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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

00:37:49

Wan Chan Peew – H.M. Naval Base Walkthrough Part 2 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/28

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. In Part 2 of the walkthrough, ChanPeew Wan takes us through the famous H.M. Terror and Beaulieu House, as well as the Asian School (which became Naval Base School) and the shops before Sembawang Gate. He remembers the drunken British servicemen falling into drains but also the massive change to the Asian community when they were relocated from the base to the JTC flats at 14 Mile, Sembawang. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/RY4-YQ-sUfk Part 2 |

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00:56:06

Lee Kok Leong – Twakows, Workhorses of the Rivers |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/26

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Former naval architect Lee Kok Leong talks about his love for the twakows of his childhood along the Singapore River. These wooden boats, called lighters in English, were vital to Singapore’s trade, carrying cargo over the last mile of water. Kok Leong remembers the masters who built these remarkable boats, the tough men who worked on them, and how the industry folded when loose cargo was replaced by the standardised box called the container in the

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00:53:00

Reynold Godwin Pereira – Uncle Choo, Coach of...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/23

In Part 2, Reynold Godwin Pereira recounts one of the most iconic moments in Uncle Choo’s coaching career – winning the Malaysia Cup in 1977. We reflect on how Singapore could build upon Uncle Choo's larger-than-life legacy by giving local coaches more opportunities and support to develop football from the grassroots, as Belgium did with its Golden Generation in the 2000s. Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of

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00:50:38

Matthew Lui – SJI Boy to Harbour Pilot Part 1 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/19

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Mathew Lui takes us back to post-war Chinatown: his father ran a silk business in South Bridge Road and his family lived upstairs above the shop. He attended a number of Catholic schools, including the historic St. Joseph’s Institution at Bras Basah Road in the early 1960s. He had an unforgettable time and his 1964 cohort organised a homecoming in 2012. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/10ykZ-kUKME Part 2 | https://youtu.be/tm7BLGRysIE Part 3 |

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00:49:58

John & Crispian Ng – Naval Base Stories & Other...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/14

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. We continue to celebrate John’s 80th birthday by tracing his family history. He married a Punjabi woman called Vanessa and moved into one of the new JTC flats in Sembawang when the Naval Base closed down. Their son Crispian grew up amidst the football in the area, playing in a team called the ‘No Future Club’. That is far removed from the name today, as John has joined Crispian in Texas, a world away from the old Naval Base and 1960s Singapore.Part 1 |

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00:39:20

Chow Khai Shui – TCM & Teck Soon Medical Hall Part 1...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/12

欢迎来到旧新加坡记事录。周启仕是一位注册中医师，也是创办于1963年的德信药行的经营者。他讲述了新加坡中医的发展历程，并介绍了各种药材汤品与茶饮—这些有助于人们强身健体、预防疾病的食疗方式。Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Chow Khai Shui is a registered TCM physician and owner of Teck Soon Medical Hall established in 1963. He talks about the history of TCM in Singapore and different types of herbal soups and teas – food therapies that help people maintain wellness and prevent illness. 第一集 Part 1 | https://youtu.be/-nwkrk8MB2U 第二集 Part 2 | https://youtu.be/syQpSdWZbpE00:00 介绍

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01:01:40

John & Crispian Ng – Naval Base Stories & Other...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/07

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. John Ng turns 80 today. He was a policeman in the Naval Base and then in Sembawang Shipyard after the British left; his mother was also a searcher in the Naval Base. He tells me stories of the old Medical quarters where he lived, the creative ways he and his friends learned to make money as kids, the endemic gambling inside the base, and the secret garden behind his house. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/uxu6AG0EujE Part 2 | https://youtu.be/73HH1hl3-7000:00

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00:48:11

Wan Chan Peew – H.M. Naval Base Walkthrough Part 1 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/05

Might be better to view the video version here: https://youtu.be/RY4-YQ-sUfkWelcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. So much of the historic Singapore Naval Base has been lost so former Navalite Wan Chan Peew takes us on a walkthrough to document its old places and activities. We started with the gates, then the roads where Asians like him lived, and the docks and other places of work inside the naval dockyard.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/RY4-YQ-sUfk Part 2 | https://youtu.be/MQ22A-iCHW000:00

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00:39:51

Woon Yew Thong – Jurong Crescent Road & Nanyang...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/07/01

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Woon Yew Thong remembers old Jurong Road before it was urbanised and leaving the Jurong Crescent Road quarters in 1974. He left behind his Reader’s Digest collection and a warm community of neighbours and friends. In recent years, he found many of them on social media while documenting memories of the Jurong Radio Transmitting Station on his website.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/GVbfvy0vxR0 Part 2 | https://youtu.be/orYO2hFbtX000:00 Neighbours & Community03:49

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00:57:38

Rey Pereira – Uncle Choo, Coach of Singapore Part 1 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/28

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Rey Pereira talks football history from his book, Uncle Choo: Singapore's Greatest Football Coach. He traces the remarkable career of Uncle Choo Seng Quee as player and coach of Singapore and Malaya. We cover the popularity of football from the British colonial days through the Japanese Occupation to the pitches of Farrer Park after the war. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/VzRBQns4gFg Part 2 | https://youtu.be/WnaSCJIN1E400:00 Introduction01:21 My Book on Uncle

