CTL202 (HISTORY TOPICS FOR PRI. STUDENTS)Lim Tow Hee
037626E09
ORAL HISTORY Assignment
(July 1964 Racial Riot)
NAME: Lim Tow Hee
MATRIC NO: 037626E09
MODULE: CTL202 (HISTORY TOPICS FOR PRI. STUDENTS)
COURSE TUTOR: DR. KEVIN BLACKBURN
PROGRAMME: Bsc (ED)
The 1964 riot was a major event that took place which indirectly had changed the course of Singapore’s history. The topic was often mentioned in concordance with what we known now as the “Racial Harmony Week”. Many would have known more about the Racial Harmony Week compared to the Racial Riot as the Racial Harmony Week was celebrated among Singapore’s school. However it taught the importance of having a harmonious society among the different ethnic groups in Singaporebutthe younger generation may not know what actually happened that promoted the rise of the harmony week. The government had well planned to make the community in Singapore live together as one big family in this peaceful, clean and safe environment, to prevent the occurrence of past tragedy that happened in 21 July 1964. Although the riot happened forty years ago, but it has not been forgotten. The racial riot that Singapore had gone through serves a purpose and has implication for the next generation to learn from.
The Singapore’s history had always bored me to the core when I was forced to learn it during my primary and secondary education. The National education objective was to bring a sense of patriotism upon learning the Singapore independence. However it did not had much effect on me, only through the national service I had noticed that defending a country and building it will be so difficult and I came to realized history was so important that it keep the memory of the past and educate the present and recorded what changes had gone through. Upon doing this oral history assignment, it made me had a better understanding of how the past was so memorable to each different individual.
I had the privilege to interview my father, Mr Lim Meng Hai, which was living in one of the kampong in Geylang area where the riot occur. The areas most badly hit by the riots were confined along Geyland Road, Guillemard Road and Geylang Serai 1.Mr Lim Meng Hai was able to narrate his past experience during the July 1964 riot at the comfort of his own home. With the current age of 65, he was 25 when the racial riot occurred. He had remembered the past vividly as it will be consider his young adulthood years. He was enthusiastic to share the experience with me as he mentioned that there is hardly anyone interested to hear about his past. His accounts mainly included a recount before the racial riots, the events that took place on 21st of July 1964 and the aftermath it created and the resolution of the riot. The most interesting thing will be on how his family and Chinese living in the kampong reacted to the series of events and the disruption of the tranquility the kampong had. He was able to share some accounts mentioned by his friends and at his workplace because he was working in a restaurant and discussion, small talk between colleagues and even customers often happened in this type of venue in the past.
On 21st July 1964 the starting point of the racial riot and it is seen as the worst case in Singapore’s history because of the large number of casualties involved: 23 people had died and there were 454 injured casualties 2. It was supposedto be a joyous day for the Malay community as it was the annual celebration of Prophet Mohammed’s birthday; there were twenty five thousands of Muslims who had originally gathered at the Padang for annual celebration3. It was held just two days after the Singapore Prime Minister’s meeting with Malay organizations, and three months after an intensive and sustained campaign by the Singapore United Malays National Organization (SUMNO) and the Malay press to depict Singapore Malays and Muslims as victims of a cruel racial persecution by the People’s Action Party (PAP) government 4, the timing of the religious rally and the scale of the gathering seems like a potentially explosive that a slight incident could easily trigger it off. Indeed the event turned out to be disastrous to all as the potential explosive exploded. The procession was marching towards their settlement at Geylang Serai when chaos started to run loose. “A series of disturbances occurred as more groups became unruly and attacked passers-by and innocent bystanders. The disturbances have spread rapidly throughout the Geylang area and by 7.30 pm, trouble broke out in the city itself”5. Shops were closed and food prices were rising due to the curfew and no one will dare to roam around in the streets as he could easily be the next target for the attack Only the Chinese and Malay were involved in the racial fight and the clashes were commonly reported in Geylang area which was well know as Malay world. The Chinese had been the defensive party in the earlier stage of the riot had showing retaliation by attacking Malays in the predominantly Chinese areas at Queen Street, Rochore Road and Victoria Street6. The violence lasted a week and during this period Singapore was basically malfunctioning as curfew was implemented and fights were repeatedly reported in the news. With all this pre knowledge available, with reference to various sources as mostly they will narrate about the political issue that had upraised and the accusation of both parties of the PAP and the Malaysia federal. I will look into the personal recount of a commoner during that time of period and the common scenes that were seldom mention or discussed in books.
