Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Conservationist Tony O’Dempsey aka Uncle Tony talks about the history of the conservation movement in Singapore and how the Nature Society of Singapore adopted a moderate science-based approach – ‘wisdom and pleasant speech’ – to engage the government. Today, as new housing projects target our diminishing forests at the Gillman Barracks, Maju and Sunset Way, this dialogue will be more relevant than ever.

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/_vjE_suS99E

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/klLBlvczE3M

00:00 Beginning of Conservation

04:26 Nature Society of Singapore

08:15 People’s Relationship with Forests

11:28 Wisdom & Pleasant Speech

15:26 People’s Role in Conservation

19:48 Gillman Barracks

25:19 Nature & Heritage

31:30 New Book

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Winston Wong talks about the Gillman Barracks not as a standalone British base, but as part of the massive Pasir Panjang-Ayer Rajah Military Complex. It was a transit camp for the School of Combat Engineers, which moved out in a few years. As we discuss the likely environmental and historical impact of the HDB’s plan to redevelop Gillman around nature, Winston is concerned that it would be difficult to strike a balance between heritage, nature and development.

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/41X1lZL5CBM

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/RtRWXt9orDY

00:00 The Buildings Today

07:09 R&D

11:47 Ayer Rajah Military Complex

13:37 The Mudslide

14:47 Notorious Reputation

16:10 Transit Camp

20:10 The HDB Plans

24:18 The Footprint Issue

29:14 Combat Engineers’ Heritage

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Sukhdev Singh Gill joined the Singapore Police Force in 1969. He remembers his father, who was a jaga (watchman) for various employers, and the formidable Sikh jagas in the old days. He talks about key Sikh temples in Singapore and how important they were for the Sikh groups.

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/yrwMp7NRj0Y

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/Vowo8sDLBmk

Part 3 | https://youtu.be/p-uLp9hkWBg

Part 4 | https://youtu.be/QOjXxK6UxtI

00:00 Introduction

00:58 Joining the Police Force

03:19 My Parents

08:27 The Sikhs as Jagas

11:48 The Kaurs

18:08 Outdoors

21:17 Sikh Temples

28:30 Economic Role of Temples

32:25 My Trilogy

Sukhdev’s books:

Boh cheng hoo: a Sikh boy in Hokkien gangland

https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=d9a97a7b-3534-5db2-9281-f87020349847&entityType=FormatGroup

Bang cheng hoo: a Sikh man in SG police force

https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=620f135a-c12b-5ded-9b00-d747bb46962a&entityType=FormatGroup

Gong cheng hoo: a Sikh elder in Sulawesi & SG politics

https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?id=8a184efd-f699-595e-8896-64910dc74851&entityType=FormatGroup

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Upon graduating from SJI in 1964, Matthew Lui joined the newly formed Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) as a harbour pilot. Close to the dawn of Singapore’s independence, he was among a pioneer group of local pilots being trained to take over from the departing British pilots. As a young cadet and later as a certified pilot, he sailed on Dutch and other ships to ports around the world.

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/10ykZ-kUKME

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/tm7BLGRysIE

Part 3 | https://youtu.be/cmg1KDdGzic

00:00 My Certificate

09:03 Harbour Pilot

20:52 Being Observant

23:15 British Pilots

26:21 The Cadet

32:09 World Journeys

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. The qiaopi (remittance letters) came to light in the Teochew hit film Dear You. Local Teochew Jeffrey Eng shows us his large collection, except these were in finger-sized envelopes. Jeff talks about the messages and remittances that linked three generations of the Engs with their home village in Chaozhou. The letters capture major changes in the histories of Singapore and China from the 1930s to the 2000s.

