are hopeful the morning peak period journey on the highway will improve.

Ms Lim said: "The new road looks amazing and is better than the old one. Lornie Road has had bad traffic for years so I really hope this new highway improves things."

Mr Mahindra said he feels traffic conditions will get better once drivers get used to the highway.

"I think once people get used to using it, things will get better. Maybe in a few weeks. The road used to have more curves but now it's much straighter. So people should be able to go faster," he said.
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Deciphering an iconic picture of Tan Soo Bin's family at Panglima Prang

April 17, 2019, 10:51 am
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一張照片背後的辛酸故事

The story behind the photo of Tan Soo Bin's family picture at Panglima Prang believed to be taken around 1920.




1920s LEE BROTHERS STUDIO (Picture from National Archives).

Back row standing left to right: Lim Kian Beng (husband of Tan Peng Neo), Tan Eng Wan, Tan Eng Chiang, Tan Soo Bin

Front row left to right : Tan Yew Neo, Tan Cheok Neo, Anna Chia Swee Neo (daughter of Chia Teck Kim), Tan Peng Neo, Song Guat Neo (Mrs Tan Jiak Kam), Tan Eng Ann (baby), Ang Geok Lan (Mrs Tan Jiak Kim), Yeo Yam Neo , Yeo Lim Neo, Tan Kee Neo

It was 1889 Jun 10.  Tan Jiak Kam, a brother of Tan Jiak Kim,  and grandson of Tan Kim Seng,  has died at the relatively young age of 24, leaving behind his young wife of age 17, Song Guat Neo.

Song Guat Neo came from a very old Straits Chinese Family, her brother was Song Chin Eng and father was Song Kee Lian.

Song Guat Neo has suffered from a chronic skin disease and frequently visited a chye tng to seek treatment from teacher there and pray for a cure.

When Mdm Song was cured of her ailment, she decided to dedicate her life to religion. She eventually rose to the rank of Kor Tai and supervised the two vegetarian convents for women. Subsequently, many of the residents were able to converse in Peranakan;  the food also acquired Peranakan flavour. Indeed, the chye tngs became closely identified with the  Peranakan community and its way of life


Today, Song Guat Neo's picture can still be seen hanging at Chek Sian Teng




(Source : The Peranakan, Jan - March issue 2002, pg 9 - 13, Devonshire Road Chye Tng)


Song Guat Neo would be around 48 years old at the time this picture was taken

Tan Jiak Kim has passed away on Oct 1917.   His third wife Ang Geok Lan would be slightly more than 40 years at that time.

She would died in a few years' time in 1925

Jiak Kim eldest daughter Tan Suat Neo was married to Ong Hood Hin, son of Ong Tiang Soon in 1905, but died just a few years later in 1909.  

This picture should also have be taken shortly after the death of Chia Teck Kim (DOD 22 Oct 1918) as he was not seen in this picture.  He was only 30 years old, son of Chia Keng Bock and grandson of Chia Ann Siang 

His widow Tan Peng Neo (also 30 years old) would have brought their daughter Swee Neo back to her parents house at Panglima Prang. Peng Neo was the second daughter of Tan Jiak Kim

Compared to a earlier picture of Tan Jiak Kim and his family taken around 1917 shortly before he passed away (DOD 22 Oct 1917), his two grand children Tan Eng Wan and Tan Eng Chiang (children of Tan Soo Bin) had grown by a couple of years




Tan Jiak Kim third wife Geok Lan (also daughter of Ang Kim Tee) and 2 grandsons Eng Wan and Eng Chiang  (pic originally from G.R. Lambert & Co, taken shortly before his death in Oct 1917). 

Tan Jiak Kim has married three daughters of Ang Kim Tee,  after they died successively after one another.

The young athletic gentleman standing besides Tan Peng Neo and Song Guat Neo was Lim Kian Beng.  He has just married Jiak Kim youngest daughter Tan Sun Neo a few years ago in July 1917.  Lim Kian Beng was a long time member of the Straits Chinese Physical Culturists

As for Tan Soo Bin’s children, his youngest son Tan Eng Ann would died during the occupation years in Oct 15 1943 after a short illness . He was born of the second wife Helen Yeo Yam Neo, a daughter of Yeo Poon Seng. Yam Neo herself died shortly there after in Dec 23  1943 at the age of 50.  Yam Neo ‘s daughter Rosalind Tan Hoe Neo passed away on Apr 29, 1941 at Melbourne, a few months after going there to study infant welfare work. Tan Peng Neo has adopted Hoe Neo as a daughter as well. 

Tan Soo Bin first wife Lo Tsung Kee has passed away a few years ago in 1914 before leaving behind Eng Chiang, Eng Wan, Yew Neo, Kee Neo and Cheok Neo.  
Eng Chiang lived a relatively long life till 1998 at the age of 89.
But his sisters Kee Neo died shortly after Soo Bin’s death while Cheok Neo died in 1933 at the young age of 23. Cheok Neo was married to Ong Cheng Bee, son of Ong Hood Hin 

Thanks to Anthony Sng, Matt Tan, Tan Koon Siang, Vivienne Tan and Ying Rou Show for assistance.

Research is still ongoing for this article.  Any comments / suggestions are welcome.

Many of the info are based on tombstones found in Bukit Brown / Chua Chu Kang cemetery and newspapers archives by NAS. 


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再探王三龙及其家族

August 11, 2019, 5:29 pm
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再探王三龙及其家族

2019年8月12日 
文/吕世聪, 林建育

19世纪本地富商王三龙在咖啡山的墓园广而精美，但墓碑上只“金门”二字，究竟这位金门人是哪一乡人？王家何时出洋谋生？

常去咖啡山（武吉布朗）田野的历史爱好者，大概不会错过在这座全冢山最大的墓葬拍上一些相片。无论是墓域占地之广，或是坟前的精美石雕，都足以衬托墓主王三龙生前的巨大财富与社会地位。

早已经记不起来，过去到咖啡山义冢作田野调查时，参观几次王三龙夫妇合葬墓茔？每回站在墓前，望着墓碑上的铭刻“金门”二字，以及墓联“金堆代代发，门振房房兴”，就陷入思考这位金门人，究竟是哪一乡人？王家何时出洋谋生？月前金门挚友捎来揭开这位本地著名侨领祖籍之谜的族谱文献，解开心中多年的谜团。

金门东沙村与王氏宗族

东沙村位于金门岛东南沿海，虽然物产贫瘠，却是闽南重要盐产地之一。林焜煌（光绪）《金门志》卷二《港埭》载：金门通潮五港，凡频水处，俱有盐场。一在东沙澳，入潮通东沙村后，沙壅成田。文中说的田，就是盐田。
时光回到五年前，有机会到金门岛访古。这个只要骑着摩托车就可以全岛趴趴走的侨乡，因中国大陆1958年发动八二三炮战而闻名全世界。自国民党政府退守台湾后，金门岛成为战地前线。也因为驻有重兵，小岛与世隔离，历史宛如凝固在时间囊里，中国传统的宗族社会形态，竟然保存得比任何地方完整。记得那一天，骑着摩托车到访岛上的东沙村，站在东沙王氏家庙前，心想这个以王氏族裔为主的金门村落，到底是不是王三龙的祖居地呢？是与不是的矛盾和考量，遂成回途中的懊恼。
族谱中对于王三龙生长在石叻（新加坡）的记录。