Mr Lim Meng Hai was traveling to his work place near City Hall area as he noticed there was a lot of commotion in the morning. Police was activated to patrol the area due to the event of the Malay gathering was made know to the public as there will be a procession at the Padang. The activation of the police force was seen as a sign of precaution to most people as it will be a day of celebration for the Malay community rather than any major outbreak. The relationship in his kampong was well maintained between the Chinese and Malay all this while. He still remembered talking to one of his Malay friends in the kampong before he set off to work. There was radio broadcast at his workplace and it was from the news that he heard that along Kallang Roadcase of assault was reported 7.During the outbreak of the riot, Chinese was the main victims as Chinese was attacked by a group of Malay which the group consisted at least 10 people. The first assault recorded case would be the Chinese FRU constable who was trying to pacify a group of Malay who broke away the section of the procession to return back to the mainstream. The Malay were shouting “Pukul, pukul sama dia” (Strike, let’s all strike him) and the crowd becoming more aggressive and started to surround him and throw punched at him 6. Beside physical attack Chinese stalls and shops were also damaged and their property was set on fire. The fighting spread to other streets when news was spreading around that fight had started between the Malay and Chinese. Shouting could be heard as the Malay was proclaiming the strike towards Chinese and the PAP group. Those who were caught in the middle of the riot seek shelter from shops and police station and try to get transport back to their kampong as passerby or walking alone on the streets and easy target for group attack.
The experience for Mr Lim Meng Hai in the kampong had also changed due to the outbreak of the riot. When he bypassed the Malays’ house he was ‘welcome’ by empty bottles and stones when the Malay started throwing at him and cursing the Chinese. The once peaceful kampong harmony had been broken down and all of the people had turned on their guard in case the different ethnic group tried to attack them. In the late evening a state of danger to public order was proclaimed, a curfew was imposed throughout the island. Shops were closed, buses were pulled off the streets and everyone was advised to stay indoors9. Some of his neighbours were unable to return back to the kampong and they seek refuge in police stations. .
The curfew brought only temporary relief as many did not strictly obeyed and there was still gathering of Chinese and Malay both armed with offensive weapons. Fights still occurred during the curfew duration and many were caught in the process. The tension had reach new boiling point as there was news about death cases, a household outside Mr Lim’s kampong was killed during the night. The whole family which had elderly and children were all killed none was sparred. Upon notify of the situation the Chinese in the kampong had constructed a road block at the border line between the Chinese and Malay houses to show their resistance if there was any provocation. They knew that although the Malay in the kampong will not attack the Chinese within the kampong as they were once friends, but they were afraid that other Malay group would enter the kampong and attack them. Since the Malay in the kampong will most probably let other Malay groups to enter the village without any resistance. As rumor was heard that other kampong was rampage by the Malay and attack the Chinese.
The riot did not cease at the second day, 22nd of July, as curfew was lifted in the morning more cases of assault can be heard over the radio. The Chinese does not step out of the kampong, school had stopped and most of the shops remained close during that period. The Chinese in the kampong started to gather men to patrol in the night to prevent any attack from any outsider. Mr Lim and his younger brother were gathered into the temporary ‘defense force’. “There were at least twenty Chinese men from the kampong and we were armed with knives or wooden rods” 10. They patrolled the whole night until the first daylight and then rested during the day time. They were contained in the kampong and they depended on the radio to get information about what happening outside their kampong and their food resource were getting scarce.
This type of miserable living of patrolling at night and day time living in fear went on for two days. By Friday, 24thof July the communal clashes had subsided considerably with only seven incidents reported. The next few days there was a further decline in the number of assaults and on 2nd of August the curfew which started on 21st of July was lifted completely 11. The first three days of the riot were the most memorable for Mr Lim as it was his first time to experience a major clash between the communal.
The information presented reflected on how the past was subject to multiple interpretations. Beside the official documentation, personal interpretive may also be shifted according to the context which events were describe and recorded, but as for the more popular memory and understanding most of the information was in concordance with each other. However ethnic group memories differ from one another especially between the Chinese and Malay and the view and interpret of the riot from their ethnic perspective. The younger generation which was learning their historical knowledge has no personal memory of its own to counter the documented memory. Also they will most probably be infused of what their elders had told them about. Those in authority often had the power to control and construct the memory need for the people. The memory of the riot can be reconstructed many times, however the memory of the event lives on and it will be constantly be reviewed by others and in optimistic view all information will be unfold.
