BiblioAsia Podcast

Changing Times: Time Zone Changes in Singapore since 1905

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0800

Singapore's time zone has been changed at least seven times since 1905, including during the Japanese Occupation when it was synchronised to Tokyo time. Arts librarian Kenneth Tay explains the historical context for the time zone changes, the origins of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) system, and ways to measure time, including a rare atomic clock in a local laboratory.

Kenneth Tay is a librarian with the Arts and General Reference team at the National Library Singapore. He is interested in the histories of global systems such as the internet, logistics and time zones, and where Singapore figures in them.

What Kenneth Talked About

03:02 – How Kenneth became interested in time zones
05:09 – Why Singapore changed its time zone in 1982
06:43 – Why Singapore followed Malaysia’s time change
08:13 – Singapore’s experiment with daylight saving time
11:35 – Public reaction to Tokyo time during Japanese occupation
14:05 – Re-colonising time after the war
15:02 – What the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is
23:42 – The time zone change in 1905
26:29 – Difference between UTC and GMT
31:39 – Atomic clocks in the world
35:23 – Whether time is arbitrary or political
38:51 – How research changed Kenneth’s notion of time
46:22 – Time history is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-changing-times-time-zone-changes-in-singapore-since-1905/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Nookcha Films. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Kenneth for coming on the show.

Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

The First Local to Head the National Library: Hedwig Anuar

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0800

Hedwig Anuar was the first Malayan to head the National Library, a position she held for 23 years until 1988. She was also involved in the setting up the Singapore Book Council, National Archives of Singapore and Association of Women for Action and Research. Her daughter, Shirin Aroozoo, tells us about Anuar as a mother and a person, and about how her convictions about books, children's education and women empowerment were shaped by her upbringing and life events.

Shirin Aroozoo is the daughter of Hedwig Anuar, who was the director of the National Library from 1965 to 1988.

What Shirin Talked About

02:40 – Growing up as the daughter of a public figure
03:17 – Early childhood memories of the National Library
04:57 – Hedwig Anuar’s family background and upbringing
10:33 – Early signs of activism at university
13:05 – Painful memories of the war
16:09 – Becoming a librarian by chance
19:57 – Championing children’s books and education
21:12 – A quiet, bookish childhood at home
25:25 – Travelling together
38:21 – Libraries are…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-first-local-to-head-the-national-library-hedwig-anuar/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Civil Servant in Charge of Clean and Green Singapore, Lee Ek Tieng

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0800

Lee Ek Tieng (1933–2025) was the civil servant who headed the clean-up of the Singapore River, had the foresight to modernise the sanitation system, and ensured water self-sufficiency for Singapore. Writer Samantha Boh tells us how he did it with his colleagues and earned their respect.

Samantha Boh is a journalist and an author who covers the environment and science. She has written extensively on scientific breakthroughs in biomedical science, robotics, water resources, recycling, and food wastage over more than a decade. She is a co-author of The Last Fools, The Price of Being Fair and Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General of Lee Kuan Yew.

What Samantha Talked About

02:59 – About Lee Ek Tieng
07:16 – Lee Ek Tieng’s key achievements
12:31 – His personality and leadership style
19:07 – Conflict with Economic Development Board during industrial pollution control and backing from Lee Kuan Yew
24:01 – Building water self‑sufficiency
29:20 – How NEWater got its name
31:16 – What colleagues said about him
35:31 – His hobbies and DIY spirit
38:03 – Books by Nutgraf

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-civil-servant-in-charge-of-clean-and-green-singapore-lee-ek-tieng-samantha-boh/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Days Before Air Conditioning

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0800

Before air conditioning was introduced in Singapore in the 1920s, temperature control was a matter of architectural design. Environmental historian Fiona Williamson tells us how people kept themselves cool before air conditioning arrived, why weather science was important to the colonial enterprise, and what environmental history can tell us about a city’s development.

Fiona Williamson is an environmental historian with a particular interest in the history of the climate, meteorology and extreme weather in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. She is professor of environmental history at the Singapore Management University.

What Fiona Talked About

03:12 – How people kept cool before air conditioning
05:49 – When and how air conditioning was introduced to Singapore
07:53 – Who could afford early air conditioning
10:19 – European reactions to tropical heat
12:51 – Meteorology as a colonial science
15:31 – Observational stations and instruments
18:07 – Colonial attempts to manage water and flooding
23:15 – The MacRitchie Reservoir mistake
28:03 – Fiona’s book Imperial Weather
34:19 – Fiona's work with the International Commission for the History of Meteorology
36:52 – Climate history is…
38:02 – Whether climate change can be reversed

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-days-before-air-conditioning-fiona-williamson/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-4-jan-mar-2026-air-conditioning-in-singapore/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Searching for Family in the Shadows of War

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0800

Jan Beránek sets out to find out what happened to his granduncle, Silvestr Němec, who left his Czech village for Singapore in 1938 and died as a volunteer during WWII. He finds Silvestr’s story woven with that of the Bata Shoe Company, the Czechoslovak community and volunteer forces in Singapore.

Jan Beránek is a Czech environmentalist and an energy expert. He was born and raised in the Czech city of Brno, where he studied physics and sociology. Jan has worked for several environmental organisations and was also the chairman of the Czech Green Party. He currently lives in Amsterdam, working for Greenpeace International as Director for Organizational Strategy and Development. He is the author of In Search of Silvestr: Unravelling My Granduncle's Fate, Bata, Czechoslovaks and World War II in Singapore (Landmark Books, 2025).

What Jan Talked About

01:31 – Introduction to the podcast and Bata’s Singapore history
02:07 – Silvestr Němec’s disappearance
02:29 – Jan Beránek’s research journey
03:26 – Family memories
04:37 – The post-war search for Silvestr
05:49 – Discovery of family letters in 2017
07:25 – Motivation for beginning the investigation
08:45 – How Silvestr was sent to Singapore by Bata
09:20 – Silvestr’s job at Bata’s flagship store
10:05 – Bata’s international success and localisation
11:42 – Bata’s early operations and expansion in Malaya
13:17 – What made Bata successful
14:11 – The Czechoslovak community in Malaya
14:55 – Czechoslovaks’ impressions of colonial Singapore
16:35 – Czechoslovakia during WWII and Bata’s wartime challenges
22:26 – Silvestr’s service in the Volunteer Corps
24:44 – What happened to Silvestr
28:37 – Jan’s research process and reflections
36:07 – The number of Bata shoes Jan owns
36:58 – Family history is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-searching-for-family-in-the-shadows-of-war-jan-beranek/
Read the BiblioAsia article : https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-4-jan-mar-2026-lost-family-silvestr-nemec-war-search-czech-singapore/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Negotiating OB Markers When Running the Straits Times

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 05:00:00 +0800

Former Straits Times editor-in-chief Cheong Yip Seng tells us how he negotiated OB markers with the government during his tenure (1987–2006), how he balanced the interests of the paper’s stakeholders, and which news story he nearly went to jail for.

Cheong Yip Seng is a veteran journalist. He was editor-in-chief of the Straits Times from 1987 to 2006 and editorial adviser to the South China Morning Post from 2012 to 2020. He has written OB Markers: My Straits Times Story and Ink and Influence: An OB Markers Sequel.