原乡族谱揭王三龙原籍之谜

福建会馆出版的《福建先贤录——新加坡篇》与金门会馆出版的《金门先贤录——新加坡篇》，两书内的王三龙传记皆笔者负责撰写，文中苦于对于王三龙父辈事迹与名字完全没有头绪。主要是王三龙墓碑上只刻着金门二字，因此无法从其原籍的族谱着手，追溯其先辈名字。
金门文化局这两年陆陆续续出版金门全县各乡村的村史，去年末东沙村王建成出版《绮丽东乡——怀沙情深话东沙》。挚友台湾学者林建育第一时间告知，书中对王三龙的事迹颇有记述，而且刊载金门东沙乡王氏族谱的图片。现居住于金门的林建育拜访王建成，蒙王建成慷慨分享族谱文献，并透露王三龙家族在原乡的一些事迹。

此部族谱题为《金门东沙太原衍派族谱》，原修于民国四年（1915），民国三十五年（1946）重抄。金门东沙王氏入闽可追溯到唐五代，宋代时移入金门。东沙王氏也是全金门多处王氏村落的原乡。谱中记载，王三龙的父亲文褒公（宇字辈）长子应龙（世字辈），而且还注明“龙，出洋英属石叻”。简简单单的一小行字，说明王三龙原名王应龙，祖上世居金门东沙村。
过去闽粤地区的族谱对于族人离开家乡，到海外谋生如果没有返乡，或者音讯全无者，通常在修族谱时，会在其名字旁边注明“落番”或“出洋”，又如果找到离乡者的落脚地，也会注明出洋的地方。例如“石叻”“麻六甲”之类。查阅东沙王氏家谱，发现除了英属石叻，还有另一个叫“捧梨弄”的地方，去的人亦不少。“捧梨弄”即今天新加坡北边柔佛东南部的“边佳兰”，俗称“四湾岛”。《叻报》上有时称之为“帆下垅”，有时又称为“帆黎弄”。





咖啡山王三龙母亲之墓茔

咖啡山王三龙家族墓碑文献

王三龙离世时，其墓地原属王氏太原山地界，日后殖民地政府开辟咖啡山公冢，才征用王氏太原山部分地段。遗憾的是，王三龙父亲王文褒的墓茔至今尚未发现，是否下葬于王氏太原山，暂不得而知。在王三龙夫妇合葬墓附近，见有王三龙母亲的墓葬，墓碑碑文提供王文褒一家成员的名字。其墓碑上清楚刻着王门陈氏（谥）俭娘故于光绪甲午年（1895），七月初七。陈氏育有三子：三龙、三杰、三美；二女：金娘与冰娘；四孙：錬铨、錬镛、平福、平和。另外，王三龙的弟弟王三杰（1939年逝世）与王三美逝（1941年逝世，享年76），墓茔皆在咖啡山。

王三龙母亲陈氏墓碑上裔孙的名字，与王三龙墓碑上所记有些不同。王三龙墓碑上子嗣清楚的刻着孝男文达、平福两位。不见母亲陈氏墓碑上的“平和”之名。王文达是否就是平和就不晓得。王文达逝世于1941年，享年54，遗下四子二女，儿子王长辉出世于1909年。由此推算，王文达出世于1887年，祖母王氏去世时已经八岁。至于王平福，逝世于1958年，享寿79。平福与文达微差两岁。我们在王三杰的墓碑上发现，其子嗣的名字是王栋铨，而王三美的长子则叫王英和。

王三龙父辈离乡缘由

据东沙村耆老口传，王三龙的父亲王文褒，在东沙村中的祖居前有田亩，附近有一池塘，池塘水源用以灌溉田地。某年大旱，王文褒与族人因争夺水源发生争执，并起殴斗。不幸的是，还误伤前来劝架的长辈。结果耆老开祖厝（即家庙）议事，一致认为王文褒此乃大逆不道，按族规驱逐出东沙乡。王文褒离开家乡时还曾誓言：故里族人弃我身家于不顾，我即永生不认故里（按王建成书中原话）。
著名的史学家萧公权（1897-1981）在其著作《中国乡村——论19世纪帝国的控制》（Rural China : Imperial Control in the Nineteenth Century ）一书认为，宗族社会为了维持自身的程序与道德，依据儒学的基本原则制定“宗规”，对宗族事务实施奖励与惩罚。例如行为优良给予赐匾，行为不检则给予驱逐。或许是年轻气盛，王文褒因违规受罚，令人唏嘘。

王三龙与王三龙公司

王三龙出世于1858年，母亲陈氏逝世时，王三龙正值壮年（时38岁）。据宋旺相《新加坡华人百年史》的记述，王三龙21岁便开始从事小规模的代理生意，并经营房地产交易，获利不少。以后他取得马来半岛上彭亨，以及丁加奴（今改登嘉楼）的甘马挽（Kemaman）的木材开采专利。

王三龙的商号英文名称为“Ong Sam Leong & Co”（王三龙公司），火锯厂称为远利火锯厂，后改为远利源。据1911年《海峡时报》刊登的商业启事，王三龙公司的锯木厂位于加冷河岸，办公室在罗敏申路41号。从广告词上理解，王三龙公司除了经营木材业，也承包各类工程（General Contractors）。后来还创立联合火锯公司（United Sawmills Ltd），由王平福担任董事经理。

除了锯木厂生意，王三龙也在乌敏岛拥有采石场，承包殖民地政府的石料供应。1902年，王三龙在乌敏岛的石场，每月提供1200吨的花岗岩予政府的公共建设。此外，王三龙在新加坡南部，印度尼西亚的峇淡岛建有一座叫龙远窑的砖厂，生产砖块供应新加坡的建筑业市场。日后王三龙还登广告宣称，其峇淡砖窑生产的砖块，由英国匠师督造，质量优良，耐火耐水。当时工部局的建造工程，常使用王三龙的峇淡砖。1910年凤山寺建造时，也曾使用峇淡砖窑出产的砖块。今天我们在王三龙墓域，可以看到其使用的砖块也是峇淡岛烧造的。
从王三龙的木材、石料与砖窑业等生意来看，其贸易网络主要围绕在建筑工程。也因为生意网络之特质，1899年他以王三龙公司的名义，取得圣诞岛磷酸有限公司（The Christmas Island Phosphate Co. Ltd）的承包合同，提供劳工及杂货供应权，这些劳工皆来自中国两广地区。1919年，圣诞岛上发生华工骚乱事件，王文达还前去视察业务。

圣诞岛位于印度洋，由于是在1643年的圣诞节，由英国船长威廉·迈纳斯（William Mynors）发现，因此命名为圣诞岛。1888年拼入英国，1945年被日军占领，1946年归新加坡管辖，1957年新加坡自治前，澳大利亚要求英国将主权移交澳大利亚，并补偿292万镑予新加坡。

王氏族谱里关于王三龙及其父亲王文褒的记载。

王三龙与长子王文达

宋旺相曾对王三龙作如是评价：他一生勤劳刻苦，孜孜不倦地工作，虽然教育有限，却靠着坚韧不拔的精神与对商业的灵敏，建立自己的家业。王三龙似乎也没有参与金门会馆事务。1907年，闽帮创办道南学堂，王三龙以远利源商号的名誉，捐献400元。1910年，以王三龙为首的“倡修路董”（包括王君于、王祈顺，王长顺等）倡议修缮来往闽帮义冢——新恒山亭与王氏太原山之间的道路。此外，我们还可以在龟屿福山宫见到王三龙的捐献。王三龙逝世于1918年，夫人则逝世于1941年。王三龙逝世前，还见其投资树胶种植与房地产的报道，在武吉班让拥有大片的树胶园。

王家到长子王文达（1888-1941）这一代，家族事业不只进一步扩大，而且还一跃成为侨生领袖。1925年王文达被殖民地政府封为太平局绅。王文达虽是侨生，但效忠殖民地政府，例如1918年，以其父亲王三龙之名义，捐赠5200元，建造一座英军营房。1919年10月还捐5000元予莱佛士书院。可是，对于本地华社及中国局势也依然关心。1920年王文达捐献1000元予爱同学校，作为扩充校舍之用途。中国发生一二八事变、七七卢沟桥事变，王文达昆仲皆有助赈。