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/WdXYrCIj3UI

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/H95nfHI9yrM

Part 3 | https://youtu.be/89Vj7nBG3s4

00:00 Introduction

02:02 Dear You

06:50 Grandfather was an Immigrant

09:46 My Qiaopi

15:20 Remittances

23:38 Father’s (& My) Remittances

36:04 Home Village

40:37 Grandfather was a Shopkeeper

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

欢迎来到旧新加坡记事录。德信药行于2025年获认定为传统的旧行业。周启仕医师回顾了新加坡中医与食疗的历史及发展历程，并探讨了在中医如何配合健康SG（Healthier SG）政策，助力民众养生保健及疾病预防。

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Teck Soon Medical Hall was recognised as a heritage business in 2025. Physician Chow Khai Shui traces the history and development of TCM and food therapy in Singapore. He talks about how Chinese medicine can contribute to wellness and prevention of illness under the Healthier SG policy.

第一集 Part 1 | https://youtu.be/-nwkrk8MB2U

第二集 Part 2 | https://youtu.be/syQpSdWZbpE

00:00 西药 Western Medicine

07:14 持续教育 Professional Development

10:48 中医名家 Famous TCM Masters

15:53 药用动物 Medicinal Animals

19:16 健康SG Healthier SG

23:27 传统的旧行业Heritage Business

Teck Soon Medical Hall: https://tecksoonsg.com/

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Conservationist Tony O’Dempsey aka Uncle Tony talks about the history of forests in Singapore through the 19th and 20th centuries. Through a number of self-made maps, he shows how they fared against successive plantation crops like gambier, tapioca and rubber and the impetus for creating forest reserves. In the mid-20th century, another wave of change and destruction began as the Garden City took shape.

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/_vjE_suS99E

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/klLBlvczE3M

00:00 Introduction

01:15 Interest in Forests

06:06 SG Primeval

09:32 Mid-19th Century

16:17 Gambier, Gambier Everywhere

21:46 Late-19th Century

35:47 Forest Reserves

40:00 Coconut & Tapioca

42:16 Early 20th century

46:43 Secondary Forests

55:52 21st Century

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Older Singaporeans are generally keen to share their nostalgia for the past, but less so on controversial topics. This was what I found when I started researching the great fire at Bukit Ho Swee. The memory of public housing there will always been tied hand in glove with the widespread rumours of arson. In this podcast, I talk about what the rumours say about Singaporeans' relationship with their pasts. I also discuss how community groups and researchers can use oral history to document the shared memories of our heritage.

00:00 Introduction

02:24 Subjectivity as a Strength

06:19 Nostalgia vs. Silence

09:00 Whose Memories?

12:28 Rumours of Arson

14:05 Maggie Chong

16:05 Heartless Beasts

18:53 Tay Ah Chuan

21:17 Undying Rumours

23:32 Community Oral Histories

24:59 Possibilities

28:01 3 Tips for Oral History

31:14 Conclusion

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Winston Wong remembers Gillman Barracks in the early 1970s. Trained in bomb disposal, he moved with the School of Combat Engineers from Blakang Mati (which was becoming Sentosa) to the former British camp. Near the camp was the village of Heap Guan San, whose residents had worked as gardeners and cooks for the British forces. There was also the Bourne School where the forces' children had studied.

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/41X1lZL5CBM

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/RtRWXt9orDY

00:00 Introduction

02:50 Leaving Blakang Mati

06:17 Pulau Brani

10:12 Gillman Today

17:39 Heap Guan San Village

22:16 School of Combat Engineers

25:18 Forested Areas

28:13 Block 9 & Regal Cinema

29:59 Bourne School

33:01 Environmental Impact

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Frederick Puah, owner of British Hainan Restaurant at Kallang Way, talks about his Hainanese roots. His father was a cook for a British family and later a sailor, while his mother was a strong woman who ran the household while he was away.

Full episodes:

Part 1 | https://youtu.be/RFOhmO4ZTQ8

Part 2 | https://youtu.be/V-qqatZ9eoI

Part 3 | https://youtu.be/UVFN7CEuDik

00:00 Introduction

02:48 Father was a Cook

05:32 Oxtail Stew

07:53 Sailing

13:59 Kampong Loyang

16:25 Mother was Strict

British Hainan: https://british-hainan.com/

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot.

Write to [email protected] if you have any of these stories:

• Old places or kampongs.

• Communities – their way of life & culture.

• Childhood & schools.

• Work or business.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG

Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore