Amoy Street As It Was

The Source

Nowadays we hear a lot about "heartlands" in official communiques. These usually refer to the large public housing estates where the majority of citizens live. As if the financial districts like Shenton Way or the new Marina Bay Financial Hub do not belong to the "heart" of Singapore. Amoy Street and Telok Ayer Street were never - thankfully - called the heartland although all the old citizens of Singapore knew that was where the source of the Chinese Hokien presence in Singapore was.

That was why the Chinese Middle School students marched to the Hokien Huay Kuan to protest their grievances. That was also why, I suspect, the British security forces shot the young man. He was supposed to be waving a red flag - actually to the best of my memory it was a white handkerchief (which could mean that he was surrendering?)The British wanted to show their teeth and what better way to demonstrate their power than by shooting from a distance.

But to return to Amoy Street. You cannot separate Amoy Street from Telok Ayer street and the short Boon Tat Street that linked these two over at the Upper Cross side. The people who lived in these three streets form a tight community.






As the photograph shows you walk from Telok Ayer Street by way of Boon Tat street into Amoy Street. McCallum Street that joined the other end of Amoy Street was never part of the community. In fact, Ang Siang Hill which led up from that side of Amoy Street to Eu Tong Seng Street was more frequented and used as a thoroughfare by the inhabitants.

These walkways were where the community circulated. At the back of Amoy Street for instance there was an alley which led out to Club Street and Cross Street while the other end led out to Ang Siang Hill. It was very difficult for any stranger to enter the area without being "spotted" and watched. Nowadays we call this the "kampong" spirit but it was also self policing. The community minded and looked after its own business and itself. Even plain clothes policemen who walked into the area were "approved" ones, recognized and accepted by the triads that ran the area.

The next photograph shows the back alley of Amoy Street - to all intents and purposes the size of a small lane.





It was in this narrow, crowded, dirty maze of streets that many stories were played out that resonated with the many larger events then taking place in Singapore. To understand more of this place the reader must understand the temples and spirit they represented.