落地生根与国家认同

历史总是不断地在重演。19世纪70年代以来，海峡（新加坡）侨生与日后的中国移民关系逐渐走向分裂。随着移民浪潮，新客数量逐渐超越侨生，新移民日后在经济等领域成为主导者，竞争时双方所结下的误解与成见无法轻易解开。侨生还有一个重要的转变，就是教育与思想全盘西化，结果与祖籍的纽带完全分割，这或可以理解为完全融入或扎根移居地。教育全盘西化与缺乏儒家思想，造成日后出现再度移民的现象。

如果将王三龙视为金侨移民新加坡的第二代，那其裔孙王长辉就是第四代。王长辉（1909-1999）毕业于莱佛士书院，然后前往英国修读法律，1934年取得律师资格后返新，1940年被举为工部局议员。他也是一位杰出的律师，与英国律师黎觉合开一家律师楼。建国总理李光耀从英国毕业返新后，曾受王长辉的邀请，在其律师楼任见习律师。王长辉长期任英籍海峡华人公会（Straits Chinese British Association）会长（英籍海峡华人公会创于1900年，受殖民地政府豁免注册）。然而，由于王长辉所处的时代、社会与教育背景，早年他的思想倾向西化和狭义。1954年，他改变思维，公开鼓励侨生学习中文，声称海峡华人公会是本土华人社团。

1974年11月，王长辉在土生协会（前英籍海峡华人公会）庆祝74周年纪念宴会上致辞时，曾呼吁政府应保留与记录本地一些重要的历史古迹与地标。他阐明，历史与古迹如失去了，是无法以金钱弥补回来的。他举好几个例子：福康宁山基督教坟场，马来军团在马利那山的抗日据点，武吉巴督的一所日本祠庙。此外，他还建议设立一座美术馆，陈列新加坡不同时期的艺术作品及文物。这位移民自金门岛的富商后裔，除了关怀这个多元的移民社会，也关注建国后的文化建设。建国50年后，这些想法与建议，国家相关部门也逐一实现了。

情牵故乡东沙村
其实无论是什么时期南来的金侨，其第一代绝大多数，一定是将新加坡视为“他乡”，在此奋斗为了有朝一日能衣锦荣归。东沙乡还有一座广济庙，庙里有一梁签，记录着1967年小庙修缮时，新加坡的东沙金侨及王氏同乡会捐助家乡。说明金侨与家乡纽带不断。
移民到了第二代与第三代，“他乡”的观念转弱，逐渐将侨居地视为“家乡”。都说“中华文化”与“落叶归根”是华侨最初的文化认同及价值取向。假设落叶归根是建立在衣锦还乡的基础上，可又有多少南来谋生者衣锦还乡？又或许因远离他乡，金侨逐渐遗忘金门二字其实并非金堆与门第之意，而是明代文人形容浯岛地理位置险要，有“固若金汤，雄镇海门”美称，所取的地名简称。

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Brief translation by Ng Kwok Hua

Basically,  the writer of this article uncovered the mystery of where Ong Sam Leong's ancestry originated from.   The tombstone of Mr Ong did indicate Kinmen (金门）, but not the village that Ong and his father had come from. 
It was only a few months ago that a good friend of the writer from Kinmen helped the author to unravel the mystery.  What happened is that in recent years, the Cultural Department of Kinmen Island has been publishing the histories of the various villages in Kinmen.   This Taiwanese friend got wind of the mention of the history of Mr Ong Sam Leong and his family in Kinmen in Dong Sha Village through a book featuring Dong Sha Village.  This Taiwanese friend even contacted the author of the book,  Wang Jian Cheng, and arranged for a meeting with him at Kinmen.   During the meeting, the author,Wang Jian Cheng,  shared with this Taiwanese friend,  precious historical records of the life of Mr Ong Sam Leong and his family in Dong Sha Village.   The mystery of the ancestry of Mr Ong Sam was finally solved.  Mr Ong Sam Leong's ancestral lineage was indeed from Dong Sha Village (东沙村), Kinmen Island.
Dong Sha Village is a coastal village located in the Southeast of Kinmen island.   Historically, it is a area lacking in natural resources.  However, it was known as one of the most important salt-producing coastal areas in the Fujian Minnan region, China. 
In the Genealogy Book of the Ong Clan,  it was recorded that Ong Sam Leong was the eldest son and had ventured to the British-owned Singapore (出洋英属石叻).   Through the Ong Clan Genealogy Book, it was also mentioned that the original name of Ong Sam Leong was Ong Eng Leong or 王应龙 (Hope that my translation of the Chinese characters into the Minnan dialect is correct). 
This newspaper article mentioned that when Ong Sam Leong passed on, the land that he was buried in belonged to the Ong Taiyuan 太原 Clan (the Ongs are very proud of the fact that they originate from Taiyuan in Shaanxi Province, China).  It was only later that the Municipal Government acquired a part of the land from the Ong Clan to incorporate it into the Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery. 
The writer mentioned that although the tomb of Ong Sam Leong has been discovered at Bukit Brown,  it is a pity that no one has yet to locate the tomb of his father.   No one actually knows if Ong Sam Leong's father was actually buried in Bukit Brown, even though his Mother's tomb was located just nearby to the tomb of Mr Ong Sam Leong. 
The maiden surname of Ong Sam Leong' mother was Tan.   According to what was inscribed on her tombstone, Ong Sam Leong's mum passed away on the 7th Day of the seventh month of the Lunar Calendar, 1895 ; and she left behind 3 sons and 2 daughters,  of which Ong Sam Leong was the eldest.  She also had 4 grandchildren.  Her eldest son, Mr Ong Sam Leong passed away in 1918.  The second son,  Mr Ong Sam Jie 王三杰 (there may be a error in translation to the Minnan dialect) passed on in 1939 and the third son, Ong Sam Bee 王三美 (I translated "美” to "Bee" because my father has a ”美”  or "Bee" in this name as well and our ancestry village is also at Kinmen) passed away in 1941.  
The writer mentioned that there is a discrepancy of the names of the descendants listed on Ong Sam Leong's tomb and that of his mother's.   On his Mother's tomb,  there was a grandchild by the name of the Ong Peng Ho but there was no sight of the name of Ong Boon Tat (the eldest son of Ong Sam Leong), whereas on the tomb of Ong Sam Leong,  Ong Peng Ho was not inscribed on it but the name of Ong Boon Tat was.   The writer deduced that Ong Peng Ho could be Ong Boon Tat because when Granny Ong passed on in 1895, Grandson Ong Boon Tat was already 8 years of age.   There was no reason for the omission of his name on her tombstone. 
In the article,  there was also a little anecdote mentioned of Mr Ong Sam Leong's father.   This little chapter was actually passed down through word of mouth over the generations. The Senior Ong actually owned an acre of farm land in his village.   However, a dispute arose between him and a fellow Ong Clansman in the village over the rights to a source of water, and when a Senior Clansman came to mediate, Ong Sam Leong's father accidentally caused injury to the mediator (it was not mentioned how he caused the injury).  He was given a trial at the ancestral temple by a group of "Respected Elderlies" and the verdict arrived at was to banish the Senior Ong from the village (it was not mentioned if this implicated his entire family).  It was mentioned in the article that when the Senior Ong left the village,  he swore not to return because his clansmen had forsaken him.   
Next, the article moved its focus back to Ong Sam Leong.   Ong Sam Leong was born in 1858.  When his mother passed on in 1895, he was only 38 years of age.  
Ong Sam Leong started his business ventures when he was only 21.  He also dabbled in real estate transactions (房地产交易）and made quite a pile.  A few years later, he managed to secure the exclusive extraction rights to the Kernaman Wood (a valuable timber in the construction industry) in the states of Pahang and Trengganu.
According to a business notification or ad published in the Straits Times in 1911, Ong's company - Ong Sam Leong and Company had its sawmill (Yuan Li Yuan or 远利源) located at the banks of the Kallang River.   The office was located at 41 Robinson Road.   According to the same ad,  besides being involved in the timber industry,  Ong Sam Leong and Company also served as General Contractors for the construction industry.   Subsequently,  the company set up the United Sawmills Ltd and the Second Son of Ong Sam Leong - Ong Peng Hock 王平福 (once again,  I am trying my best to translate to the Minnan or Hokkien pronounciation) was made the Managing Director. 
Ong Sam Leong also owned a granite quarry on Pulau Ubin and the quarry was able to supply 1200 tons of granite daily to the Municipal Government for general construction work by 1902.  
In addition, Mr Ong Sam Leong also owned a Brickworks on Batam Island known as Long Yuan Yao (龙远窑）.Subsequently, Ong Sam Leong even proclaimed in a newspaper ad that the entire production process of the bricks at his Brickworks was strictly supervised by British craftsmen, and these bricks could withstand fire and are water resistant, and definitely of the finest quality.
According to the newspaper article, the bricks produced by Long Yuan Yao were widely used by the construction industry back then.  Feng Shan Temple was one of the building structures that utilised the bricks.   Today,  if you visit the tomb of Ong Sam Leong and his wife, the bricks produced by his Brickworks could be clearly seen as well. 
Through Mr Ong Sam Leong's dominance and extensive network in the construction industry, he also managed to secure the contract for The Christmas Island Phosphate Co. Ltd to supply labour and provisions to the island.  The source of workers or coolies on the island was chiefly from the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi.   In 1919, there was a riot amongst the coolies on Christmas Island and Mr Ong Boon Tat actually went over to the island to survey the situation.   By then, Mr Ong Sam Leong was no longer around.
According to the article, Sir Song Ong Siang in his book "A Hundred Years History of the Chinese in Singapore", described Mr Ong Sam Leong as a hardworking man.  Mr Ong also possessed strong fortitude, and had keen and astute business acumen despite his limited education.   As a result,  he was able to build a vast business empire. 
According to Sir Song Ong Siang in his book, Mr Ong Sam Leong was not actively involved  in matters related to the Kinmen Clan Association.   In 1907, together with the Hokkien Bang or Min Bang (闽帮), Mr Ong contributed 400 Straits Dollars in the name of his business, Yuan Li Yuan, to the construction of Tao Nan school.  In 1910, under the Leadership of Mr Ong Sam Leong,  a group of businessmen  surnamed Ong,  proposed the improvement of a road connecting the New Heng Shan Hokkien Cemetery and the Seh Ong Clan Cemetery.   In the Kusu Island Temple Fu Shan Gong 福山宫,  one can also see the donations made by Mr Ong Sam Leong documented and inscribed on its walls.   Mr Ong Sam Leong passed away in 1918 and his wife passed on in 1941.  Before his passing,  there were also reports of Mr Ong Sam Leong's investments in the Rubber Industry and also in Real Estate.   He also owned a large tract of rubber plantation in Bukit Panjang. 

