Page 17 - Stories from our Grandparents

was born on 11 January 1949, in post-World War Two in Singapore. Mr Liw Sin Liong BORN 1941 orn on 11th September
I was born in hard times; the British had just recently left the country 1941, my grandfather,
and the economy was bad. My parents had a hard time making ends By Berwyn Liw Li Jun Mr Liw Sin Liong, was
ITE College West
Imeet. At the age of 12, I had to quit school as my parents could no Bborn in Pengerang, Kota
longer afford to provide for my education. Singapore back then was Tinggi, Malaysia. Unfortunately,
really under-developed and nothing like what it is today. I remember that both his parents passed away before he migrated to Singapore.
I had to struggle and work in demanding jobs even at a young age. Financially strapped, Mr Liw was desperate to find a job to support
himself. That was when he migrated to Singapore in search of a job.
After leaving school, I began to work at
Circuit Road, selling roasted peanuts and The most memorable experience during his
water buckets. I used to make 2 dollars a day childhood days was when he was extracting
or 70 dollars a month. I wanted to use the
money to go back to school, but it just wasn’t rubber sap with his mother. The rubber sap
enough. I think I was resigned to my fate. that Mr Liw and his mother extracted will be
sold to various rubber factories. He had to
Things only improved after Singapore One of the happier
became independent and Mr. Lee Kuan moments of my life was wake up at 5 am in the morning everyday with
Yew assumed leadership of the country. when I met my wife at his mother to extract the rubber sap.
Only then did we begin to get more
resources such as food and housing; the age of 22 in Thailand Although this was not the most enjoyable experience for typical
I managed to get better jobs and no on a holiday. We got people, to him, the most meaningful thing was to be able to work
longer had to do hard labour. married at the age of 24. together and spend time with his mother.

Things are different now for the younger Life was still hard due to During the early years of Singapore’s independence, Singapore became
generation. They are lucky they do the lack of money. We more industrialised and Jurong has been introduced to Singapore; SBS
not have to experience what we went had to do some farming buses were introduced as well. Mr Liw’s first occupation was a shopkeeper
through. Today’s world is very different and even fishing so that for a leather shop at Bugis. The job did not pay him well and he eventually
and it’s quite remarkable how much resigned. He also worked as a driver for a cement company and served the
Singapore has prospered and grown. we would have enough company for 9 years before retiring in 2001.
What we have achieved as a nation is far to eat. I worked as a Mr Liw feels that Singapore is a well-developed
beyond anything we had ever imagined plumber until I retired nation today. However, he feels that Singapore
and hoped for. when I was 68 after will not be what it is today if not for the
sustaining an injury. pioneers. Mr Liw aspires for the future
generations to contribute to the society
and give back to the community.

Mr Tay Bak Chee
BORN 1949

By Veronica Ng Wan Qing
16 ITE College East Grandpa Stories 17
Grandpa Stories