REDISCOVER THE PIONEERING SPIRIT AND PERSONAL LIVES OF PERANAKANS

Transcription

1 Media Release For immediate release REDISCOVER THE PIONEERING SPIRIT AND PERSONAL LIVES OF PERANAKANS Singapore, 19 May 2015 They have been well recognized for their culture, fashion, and food. Few may know, however, that Peranakans contributed significantly to the development of Singapore, since well before independence. The latest exhibition by the Peranakan Museum, Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives, explores this aspect of the community, casting a spotlight on 50 individuals who made their mark on Singapore with their pioneering spirit in areas ranging from art and education, to business and public service. The exhibition is presented across three historical periods Pioneering a Settlement ( ), Growing a Settlement to a City ( ), and Growing a Nation ( ). During the colonial period, cultural adaptability and fluency in English, Chinese dialects, and Malay enabled Peranakans to move easily in both the world of the Chinese community in the regions,

2 as well as in the British colonial system. They had close ties to the British, who looked to Peranakan leaders to facilitate commerce and ensure stability in Singapore. But the exhibition also highlights how they were strong advocates for the rights of the Chinese community, championing issues such as education for women, elimination of opium and gambling, and Chinese-language newspapers that reinforced values and gave the people a voice. Dr Alan Chong, director of the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum, explains: Over the centuries, Peranakans have played major roles as community leaders, philanthropists, and statesmen. We have chosen 50 remarkable Peranakans from many different walks of life as our contribution to the jubilee year. Some of these men and women are well known, while others were famous in their time, but are now forgotten. The range is remarkable: from several different political parties, to educators and entertainers. They were variously fluent in English, Malay, and Hokkien, and Teochew. Some were distinguished British knights while others were opium lords. But they all contributed to Singapore s history. More than 200 objects are on display, including spectacular furnishings, personal belongings, rare portraits, handwritten letters, and objects of everyday use. They all contribute to paint pictures of the professional and personal stories of the 50 individuals chosen for the exhibition. A portrait of Malaysia s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, showcases the work of the self-taught Peranakan artist Low Kway Song. He was often engaged to make portraits of prominent members of society in Singapore and Malaya. A Bukit Brown cemetery record book, displayed in the section on See Tiong Wah, one of the founders, shows the wealth of detail recorded about the persons buried there, including dialect group. And Mrs Seow Peck Leng, founding president of the Singapore Women s Association, as well its first female opposition politician, is represented by a kerosang she wore and a campaign poster from the 1963 elections. Visitors can also discover new stories about many well-known personalities. Women are outnumbered in the selected group, reflecting the cloistered lives of nyonyas before the 20th century. Women as a whole are not as well-documented as men, but their contributions can be felt in a range of culture, including dress, food, residences, and social behavior. Some individuals stand out. Lee Choo Neo, Singapore s first Chinese female doctor, was also a pioneering advocate for women s rights. Maggie Lim, the first woman to win the prestigious

3 Queen s Scholarship, became a pioneering social activist and helped pave the way for a generation of Singapore women to fight for equal rights and family issues. A photograph of Lim with the staff of the Mother and Child Health Services illustrates the strong network of maternal and child care clinics she developed. Exhibition co-curator Ms Maria Khoo Joseph notes, The efforts of these Peranakans gained them respect in government and society. They formed lasting cultural associations, wrote widely in English, Chinese, and Malay, and left legacies in art, education, social reform movements, and entertainment. What makes the Great Peranakans exhibition even more valuable is the insights visitors can gain into the personal lives of these exemplary figures. The museum has produced a profusely illustrated, hard-bound catalogue to accompany the exhibition. Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives presents historical essays on Peranakan culture and entries on each of the fifty men and women selected for the exhibition. The book retails for $30, and is available at Museum Label, and all fine bookstores. The exhibition will also be the first by a National Heritage Board museum to be featured on the Google Cultural Institute, a virtual museum that brings together exhibits and collections from museums and archives around the world. In addition, a mobile application will be launched to provide interested visitors with more information. Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives will run from 23 May 2015 to 3 April 2016 at the Peranakan Museum. All Singapore citizens and permanent residents enjoy free admission to the exhibition. ### For media enquiries, kindly contact: Ms Khew Shu Ping Account Manager Tate Anzur DID: Mobile: shuping.khew@tateanzur.com Ms Sharinita Ismail Assistant Director Asian Civilisations Museum DID: Mobile: sharinita_ismail@nhb.gov.sg

4 About the Peranakan Museum The Peranakan Museum explores the culture of Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia. Installed in the former Tao Nan Chinese School, built in 1912, this intimate museum possesses one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of Peranakan objects. Galleries on three floors illustrate the cultural traditions and the distinctive visual arts of the Peranakans. The Peranakan Museum provides a stimulating and educational experience for all, while representing the living culture of the Peranakan community in the region. The museum is a component of the Asian Civilisations Museum, operating under the National Heritage Board.

