Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Pioneer engineering apprentice Yan Yim Tong of the Old Engineering Apprentices Association recounts how poverty drove him to enrol in the Dockyard Technical College in the Naval Base. As an apprentice, he learned from kindly sifu (masters) who taught him well. He eventually sailed to ports around the world, living a seaward life filled with risks and drama.

00:00 Introduction

03:59 Growing Up Poor

09:29 The Dockyard Technical College

18:25 The Sifu & Apprentices as Kings

25:26 Learning Onboard Ships

34:22 Sailing & Risks

44:11 Interesting World Ports

I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their memories of Singapore before it became a global city.

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