What Cheong Talked About

00:55 – Podcast introduction
01:48 – Why a sequel to OB Markers
03:21 – Differences between the two books
06:24 – Events leading to Cheong's appointment as editor-in-chief
11:33 – Accusations of the Straits Times (ST) as government mouthpiece
17:16 – Impact of social media on traditional news
18:28 – Cheong's near arrest over a leaked story
20:50 – Hardest decisions as editor-in-chief
21:52 – Importance of ST credibility
24:06 – Cheong's principles in negotiating OB markers
27:40 – Criticisms ST faced over its coverage of the 1987 “Marxist Conspiracy”
29:48 – Cheong’s outlook on ST in the next two decades
33:30 – Why Cheong became a journalist
26:29 – Person who had the greatest intellectual impact on Cheong

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-negotiating-ob-markers-when-running-straits-times-cheong-yip-seng/
Read Cheong's books: OB Markers: My Straits Times Story and Ink and Influence: An OB Markers Sequel

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

25 Hawkins Road: Home to Vietnamese Refugees

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0800

The Hawkins Road camp in Sembawang was home to thousands of Vietnamese refugees until it closed in 1996. Researcher Rebecca Tan talks about how the refugees spent their days in the camp and their lives after Singapore.

Rebecca Tan is Digital Preservation Archivist at the National Archives of Singapore. She was previously Children and Teens Librarian at Toa Payoh Public Library, and Digital Heritage Librarian at the National Library.

What Rebecca Talked About

01:17 – Overview of Hawkins Road camp
02:26 – Conditions in the camp
03:18 – Life in the refugee camp
08:08 – Singapore’s plan for long-term refugees
10:17 – What the refugees said about Singapore
11:20 – Singapore's evolving refugee policy
14:41 – How Rebecca knew about the refugee camp
15:25 – Rebecca’s research
16:49 – Interview with a Hawkins Road camp refugee who still lives in Singapore
22:07 – Being a librarian at Toa Payoh Public Library
24:26 – The libraries and archives are...

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-25-hawkin-road-home-to-vietnamese-refugees-rebecca-tan/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://studio.isomer.gov.sg/all-sections/hawkins-road-refugee-camp/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Making of "Majulah Singapura" as We Know It

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0800

The national anthem that we know today wasn't the original version composed by Zubir Said. His first version was longer and was set at a higher key. Emeritus Professor Bernard Tan talks about how "Majulah Singapura" came about and how it changed over the decades, and illustrates how these versions differ on his piano.

Emeritus Professor Bernard T. G. Tan is a retired professor of physics from the National University of Singapore who also dabbles in music. Some of his compositions have been performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He is a former chairman of the Sing Singapore organising committee.

What Prof Tan Talked About

00:00 – Introduction to Singapore’s national anthem
03:16 – How “Majulah Singapura” came about
04:14 – Zubir Said’s composition of “Majulah Singapura”
06:18 – Adoption of the anthem and its unauthorised shortening
09:24 – Comparison of different versions and musical implications
15:18 – Prof Tan’s detective work to verify Zubir Said’s original manuscript
19:31 – Fanfare introduction and early concert arrangements
22:22 – Government-led initiative to reorchestrate the anthem
25:48 – Lowering the anthem’s key from G major to F major
27:45 – Lee Kuan Yew’s suggestion on the anthem
33:18 – Controversial arrangements of "Majulah Singapura"
36:57 – Origin of “Negaraku”, Malaysia’s national anthem
40:22 – How Prof Tan juggles his roles as a composer, professor of physics and SSO board member
42:51 – How he helped found the SSO
48:44 – His career at NUS
51:20 – Similarities between scientific research to music writing

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-making-of-majulah-singapura-as-we-know-it-bernard-tan/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-1-apr-jun-2025-sing-singapore-national-day-songs/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

First Spy Chief of Independent Singapore, Tay Seow Huah

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 05:30:00 +0800

Tay Seow Huah, then Permanent Secretary for the Home Affairs Ministry, helmed Singapore’s response to the 1974 Laju hijacking incident. This was when four terrorists tried (but failed) to destroy Shell’s oil infrastructure on Pulau Bukom Besar and subsequently took five hostages. Little is known about the enigmatic spy chief, who was the founding Director of the Security and Intelligence Division. Simon Tay, lawyer, academic and winner of the 2010 Singapore Literature Prize, tells us how his Penang-born father – who lived through WWII, the Malayan Emergency and the political tumult of the 1960s – came to play a giant role serving a newly independent Singapore.

Simon Tay is the chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, a non-profit think tank. He is an associate professor of law at the National University of Singapore and a former Nominated Member of Parliament. In 1995, Simon was named a Singapore Young Artist, and his novel City of Small Blessings won the Singapore Literature Prize in 2010. In 2021, he received the S.E.A. Write Award, a regional award given to leading ASEAN poets and writers.

What Simon Talked About

00:00 – The 1974 Laju hijacking and its significance
02:03 – Tay Seow Huah’s legacy and role in Singapore’s security operations
07:37 – Singapore’s strategic and diplomatic response to the Laju incident
10:38 – Why Lee Kuan Yew appointed Tay to lead the Special Branch
11:50 – Background on the Laju hijackers and geopolitical tensions in the 1970s
16:39 – Insights from S. R. Nathan’s memoir
17:38 – Why Tay did not accompany hijackers to Kuwait although he volunteered
17:42– Challenges of writing about classified events and uncovering the past
19:05 – Tay’s childhood in Malaya and educational achievements
19:56 – Speculations about Tay’s post-university activities before joining civil service
22:23 – Comparison between Tay and James Bond
28:02 – How Simon’s relationship with his father changed after Tay’s heart attack
30:26 – Tay’s declining health and early retirement from civil service
32:19 – Tay’s struggles in his retirement years
33:03 – Simon’s reflections on his grandmother’s strength and complexity
35:13 – How Tay’s childhood hunger shaped his habits
35:57 – Tay’s party trick
38:09 – Simon on his public service journey
43:45 – Why Simon’s wrote the book Enigmas

Transcript

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-tay-seow-huah-first-spy-chief-of-independent-singapore-simon-tay/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Hawker Culture in Singapore

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 05:30:00 +0800

Hawkers traditionally sell their food on streets. Uniquely in Singapore though, they ply their trade in fixed stalls in hawker centres. Ryan Kueh, author of the bestselling From Streets to Stalls, tells us how the hawker culture has evolved in Singapore since the colonial period and what hawker centres have come to represent.

Ryan Kueh holds a master’s degree from Tsinghua University under the Schwarzman Scholars programme and completed his bachelor’s at Yale–NUS College, where he read philosophy, politics, economics and history. His key research focus is consumption culture and history, with a secondary interest in international affairs. He is the author of From Streets to Stalls: The History and Evolution of Hawking and Hawker Centres in Singapore.