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I would like to offer my opinion on some of the incorrect information from this Chinese article written on Ong Sam Leong ancestry ..

1)  First error -  Ong Sam Leong was the second of 3 sons, and not the eldest. His name Sam Leong also does not tally with the genealogy book Ong Eng Leong/Ong Leong

The genealogy book which the writer referenced is Ong Eng Leong / Ong Leong - only one son mentioned in the genealogy.... this is different from the tomb of Ong Sam Leong mother such mentioned 3 sons. Also the writer read the sequence of the sons wrongly , he read from right to left , naming Sam Leong as the oldest, whereas we read the son in the middle as the eldest that is Sam Kiat (b 1854), Sam Leong (b 1857) and Sam Bee (b 1865) , which corresponds to the tombs and tomb records in Bukit Brown.  Ong Sam Leong also has 2 sisters Kim Neo (b 1869)  and Ping Neo 



2)     This Ong Leong txt 出洋英属石叻 meaning ventured to the British-owned Singapore.  


However,  Song Ong Siang book mentioned he was born in Singapore.     If Ong Leong was an immigrant, when did he came over to Singapore?  He has an elder brother Sam Kiat 3 years older and him , and a younger brother Sam Bee 8 years younger and a younger sister Kim Neo 12 years younger than him.  All his brothers were prominent merchants as well.



Ong Kim Neo (photo courtesy of Evelyn Ong)

This is the photograph of Ong Kim Neo, his younger sister.  It is hard to imagine that this Bibik has an older brother who immigrate from Kinmen . She was married to Soh Siew Whatt and died in 1931 at the age of 62



Photograph of Ong Sam Leong's family at Bukit Rose, exhibited at the Bukit Brown exhibition in July 2014 at the National Library



3)  There is a tomb of Ong Leong found in Seh Ong hill which fit the description given by the genealogy book 



金門
東沙
光緒元年六月
故考諱龍王公墓
考男
橎
仝立


Ong Leong tomb dated to 1875 

Here is an example that match the genealogy record given by the writer - Ong Leong from Kinmen Dongsha, tomb date 1875, found in Ong Clan cemetery.
Unfortunately no date can be found in the genealogy record given by the author, so we cannot be sure that this is the same Ong Leong that venture out to SINGAPORE.

Further reading :
https://tombs.bukitbrown.org/2020/07/family-of-ong-sam-leong.html



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World War II @ Bukit Brown

April 7, 2020, 4:57 am
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This collection of stories, essays and poems looks at the impact of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore in the Second World War (1942-1945) from the perspective of those interred at Bukit Brown Cemetery. The highlights of the book are stories shared by descendants from family oral archives and albums of their ancestors, some of whom survived and others who perished, during the darkest chapters of Singapore's history.

Bukit Brown remains the largest cemetery in Singapore for the war dead in situ, and buried with them are many untold stories of bravery, resilience, tragedy, survival and, amid the darkness, hope. The book offers new material and insights into the human tragedy of war as an act of commemoration, thereby adding another layer to the already vast literature available on WWII in Singapore.

“The stories have taken us to the Endau Settlement in Johor, to Taiping (Malaysia) and to the battlefields of Europe in ways so unexpected they took our breath away,” said Claire Leow and Catherine Lim, the co-editors of the book. “It is a slow and at times painful unraveling of family history, lost in memory but for the persistence of descendants. It has taken seven decades for some of these fragments to be pulled together, and we see this not as a one-off book but a first step in the difficult journey of “re-discovery” and “re-membering”. The narratives also re-affirm to us Singapore’s place in regional and global historical narratives. We hope it serves as a curtain raiser to 2017, the 75 Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore.”

The stories are nested around essays— which provide context and background—written by the community of volunteers, who have come to be known as brownies under the banner of All Things Bukit Brown. They are neither historians nor academics but the editorial team conduct regular guided walks on site, which in themselves are learning journeys as they expand on their body of knowledge from engaging with descendants and a myriad web of networks including academics and historians.