CTL202 (HISTORY TOPICS FOR PRI. STUDENTS)Lim Tow Hee
037626E09
References
F.J George (1992) Successful Singapore, SS Mubaruk & Brothers Pte Ltd
Albert Lau(1998) A Moment of Anguish: Singapore in Malaysia and the Politics in Disengagemen, Times Academic Press
Lee Kuan Yew (1998) The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew, Times Editions Pte Ltd
Online References
Internal security department
Retrieved as at14 October 2004
Little Speck
Retrieved as at 14 October 2004
Trials & Turbulence in 1964
Retrieved as at 14 October 2004
CTL 202 Oral History Assignment
Profile of Interviewee
Name: Lim Meng Hai
Date of Birth: 26th of June1939
Place of Birth: China
Spoken Language: Chinese
Family Details:
Wife: Hun Boh Tee
No. of Children: 3, born between 1974 and 1980
Parents: Born in China (deceased)
Oral Interview Transcript
This transcript contains only relevant extracts of the interview conducted in Chinese.
Where do you live during the racial riot which happen in 1964?
I only lived for less than one year at the Kampong Bata which were situated in Geylang and unluckily that was the year which the riot started. There were more Malay than Chinese in the kampong. The Malay lived nearer to the exit of the village and the Chinese lived at the rear of the village. Geylang was called the Malay world as many Malay lived in that area.In our kampong only Chinese and Malay lived there. There was harmony in the kampong as no major dispute among the races in our village. We did communicate with the Malay before the Racial Riot. During the racial riot we did not speak to the Malays.
How is the political situation from 1963-1964?
I am not sure as I was not keen in knowing about the politics in Singapore but I heard from my colleagues that the Malaysia government was always opposing the PAP
Do you know why they started to have argument?
Initally I had no idea as that day as need to work in the restaurant, so as usual I drive my scooter to work, however I can see a lot of police in the city hall area as I think they are holding their celebration there. While I was working I heard the news broadcasted in the radio that there was fighting at Kallang Road and when I drove back after work I think the riot had already started. It was only when the riot end then my Chinese colleague told me that the Malay started to attack the Chinese in the streets. However the Malay in our kampong claimed that it was the Chinese who initiated the fight first when the Malay was having their procession.
Were you caught in the riot?
“Heng Heng” (luckily) I noticed something was wrong when I was traveling back home from work. I saw a Chinese guy attacked by a group of Malay from afar while I was driving. They were all wearing black coloured clothing I was very worried and I quickly drive into a small lane. I was able to hear faintly the Chinese guy shouting for help I wanted to help but I was afraid that I will be beaten up by the Malay.
I could hear Malay shouting “Pukul, pukul sama” (Strike, let’s all strike). I can see wreckages everywhere. Overturned scooters and broken window of the cars, everything was chaotic. I think something was set on fire as I notice the road was quite smoky.
However my second younger brother wasn’t that lucky as he was caught in the riot, he saw gangster start throwing stones, bottles at shophouses. Then the gangster started to attacked passer by. He started running and try to look for Chinese shop houses to take shelter. He had trouble finding one as almost all of the shops were closed. Instead he managed to find a Hindu shop to hide. Then he managed to stopped a bus and scrambled into it and they were all going back to our kampong. There was a group of Malay trying to stop their bus when they were on the way back. The Malays wanted the Chinese to get down and they tried to block their way. All of the Chinese passenger shouted to move on so the bus driver just sped up and drove through the Malay group. My brother look back and they saw the Malay taking out their parang and chasing the car. Luckily the driver was a Indian guy. If he was Malay he most probably will stop the bus and let the Malay killed the Chinese. He also saw Malay chasing the Chinese when he was in the car, the Malay was acting like blood thirsty animal. Beside my brother the rest of my family manage to reach home safely before the curfew had been implemented. However some of the people from the kampong seek refuge in the police station when the curfew was imposed their family was crying and shouting as they thought something had happened to their them but they only return back to the kampong on the next day when the curfew was lifted.
Do you carry out your normal routine during the riot?
Yes, before the riot broke out I still went to work, but after the riot broke. They started throwing things at us e,g stones or empty bottles asI had to went past the Malays where they lived near the exit/entrance. Luckily I was driving a motorcycle at least I got a safety helmet and I was traveling at fast speed. My siblings who had no private vehicle dare not go near the exit. All my sisters dare not go to the school after the riot and the school also announced close during the riot period.