The Hock Lee Bus Riot 12th May 1955
In order to do this oral history assignment, I am lucky to have my 1st auntie to be my interviewee on the Hock Lee Bus Riot in 1955. She is Mdm Thoo Siew Yoke age 66. She experiences the Hock Lee Bus Riot at 1955.
In 1955, Mdm Thoo was only 18 years of age, she is a seamstress that work for the European boss near Raffles place “Change Alley”. Mdm Thoo stayed at Block 15 Outram Hill , that was my old house and recently it has been demolished about a year or two ago [Transcript Q1-3]. Mdm Thoo has to take transport to her working place and one of the transports she took was the Hock Lee buses. She happened to know the incident from the Newspaper and the Redifusion about the riot that was happening near Alexandra road at the end of April 1955 [ Transcript Q8 ]. The riot became worse during the 1st 2weeks of the month of May.
The riot started at about April 23, 1955[Website 2]. It was due to the unpleasant working conditions that the bus workers have, for instance long working hours with low wages been paid to the workers [Website 2 and Transcript Q5}. Therefore the workers joined unions hoping that the unions will lend a hand to obtain better benefits in their work frame. With this discontent, the politician took the chance to create social instability. Thus with these reasons and some others the riot broke out. Somehow the bus workers were supported by some representatives “Fong Swee Suan & Lim Chin Siong”[Website 2 & Transcript Q9]. These people were there to help out for some political reasons with David Marshall as that time there was an election going on. Mr Fong Swee Suan was a pro-communists politicians, he controlled the bus workers union. During the May Day Rally speech in 1955 he stated: “ All workers must unite and should not hesitate to organise themselves into trade union to struggle for their own welfare. Workers must know that there is bound to be bloodshed in the course of a revolution and they must rise and unite” [ Website 2 ]. With this speech workers tempted to go on strike. This was the Pro-communist politicians objective, they wanted to have violence in Singapore. Thus they hope that the British and the local government led by David Marshall would be discredited. Further more, the Communist politicians some how form a faction with the People Action Party (PAP). Hence the Communist Politicians took the opportunity to foster violence.
The workers attempted to stop the buses from leaving the depot by forming a human barrier at the entrance of the bus depot. These formation of the human barrier was on and off from April 25 to May 12 the black Thursday. The human barrier was off because the strong police formation persuaded them to give up [Website 1]. Thus the buses were able to have their normal services to serve the public. During the delay my auntie have to wait for the bus services at Outram towards Raffles place for quite sometime. [Transcript Q6 & Q7]. As the day passes the situation of the riot got worsen. More and more people came into the riot even the students from the Chinese school came in the support the riot by providing food and entertainment to the workers. At April 27 the human barrier was once again formd and this time round the human barrier is more difficult to be suppress. Stones were thrown at the police while the police tried to break the human barrier.
April 28 to May 9 meeting and negotiation were held but the terms did not turn up to meet each other needs, therefore this lead to a black Thursday on 12 May 1955. On the 10th and 11th of May the human barrier was up again and this time round people in the riot were injured and ambulance arrived for medical assistance 8 persons were treated at the hospital [Website 1]. The Buses managed to come out from the depot but three of them were badly damaged by stones hurled by the crowds and had to return. Some bus still went on to the normal service route, Mdm. Thoo managed to took a bus to work on that day, but when the bus arrived at Outram she discovered that the bus was not in good condition, markings on the body of the bus, interior with broken fragments of glass that belong to the windows [ Transcript Q9 ].
On 12th May 1955 Black Thursday, the riot was at the peak. The government decided action to be taken to suppress the riot if not it may lead to general riots. The police used powerful water jets from the fire hose while the pickets retaliated by throwing stones and bottle at them [Website 2].
Road blocks were thrown around the danger area, one of the area was near my auntie house, the road that was blocked was Outram road[Website 1 & Transcript Q2]. The roads were closed as to prevent any form of motor vehicles, students and workers from getting to the place of incident particularly after dark. When Outram road was blocked up by the police, there wasn’t much activities going on here as it was consider the danger zone/area. Only a handful of residents staying near the vicinity and trishaws riders around. [ Transcript Q10 ] The condition here was more stable as compared to the bus depot at Alexandra Road.
In the evening at about 5pm, Radio of Malaya and Redifussion, warned citizens that the area was dangerous and asking people to avoid the place if possible. My auntie’s boss, Mr Paterson heard the news on the radio and convey the news in Chinese to my auntie. Later he offered to sent my auntie back[ Website 1 & Transcript Q11].
At about 7pm, the condition was worsen, the workers threw stones and bottles at the police. About 1000 persons attacked the police. Tear gas was used to overcome this incident. At this time the riot was almost uncontrollable 4 people were killed and 31 were injured [Website2 & Transcript Q13]. The people that were killed were a student, policeman, journalist and Volunteer Special Constable. The student was shot to death, the policeman was burnt to death in the car, where as for the journalist and Volunteer Special Constable suffered from fatal injuries and died.
The riot did not stop even after some death and injuries. There were repeated hit and run attacks throughout the night. The police try to suppress the people that go on strike by using tear gas. This was to prevent them to overwhelm the police by numbers. Through out the night there wasn’t much strain on the police. [Website 1].
The next day the student vanished but there were still large number of strikers moving around throughout the whole island. The riot considered to has come to an end on 14th of May evening [Website 1], when the Chief Minister David Marshall managed to resolve the Hock Lee Strikes to some negotiation [Transcript Q 13] This brought the Hock Lee Bus Riot to an end, workers later went back to work, bus services resume soon. But danger still remains as there were still other disputes going on that time.
