#45 - Radio War: The history of the Voice of Malayan Democracy

#45 - Radio War: The history of the Voice of Malayan Democracy

Between 1981 and 1990, the Communist Party of Malaya’s clandestine radio station Voice of Malayan Democracy broadcast from southern Thailand, seeking to reach audiences in Malaysia and Singapore with revolutionary messages. Long after the armed insurgency had waned, the battle for hearts and minds continued through radio. We speak to Dr Ong Weichong, Senior Associate Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies about his new book Voice of Malayan Democracy: The Communist Party of Malaya’s Revived Radio War. We discuss the station’s programming, why it failed, and what it tells us about Cold War insurgencies and revolutionary politics.

#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.