What Ryan Talked About

00:00 – How the term “hawker” is understood differently in Singapore, compared to in other countries
04:44 – When hawking might have started in Singapore
05:20– Preconditions for hawking
07:11– Colonial records, and hygiene and urban discipline issues during colonial times
09:06 – Why hawking was an attractive and accessible job then
10:39– Challenges colonial authorities faced in controlling hawkers
11:47 – Post-independence reforms in hawking
14:25– Establishment of hawker centres and their purpose
15:47 – How rent subsidies keep hawker food affordable
17:43– Origins of the first hawker centre and differences from hawker shelters
20:12– Loss of food heritage
23:27– Gentrification in hawker centres
25:27– Hawking as a vocation in the past and today
27:44– Why Singapore’s hawker culture won the UNESCO recognition for intangible cultural heritage
30:04– Contemporary political use of hawker centres
31:51– What Ryan is working on and what his favourite hawker centre is
36:47 – Hawking is…

Transcript

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-hawker-culture-in-singapore-ryan-kueh/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Badang the Strongman: A Miracle-Working Grave, A Folk Tale and a Nation’s Mythology

Fri, 09 May 2025 05:00:00 +0800

Many people know of the story of Badang the strongman, an aboriginal slave who gains supernatural strength after eating the vomit of a spirit. He throws a stone, which might or might not be the Singapore Stone, and his miracle-working grave is believed to be on Pulau Buru in the Riau Archipelago. However, independent scholar William Gibson tells us the tale of Badang (and the location of his grave) is much more complicated than is generally known.

Dr William L. Gibson is an author and researcher based in Southeast Asia since 2005. A former Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow of the National Library Singapore, he is the author of Keramat, Sacred Relics and Forbidden Idols in Singapore (Routledge, 2024). His articles have appeared in Signal to Noise, PopMatters.com, The Mekong Review, Archipel, History and Anthropology, the Bulletin de l’École française d’Extrême-Orient and BiblioAsia, among others.

What William Talked About

00:00 – What a keramat is
01:13 – Legend of Badang the strongman
02:20 – William's past research on keramat
03:07 – Badang as a national icon and his myth in the Malay Annals
04:43 – British interest and early translations of Badang’s story
06:26 – The rock-throwing legend and its transformation into a national tale
08:26 – Origins of the Singapore Stone and colonial myth-making
11:00 – The three different rocks associated with Badang
13:02 – The search for the real burial site of Badang
18:08 – The shrine’s transformation into a government-designated cultural site
20:40 – The Karimun inscription and its link to Badang folklore
22:00 – Other stones with footprints and mythical associations
24:00 – Theories of Badang’s burial sites
26:00 – Other folktales with vomit-eating as a power transfer motif
28:00 – Broader meaning and significance of keramat and nature shrines
31:05 – Existing keramat in Singapore
35:10 – Stories of the keramat Habib Noh
39:01 – Challenges of preserving keramat in Singapore
42:00 – Fates of kermat in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia
44:07 – The heritage value of keramat
47:55 – Mythology is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-badang-the-strongman-a-miracle-working-grave-a-folk-tale-and-a-nations-mythology/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-1-apr-jun-2025-origins-badang-strongman-singapore-stone/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Peng Tsu Ying: Singapore's Pioneering Deaf Educator

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:00:00 +0800

When Peng Tsu Ying came to Singapore from Shanghai in the late 1940s, he could not find a deaf person like him. Determined to improve the situation for the deaf community, he founded Singapore's first school for the deaf in 1954. Librarian Nathaniel Chew tells us about Peng's advocacy, his own journey learning the Singapore Sign Language and the different ways it has evolved.

Nathaniel Chew is a librarian with the National Library Singapore. He works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia Collection, and his research interests lie at the intersection of language and society.

What Nathaniel Talked About

02:13 – Who Peng Tsu Ying was
04:07 – What Singapore was like for the deaf community before WWII
05:34 – How Peng started the first school for the deaf
07:42 – Peng’s foray into car racing
10:12 – Joining forces with the Red Cross
11:13 – What the Singapore Sign Language is
19:00 – How Nathaniel got interested in sign language
19:40 – Peng’s influence on Singapore’s deaf community
22:17 – Nathaniel’s research interest in linguistics
23:56 – Nathaniel’s take on Singlish
25:28 – BiblioAsia is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-peng-tsu-ying-singapore-pioneering-deaf-educator-nathaniel-chew/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-21-issue-1-apr-jun-2025-deaf-education-singapore-sign-language/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Nathaniel for coming on the show.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Misunderstood Trip That Led to the 1953 Landmark Art Exhibition

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0800

In 1952, four Singapore artists – Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Liu Kang – travelled to Java and Bali in search of artistic inspiration. The following year, they put up an exhibition showcasing art they had produced from the trip, an exhibition often hailed by art historians as a milestone in Singapore art history. Yet much of the trip has been shrouded in mystery, until Gretchen Liu, the daughter-in-law of Liu Kang, discovered Liu Kang's archives and photographs from the trip. She tells us how the trip came together, what the artists did in Java and Bali, and what the trip meant to them as artists.

Gretchen Liu is a former journalist, a writer and an independent scholar with an interest in visual culture and heritage. She is the editor and author of several books. Most recently, she has been researching the early life of her father-in-law Liu Kang, a journey that has taken her deep into early 20th-century Chinese art history. Her latest book is Bali 1952: Through the Lens of Liu Kang.

What Gretchen Talked About

02:14 – The importance of the 1953 exhibition in art history
05:20 – The story of the shoebox
08:17 – What makes the newly discovered photographs special
11:00 – The significance of the artists’ journey to Bali and Java
14:11 – How their journey began with the kindness of strangers
16:07 – The life and times of the four pioneering artists
21:11 – Gretchen’s journey following in the footsteps of the artists
23:15 – Her intention in showcasing the photographs alongside the art they inspired
26:14 – The hardest part about researching the book
27:29 – How Gretchen became interested in Singapore’s visual history
30:02 – The book she is most proud of
32:21 – Her experience as the in-house historian for the Raffles Hotel
35:19 – What is next for Gretchen
35:56 – Family history is…

Transcript

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-misunderstood-trip-that-led-to-the-1953-landmark-art-exhibition-gretchen-liu/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

More Than Mr Mari Kita: The Life and Legacy of Zubir Said

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0800

Zubir Said (1907–87) gave Singapore its national anthem, “Majulah Singapura”, and its official Children’s Day song, “Semoga Bahagia”. Working with theatre company Wild Rice, music director Julian Wong put together a critically acclaimed production on the life of Pak Zubir that mixed history, music and memory in a moving show, Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita. Performances were sold out in 2022 and 2024. In this episode, Julian tells us the challenges of putting up the show, including the research and transcription, and reveals if he’s a Swiftie.

Julian Wong is a composer, arranger, music director, educator and performer. He has composed for Wild Rice, including An Inspector Calls, Pinocchio, Tartuffe: The Imposter, etc. As music director, he has helmed overseas assignments such as Liao Zhai Rocks! (Shanghai) and Spotlight Singapore (Mexico City), as well as home-grown projects such as Hossan Leong’s Hossan-AH! 50, Pam Oei’s Faghag and The Theatre Practice’s If There’re Seasons. Additionally, Julian has conducted and arranged for Joyful Strings, Ministry of Bellz, Orchestra of the Music Makers, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, and many more. Julian graduated from Berklee College of Music, where he received the Professional Music Excellence Award and Alex Ulanowski Award. In 2023, he received the Young Artist Award, Singapore’s highest award for young arts practitioners.

What Julian Talked About

03:07 – How the show Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita came about
05:17 – Julian’s research into the life of Pak Zubir Said
08:04 – Performing the show during Covid
10:13 – How Julian arranged his version of “Semoga Bahagia”
12:35 – Difficulties of researching Pak Zubir’s life
13:40 – The most interesting discovery about Pak Zubir
15:49 – A touching story about Pak Zubir
17:50 – Continuing the legacy of teacher-student collaborations
18:59 – How “Majulah Singapura” was conceived
22:44 – What Julian learnt about Pak Zubir from his teacher Iskandar Ismail
24:42 – Julian’s relationship with his teacher
26:37 – Mentoring students budding musicians at ITE
27:57 – On winning the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council
29:43 – Favourite song from Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita
31:36 – What he’s working on
32:54 – Julian’s favourite musician
34:06 – Is he a Swiftie?