5 About the exhibition Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives 高山仰止 50 位土生社群先驱的非凡人生 Dates : 23 May April 2016 Venue : Peranakan Museum 39 Armenian Street, Singapore Website : Enquiries : / nhb_pm_vs@nhb.gov.sg Admission charges : Free for all Singapore citizens and permanent residents Individual: $6 Friday evening, 7pm to 9pm: $3 Foreign students and seniors: $3 Friday evening: $1.50 Opening hours : Monday to Sunday: 10am 7pm (to 9pm on Friday) Getting There : By MRT A 10-minute walk from City Hall or Bras Basah MRT stations By Car Paid parking is available next to the Peranakan Museum By Bus 7, 14, 16, 36, 77, 106, 111, 124, 128, 131, 147, 162,162M, 166, 167, 171, 174, 175, 190, 700, 700A and 857 List of Great Peranakans featured in the exhibition Cheang Hong Lim Responsible for one of Singapore s first public gardens, Hong Lim Park 2 Gan Eng Seng Founder of a bilingual Chinese-English school, then known as Anglo- Chinese Free School for the poor, and now renamed as Gan Eng Seng School 3 Seah Eu Chin Established Singapore s first large plantation of gambier, leader of the Teochew community, Singapore s largest Chinese dialect group in the early nineteenth century, founder of Ngee Ann Kongsi and Wak Hai Cheng Bio 4 Tan Beng Swee Founder of the Tan clan temple 5 Tan Kim Ching First Thai consul in Singapore 6 Tan Kim Seng Started the Chui Eng Si (Academy of Flourishing Talent), one of Singapore s first Chinese-language school and strong supporter of the improvement of Singapore s water supply 7 Tan Kim Tian Founder of the Tan Kim Tian and Son Steamship Company, one of the first Chinese firms in Singapore to buy and build ships, first President of the Tan Si

6 Chong Su, the Tan clan temple 8 Tan Tock Seng - The first Asian to be appointed a justice of the peace in Singapore, founder of Singapore s first hospital for poor Chinese, founder of the Thian Hock Keng Temple 9 Wee Bin Owner of an early shipping company in Singapore Chan Kim Boon Translator of Chinese tales into Malay, making them more accessible to the people 11 Cheong Koon Seng Set up the first major theatre in Singapore that presented performances in Malay 12 Chew Joo Chiat King of Joo Chiat 13 Goh Hood Keng First Straits Chinese to be ordained a Methodist minister and played a major role in establishing schools in Singapore such as Anglo-Chinese School and the Sophia Blackmore s schools for Indian and Chinese girls 14 Koh Hoon Teck Founder of Gunong Sayang Association, one of the earliest Peranakan theatre associations in Singapore 15 Lee Cheng Yan First Straits Chinese to visit Britain on business and founded the Straits Steamship company, the first joint Singapore-European shipping enterprise 16 Lee Choo Neo Singapore s first female physician 17 Lee Choon Guan Instrumental in the establishment of the Chinese Commercial Bank (later merged to become Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation) 18 Lim Boon Keng First Chinese to be awarded the Queen s scholarship and founding member of the Singapore Chinese Girls School 19 Lim Nee Soon Founded the revolutionary paper Thoe Lam Jit Poh and participated in the founding of the Singapore branch of the Tongmenghui, the Nationalist underground organisation 20 Lim Peng Siang - Instrumental in the establishment of the Chinese Commercial Bank (later merged to become Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation) and President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce 21 Low Kway Song First Singapore artist to receive a four-figure sum for a commission, the portrait of Oei Tiong Ham in 1927, founding member of the Merrilads Musical and Dramatic Association, a popular Peranakan performing group 22 Mrs Lee Choon Guan (Tan Teck Neo) Founder of the Chinese Ladies Association, now known as the Chinese Women s Association and strong supporter of a number of women s causes including scholarships for Chinese midwives and an endowment for the Singapore Chinese Girls School 23 Mrs Tay Lian Teck (Tan Chew Neo) One of the founders of the Chinese Ladies Association, one of the first two women appointed to the Chinese Advisory Board and one of the first 18 women created justices of the peace in Oei Tiong Ham Leading sugar producer in the Dutch East Indies and contributed to Raffles College and Tao Nan School