“Bukit Brown has unexpectedly turned out to be a touchstone about the loss of heritage— tangible and intangible— in a Singapore eager to modernise and develop,” Chua Ai Lin, President of Singapore Heritage Society. “The book is an important evolution of the civil society movement to uphold Bukit Brown as a site of national significance, and illuminate one of its more fragile narrative threads. It brings together at once the strategic and personal importance of the site.”

https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/products/world-war-ii-bukit-brown
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Wedding And Family Footage Of Peranakan Family

April 11, 2020, 12:07 am
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Wedding And Family Footage Of Peranakan Family, Circa 1930 

Should be the wedding of Mr Khoo Eng Wah and Miss Wee Swee Neo , shortly after 20th Apr 1931 

Reference: 

https://tombs.bukitbrown.org/2019/03/wee-boon-teng-and-soh-gim-neo.html

Wee Boon Teng










Sons: 
Wee Sin Wie
Wee Sin Choe
Wee Sin Ann
Wee Sin Oon
Wee Sin Poh






MAJOOR' WEE BOON TENG
The Straits Times, 2 May 1939, Page 12



Son of Wee Leong Hee 
Wee Sin Choe - MD of Cheong Koon Seng & Co 

Domestic Occurrences DEATH.
Malaya Tribune, 5 May 1939, Page 4






DEATH
The Straits Times, 29 October 1948, Page 4


Three sons instead of 5 sons . Wee Sin Wei and Wee Sin Poh may have been lost in the war 

DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES.
Malaya Tribune, 20 April 1931, Page 8

Mr Khoo Eng Wah, third son of Mr and Mrs Khoo Teng Hin engaged to Miss Wee Swee Neo 

Two happy mothers
The Straits Times, 10 June 1961, Page 5








WEDDING COUPLE MAKE $500 GIFTS TO FUNDS
The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 18 November 1940, Page 7







Major Wee Boon Teng & Mme. Soh Gim Neo
Sunday Tribune (Singapore), 30 May 1937, Page 21






Page 7 Advertisements Column 3
Malaya Tribune, 8 January 1942, Page 7



Chan Soen Nio 
Wee Sin Choe 
Chan Cheng Tat 


Wedding And Family Footage Of Peranakan Family, Circa 1930 

Should be the wedding of Mr Khoo Eng Wah and Miss Wee Swee Neo , shortly after 20th Apr 1931 






Her Son Khoo Cheng Lim was chairman of URA

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Syonan Shimbun, 30 May 1945, Page 2



Death of Khoo Eng Wah on 27.5.45 at age of 39 

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Street Names

February 1, 2021, 7:01 am
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听街道说故事

联合早报

文 / 张曦娜

摄影 / 严宣融, 龙国雄, 曾坤顺

发布 / 2021年2月1日 3:30 AM



每一条街道都有它自己的故事，通过三名独立史地研究者，街道述说它们的故事。

珍珠街（Chin Chew Street）的译名其实应该是漳州街？牛车水美食街史密斯街（Smith Street）原来是以John Colson Smith命名，非过去一般认为的，纪念海峡殖民地总督丝丝·金文泰·史密斯（Cecil Clementi Smith）？

黄友平：探索新加坡地名





黄友平以10年心力完成《新加坡地名探索》。（曾坤顺摄）

退休工程师黄友平，在漫漫十几年有关新加坡地名研究的过程中，有了新发现后，心里确实有一丝满足感。

他说，新加坡从1819年至今共有6500条地名，现存只有4660条，也即1840条地名消失。1950年，新加坡有近1600条地名，2019年增加至4660条。这些年来，他通过阅读历史文献、旧报章，从中挖掘出不少第一手资料，并对这些新加坡地名的历史演变做出分析，从中可了解新加坡历史文化风貌。

以史密斯街而言，黄友平说：“根据1853年2月的报章，从宝塔街至狄更生山（Dickenson Hill，今Bukit Pasoh）与桥南路至新桥路之间的大片土地为狄更生（J T Dickenson）的地产。狄更生因病回美国时，委任约翰·科尔森·史密斯（John Colson Smith）为他的代理人，而史密斯街位于此地产中。根据同年9月的报章，刊载John Colson Smith在7月25日写给市政委员的一封信，表明愿意捐款200元，以修补史密斯街，由此可以推论，史密斯街是以他命名的。”

黄友平说，史密斯原本在槟城当校长，1844年受狄更生之邀，到新加坡接任莱佛士书院的校长职位；史密斯除了兼任新加坡图书馆秘书与管理员，还是Zetland Masonic秘密社团的财政总监。

过去，对于史密斯街的另一说法是，此街可能是以总督丝丝·金文泰·史密斯（Cecil Clementi Smith 1840-1916）命名。但黄友平认为，丝丝·金文泰·史密斯在1887至1893年间才担任总督，此街早已出现多年。

从地名了解人文

黄友平研究新加坡地名前后十余年，并在近日出版《新加坡地名探索》（八方文化创作室），书中上部为“新加坡地名演变研究”，对新加坡地名的形成、基本结构；华文地名的特点，新加坡地名的规范化等做出研究。下部为地名录与地名注，在这一部分，黄友平对新加坡开埠以来，几千处街道、社区、马路名称之由来和变化做了考索，总结地名命名的特点、语词的渊源，分析它们来自不同种族、国家，反映各地区经济状况，历史文化特征，分辨正式称谓、民间俗称，对各类地名来龙去脉做了相当详细的考辨。

新加坡发展迅速，许多旧道路已消失无踪，或已另取新地名。黄友平在《新加坡地名探索》开宗明义：“地名是特定地理实体的名称，是一定地域的标志。地名不仅代表命名对象的空间位置，指明它的类型，而且还常常反映出自然地理或人文地理特征。从文化学的角度上看，地名是社会经济文化发展的产物，既有一个时代文化特征，又具有相对稳定性，能保留较多的历史信息，积淀深厚的文化。”

前半部根据论文改写

毕业自新西兰坎特伯雷大学机械工程系的黄友平，回国后先后在政府部门与私营企业任职。黄友平从小喜欢文学作品，中三时进了理科班，大学时读机械工程，40年来从事理工事业，直到退休后报读北京大学与南京大学的中国语言文学课程，才有机会重新找回年轻时的喜好。

《新加坡地名探索》前半部根据作者2006年南京大学硕士毕业论文改写。黄友平说：“本书下半部的地名录与地名注，资料起初不易寻找，一直到国家图书馆把旧报纸数码化，我才受惠于电子图书馆，因为可搜索的报章旧资料大量增加，所以这本书断续花了十多年才写成，其中苦乐只有自己知道。”

黄友平说，许多人研究新加坡地名，会参考1939年拉惹辛甘（Raja Singam）出版的《马来亚街名》（Malayan Street Names），当时的马来亚包括新加坡，所以在《新加坡地名探索》中，除了介绍马来半岛的地名渊源，还为将近500条的新加坡地名作注。他说：“在收集资料的过程中，发现拉惹辛甘的说法不全对，大概有30多条说法是不正确的。”

珍珠街应为漳州街

在研究新加坡地名的过程中，黄友平不断从旧报章等原始资料中有新发现，因此推翻过去一些说法。例如珍珠街（Chin Chew Street），他在阅读相关资料之后，发现Chin Chew Street的翻译不妥当，应译为“漳州街”。

黄友平说：“根据1745至1747年间葡萄牙人勘测的厦门岛与金门岛地图，Chin Chew是福建漳州。1842年中英签订南京条约后，厦门是中国被逼开放的海港之一，英国人又把福建泉州音译为Chinchew，造成混乱。由于Chin Chew Street出现于1841年的税收报告，此路名应是以漳州命名。本书内好多有留名的福建富商，祖籍属福建漳州者就将近20位。”

他说，由于早年殖民地政府把新加坡河南岸规划为华人区，区内有厦门（Amoy）街、中国（China）街、福建（Hokkien）街、澳门（Macao，后来改称Pickering）街、南京（Nankin）街与北京（Pekin）街等，一条与英国人有关的地名，夹在华人区的众多中国地名中，显然是格格不入。此街离珍珠山（Pearl's Hill）不远，街名又译为珍珠街，令人以为是因珍珠山得名。过去大家熟悉的珍珠街，今日已找不到路牌。