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00:16:11

Ronnie Choo – Bands of the Naval Base | Chronicles of...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/25

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Self-taught guitarist Ronnie Choo and his musically-talented friends made some money playing in rock 'n' roll bands inside the Naval Base in Sembawang. Full episodes:Part 1 | https://youtu.be/-maCgkgStUIPart 2 | https://youtu.be/_Aq1rTEwBCAWelcome 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

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00:31:04

Mejar Singh Gill – Soldiering in the Early SAF Part 3...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/23

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. In the final part of our podcast, LTC (Retd) Mejar Singh Gill gives his thoughts on several questions: how have SAF and SAFTI evolved over the years, is Singapore prepared for war, is the soldier still important in the high-tech 21st century, should women serve, how has the SAF served as a global peacekeeper, and how have regulars contributed to Singapore?Part 1 | https://youtu.be/XcXl6KVlekc Part 2 | https://youtu.be/gW4QIH0UU6I Part 3 |

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00:38:02

Selamat Kadari – People of Kampong Amber Part 2 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/19

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Selamat Kadari recalls the elders of Kampong Amber, its religious buildings and an interesting connection with PM Lawrence Wong (listen to find out!). He talks about the name ‘Amber’, what happened during the 1964 race riots and the old Katong where the kampong was located. Finally, we reflect on the reunions Selamat organised as chairman of the group, Our Kampong Amber, and how we may further document its history and memory. 00:00 The Story Behind My

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00:42:57

Pamela Sandanasamy – My Roots From Singapore to India...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/16

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. In Part 2, Pamela Sandanasamy recalls her subsequent trips to the village of Anaikkadu in India, bringing her daughters along. She found the St. Francis Xavier’s High School which her grandfather had built for the village. But most of all, she wanted to find out about her grandfather’s parents. When she finally located their graves, she understood why he had been reluctant to talk about his past. Pamela talks about her future plans to travel to India and write

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00:45:33

Rajandeeren Kanayan – Silat & Gan Eng Seng School,...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/14

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Rajandeeren Kanayan recalls his schooldays at historic Gan Eng Seng, the school of choice for those staying in the port area. He also endured torturous sea journeys to India and sold kueh and newspapers as a youngster. Today, Rajandeeren reflects on how Tanjong Pagar has changed as Singapore has evolved and his close ties to India. The past, no matter how nostalgic, can never be brought back again.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/fnQd1vRvS-Q Part 2 |

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00:42:40

Mejar Singh Gill – Soldiering in the Early SAF Part 2...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/07

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Hear LTC (Retd) Mejar Singh Gill recount the neglected history of 1 and 2 SIR. The first especially was formed by David Marshall in 1957 before Singapore became independent. When 1965 arrived, the government launched a crash programme to build new military facilities and recruit Israeli ('Mexican') advisers. There was an unexpected windfall - the British were closing down their bases and there were excellent facilities and camps to take over.Part 1 |

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00:39:10

Jason Boh – Hainanese of the Naval Base & Sembawang...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/06/04

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Jason Boh talks about his schools near the Naval Base. But the British era was coming to an end. The 14th Mile was demolished when the British forces vacated the base and the villagers and base families largely dispersed. Jason reflects on the changes and what still remains. The Sembawang experience forged in him a can-do spirit and a curiosity about the world. He hopes that the old colonial houses will be preserved as a second round of redevelopment sweeps

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00:36:57

Abdullah Hussain & Saiful Nizam – The Many Styles of...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/05/26

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Abdullah Hussain & Saiful Nizam talk about the people in Seni Gayong – the silat elders as well as female members called Ibu Gayong (‘the mothers of Gayong’). We discuss their accomplishments in researching the history of Silat Gayong, but also new challenges in training the younger generation as well as documenting silat as Malay heritage martial arts.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/-lIX85ayth4 Part 2 | https://youtu.be/STNXrISrJI800:00 Changing Times for

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00:49:03

Woon Yew Thong – Jurong Crescent Road & Nanyang...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/05/24

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Woon Yew Thong began to research his family history when his father Woon Khai Boon passed away 10 years ago. This centred around the staff quarters at Jurong Crescent Road where they lived (since demolished and expunged). His father worked as a technician at the nearby Jurong Transmitting Station. In the distance was the Chinese-medium Nanyang University, founded in 1956. This expanse of rural Jurong Road is now replaced by the Pioneer MRT station and

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00:19:46

Charles Ngui – EDB’s Masters & Apprentices Part 4 |...

Chronicles of Old Singapore ·

2026/05/21

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Charles Ngui and I ponder about how the contributions of the Light Industries Services can be recognised in the new millennium. Drop us a note if you are interested to help us document and celebrate this rich industrial heritage of Singapore.Part 1 | https://youtu.be/6-u7rymWSKk Part 2 | https://youtu.be/UtyDCpVboNY Part 3 | https://youtu.be/v2eHkDbDJ3Y Part 4 | https://youtu.be/Tz-PjDMHJvk00:00 Teaching the Youngsters05:13 Soft Skills08:59 The OEAA

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