7 25 Ong Boon Tat Opened Singapore s first amusement park, New World 26 Pang Teck Joon Translated classical Chinese novels into Baba Malay, making them more accessible to the people 27 Seah Liang Seah Second Chinese member of the Straits Legislative Council 28 See Ewe Lay Started Lat Pau, the first Chinese-language daily newspaper in Singapore 29 See Tiong Wah Founding director of Great Eastern, founder of Bukit Brown Cemetary 30 Song Ong Siang First Chinese from Malaya to receive a British knighthood, second Chinese Queen s Scholar, spearheaded several progressive initiatives such as the Straits Chinese Magazine, the Straits Chinese British Association and the Singapore Chinese Girls School 31 Tan Boo Liat Founder of the Singapore Chinese Girls School and founding member of the Straits Chinese British Association and President of the Kuomintang in Singapore 32 Tan Chay Yan Prime instigator of Malaya s rubber industry and helped form the Eastern United Assurance Corporation 33 Tan Cheng Kee Pioneer of the entertainment industry including Alhambra, Marlborough, and palladium theatres, as well as Luna Park 34 Tan Jiak Kim Prime force in the establishment of the medical school in Singapore 35 Tan Keong Saik Helped form the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Goh Keng Swee Architect of Singapore s public policy 37 Goh Soon Tjoe Pioneer in the development of classical music in Singapore 38 Kwa Geok Choo First woman from Malaya to graduate with a first-class honours at the University of Cambridge, prepared the crucial water provision that guaranteed Singapore s water supply from Johor after separation from Malaysia and helped draft the Women s Charter 39 Kwa Siew Tee One of the three Asians to receive an honorary law degree from the University of Malaya 40 Lee Kuan Yew Singapore s first Prime Minister 41 Lim Kim San First Chairman of Singapore s Housing and Development Board (HDB), first person awarded the Order of Temasek 42 Lim Yew Hock Singapore s second chief minister and founder of the Singapore Trades Union Congress, the forerunner to the present National Trades Union Congress 43 Maggie Lim First woman to win the prestigious Queen s Scholarship and pioneer of family planning 44 Mrs Seow Peck Leng (Iris Chua Seng Kim) Singapore s first female opposition member of parliament, women s right advocate and founding president of Singapore Women s Association 45 Seow Eu Jin First Peranakan architect and an early advocate for the preservation of Singapore s built heritage 46 Sylvia Kho Best known bridal designer in Singapore

8 47 Tan Cheng Lock First genuine Chinese politician in the Straits Settlements and advocated for a united Malaya without racial political divisions 48 Tan Chin Tuan Responsible for OCBC s far-sighted strategy of investing in blue-chip companies during periods of uncertainty 49 Toh Chin Chye Singapore s first deputy Prime Minister 50 William Tan Wee Liam Pioneer Peranakan actor, playwright, director and producer Programme Highlights Talk: Cheah Cheang Lim, Straits Chinese reformer Date: 29 May 2015 (Friday) Speaker: Salma Khoo Nasution, publisher and author of books on Penang and Perak Free admission The gift of an unpublished manuscript on Cheah Cheang Lim prompted Khoo Salma Nasution to learn more, and then write about Cheah. A Malayan patriot, he contributed to social improvement in Perak, looked to England and China for inspiration, but considered Penang his true home. This talk will explore the complex cultural affiliations of the Straits Chinese in a nascent nation, illuminating the questions of ethnicity, citizenship, and nationality, topics that continue to be debated today. Talk: The Colonial State in the Making of a Peranakan Community Date: 9 June 2015 (Tuesday) Speaker: Kwa Chong Guan, Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University Free admission The beginnings of the Peranakan community have usually been traced to the Chinese merchants who put down roots in the region and successfully adapted to the new social milieu, developing what we today celebrate as Peranakan. This lecture will examine the role played by the colonial state in providing the economic and political conditions and incentives that persuaded and enabled these Chinese merchants to put down those roots. The lecture will also examine the fate of these communities after decolonization. Programme: Straits Family Sunday-Supersized! 14 June 2015, 1 to 5pm Free admission from 1 to 5pm Move to the beat of the yesteryear and dance to songs enjoyed by young Peranakans of the past. Create your own container inspired by old gramophone and vinyl records. Dress up in

9 baba and nyonya costumes or relax with a good book in the reading corner. Enjoy a funfilled experience with the whole family. Programme: Straits Family Sunday-Supersized! 9 August 2015, 1 to 5pm Free admission from 1 to 5pm Get to know your Peranakan pioneers this National Day! Join a guided tour in the galleries exploring life stories, or make art inspired by the collection. Dress up in a batik shirt or sarong kebaya and take a commemorative photo with the whole family. Visit for more exciting talks and programmes.