另外，启信街（Cashin Street）是以启信（Joseph William Cashin 1844-1907）命名，启信曾是J P Joaquim律师馆的助手，后来开鸦片烟馆及投资房地产，成为第一名百万富翁的欧亚混种人。1890年，他要求市政局接收Cashin Street为公共道路。当局向他提出先自费把该街修好，然后才会由私有道路转变为公共道路。可见是以Joseph William Cashin命名的。

吴庆辉：为地名寻找典故





吴庆辉：本地离市区较远的路段都冠以“上段”。（严宣融摄）

国家文物局文史研究员吴庆辉自小爱看，也爱画地图，更喜欢记地名，辨认马路。2001年开始从事文史研究后，吴庆辉也对本地地名做出探索，从中也有不少新发现，例如发现本地华人俗称的“水仙门”，很大可能是跟福建泉州市的旧地名有关。

水仙门指谐街（High Street）、禧街（Hill Street）、桥北路靠河地段、福南街（Funan Street）与振南街（Chin Nan Street）一带。吴庆辉说：“宋代在泉州设管理港务的机关‘市舶司’时，海关设在南薰门内，南薰门又名水门或水仙门，那里因附近一座水仙宫得名。水仙宫供奉的是水仙王，是贸易商人和船员的海上保护神之一。水仙门于是成为泉州的上岸入口的代称，新加坡开埠后，这民间对登陆口岸的俗称也跟着来到新加坡。”

另外，吴庆辉也发现，在新加坡，一般称离市区远的路段为“上段”，那是早年郊外跟市区的距离，是给地方命名的其中一个方法。

吴庆辉说：“首先，是用远近二分法，远的路段在路名上冠以‘上段’（Upper），例如樟宜路上段、实龙岗路上段、汤申路上段，以及武吉知马路上段等；本地华人则以俗称“XX尾”，来指称远郊地段，例如榜鹅尾、樟宜尾等；马来同胞则用‘乌鲁’（Ulu）。”

以里数为地方命名　

吴庆辉指出：“人们也爱按离市区中心的里数来命名，当时在主干公路上立有标明里数的石碑（Milestone），华人闽南语俗称‘条石’，粤语称‘支碑’，马来语称‘Batu’。例如，著名的武吉知马美世界是七条石，武吉班让村是十条石，波东巴西附近是后港三条石。”

近年来，吴庆辉也探寻本地一些地铁站的名字典故，例如卡迪（Khatib）地铁站背后的故事。吴庆辉说，卡迪地铁站以附近的河流双溪卡迪蒙苏（Sungei Khatib Bongsu）命名。《马来纪年》里有一则故事，提到一位叫卡迪的宗教师。

吴庆辉说：“《马来纪年》说，宗教师卡迪在王后的百般要求下，向她展示自己的法术，结果讨得王后的欢心，但国王得知此事后却很不高兴，觉得有损国王尊严，于是下令把卡迪处死。卡迪死前诅咒新加坡，后来岛国就被成群的剑鱼攻击……卡迪蒙苏这名字也许跟这古老传说里的宗教师有关，但要考证起来并不容易。”

吴安全：将先驱人物与地名连接


吴安全找到先驱人物的墓碑，也找到一些纪念先驱人物的街道。（严宣融摄） 

专业药剂师吴安全过去十余年来，一直毫无忌讳地穿梭在坟场之中，是一个热衷于在武吉布朗寻找历史真相的文史爱好者，也是典型的“武吉布朗人”（Brownies）。每当吴安全找到一座坟墓，就会依据墓碑上的资料，联络其后裔，很多布朗人因此把吴安全视为“师父”，这是因为很多已被遗忘的先驱人物的古墓，都由吴安全及其弟弟吴安龙一一找出来。

这十余年来，吴安全平时一有空，就往坟场走，然后从分析老墓碑中，拼凑出墓主的生平与历史背景，试图为族群寻找集体记忆，他还因此获得英国广播公司（BBC）选为全球50位最具启发性的人物之一，并在榜中位列前15名。

吴安全和吴安龙这几年确实在寻找、考证古墓方面做出成绩，他们重新发现章芳林家族、陈桂兰、颜永成和他父亲、薛中华家族、陈谦福家族、陈恭锡、黄深渊等人的墓。

在坟场，吴安全还努力将先驱人物的姓名与地名连接起来，希望能为本地史地留下多一点记录，例如找到汪声音的墓碑，他也找出本地有一条纪念汪声音的声音路（Seah Im Road）；找到龚菽惠，他也进一步找到肃威路（Siok Wee Road，已不存在）；古墓里的蒋骥甫，也有一个蒋骥甫园（Chionh Ke Hu Park）是纪念他的。

以人命名街道许多已消失

吴安全发现，随着街道面貌改变，许多路名也已消失无踪，例如纪念郑玉瓞的玉瓞街（Geok Teat Street），纪念章壬庆的章壬庆街（Cheang Jim Kheng Street），纪念银行家蔡克谐的蔡克谐路（Chua Keh Hai Road），纪念何式均之式均路（Siak Kuan Road），纪念范英吉的英吉路（Eng Kiat Road），纪念阮居安的居安路（Kee Ann Road）等已欲寻无处。

其中阮居安为林义顺岳父、阮碧霞父亲，阮居安、阮碧霞及妹妹阮群霞三人都葬在武吉布朗。章壬庆则是章芳林的儿子，但章壬庆街已不存在，不知何时变成Covent Alley。又如郑玉瓞，目前已经少有人记得这位商而优则仕，在花甲之年还出任市政厅委员的先驱人物。何式均则为养正学校创办人之一，目前也没有多少人记得。

吴安全说：“这些年来，从发现墓碑到找出墓主，再将人名连接上路名，是一件很有满足感的事，这里面有历史，也有地理，做这样一件事，感觉上很有意义。”


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Is Revenge Sweet?

February 18, 2021, 3:38 am
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I first encountered Wee Tong Poh's father 1894 tomb in the depths of Lao Sua.

I was immediately intrigued by the tomb couplet :







不求風水福  No need to wish for good fengshui 

但望子孫賢  Just need the descendants able and virtuous

There are not many tombs that give these kind of advice.  Who is this Wee Eng Sim and son Wee Tong Poh that erected this tomb

 I find out there was a certain Wee Tong Poh who wrote a story "Is  Revenge Sweet?"  first published in Volume 4 of  "The Straits Chinese Magazine in 1900 (started by two young Baba Lim Boon Keng and Song Ong Siang)



In this revenge story,  it was a woman wrongly accused by a towkay wife to be a chap ji ki operator by planted evidence by the towkay wife accomplices - a police informer and a coolie.

Inspector Catspaw of the Gambling Suppression branch believed the story and convicted the poor woman.  The towkay wife became sick and was dying when she summoned
Dr Wee Tong Poh to make a confession.  She died at the same time as if choked to death by the wrongly convicted woman who died at similar time in prison by starving to death.

Full story can be found here :

http://www.pulauujong.org/straits-chinese-stories/is-revenge-sweet/

------------

Singapore did not produce the first medical graduate until 1910.  It is interesting that writer envisioned himself to be a Chinese medical doctor then.  Also interested is the Inspector name Catspaw, which comes from an idiom, meaning "the dupe of another"

Wee Tong Poh (Wee Thong Poh) did not become a doctor, but became a pioneering stockbroker, his company was Wee Thong Poh & Co .

His brother in law Yap Yeow Chin became a medical doctor and even became President of the Alumni Association of King Edward VII College of Medicine for the year 1932

The revenge of the poor woman comes in the form of retribution, but this story comes at the loss of 2 lives,  perhaps giving a warning to the ills of the gambling. And so, the revenge is not sweet at all .... 

-------------------------

A few weeks ago,  I was responding to a tomb request when I noted a beautiful tomb in Blk 1 E.  As I am pretty tired,   i did not follow it up.

Two weeks ago,  I went with my fellow tomb explorers Ah Beng and Peter Pak, and this time, make effort to find back this tomb again.










