Chronicles Research & Education

16/09/2026

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.

Spotify | https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/loh-ks/episodes/Matthew-Lui--Part-3-Cable-Car-Tragedy--Chronicles-of-Old-Singapore-e3otlqj

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmg1KDdGzic

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.

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. In 1983, Matthew Lui was a ...

13/09/2026

Sukhdev Singh Gill spent 32 years in the Singapore Police Force. He offers his honest views on the history 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?

Spotify | https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/loh-ks/episodes/Sukhdev-Singh-Gill--Sikhs--Jagas--Policemen-Part-2--Chronicles-of-Old-Singapore-e3op63i

YouTube | https://youtu.be/Vowo8sDLBmk

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.

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Sukhdev Singh Gill spent 32...

12/09/2026

Book has also arrived in the libraries!

https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/search/card?recordId=300211471

11/09/2026

Very thankful to the Singapore Heritage Society for organising the launch of Shopkeepers of Chinatown. Come and find about the petite bourgeoisie who made the Old Chinatown so vibrant and yet have rarely been featured in the Singapore Story.

https://peatix.com/event/5175465

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

Been digging around bak k*t teh, partly as a form of herbal soup and partly as a small business (my two recent interests). Was happy to meet Adrian Neo of Sin Heng - 新兴 Claypot Bak Koot Teh in Joo Chiat, another friendly shopkeeper in another historic part of Singapore. A few learning points:

In terms of TCM food, Adrian uses 5 of the 6 herbs I asked about. But refused to reveal his family recipe! The first photo is him declining to tell me; I understand :) His bak k*t teh is more food than medicine, which is true of most bkt today.

Sin Heng is an extended family business. Adrian and his cousins run it. Of the previous generation, the women cooked and the men ran the shop. They set prices as a family. Adrian learned to chop the ribs and cook the soup as an apprentice from his mother.

The family is the single most important factor in the business - Adrian wants most of all to preserve the standard of the bak k*t teh.

Not surprisingly, Sin Heng's tea is supplied by 白新春茶庄 Pek Sin Choon Pte Ltd. Adrian tells me with a smile, 老字号, PSC is more than a hundred years old. I'm afraid the tradition of drinking Nanyang tea with bkt may be slowly dying.

The 1999 Nipah virus outbreak (which affected pigs) hurt business badly. It led them to diversify into the other dishes they offer today.

Most interesting for me is the shopkeeper mentality. When I asked, he said he does not think of asking the government for help and he also does not know where to look for help. But he is happy to consider working with government agencies and is interested in the heritage business scheme (hopefully in the next round of applications).

This is something to note for government agencies like the National Heritage Board trying to help our heritage businesses.

Photos by Pavitar.

09/09/2026

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.

Spotify | https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/loh-ks/episodes/Gary-Koh--Pioneer-Women-Footballers-of-Singapore-Part-1--Chronicles-of-Old-Singapore-e3oih5p

YouTube | https://youtu.be/ilmPmbx61yQ

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Gary Koh, a historian of Si...

06/09/2026

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 island’s land area and a fifth of its GNP.

Spotify | https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/loh-ks/episodes/Loh-Kah-Seng--The-British-Bases-Part-1-Little-Britains--Hidden-Asias--Chronicles-of-Old-Singapore-e3od9nh

YouTube | https://youtu.be/sdnXHH92Ueo

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.

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. The 56 British military bas...

04/09/2026

The Ceylon Tamils were few in number but historically important in our history. Indra Iswaran recounts why they migrated to Singapore and Malaya and their allegiance to the British Crown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieeVa6FRF9c

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.

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Indra Iswaran recounts the ...

02/09/2026

Jeff Eng remembers his family’s business at 15 Merchant Road in the heart of Teochew Chinatown, Chinese Cultural Shop By ENG TIANG HUAT 翁展發 (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 elders’ advice: never take bank loans to expand the business, but invest in the family.

Spotify | https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/loh-ks/episodes/Jeffrey-Eng--Teochew-Qiaopi-of-Singapore--China-Part-2--Chronicles-of-Old-Singapore-e3o79aa

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H95nfHI9yrM

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.

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Jeffrey Eng remembers his f...