A publishing sensation in the 1970s and 1980s, Son of Singapore traces the extraordinary upbringing of an Everyman. As a Teochew farm boy coming of age during the Japanese Occupation, Tan Kok Seng enters the “university of the world” at only 15, becoming a coolie at the Orchard Road market. On his rounds to the homes of the “Red Hairs”, he befriends a group of Chinese dialect-speaking Caucasians who inspire him to improve himself beyond his humble roots. Set against Singapore’s push towards self-governance, Tan’s engaging autobiography reflects the pioneering spirit of the times. Written in deceptively simple prose, notable for its English transliteration of Teochew adages, Son of Singapore sensitively captures fast-disappearing places, people and everyday ways of living.
This is the true story of a boy with a simple dream—to become a man. But he fell and became a dropout of school, friends, life, himself. But with the helping hand of a teacher, he turned his life around, found friends and love, and fulfilled his dream. This is the story of how that boy went from dropout to millionaire Princeton PhD. Expelled from four junior colleges (he was labelled ‘subnormal’ and not academically inclined), Kaiwen Leong sat for the A level examinations as a private candidate while experimenting with Internet websites to try his hand at entrepreneurship. He studied hard and did well enough to be admitted to Boston University in the US where he graduated with two bachelors and two masters degrees in economics and mathematics in four years. And then he went on to obtain postgraduate degrees at Princeton University. He is a member of America’s most prestigious academic societies and has published research papers on economics, mathematics and physics. Today he lectures at Nanyang Techonological University and is an economist at Spring Singapore. Find out how Dr Leong picked up his life.
Singapore, 1939: life on the eve of World War II just isn't what it used to be for Walter Blackett, head of British Singapore's oldest and most powerful firm. No matter how forcefully the police break one strike, the natives go on strike somewhere else. His daughter keeps entangling herself with the most unsuitable beaus, while her intended match, the son of Blackett's partner, is an idealistic sympathizer with the League of Nations and a vegetarian. Business may be booming—what with the war in Europe, the Allies are desperate for rubber and helpless to resist Blackett's price-fixing and market manipulation—but something is wrong. No one suspects that the world of the British Empire, of fixed boundaries between classes and nations, is about to come to a terrible end. A love story and a war story, a tragicomic tale of a city under siege and a dying way of life, The Singapore Grip completes the “Empire Trilogy” that began withTroubles and the Booker prize-winning Siege of Krishnapur.
Chronicles the life, times and achievements of David Marshall ('Singapore's Conscience'). This book presents the story of this extraordinary man who was, for many, Singapore's 'missionary of democracy'.
This book, a compilation of key speeches and articles by the late Mr S Rajaratnam, is a tribute to one of the founding fathers of Singapore. As the country''s first foreign minister, he was pivotal in conceptualising and implementing its foreign policy. Present at the birth of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he was also instrumental in ensuring a constructive role for Singapore in regional cooperation. A staunch supporter of a multicultural society, Mr Rajaratnam envisioned the country as a cosmopolitan OC global cityOCO. The volume is divided into four thematic sections: foreign policy, ASEAN regionalism, multiculturalism, and Singapore''s history OCo broadly encompassing Mr Rajaratnam''s most important contributions to the making of modern Singapore. Also included are original research essays that reassess Mr Rajaratnam''s contributions, written by senior staff of the new S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: S Rajaratnam and the Making of Singapore Foreign Policy (3,323 KB). Contents: Foreign Policy; ASEAN Regionalism; Multiculturalism; Singapore''s History. Readership: General readers interested in Singapore, its multiculturalism, history, regional policy and foreign policy."
In this revealing sequel to his bestselling autobiography Son of Singapore, Tan Kok Seng finds himself in Malaysia as a British diplomat’s chauffeur. While driving luminaries like author Han Suyin around, Tan falls in love with Heung, a servant girl with dark brown eyes. Despite parental objections, they marry and have a child in secret. When he is laid off, Tan’s comfortable life suddenly collapses. To support his family, he must take on a variety of jobs, including working as a soap salesman, egg seller and extra on a William Holden film, manoeuvring through unethical bosses, corrupt policemen and violent villagers. As much a timeless account of an enterprising spirit as a travelogue through 1960s Southeast Asia, Man of Malaysia entertains and inspires while telling of a life fully lived.