To my surprise,  it is the tomb of Wee Tong Poh and his first wife  which I has been trying to find for quite some time.

With this tomb find,  I was able to find out more about his rich family background, and work out the relationship between him and Ong Boon Tat/ Ong Peng Hock family, proprietors of New World.

I was also able to work out the families of the 3 Lim sisters :

He has two wives, the first wife was the daughter of the eldest of the 3 Lim sisters (eldest married a Mr Yap, one  married Tan Cheng Tuan, and another  married Wee Theam Seng, more to follow on these sisters)

His second wife was the granddaughter of Tan Kwee Eng, son in law of Cheang Hong Lim

Further reading :

https://tombs.bukitbrown.org/2021/02/wee-tong-poh.html?m=1

More to follow ......


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Post card - Lee Cheng Yan to E M Lyon

March 25, 2021, 6:41 pm
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Post card - Lee Cheng Yan to E M Lyon 






Malacca 

26th January 1901


“I have informed Mr Ong Kim Wee about his car with an old chain. I hope Mr Lyon can repair it quickly and to replace the worn out car lights. This handle I am returning to you. Whatever it costs I will pay you.


Yours truly 

Lee Cheng Yan 


(Translation courtesy of Tan Koon Siang) 


Ong Kim Wee and his son Ong Hin Tiang was one of the richest man in Malacca. The first motor car was making inroads into the Straits Settlements at that time . 


E M Lyon was Edward M Lyon, son of J M Lyon.


Page 2 Advertisements Column 1

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 18 July 1901, Page 2




Edward M Lyon was the proprietor of Straits Cycle Agency that sells cycles 


STRAITS CYCLE AGENCY.

The Straits Times, 5 September 1901, Page 2




DEATH OF MR. J. M. LYON

The Straits Times, 5 February 1902, Page 4




From here we can see that E M Lyon ancestry place is in Scotland and his father has came to Singapore in the 1860s. 


Lee Cheng Yan and his son Choon Guan

The Straits Times, 14 February 1978, Page 8





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Interview with 黄淑君 Huang Shujun Capital 958 in which Raymond Goh talks about his passion for cemeteries and looking for graves

May 19, 2021, 11:36 pm
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Interview with 黄淑君 Huang Shujun Capital 958 in which Raymond Goh talks about his passion for cemeteries and looking for graves




坟山有什么曲折离奇故事？武吉布朗山的精彩在哪里？ 

古墓达人吴安全为什么对古墓有兴趣，他发现了哪些“有名”的墓有趣的事？ 点击链接收听：


一.吴安全谈为什么探寻古墓

https://bit.ly/3dxakN7

二.  谈佘有进的墓和安祥山

https://bit.ly/3gqgFvs

三.    古墓达人吴安全谈咖啡山/武吉布朗山

https://www.melisten.sg/podcast/playlist/958%E5%8D%B0%E8%B1%A1%E5%8F%A4%E6%97%A910781880/%E3%80%90958%E5%8D%B0%E8%B1%A1%E5%8F%A4%E6%97%A9%E3%80%91%E5%8F%A4%E5%A2%93%E8%BE%BE%E4%BA%BA%E5%90%B4%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8%E8%B0%88%E5%92%96%E5%95%A1%E5%B1%B1%2F%E6%AD%A6%E5%90%89%E5%B8%83%E6%9C%97%E5%B1%B1%EF%BC%88%E4%B8%89%EF%BC%89-14647342


四.     古墓达人吴安全谈如何发现母校创办人颜永成的墓

https://bit.ly/3tTOw2W

"我是颜永成学校毕业的嘛，我发现他的墓后，组织了同学一起去拜他，还在他的墓前唱校歌。"

“在武吉布朗山上发现的，十多年前在坟场走的时候，一个老妇人叫住我叫我上一个山坡去看看，我一上去就看到颜永成的墓，很多墓我都是无意中发现的，过后她就不在了。”

点击链接收听古墓达人吴安全 Raymond Goh谈如何找到母校创办人的墓碑。


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Cheah Tat Jin and Lim Kwee Guan

September 26, 2021, 2:25 am
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 Cheah Tat Jin and Lim Kwee Guan




Born 1886 



Portraits from Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya (published in 1908)

MARRIAGE 

Straits Echo, 12 March 1906, Page 4





Death of Lim Kwee Guan of pneumonia during the influenza pandemic of 1918

THE INFLUENZA PANDEMIC.

Straits Echo, 19 October 1918, Page 8




Death of Cheah Chen Eok 

OBITUARY.

Malaya Tribune., 13 June 1922, Page 10



Sons :
Cheah Tat Toe
Cheah Tat Jin
Cheah Tat Kwan

Twenty Century Impression Of British Malaya


Mr. Cheah Chen Eok, Superintendent of the Pinang Opium and Spirit Farm, is the only son of the late Mr. Cheah Sim Hean, merchant, of Pinang. He was born in 1852, and received his education at the Pinang Free School. When he was sixteen years of age he entered the service of Messrs. Boon Tek e Co., ships' chandlers, but shortly afterwards went to the Pinang branch of the Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London, and China. There he remained for eight years, receiving a sound financial training, and in 1876 he commenced business as a ships' chandler and general merchant under the style of Chen Eok e Co. After six years' successful trading he embarked upon opium and spirit farming, and was connected with practicallv every farm in Singapore and Pinang for twenty-five years. His management of these mammoth concerns was beyond all criticisms, and although in 1902 retired from active business, he consented to superintend the affairs of the present Penang farm at the urgent request of the syndicate. 

In 1872, he married the daughter of the late Foo Tye Sin, one of the best known Chinamen in Penang. He has six sons and three daughters, and hs won the high esteem of all classes of the community by his sterling qualities and his charitable and unassuming nature.


Mr. Cheah Tat Jin, who was born at Pinang in 1886. This gentleman received his education at the St. Xavier's Institution. In addition to his connection with the opium farm, he is a partner in the shipping firm of Keng Bee. He is a member of the Turf Club and of the Chinese Recreation Club. In May, 1906, he married Lim Kvvee Guan, third daughter of Mr. Lim Leng Cheak, late manufacturer and shipowner of Pinang. Mr. Cheah Tat Jin resides at " Eokham," Pinang




Cheah Chen Eok and his sons 



Cheah Tat Jin and Lim Kwee Guan, she was third daughter of Lim Leng Cheak







Lim Leng Cheak Family 

LENG CHEAK n CO. In Pinang are some of the largest rice and oil mills in Malaya, and it is worthy of note that they are nearly all owned by Chinese

One of the properties is the Chip Hong Bee Mill, owned by Messrs. Leng Cheak n Co. The late Mr. Lim Leng Cheak, founder of the firm, had a remarkable career. 

The son of one of the first Chinese to come to the settlement, he was born in Pinang, in humble circumstances, in 1850, and his start in life was made as a clerk in a mercantile office. A few years later he commenced business on his own account by opening a general store. By careful management he was able to save a little capital and went to Achin, where he entered into partnership with another Chinese merchant. The partners purchased one or two sailing-vessels, and did a large trade in carrying pepper from Achin to Pinang and there disposing of it. Later, they ran a fleet of steamships between the same ports, and, when his partner retired from the business in 1879, Mr. Lim Leng Cheak took over the entire concern himself. At the invitation of the Sultan of Kedah, with whom he was on terms of cordial friendship, he opened up a new enterprise - a tapioca estate - in the Kulim district of that potentate's territory. The Sultan also granted him a twenty years' monopoly in 1888, when he established a rice mill in Alor Star, Kedah. This privilege was extended to his successors, and is enjoyed by them to this day. In addition to these operations, Mr. Lim Leng Cheak planted coffee and coconuts in Kulim, Kedah, was lessee of the Opium, Spirit, and Padi Farms, and c., started a rice mill in Pinang in 1893, and became a director of the Singapore Opium and Spirit Farm. When Mr. Lim Leng Cheak died at the age of fifty-one on February 16, I901,he left an extensive and varied business of the first importance. His family consisted of fifteen children eight sons and seven daughters and his eldest son, Mr. Lim Eow Hong, is now the managing executor of the business. 

