The Historyogi Podcast

#44 - Making Fish: The history of colonial fish experiments in Singapore & Malaya

In 1923, the Fisheries Department of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States was formed. During the period between the two world wars, the department conducted experiments on catching fish, preserving fish and growing more fish in Singapore and Malaya. Today, we speak to Choo Ruizhi, a PhD Candidate in History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, about his research into the fisheries department’s attempts to change local fishing and consumption practices by introducing European methods. We also discuss why it’s useful to understand this forgotten era of experimentation and its relation to colonial power and science.

#43 - Mayhem in May: The 1957 Asian Flu epidemic in colonial Singapore (with Liam Hoo)

Singaporeans are generally familiar with the Covid 19 pandemic and the Sars epidemic from 2003. But did you know Singapore faced a flu epidemic in 1957? Today, we speak to Liam Hoo, author of a new journal article [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-southeast-asian-studies/article/abs/mayhem-in-may-a-social-history-of-the-1957-asian-flu-epidemic-in-the-colony-of-singapore/F835F3443652E7BF14A942B82198A226] on the 1957 Asian Flu’s impact on Singapore. We discuss the poor response of the colonial authorities as well as how media coverage shaped social responses to the flu outbreak. The curious case of Pulau Sudong provides an interesting example of how these factors came together.

#42 - The First Fools: Lesser-known histories of Singapore's Old Guard (with Peh, Derek & Jaime)

Singapore’s Old Guard leaders are well known as politicians and cabinet ministers. But the ten of them also had lesser-known passions and careers beyond politics. Today, we speak to Peh, Derek and Jaime, co-writers of the book The First Fools: B-Sides Of Lee Kuan Yew’s A-Team. In this episode, we focus on three specific Old Guard leaders: E.W. Barker, Othman Wok and Yong Nyuk Lin, and learn about what kept them going amidst the huge challenges of Singapore’s early years.

#41 - The story of Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General who cleaned up Singapore (with Samantha & Matthew)

Singapore has a long standing reputation as a clean and green city. It is also known as the Garden City. But did you know things were completely different in the 1960s? People were crammed in overcrowded and unsanitary living spaces and public areas, allowing diseases and pollution to spread easily. A pioneer civil servant, Lee Ek Tieng, stepped up to implement major reforms to improve Singapore’s environment. Today, we speak to Samantha Boh and Matthew Gan, co-writers of the new book [https://nutgraf.com.sg/product/lee-ek-tieng-the-green-general-of-lee-kuan-yew/] “Lee Ek Tieng: The Green General of Lee Kuan Yew”. We discuss how this Green General marshalled resources to clean up Singapore and set new standards for the city we now live in.

#40 - Malayan Classicism: The history of classical architecture in Singapore (with Soon-Tzu Speechley)

Across Malaysia and Singapore, thousands of historic buildings are richly ornamented with motifs drawn from Ancient Greece and Rome.These classical details mix with ideas drawn from other architectural traditions from across Asia in a style that is unique to the region. Today, we speak to Dr Soon-Tzu Speechley, Lecturer in Urban and Cultural Heritage at the University of Melbourne, about his book Malayan Classicism, which explores how the British Empire’s classical architecture was transmitted, translated, and transformed in the hands of local builders and architects. The paperback version of Malayan Classicism is nowavailable [https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/malayan-classicism-9781350360389/].