Michael Barr explores the complex and covert networks of power at work in one of the world's most prosperous countries - the city-state of Singapore. He argues that the contemporary networks of power are a deliberate project initiated and managed by Lee Kuan Yew - former prime minister and Singapore's 'founding father' - designed to empower himself and his family. Barr identifies the crucial institutions of power - including the country's sovereign wealth funds, and the government-linked companies - together with five critical features that form the key to understanding the nature of the networks. He provides an assessment of possible shifts of power within the elite in the wake of Lee Kuan Yew's son, Lee Hsien Loong, assuming power, and considers the possibility of a more fundamental democratic shift in Singapore's political system.
Eye on the World is the third and concluding volume of Tan Kok Seng’s autobiography, where he and his young family go to bustling Hong Kong. He writes with endearing honesty about a place that seems a lot like home, yet is vastly different in many ways, and this affectionate sense of observation is carried through a round-the-world trip he embarks on. Told from the perspective of a Singaporean everyman, Kok Seng’s stories and reflections about the world are told in charmingly simple prose, enriched by his penchant for looking at the people and things around him with eyes wide open.
This hilarious new book records the tongue-in-cheek journey of an expat in Singapore, told through vignettes, snapshots and Top 10 lists: “10 sure signs you’re in a Singapore taxi”; “Things first-time visitors to Singapore say”; “10 signs you’ve overstayed”; “Politically-incorrect expat profiling by nationality”; and many more. Based on the author Jennifer Gargiulo’s popular blog of the same name, Diary of an Expat in Singapore packs in a wealth of quirky observations, witty one-liners, and laugh-out-loud misunderstandings as the author tries to adjust to life in a strange new land and raise two kids while at it. Marvel as Jennifer enlists the help of her young son, Alexander (who learns Chinese at school), to find out what her hairdressers are saying about her at the salon! Expats will share many of the experiences of the author told in this book, but few will have heard them told with more humour and flair. And Singaporeans will also find much to enjoy and laugh over, when local customs and foibles are seen anew through the author’s eyes
A twenty-first–century twelve-year-old seeks the truth behind his grandmother’s trauma in this moving novel of family, love, memory, and the toll of war. Singapore, 1942. As Japanese troops sweep down Malaysia and into Singapore, a village is ransacked, leaving only two survivors and one tiny child. In a neighboring village, seventeen-year-old Wang Di is strapped into the back of a troop carrier and shipped off to a Japanese military brothel where she is forced into sexual slavery as a “comfort woman.” After sixty years of silence, what she saw and experienced still haunts her. In the year 2000, twelve-year-old Kevin is sitting beside his ailing grandmother when he overhears a mumbled confession. He sets out to discover the truth, wherever it might lead, setting in motion a chain of events he never could have foreseen. Weaving together two timelines and two very big secrets, this stunning debut opens a window on a little-known period of history, revealing the strength and bravery shown by numerous women in the face of terrible cruelty. Drawing in part on her family’s experiences, Jing-Jing Lee has crafted a profoundly moving, unforgettable novel about human resilience, the bonds of family and the courage it takes to confront the past. Perfect for fans of Pachinko and We Were the Lucky Ones. Praise for How We Disappeared A Library Journal Emerging Stars Pick “This is a brilliant, heart-breaking story with an unforgettable image of how women were silenced and disappeared by both war and culture.” —Xinran, author of The Good Women of China “An exquisite mystery, an enthralling novel. Equally touching and intriguing.” —Eoin Dempsey, author of White Rose, Black Forest “A beautifully written, suspenseful story of redemption and healing.” —Booklist, starred review “A . . . story about memory, trauma and ultimately love, How We Disappeared explores the impact of the Japanese invasion of Singapore on the local people, in particular on the hellishly misnamed “Comfort Women.”“ —New York Times