Transcript

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-life-and-legacy-zubir-said-julian-wong/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. This version of “Semoga Bahagia” was composed by Zubir Said, produced by Julian Wong and performed by Wild Rice. Special thanks to Julian for coming on the show.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Somerset Maugham Scandalises 1920s Singapore

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0800

Sharing the literary landscape with contemporaries like D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf, W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) travelled to Singapore in 1921. Though he was already well-known as a writer then, it was his stay in Singapore that inspired some of his most celebrated short stories. Crime fiction writer Tracey Morton tells us how Singapore inspired his works, why they remain relevant, and whether the Menendez brothers deserve their sentence.

Tracey A. Morton is a Singapore-based Irish/Australian writer and a Cambridge graduate. She is co-host of the podcast, The Asian Bookshelf, and author of the upcoming novel, The Coffee Shop Masquerade. In 2020, she was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize for her short work, “Faded Ink”, and the Virginia Prize for Fiction for The Queen, The Soldier and The Girl. Her novel, Someone Is Coming, based on plantation murders in Malaya in the 1900s, was published by Monsoon Books in 2022 and has been optioned for television.

What Tracey Talked About

02:29 – Who Somerset Maugham was
04:11 – Why Maugham came to Singapore?
06:46 – Which Maugham’s stories had the most impact
07:38 – Maugham’s writing style
10:03 – How Maugham’s work would be received today
10:45 – The influence Asia had on Maugham and his stories
13:26 – How Tracey became interested in Maugham’s life and works
16:28 – What inspired her to write stories about Maugham
18:07 – Tracey’s journey into crime fiction writing and historical research
22:18 – How the idea for Someone Is Coming came about
26:23 – Tracey’s new book The Coffee Shop Masquerade
28:45 – What the Singapore literary scene lacks
35:07 – Crime writing is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-somerset-maugham-scandalises-1920s-singapore-tracey-morton/
Check out the BiblioAsia article "W. Somerset Maugham: Secrets from the Outstations": https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-20-issue-4-jan-mar-2025-william-somerset-maugham-secrets/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

What Makes An Animal Singaporean?

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0800

Singaporeans love animals, but only selectively. Otters, Ah Meng the orangutan, and Inuka the polar bear are among the beloved. Less favoured are monkeys in the Botanic Gardens, many of which were culled before WWII, and pesky Aedes mosquitoes. Environmental historian Timothy Barnard tells us how some of these migrant animals came to be here, how they’ve been treated, and what makes them Singaporean.

Timothy P. Barnard is an associate professor in the Department of History at the National University of Singapore, where he specialises in the environmental and cultural history of island Southeast Asia. He is the author of Imperial Creatures and Nature's Colony, and the editor of Nature Contained and Singaporean Creatures.

What Timothy Talked About

02:26 – Monkeys in the Botanic Gardens before WWII
07:15 – Understanding Singapore’s history through its animals
08:41 – What makes a creature Singaporean?
10:10 – How the Garden City concept shaped human-animal relationships in Singapore
12:34 – Why some recognisable Singaporean animals were left out of the book
14:31 – Otters as returning migrants
16:33 – Singaporeans’ fondness for the zoo and its creatures
20:31 – How Tim came to be interested in environmental history
23:37 – Challenges in teaching environmental history
26:01 – The animal he would like to interview
27:13 – The profession he would pick if he weren't a historian

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-what-makes-an-animal-singaporean-timothy-barnard/
Check out the book: Singaporean Creatures: Histories of Humans and Other Animals in the Garden City.

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

A Tour of 60 Asian Port Cities with Ex–ACM Director Kennie Ting

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0800

To write a book about 60 Asian port cities, ex–ACM director Kennie Ting travelled as far as the Middle East and Africa. He tells us how port cities can tell a different history of Asia, and what his "eat, pray, love" cities and his favourite ACM artefacts are.

A writer and museum professional fascinated by the history, heritage and culture of Asian port cities, Kennie Ting is the former director of the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum in Singapore. He has written The Romance of the Grand Tour: 100 Years of Travel in South East Asia (2015) and Singapore 1819: A Living Legacy (2019). His recent book, The Great Port Cities of Asia in History (2024), re-examines Asian history from the perspective of 60 port cities across the region.

What Kennie Talked About

02:00 – How Kennie found time to write his book The Great Port Cities of Asia in History while heading two museums
04:17 – Kennie’s travel experiences
05:37 – How his fascination with port cities began
06:57 – His writing approach and themes of the book
10:09 – How he categorised port cities into six eras in his book
13:18 – The hardest thing about writing this book
14:36 – His favourite artefacts in the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)
16:00 – Wuhan’s significance as a historic port city
18:23 – Kennie’s research process
18:59 – His “eat, pray, love” port cities
22:19 – The port cities Kennie would pick to live in
26:32 – What he misses about ACM
27:14 – What’s next for Kennie Ting

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-asian-port-cities-with-ex-acm-director-kennie-ting/
Check out Kennie's book: The Great Port Cities of Asia in History

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

He Wrote the National Pledge: S. Rajaratnam, Singapore's First Foreign Minister

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 17:10:00 +0800

A journalist turned politician turned diplomat, S. Rajaratnam (1915–2006) wore many hats in the service of Singapore. His contribution to Singapore is so great that to cover his life adequately required 20 years of research and over 1,200 pages of writing. Irene Ng, his authorised biographer, tells us little-known facets of the man, his legacy as Singapore’s founding foreign and culture minister, and his relationship with Lee Kuan Yew.

Irene Ng is the authorised biographer of S. Rajaratnam and writer-in-residence at the Institute of ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. She was formerly an award-winning senior political correspondent and a Member of Parliament in Singapore.

What Irene Talked About

02:29 – Irene’s first meeting with S. Rajaratnam and her impressions of him
04:17 – How a journalistic background helped Irene connect with him
06:10 – Rajaratnam's personality
07:55 – Main themes of the second volume of Rajaratnam biography, The Lion’s Roar
10:24 – Why young Singaporeans should read the biography
14:49 – How Singapore’s pledge came from Rajaratnam’s ideals
19:07 – Rajaratnam's relationship with Lee Kuan Yew
24:41 – Rajaratnam’s legacy in shaping Singapore’s foreign policy
26:11 – Qualities that made Rajaratnam the ideal founding foreign minister
28:04 – Rajaratnam’s impact as the culture minister
30:51 – His forgotten achievements as the labour minister
35:10 – What inspired Irene to write Rajaratnam’s biography
37:30 – Challenges in writing the second volume of the biography
39:40 – Irene’s take on criticisms about the book based on her history as a politician
44:58 – What Irene reads for leisure
46:06 – Biographies that inspired Irene
49:00 – What’s next for Irene
49:38 – Irene’s Singapore dream

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-s-rajaratnam-singapores-first-foreign-minister/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-20-issue-3-oct-dec-2024-rajaratnam-biography-lions-roar/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Stella Kon: Beyond Emily of Emerald Hill

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:00:00 +0800

Stella Kon is known for creating the beloved Emily of Emerald Hill – possibly the most frequently staged play in Singapore. She is also a novelist and musical theatre writer, and she has adapted her landmark play into a musical after falling in love with the genre. In this episode, Stella talks about the difference between writing plays and musicals, her favourite actor who played Emily, and her writing process.

