Page 147 - Stories from our Grandparents

Mdm T an Siang Keng
I Temasek Polytechnic Born 19XX
never knew my grandparents, but the stories they shared with
By Lim Jun Yao Noel
my father who then shared with his own children, continues
to live with us. My grandfather was born in Shantou, China.
When he was about 19 years old, his uncle brought him to
Singapore to help look after the business that he had started.
At that time, the crime rate in My father was 10 years old when the racial riots in Singapore
Singapore was high and my great occurred. He told me of the scary events where a lot of fighting
granduncle needed help at the took place.
store so my grandfather agreed
to move from China to help. The “My father said that as the family lived in a
business involved the selling of multiracial kampung, residents took turns to do
spectacles, clothes, utensils and guard duty. The village head was a Malay assured
other accessories. The move that the Chinese would be safe. As they had known
happened at the time when the each other for a long time, the trust built was strong
Japanese had already invaded
Singapore during World War 2. and everyone felt safe in the kampong. This unity
was something that my dad always emphasised to
Soon after, my grandfather was match made to my grandmother, and he be among his most unforgettable memories.”
brought her over to Singapore as he became worried about the Japanese
attacking China. My grandmother took a ship to Singapore and was I am really impressed by my grandfather. As the Japanese
quarantined at St John's Island for two weeks before she could enter surrendered, everything fell apart for him – his uncle passed
Singapore. When the Japanese surrendered, my grandfather’s business on, the business closed, and he had to learn fishing and
suffered as the products sold at the store were made in Japan and people reared animals all by himself to provide for the family.
didn't buy from them to show protest. The business had to close. My This also made me realise the importance of knowing
grandfather and his family then moved to a kampung in Bedok where he my family’s heritage.
learnt fishing and started rearing chicken and other animals to provide for
the family. Fishing had to stop when the tides were rough so my grandfather
focused on taking care of the animals instead. That was sometime in 1946.
He then started a family of 6, with my father being the youngest.

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