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PODCAST

Chronicles of Old Singapore

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I’m Dr Loh KS, a people’s historian. I’m interested in the history of Singapore and the lives of its people. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their memories of Singapore before it became a global city today. We discuss three topics: 1. People and places. 2. Change and continuity. 3. The importance of heritage. Caveat: this is a podcast based on personal memory. As has been well-documented in oral history, memory is not always reliable

history

All Episodes

00:33:59

Sukhdev Singh Gill – Sikhs, Jagas & Policemen Part 3...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/10/04

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Retired policeman Sukhdev Singh Gill recounts the threat posed by secret societies in the past and how they were brought to heel by the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act 1955. He also reflects on issues faced by security guards today, mostly seniors and unemployed young people, as well as problems of molestation, voyeurism and mobility devices.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/yrwMp7NRj0Y Part 2 | https://youtu.be/Vowo8sDLBmk Part 3 |

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00:39:20

Uncle Ringo – Sembawang Bands & Travelling Carnivals...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/30

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Uncle Ringo, the man behind the famous travelling carnivals, recounts growing up in the bustling, rowdy and expletive-filled Sembawang Strip. This was a street of bars and restaurants serving sailors from the Naval Base but also filled with the music of the ‘60s. Here, Uncle Ringo learned the guitar and played Beatles covers in bands like many of his Sembawang friends.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/PDV7_d_WXzA Part 2 | https://youtu.be/BAzGYSyei7Y00:00

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00:40:02

Loh Kah Seng – The British Bases Part 2: Withdrawal &...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/27

The British military withdrawal in the late 1960s caused much anxiety for Singapore’s leaders. But they had an ace in the pack – the bountiful real estate and facilities the British were leaving behind. Instead of a crisis, the pullout played out as a new buzz – a catalyst for Singapore’s growth into an industrial powerhouse in the ‘70s.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/sdnXHH92Ueo Part 2 | https://youtu.be/xAE-EsRyHco Part 3 | https://youtu.be/y15UOOJd5I400:00 Triple Whammy03:50 All Out By 197107:50 The

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00:27:58

Jeffrey Eng – Teochew Qiaopi of Singapore & China...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/23

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Jeffrey Eng talks to me about the old Teochew areas in Chinatown and River Valley, the Ellenborough Market fire of 1968 during the Chinese New Year and the Teochew names of streets. We also reflect on the Speak Mandarin Campaign debate arising from the film Dear You, and how the campaign has prevented younger Teochews from knowing the language.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/WdXYrCIj3UI Part 2 | https://youtu.be/H95nfHI9yrM Part 3 | https://youtu.be/89Vj7nBG3s400:00

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00:48:25

Thiyaga Raju – Legends of Singapore Football Part 1 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/20

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Thiyaga Raju is a historian of Singapore football and author of ROAR: Football Legends of Singapore. He recalls the match in 1974 that kindled his love for the sport. He talks about Singapore’s legendary players and coaches: Uncle Choo Seng Quee, Brian Richmond, T. Pathmanathan (Captain Marvel), and Fandi Ahmad, among others. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/DHm8s_g2Mkc Part 2 | https://youtu.be/C06EThnSdQc00:00 Introduction06:33 Queenstown FC11:29 Brian

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00:29:06

Matthew Lui – Part 3 Cable Car Tragedy | Chronicles...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/16

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. In 1983, Matthew Lui was a PSA office pilot in the cable car towers. On 29 June, upon finishing his watch, a series of unexpected events unfolded to cause one of the worst accidents in Singapore’s history – the cable car crash and the deaths of seven people. Matthew draws from the commission of inquiry’s report to recount the accident and the rescue operation. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/10ykZ-kUKME Part 2 | https://youtu.be/tm7BLGRysIE Part 3 |

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00:33:38

Sukhdev Singh Gill – Sikhs, Jagas & Policemen Part 2...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/13

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Sukhdev Singh Gill spent 32 years in the Singapore Police Force. He offers his honest views on questions arising from the evolution of the force – why were neighbourhood police posts so important (and do we really need police complexes), why do people call the police on all kinds of matters, and is the police force facing a manpower shortage today?Part 1 | https://youtu.be/yrwMp7NRj0Y Part 2 | https://youtu.be/Vowo8sDLBmk Part 3 | https://youtu.be/p-uLp9hkWBg

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00:38:23

Gary Koh – Pioneer Women Footballers of Singapore...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/09

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Gary Koh, a historian of Singapore football, talks about the origins of the women’s game from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Our pioneer Lionesses were drawn from all walks of life – the university, public service and MNCs. Despite the lack of funding and support, they became a dominant force in the Puan Sharifah Rodziah Cup, the women’s version of the Malaysia Cup.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/ilmPmbx61yQ Part 2 | https://youtu.be/LhAarwfOO6400:00

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00:32:37

Loh Kah Seng – The British Bases Part 1 Little...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/06

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. The 56 British military bases in 1960s Singapore were Little Britains – miniature townships filled with non-military facilities for the British servicemen and their families. They were also Hidden Asias, for it was the Asians who made the bases functional – from clerks and policemen to the amah and shopkeepers. The British bases were vital to Singapore’s defence and economy. Together, they were a huge piece of real estate, comprising more than a tenth of the

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00:47:33

Jeffrey Eng – Teochew Qiaopi of Singapore & China...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/09/02

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Jeffrey Eng remembers his family’s business at 15 Merchant Road in the heart of Teochew Chinatown, Eng Tiang Huat (named after his grandfather, the founder). This was a shop dealing in ‘Chinese cultural goods’, from traditional musical instruments to embroidery and martial weapons. Jeffrey took over the business after National Service instead of starting his own career. He soon developed a love for the trade as well as the cultural goods. He talks about his

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00:37:00

Tony O’Dempsey – Forests of Singapore Part 2 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/30

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 |

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00:34:47

Winston Wong – Gillman Barracks, Combat Engineers &...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/27

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

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00:37:50

Sukhdev Singh Gill – Sikhs, Jagas & Policemen Part 1...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/23

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/QOjXxK6UxtI00:00 Introduction00:58 Joining the

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00:39:38

Matthew Lui – SJI Boy to Harbour Pilot Part 2 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/19

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

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00:48:02

Jeffrey Eng – Teochew Qiaopi of Singapore & China...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/16

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 |

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00:30:08

Chow Khai Shui – TCM & Teck Soon Medical Hall Part 2...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/12

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 |

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01:05:13

Tony O’Dempsey – Forests of Singapore Part 1 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/09

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 |

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00:32:07

Loh Kah Seng – Voices of the Singapore Story Part 2 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/04

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

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00:39:26

Winston Wong – Gillman Barracks, Combat Engineers &...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/08/02

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 |

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00:18:38

Frederick Puah – My Hainanese Heritage | Chronicles...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/31

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/RFOhmO4ZTQ8Part 2 | https://youtu.be/V-qqatZ9eoIPart 3 | https://youtu.be/UVFN7CEuDik00:00 Introduction02:48 Father was a Cook05:32 Oxtail Stew07:53 Sailing13:59 Kampong Loyang16:25

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