What Stella Talked About

02:15 – How Stella felt watching the first version of the play Emily of Emerald Hill come to life
04:13 – Why the character of Emily resonated with many and inspired countless adaptations
05:25 – Her favourite portrayal of Emily
06:10 – How the play evolved from draft to final product
07:07 – About creating Emily the Musical
08:26 – How Stella wrote “Love Was All I Wanted” for Emily the Musical
09:19 – What draws Stella to the musical genre
11:21 – Her musical Lim Boon Keng, which is based on the life of her great-grandfather
13:03 – Her new novel, 4 Pax to Emptiness
14:37 – Common themes in her work
16:33 – Her writing process, practices and rituals
18:45 – Her writing influences
20:10 – What’s next for Stella Kon
20:49 – Her advice to writers
22:17 – Writing is…
22:39 – Stella’s proudest moments

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-stella-kon-beyond-emily-of-emerald-hill/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-20-issue-2-jul-sep-2024-emily-of-emerald-hill-stella-kon/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Doppler Soundlab. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Stella for coming on the show. The song "Love Was All I Wanted" was written by Stella Kon and Desmond Moey.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Seaside Foraging and Eurasian Cuisine

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:15:00 +0800

MasterChef Singapore judge Damian D’Silva grew up by the sea and spent many happy hours foraging for horseshoe crabs, shellfish and sea snails that would end up in the cooking pot. In this episode, he talks about how his childhood and grandfather influenced his cooking philosophy, when he found his calling in the kitchen (later than you'd expect), and what's left for him after winning the prestigious culinary award La Liste.

Chef Damian D’Silva is a judge on MasterChef Singapore and the first Singaporean to be awarded the prestigious culinary prize Artisan & Authenticity Award 2024 from La Liste, a French ranking and restaurants guide. An advocate for local culinary heritage, he helms Rempapa, a multicultural restaurant serving dishes from the ethnicities in Singapore.

What Damian Talked About

02:15 – Why Damian chose to cook sea snail and papaya curry on From Book to Cook
04:26 – Foraging in the sea and on land
07:46 – His fascination with Western culture and food as a teenager
08:28 – The Malay and Peranakan version of the sea snail and papaya curry dish
08:50 – His experience of growing up in a community with different ethnicities
10:09 – Foraging for horseshoe crabs and cooking them
12:32 – About his grandfather, who had the greatest influence on Damian’s cooking journey
14:20 – The difference between a cook and a chief
18:01 – When Damian found out that cooking is his calling
20:26 – Why heritage cuisine is important
22:45 – How Eurasian cuisine is unique
25:23 – What’s next for Damian D’Silva after winning the Artisan & Authenticity Award 2024 from La Liste
27:53 – Why he has not written a cookbook
29:18 – The hardest thing about being a chef
32:28 – The one thing Damian would rather buy than make on his own
34:06 – Food is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-sea-foraging-eurasian-cuisine/
Watch Damian make sea snail and papaya curry: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-sea-snail-papaya-curry/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b

This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Damian for coming on the show.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Food of the Peranakan Indians

Mon, 27 May 2024 11:15:00 +0800

Growing up as a Chetti Melaka (Peranakan Indian), Tanya realised her family was different when she was seven or eight years old. Her family spoke Malay at home, ate sambal belacan, and had huge parties with a lot of unusual food. In this episode, Tanya talks with pride about the rituals of the ancestor worship known parachu and the cookbook containing traditional recipes of the Chetti Melaka community.

A Peranakan Indian, Tanya Pillay-Nair is the coordinator of the cookbook Heritage Food of the Peranakan Indians in a Chitty Melaka Kitchen (Peranakan Indian Association of Singapore, 2023). The book contains close to 100 Peranakan Indian recipes, from everyday dishes to festive fare.

What Tanya Talked About

01:58 – Who the Chetti Melaka are, and where they are from
04:32 – How the Chetti Melaka are different from and similar to other communities
05:19 – The importance of food culture especially in ancestor worship known as parachu
10:04 – The language spoken by Chetti Melaka
10:37 – The musicality of the community and a version of the song Di Tanjong Katong commissioned by the Chetti Melaka (Peranakan Indians) Association (used with permission)
12:10 – The local community in Singapore and origins of the Chetti Melaka Association
15:00 – How the book Heritage Food of the Peranakan Indians came about
19:59 – Tanya’s background as a Chetti Melaka
23:11 – Classic Chetti Melaka dishes
24:44 – How the Chetti Melaka otak blangah is different from the usual otak-otak
26:29 – Reception of the book
29:06 – A must-try and simple dish in the cookbook
29:30 – The importance of preserving heritage food
30:11 – Food is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-food-peranakan-indians/

Watch Tanya make otak blangah: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-otak-blangah/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Chinese Vegetarian Foodscape of the 1950s–60s

Mon, 20 May 2024 11:15:00 +0800

Set up by five Buddhist women in 1946, Loke Woh Yuen was the first Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Singapore. It employed an all-female staff, was known for its popular shark’s fin made from maize, and was sometimes so packed that it had to set up dining tents that stretched to the main road. Its efforts to spread vegetarianism were complemented by other Buddhist women and nuns who wrote cookbooks and fundraised for charity.

Kelvin Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from the National University of Singapore. He was a research assistant for the project “Mapping Female Religious Heritage in Singapore: Chinese Temples as Sites of Regional Socio-cultural Linkage” funded by the National Heritage Board.

What Kelvin Talked About

01:48 – The founders of Chinese vegetarian restaurants in 1940s–50s
05:28 – The most popular dishes at the vegetarian restaurant Loke Woh Yuen
06:26 – How Fut Sai Kai Vegetarian Restaurant differs from Loke Woh Yuen
07:26 – Ko Tian-gu, the founder of Fut Sai Kai
08:37 – Cookbooks that helped to spread vegetarianism
10:57 – The famous vegetarian soon kueh recipe by Abbess Yang Qincai of the temple Hai Inn See
12:24 – Legacy of early Chinese vegetarian restaurants in philanthropy and Buddhist education
13:55 – Resources Kelvin used in his research.
16:40 – Why early Chinese vegetarian restaurants have Cantonese heritage
18:58 – The vegetarian dish that Kelvin wants to master next

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-chinese-vegetarian-foodscape/
Watch Kelvin make soon kueh: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-soon-kueh/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b

This episode of BiblioAsia Podcast was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Kelvin for coming on the show.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Hajah Asfiah: A Guardian of Traditional Malay Culture

Mon, 13 May 2024 10:51:00 +0800

A tireless steward of Malay culture, Hajah Asfiah worked all her life to preserve and pass on Malay crafts. When she was just 10, she began teaching embroidery and flower arrangement in school. Later in life, she was a mak andam (wedding attendant) for more than 20 years and worked with more than 1,000 brides. At age 65, she got her cookbook Hidangan Warisan Kita (Our Heritage Dishes; 1986) published by Times Books International; it was the publisher’s first cookbook, written in Malay by a Malay person. The book had recipes for dishes that have since become extinct. Sadly, she died a year later, but thanks to the book she wrote and the many courses she taught, her memory lives on.