Singapore is a developed country, the economy, political and social stability is remarkable at its present. But the situation in the 50s was not as stable as the present. The Hock Lee Bus Riot marked the most serious and bloody one in 1955. There were other riots and strike too. The Hock Lee Bus riot involves students from the ChineseMiddle School, workers, Pro-communist politicians, the government, (Chief Minister) and others. Bus services were disrupted, place were blocked up due to chaotic conditions and areas of danger. Many Chinese school students were badly affected by the communist-inspired leaders, into leading and support to the riots in the 50s. Nevertheless the police try their best to maintain laws and order. The numerous riots mark a key reminder that social stability is vital to the growth and success of Singapore.
Transcript
The conversation was in Hakka (khek) with my 1st auntie Mdm Thoo Siew Yoke she is currently 66 years old. She was born in 1937.
Q1) At the time of the riot, how old was both of you?
A1) 18 years old
Q2) Where were you staying at that time?
A2) Blk 15 Outram Hill (Recently demolished ).
Q3) What did you do for a living?
A3) A trainee seamstress that was learning how to sew. Not as professional as today. (both)
Q4) Can you remember when was the riot started and ended?
A4) Can’t really recall much, maybe in late April to about mid of May.
Q5) Do you know what causes the Hock Lee Bus Riot?
A5) I think it is the workers that was not happy with the new work load and low
wages that they were given. There were other rival companies at that time. The Hock Lee Buses are not only the bus transport that time there were other
company too. There were electric trams that were govern by the government and green bus that serve Bt. Timah to Johore. The Hock Lee Bus services were
servicing the city area. The colour of the Hock Lee Buses are white, green and
red.
Q6) During the period of the riot how do you get to work?
A6) I have to walk to my working place that is now known as Raffles place. It was
somehow inconvenience when it was raining as all my cloths will be wet when I reached my working place. But luckily the riot only lasted for about a month.
Q7)Why didn’t you take other alternatives transports for example taxis to work?
A7) Taxi was a kind of highclass transport at that time. Further more it was expensive and at that time our standard of living was not high and I need to save a lot for my sisters and brother to study.( Sister my 2nd & 3rd auntie and my dad). Thus occasionally I would think a trishaw to work if I am carrying to much cloth and done clothes to work. At that time the bus fare was ranging from 5cents to 25cents whereas for the trishaw is about 50cents to a dollars but prices are negotiable. For taxi it will be starting from a meter of 40cents.
Q8)Do you have any idea where is the actual location that the bus riot occurs?
A8) The location that the riot was took place is around Alexandra road where is now the HYUNDAI and VOLVO showroom is. That is the bus depot at that time.
Q9)How was the situation there, what form of activities are going on at the riot?
A9) The situation was not very good at that time, there were others who join the bus riots. The students from the Chinese school came into action with the workers of the bus company. They help to organise funds, brought food for the workers. This riots somehow have some linkage to two person that time but I could not remember who are they but I know the names, they are “Fong Sui Suan and Lim Chin Xiong”. The workers somehow made a barrier to prevent the buses from coming out of the depot. During the period that I have to take the bus from Outram to Raffles place the bus that came from the depot was not very good in shape. There were markings, broken fragment pieces of windows in the interior. As in the second week of May I did not take the buses to work, as I found that it is not safe and further more I am not carrying much things. Therefore I walked to Raffles place.
Q10) Outram was consider in the danger zone, were there any activities there?
A10) Yes it is consider a danger zone, the police set up road blocks to stop all forms of motor-vehicles in certain places and Outram road was one of the road that was being block. With these road blocks it also stop people from getting into the riots and join them. There wasn’t much activities after the road was block, not much of motor-vehicles moving around and people were lesser then, as it was a danger zone. Only a handful of residents staying near the vicinity and trishaws riders around. The condition here was stable, there wasn’t as much activities as happening at the bus depot.
Q11)How did you get home after work when Outram road was declared as danger zone?
A11)Oh thanks god, my European boss sent me back home by car after he heard the news on the radio. He is a nice boss, his name is Mr. Paterson. He dropped me at Chin Swee Road as Outram Road was closed. Then he walked me up to Outram hill as at that time there wasn’t any proper road path yet. As Outram Hill was a new estate at that time.
Q12) How do you feel and does it affect you from going to work?
A12) I felt very uneasy as Outram was pretty near the place of riot and I do not have
transport to work when I needed that. I am a bit scare when I heard the news on Redifusion and pictures on the newspaper(Sin Chow daily & Nanyang Daily) shows a chaotic condition taking place at the depot. Fires, buses been turn upside down and so on. People and students were killed or injured it was a very sad thing to see and hear.
Q13) Do you know how this issue was being resolved?
A13)Not very sure but what I know the problem was solved after a few days when some people died and injured. I guess Lim Yew Hock came to settle the dispute. I don’t really recall how actually it comes to an end.
Q14)Is there any other things you would like to add to the issue on Hock Lee Bus riot?
A14)No, I think that’s all I know.
THANK YOU ANUTIE.
References.
- The Hock Lee Bus Riot
(
- 1955 Hock Lee Bus Riot
(
- 1950s
(
- The Certificate History of Malaya 1400-1965 by M.Muthulinggam,Tan Phing Choo,Peony.