This gentleman was born in Pinang in 1878 and was educated at the Free School and at a Chinese school. He became assistant to his father at the age of seventeen, and four years later was appointed manager. His brother, Mr. Lim Eow Thoon, manages the Pinang rice mill. Messrs. Lim Leng Cheak are the owners of the Chip Bee Rice Mill, Alor Star (Kedah), the Chip Hong Bee Rice Mill (Bridge Street, Pinang), and a large tapioca mill (Kulim, Kedah). In 1899 they started a sugar mill at Alor Star. They convey their produce in their own fleet of steamers  - the Kedah line of passenger and cargo boats - have a tapioca estate embracing 14,000 orlongs in Kulim, Kedah, and are the employers of a thousand men. They import large quantities of padi and prepare both white and boiled rice in their mills. These products they supply to estates in Kedah, Province Wellesley, and the Federated Malay States, besides exporting to Ceylon, India, and Mauritius. Sugar they sell locally, and tapioca they send to London, Havre, Nantes, and many other European ports. Messrs. John Buttery e Co. are their London agents. Mr. Lim Eow Hong is one of the leading Chinese in the settlement, a member of the committee of the Free School, a director of the Straits Echo and Criterion Press, a committee member of the Pinang Association, and a part owner of the Pinang Foundry. His eldest son is being educated at Dollar, Scotland




1. The Drawing House. 2. Lim Eow Hong 3. the Late Lim Leng Cheak
4. Pinang Residence



The Late Lim Leng Cheak's Family . His wife is Tan Tay Seang Neoh
When he died in 1901, he has 8 sons and 7 daughters



Goh Boon Keng and Lim Kwee Sean, eldest daughter of Lim Cheng Leak and their 4 children . They were married in 1894.  You can see the children in the family photo of Lim Leng Cheak. Lim Kwee Sean is sitting on the right of Madam Tan Tay Seang 




Tan Tay Seang , with her son Lim Eow Thoon and wife Goh Saw Mooi,
second daughter of Goh Ewe Keong of Pinang with their son.





Note 

Thanks to Alex Tan for sharing some of his father's collection of photos at BBHP Family day. His father is the famed historian Tan Yeok Seong. His annotation at the back of this photo: this is a rich lady from Penang. She is wearing expensive jewellery and diamonds worth $160,000

(photo colorized using a colorizing app)

Based on the info on the discussion,  I would like to concur above is that of Lim Kwee Guan Neo, third daughter of Lim Leng Cheak 



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族谱学会梳理史料助委托人寻失联亲戚

January 9, 2022, 9:59 pm
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族谱学会梳理史料助委托人寻失联亲戚

联合早报 2022年1月10日 5

文 / 黄少伟
摄影 / 蔡家增



在族谱学会会长黄友江（左）等人的帮助下，吴明东找到了久已失联的亲人。（蔡家增摄）

委托人吴明东退休前是一名媒体顾问，从上世纪80年代便对家族史感兴趣。他看不懂中文，寻根过程很辛苦，最终成功找到失联多年的大伯公吴来吉和三伯公吴来熙的后代。

托族谱学会帮忙梳理家族史寻根，结果找到了失联多年的大伯公后代，其中一人竟是已故本地田径界元老吴德潘，让委托人吴明东感到异常惊喜。

吴明东（69岁）退休前是一名媒体顾问，自上世纪80年代便对自己的家族史感兴趣，不断查询祖籍先辈的资料。他受访时说：“我小时候听祖母说过，我们家祖籍潮阳溪头。记得1990年代我被公司派驻香港几年，虽然什么人都不认识，还是请一名朋友带我到潮阳看看祖先老家的环境。”

吴明东过去几十年翻阅国家图书馆资料库的报章，积极查询先辈资料。他发现曾祖父大约在1860年代从潮阳来到南洋，之后生了六个儿子和两个女儿，吴明东祖父吴来江排行最小。

去年3月，吴明东经宗乡会馆介绍联络上族谱学会，请他们帮忙寻根，获得族谱学会会长黄友江、副会长吴安全和中文秘书陈琦的大力协助，不久便找到失联多年的大伯公吴来吉的后代。

原来，吴来吉的儿子是已故本地田径界元老吴德潘，他生前曾是业余田径总会理事，担任过宿将田径总会会长，也是田径总会副顾问。吴德潘的长子现在居住在加拿大温哥华，吴明东也已成功跟他联络上。

吴明东在寻根过程中也发现三伯公吴来熙（又名吴赉熙）赫赫有名。根据吴明东和族谱学会搜集到的资料，吴来熙1881年在新加坡出生，曾就读于莱佛士书院。他在1899年获英女王奖学金远赴英国剑桥大学学医，并于1906年考获硕士学位。因热爱西洋棋，吴来熙还曾经是剑桥大学西洋棋俱乐部副会长，也是剑桥大学亚裔学生团体“远东协会”的会长。

1914年，吴来熙离开英国到中国北京居住，创办了北京第一份英文报纸《北京日报》（Peking Daily News）并任主编。吴来熙也先后担任北洋军奉系军阀领袖张作霖张学良父子的高级参谋和顾问。1927年，吴来熙被委任为民国外交部顾问及南洋华侨宣抚特使访问新加坡，是他阔别28年后再度回到家乡，受到亲友和华社热烈欢迎，本地中英文报章都有报道。

2020年10月，吴明东把所搜集到的吴来熙资料转发给亲友，侄儿把资料发到推特，竟被吴来熙在北京的后代读到，双方取得联系。原来吴明东在北京有一个堂姐，对吴氏家族史也很感兴趣，曾在2021年4月特别到潮阳寻亲。

吴明东说：“我看不懂中文，寻根过程很辛苦。虽然都只是我一个人在找，但我做得很起劲，整个过程也带给我很多满足感。每当我发现一个新线索，就会感到高兴和兴奋，觉得所有努力都是值得的。”

10人向族谱学会求助寻根

族谱学会目前有大约70名会员，宗旨是为族谱研究员和梳理家谱的人士提供交流平台，以及透过教育宣导，提高公众对编修家谱的兴趣。学会也为想寻根却无处下手的人提供援助，至今已为大约10人寻根问祖。

会长黄友江（80岁）说：“我们很高兴吴明东对家族史和寻根感兴趣，并尽我们的能力帮忙。虽然他提供的资料不多，但我们通过各种方式逐渐找出更多历史线索。”

黄友江是前公务员，曾担任新加坡驻中国厦门总领事。他在2008年退休后不久，同新加坡根文化学会会长陈业雄在2012年联合创办族谱学会。

黄友江鼓励更多新加坡人研究家族史并撰写家谱，他说：“很多人年轻的时候对家族史不感兴趣，祖辈也没留下很多资料，一旦他们过世，这些历史记录就会遗失，后代日后要寻根的话会非常困难。因此如果资料足够，我鼓励大家撰写家谱，方便后代子孙了解自己家族的历史。”

黄友江也希望更多本地会馆能提供寻根的帮助，“不少本地会馆跟中国的宗亲有联系，可以帮忙追溯祖籍先辈。随着时间的推移，会馆已失去许多原有功能，不妨考虑增添助会员寻根的新功能”。

吴明东还在积极寻找另外三个伯公后代的下落，他说：“虽然可能到我离世都还找不到，但我不会放弃。”

吴明东希望在疫情结束后，能尽快跟温哥华和北京的亲人见面。

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