Toffa Abdul Wahed is an associate librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia Collection. She has written about cookbook author Siti Radhiah and belacan in BiblioAsia.

What Toffa Talked About

00:26 – About bunga kobis (flower of the cabbage), the dish Toffa made in Season Two of From Book to Cook
03:57 – Why bunga kobis is a special dish
04:30 – The complicated process of making the six-layer dish
05:39 – Why Toffa chose to make this dish for the video
06:39 – Toffa's special family connection to the dish
07:36 – How Toffa practised making the dish for the video
09:43 – When bunga kobis was a trendy dish at Malay weddings
10:16 – The secret to making bunga kobis
12:00 – Garnish and presentation for the dish
13:42 – Why Cikgu Asfiah is considered a guardian for Malay arts
15:35 – Cikgu Asfiah's background
18:07 – Why Cikgu Asfiah was invited to teach at age 10
18:40 – The significance of her first cookbook Hidangan Warisan Kita
20:01 – Why she decided to write a cookbook
23:00 – Why her cookbook had limited reach
24:08 – Her work as a mak andam (wedding attendant)
26:15 – How her children helped her
28:43 – What a mak andam does
33:21 – The resources Toffa used to research on Cikgu Asfiah
35:42 – Why food history is important
37:35 – Food is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-hajah-asfiah-guardian-traditional-malay-culture/
Watch Toffa make bunga kobis: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-bunga-kobis/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Kampong Gelam: Kitchen of the Malay World

Mon, 06 May 2024 10:52:00 +0800

You hear Malay, Javanese, Tamil and Punjabi as you wander the streets with shops selling colourful textiles and carpets, spices and flowers. Here you find different curries and bread, nasi padang, sup tulang, mee siam, a Javanese kitchen, Hainanese coffeeshops. Bookstores sell literature and newspapers as far away as Cairo. In this episode, Khir tells us about the Kampong Gelam he grew up in.

Khir Johari was born and raised in historic Kampong Gelam, Singapore. He studied mathematics at Santa Clara University in California, and completed a masters in education at Stanford University. Since returning to Singapore, Khir has focused on research into the food cultures of maritime Southeast Asia. He is the author of The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels through the Archipelago (Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2021).

What Khir Talked About

02:32 – The origins of mee maidin, the dish that Khir cooked in From Book to Cook
07:18 – Kampong Gelam as the incubator for the Nusantara (Malay World) kitchen
09:19 – Four main streets in Kampong Gelam selling food, including the only place in Singapore that sells mee odong
14:35 – The origins of mee siam
17:46 – Three types of mee siam that came out of Kampong Gelam
18:36 – Khir’s childhood in Kampong Gelam, where the Tamil Muslim community organized an annual commemoration of a Sufi saint
20:23 – Publishing houses in Kampong Gelam
22:51 – Why Khir spent 10 years writing the book The Food of Singapore Malays
27:12 – What Khir is working on now
28:38 – Khir’s dream job if he lived in Kampong Gelam in the 19th century
29:37 – The most maligned ingredient in Malay cooking
31:15 – The one recipe in his book Khir wants people to try
33:07 – Food is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-kampong-glam-kitchen-malay-world/
Watch Khir make mee maidin: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-mee-maidin/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore: https://form.gov.sg/616799db4d9b61001398f79b

Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Kueh Pie Tee: A Detective Story

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0800

Kueh pie tee is not a pie that goes with tea. So where did the name (and dish) come from? Award-winning cookbook author Christopher Tan combs through old newspapers and cookbooks, in search of the origins of the dish.

PS: Dates back to 1570!

Christopher Tan is an award-winning writer, cooking instructor and photographer. His articles, columns, recipes and photographs have appeared in many publications, including Singapore's Sunday Times and Straits Times, The Peak magazine, and America's Saveur magazine. He has authored and co-authored many cookbooks, most recently Nerdbaker 2: Tales from the Yeast Indies (Epigram Books, 2024). He loves making meaning with words, images and food.

What Christopher Talked About

02:11 – The origins of the dish kueh pie tee
11:43 – Why make kueh pie tee shells when they can be bought
13:29 – Christopher's tips for deep-frying
13:54 – What's special about Susie Hing's 1956 cookbook In a Malayan Kitchen
16:39 – How Christopher connected with Hing's family
18:03 – Hing's background
18:55 – Different influences in Hing's recipes
21:36 – Why Christopher shares old recipes and cookbooks on his Instagram account
23:48 – The value of local vintage cookbooks
25:20 – Christopher's latest cookbook, Nerdbaker 2: Tales from the Yeast Indies
29:07 – Why toddy (fermented palm sap) is used in baking
35:50 – Christopher's dream filling for kueh pie tee
36:57 – The dish Christopher wishes he can master
38:21 – How Christopher tests his recipes
38:58 – What Christopher would rather buy than make on his own
40:23 – Food is...

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-kueh-pie-tee/
Watch Christopher make kueh pie tee: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/videos-kueh-pie-tee/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

The Tragedy of Singapore’s First Boxing Superstar

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0800

Tan Teng Kee was the Mike Tyson of Singapore boxing in the 1920s. Known as Battling Key, the larger-than-life boxer attracted crowds wherever he went. Which makes his drastic downfall all the more tragic.

Abhishek Mehrotra is a researcher and writer whose interests include media and society in colonial Singapore, urban toponymy and post-independence India. He is working on his first book (HarperCollins, 2025) – a biography of T.N. Seshan, one of India’s most prominent bureaucrats. Abhishek is a former Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow (2021–22).

What Abhishek Talked About

02:04 – How boxing came to Singapore
04:44 – Why boxing has wide appeal among the masses
06:43 – Who attended boxing matches in 1920s Singapore
08:13 – Background and rise of Tan Teng Kee or Battling Key
10:43 – Battling Key's matches with Yeo Choon Song
16:07 – Song's complaint about Battling Key's gloves
17:14 – What happened to Song after beating Key
20:56 – Key's downfall
22:31 – Boxing ecosystem and corruption
28:34 – Why professional boxing was more successful than professional tennis
31:27 – Abhishek's choice between being a boxer and tennis player
31:50 – Abhishek's nickname if he were in combat sport
32:09 – Fatherhood is...
32:06 – Sports is...

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-singapores-first-boxing-superstar-tan-tang-kee/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

Produced by the National Library Singapore, the BiblioAsia Podcast tells stories about Singapore history.

Chia Boon Leong: The Homegrown Football Olympian

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:30:00 +0800

Nicknamed “Twinkle Toes” for his agility, Chia Boon Leong (1925–2022) is widely regarded as one of Singapore‘s most talented football players. Academic and sports historian Nick Aplin talks about the footballer’s sporting achievements, his character and their friendship.

Dr Nick Aplin is Deputy Director (Sport Heritage) at Sport Singapore. He is the author of the Sport in Singapore series: The Colonial Legacy (2019), The Rocky Road to Kallang Park (2023) and Visions for Change (2023).

What Nick Talked About

02:04 – How Boon Leong got his nickname, Twinkle Toes
06:32 – How Boon Leong ended up in the Olympics playing for China
08:23 – Nick's meeting with Boon Leong, and their friendship
12:28 – Nick's research process and his start in writing about local athletes
15:58 – How Nick's first meeting with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam went
19:01 – Nick's book launch with the president as the guest of honour
22:31 – How chess and sport are similar
25:53 – What sport and history are to Nick

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-chia-boon-leong-homegrown-football-olympian/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-19-issue-4-jan-mar-2024-chia-boon-leong-football-soccer/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music "Di Tanjong Katong" was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Nick for coming on the show.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Singapore Bands in Wartime Vietnam

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 16:55:00 +0800

In the 1960s and ‘70s, lured by adventure and money, Singaporean musicians went to South Vietnam to perform for American troops during the war. They were met with cheers, bullets and assault.

Boon Lai is an author, an illustrator and a filmmaker based in Singapore. Inspired by the true accounts of the rockers who toured the Vietnam War, he created the three-book graphic novel series, The Once & Marvellous DKD.

What Boon Lai Talked About

02:01 – How Boon Lai came to know of local musicians who went to Vietnam during the 1960s and ’70s
05:33 – When these musicians went to Vietnam
08:47 – Why these musicians decided to perform in the war zone
11:30 – How these musicians were recruited
15:56 – How much they were paid
16:44 – Nightly curfews
18:35 – Daily schedules of musicians
20:50 – Close call with bullets
21:53 – Musician Veronica Young’s experience in Vietnam as a woman
24:53 – How long Impian Bateks and other musicians played in Saigon
27:12 – Boon Lai’s three-year research process
28:58 –Boon Lai’s DKD sequel
29:44 – Hardest thing about creating a historical graphic novel

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-singapore-bands-wartime-vietnam/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-20-issue-1-apr-jun-2024-singapore-bands-vietnam-war/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Saving Singapore's Film Heritage

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:43:00 +0800

Thanks to restoration, classic films like The Teenage Textbook Movie (1998) can still be shown on a big screen 20 years after its cinema run. On a mission to preserve Singapore’s film heritage, film archivist Chew Tee Pao saves important movies and gives them a second life.

Chew Tee Pao is an archivist with the Asian Film Archive. Since 2014, he has overseen the restoration of more than 30 films from the archive’s collection. He has written about film restoration in BiblioAsia.

What Tee Pao Talked About

2:23 – Challenges of restoring The Teenage Textbook Movie (1998)
8:06 – How AFA restored They Call Her… Cleopatra Wong (1978) without the original negatives
13:26 – The sad fate of P. Ramlee’s Seniman Bujang Lapok (1961)
16:20 – The restoration process for Sri Lankan film Bambaru Avith, which was selected for Cannes Film Festival in 2020
20:47 – Tee Pao’s experience at Venice Film Festival
22: 48 – The film that got away in terms of restoration
23:40 – A common misconception about film restoration
24:23 – Film restoration does not equate to preservation
26:41 – The importance of saving film heritage

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-saving-singapores-film-heritage/
Read the BiblioAsia article on restoring Singapore films and Asian films: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-saving-singapores-film-heritage/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library Singapore.

The Lost Gold Coins of the Old Singapore Library

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:10:00 +0800

In the mid-19th century, two ancient gold coins were uncovered near present-day Keppel Harbour. Unfortunately, the Acehnese coins vanished before they could be studied carefully. The Jawi inscriptions on the coins were recorded, though they didn’t make sense. More than 180 years later, Foo Shu Tieng tries to solve the case.

Foo Shu Tieng is Associate Librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia collections. She has written about stone age in Singapore and Ancient Gold in Southeast Asia in BiblioAsia.

What Shu Talked About

02:11 – When and where the coins were found
04:35 – Whether the coins were stolen
05:48 – How common artefact theft is
06:30 – What coins can tell us about Singapore’s history
08:53 – Why and how Shu reexamined the Jawi transcription on the coins
10:43 – Response to Shu’s research on the coins
11:57 – Other ancient coins found in Singapore
12:49 – A common misconception of archaeology
13:21 — An archaeological mystery that Shu would like to solve
15:26 – Shu’s favourite archaeological pop-culture moment
16:00 – Archaeology is…

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-lost-gold-coins/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-19-issue-3-oct-dec-2023-acehnese-chinese-gold-coins/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The True Story Behind Ubin’s German Girl Shrine

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:22:00 +0800

A young German girl met an untimely end on Pulau Ubin in 1914. A shrine set up in her honour becomes Internet-famous. Following a deep search into the historical records, writer and researcher William Gibson discovers some inconvenient truths behind one of Singapore’s best-known shrines.

Dr William L. Gibson is a former Lee Kong Chian research fellow. Based in Southeast Asia since 2005, he is the author of Keramat, Sacred Relics and Forbidden Idols in Singapore (Routledge, September 2024) and Alfred Raquez and the French Experience of the Far East, 1898–1906 (Routledge, 2021). His articles have appeared in Signal to Noise, PopMatters.com, The Mekong Review, Archipel, History and Anthropology, Bulletin de l’École française d’Extrême-Orient and BiblioAsia, among others.

What William Talked About

02:23 – Whom the shrine is dedicated to
04:07 – How William knew of the shrine and began research on it
06:44 – Different versions of the story behind the shrine
11:07 – Termite mounds as sites of worship
16:13 – How the German girl shrine became well-known
17:36 – Films inspired by the shrine
21:45 – How the shrine changed after the 2015 renovation
24:51 – What William prays for at the shrine
25:35 – What William is working on now
28:27 – Most unexpected offering William has seen at shrines
29:56 – The shrine William would make a film on, if he can
30:49 – Historical memory and the importance of vernacular traditions

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-german-girl-shrine/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-german-girl-shrine/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library Singapore.

Artist Yip Yew Chong Paints His Story in History

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 05:30:00 +0800

Yip Yew Chong’s 60-metre-long work, “I Paint my Singapore”, drew huge crowds when it went on display at the Raffles City Convention Centre. Comprising 27 scenes of 1970s–1980s Singapore, the painting merges history, memory and nostalgia. In this episode of BiblioAsia+, Yew Chong explains how he created this work and reveals what he would love to paint but has not.

Yip Yew Chong was an accountant till he became a full-time artist in 2018. His practice includes different visual mediums: murals, canvas, sketches, installations, videography and photography. His public murals may be seen in the streets of Singapore and other regional cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Phnom Penh, while his canvases have been shown in art galleries.

What Yew Chong Talked About

01:53 – What “I Paint my Singapore” is about
04:14 – What inspired Yew Chong to paint this 60-metre canvas
08:31 – Yew Chong’s favourite scene in the painting, and his childhood in Kreta Ayer
14:32 – His research process for the painting
21:18 – Balancing historical research with creative licence
23:56 – What he finds hard to paint
24:49 – Painting alone in studio versus in public, and indoors versus outdoors
26:54 – Recent books about Yew Chong and his art: The Art of Joy and I Paint my Singapore
31:12 – What he is working on now
34:11 – What he wants to paint but hasn’t
34:58 – How he overcomes artist’s block
35:24 – What he thinks about Banksy

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-yip-yew-chong/
Read the BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-20-issue-1-apr-jun-2024-yip-yew-chong-i-paint-my-singapore/

Subscribe to BiblioAsia for more stories about Singapore.

This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by One Dash. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Yew Chong for coming on the show.

BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library Singapore.

The Great Reclamation: A Singaporean Historical Epic

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0800

The Great Reclamation is a work of historical fiction set in Singapore that has received rave reviews from the New Yorker and the New York Times. A love story, it also took five years of serious research into a variety of topics, including land reclamation, the Japanese Occupation and postwar politics in Singapore. Listen to author Rachel Heng talk about her book and her fascinating research process.

Rachel Heng is the author of the novels The Great Reclamation and Suicide Club, which was a national bestseller in Singapore and has been translated into 10 languages.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-great-reclamation

Read the BiblioAsia article on land reclamation that Rachel referred to in her research at https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-13-issue-1-apr-jun-2017-land-from-sand/.

This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Soh Gek Han and produced by Jimmy Yap. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Rachel for coming on the show.

BiblioAsia+ is a podcast about Singapore history by the National Library Singapore.

What’s Become of the Seafaring Orang Seletar?

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0800

Writer and educator Ilya Katrinnada interviewed the Orang Seletar who resettled in Johor to learn about their lives, and their links to Singapore.

Ilya Katrinnada is an educator and writer with a keen interest in the intersections of creativity, community and education. Having graduated with a major in anthropology, she currently works as a special education teacher.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-orang-seletar/
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-1-apr-to-jun-2022-orang-seletar-changing-tides/

This episode of BiblioAsia+ was hosted by Jimmy Yap and produced by Soh Gek Han. Sound engineering was done by Gibson Analytics. The background music “Di Tanjong Katong” was composed by Ahmad Patek and performed by Chords Haven. Special thanks to Ilya for coming on the show.

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Lest We Forget: Kranji War Cemetery

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0800

The Kranji War Cemetery and the Singapore Memorial commemorate those who died while fighting the Japanese during World War II. Librarian Janice Loo looks at the lives of the people who paid the ultimate price in the defence of Singapore.

Janice Loo is a librarian with the National Library, Singapore. Her responsibilities include collection management and content development as well as research and reference assistance on topics relating to Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-kranji-war-cemetery/
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-2-jul-sep-2022-kranji-war-cemetery/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Recording Industry in Singapore, 1903-1985

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0800

Singapore used to be a major recording centre in Southeast Asia, with over 10,000 local recordings made before 1960. Hear the story from sound archivist Ross Laird, author of From Keroncong to Xinyao.

Ross was formerly a sound archivist with the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia. He was awarded NLB’s Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship in 2010.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-recording-industry/
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-19-issue-2-jul-sep-2023-singapore-record-industry-1960s/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Stories Behind the Shrines on Kusu Island

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 00:01:00 +0800

Writer and researcher William L. Gibson undertakes a pilgrimage into the archives to uncover the history of the keramat on Kusu Island, south of the main island of Singapore.

Dr William L. Gibson is an author and a researcher based in Southeast Asia since 2005. His research topic for the Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship, awarded by the National Library Board in 2021, was an in-depth study of keramat in Singapore.

Transcript and Resources

Read the episode transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-keramat-kusu/
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-4-jan-mar-2023-shrines-keramat-kusu/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Mystery of Sarong Island

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 00:01:00 +0800

Librarian Lim Tin Seng rediscovers Singapore’s first island resort getaway and solves various mysteries surrounding it, including where Sarong Island is now.

Lim Tin Seng is a senior librarian with the National Library, Singapore. He is the co-editor of Roots: Tracing Family Histories (2013), Harmony and Development: ASEAN-China Relations (2009) and China’s New Soci al Policy (2010). He writes regularly for BiblioAsia.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-sarong-island/
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-3-oct-dec-2022-history-sarong-island-sentosa-singapore/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Beyond Firewalking

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:01:00 +0800

There's more to firewalking than the public display of religious devotion. Independent curator Nalina Gopal tells us the stories behind the three-month rituals that precede the firewalking at Singapore's Sri Mariamman Temple.

Nalina Gopal is an independent curator and researcher focused on South Asia and its diaspora. She is the co-editor of Sojourners to Settlers: Tamils in Southeast Asia and Singapore and the founder of Antāti, a historical research and museum consultancy.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-firewalking/
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-3-oct-dec-2022-theemithi-firewalking-festival/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Stone Age in Singapore

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 00:01:00 +0800

Stone tools have been found in and around Singapore since the late 19th century, but much about them remains a mystery, according to librarian and archaeologist Foo Shu Tieng.

Foo Shu Tieng is an associate librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia collections. Her responsibilities include collection management, content development as well as providing reference and research services. Her publications on ancient money, shell middens and salt can be found on ResearchGate.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-stone-tools/
Read the the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-4-jan-mar-2023-stone-tools-singapore/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Malaya's Prewar Tennis Greats

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0800

Writer Abhishek Mehrotra serves up a history of Malaya’s prewar tennis scene, focusing on two tennis greats: Khoo Hooi Hye and Lim Bong Soo, who won 9 Malaya Cups and 12 Singapore Championships between them.

Abhishek is a researcher and writer whose interests include media and society in colonial Singapore, urban toponymy and post-independence India. He is working on his first book – a biography of T.N. Seshan, one of India’s most prominent bureaucrats. The book, commissioned by HarperCollins, is slated for release in 2024. Abhishek is a former Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow (2021–2022).

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-tennis/
the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-19-issue-1-apr-jun-2023-tennis-history-singapore/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Belacan: Caviar or Vile?

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:04:00 +0800

A food that has been called rank and disgusting is a beloved condiment in Southeast Asia. Librarian Toffa Abdul Wahed talks about the long history of belacan (fermented shrimp) in Southeast Asia and Singapore.

Toffa is an associate librarian with the National Library, Singapore, and works with the Singapore and Southeast Asia Collection.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-belacan/
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-19-issue-1-apr-jun-2023-shrimp-paste-belacan/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

The Forgotten Murals of Paya Lebar Airport

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:03:00 +0800

Three large murals used to grace the walls of Paya Lebar Airport, depicting scenes from Singapore and Malaysia. Librarian Dahlia Shamsuddin, the daughter of one of the artists involved, recounts her efforts to uncover the fate of her father’s mural.

Dahlia is a senior librarian at the Singapore's National Library Board, where she catalogues legal deposit, gift and donor materials.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-murals
Read the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-17-issue-2-jul-sep-2021-murals-paya-lebar-airport

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

Taoist Folk Goddesses of Singapore

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:02:00 +0800

Maiden Lin, Maiden Lei and Maiden Huang are local goddesses whose legends begin in Singapore. Award-winning writer Ng Yi-Sheng dives into their origins and looks at their worship today.

Yi-Sheng is a poet, fictionist, playwright and researcher. His books include the debut poetry collection last boy, A Book of Hims and Loud Poems for a Very Obliging Audience, and the short story collection Lion City, which won the Singapore Literature Prize in 2020. He tweets and Instagrams at @yishkabob.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-taoist-folk-goddesses-singapore/
the original BiblioAsia article: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-4-jan-mar-2023-taoist-folk-goddesses-singapore/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.

My Grandfather Was a Rōmusha

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0800

During World War II, forced civilian labourers known as rōmusha were used by the Imperial Japanese Army to build the infamous Thai-Burma Railway. Shirlene Noordin pieces together what happened to her grandfather in the three years he worked on the Death Railway.

Shirlene is the founder of Phish Communications, a communications consultancy specialising in arts and culture.

Transcript and Resources

Read the transcript: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-grandfather-romusha-thai-burma-railway
Read the original BiblioAsia article:" https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/vol-18-issue-3-oct-dec-2022-grandfather-romusha-thai-burma-railway/

The BiblioAsia Podcast by the National Library Singapore tells stories about Singapore history.