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Rojak Librarian

The Rojak Librarian is a blog that covers a range of topics related to Singapore's history, culture, and heritage. I wrote many articles on Bukit Brown, exploring the cemetery's past and present, the lives of the early pioneers buried there and the social and cultural significance of the site. I also cover about nature and birdwatching.

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Showing posts from August, 2026

Posts

Mrs. Gan Cheng Khian nee Madam Teonh Geok Quee (Bukit Brown)

August 30, 2026

Block 3 Div A decorative tiles Reserved Plot

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Mrs. Ho Tiang Keng nee Teonh Geok Cheng (Bukit Brown)

August 30, 2026

Block 3 Div A decorative tiles Reserved Plot

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Mrs. Tan Wan Liat nee Madam Poey Geok Im (Bukit Brown)

August 30, 2026

Block 3 Div A decorative tiles Japanese Koki Calender marble

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Chinese seven month offering at Bukit Brown for Child Spirits (Bukit Brown)

August 30, 2026

Hungry Ghost Festival Seventh Month Youtube Shorts

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Mrs. Khoo Kim Tee nee Madam Wee Cheng Boey (Bukit Brown)

August 30, 2026

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Madam Koh Choo Neo alias Kroot (Bukit Brown)

August 30, 2026

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Mrs. Wee Teng Hock nee Madam Tan Bong Soo (Greater Bukit Brown)

August 23, 2026

Family -Tan Keong Saik Gelong Pah Greater Bukit Brown Plus Codes

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Tan Tiong Seng and Madam Lim Kee Neo (Bukit Brown)

August 01, 2026

Banking Block 3 Div D

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Labels

Bukit Brown889
Hill 3325
Died Young196
Hill 1183
decorative tiles177
Block 3 Div D152
Hill 4152
Block 4 Div A142
Block 3 Div C122
Block 4 Div C107

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Rojak Librarian (Peter Pak): Advocate for Conservation of Bukit Brown Cemetery. Heritage and Nature Enthusiast.

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The Stories Behind: Birdwatcher turned grave hunter reunites families with forgotten tombs of their ancestors(2022)

Newspaper mentions(2025)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

Grave Matters-The Greater Bukit Brown(2023)

Newspaper mentions(2022)

Tuesday Report (2018) 星期二特写 | 行脚。发现第4集：武吉布朗之旅

Newspaper mentions (2017)

History from the Hills (2013)

Newspaper mentions (2014)

Resource Guide on Bukit Brown

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Ko Teck Kin (Kopi Sua)

Mr. Ko Teck Kin (高德根) was born in China in Leong Kay (Hokkien Province) in 1911. He came down to Singapore at the age of 10 and went to Sumatra at 20 years old to start a business. When he returned, he worked with the shipping firm owned by his father, Mr. Ko Yam Ee and had his own business dealing in local products. Post war, he started the rubber milling business of Kah Hin Rubber Co. Ltd in which he was the managing director. His other business included Ho Chiang Shipping Co. Ltd, Ko Liong Hin, importers and exporters. and the Chin Cheng Realty Ltd. By the time time he was 42 years old in 1953, he was labelled as one of the youngest Chinese millionaires in the Singapore rubber industry. He was also the chairman of Chung Khiaw Bank. Ko Teck Kin Ko Teck Kin was the Vice-President (1952-1953) and later President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce from 1954 to 1955, and again from 1958 to 1965. Other roles: Committee Member of Singapore Hokkien Hui Kuan; Deputy Chairman...

Baby Sng (Bukit Brown)

Baby Sng was born on 31 January 1933 and passed away on 12 April 1933. From the burial registrar entry, i get a bit more insight about Baby Sng. In the burial entry, Baby Sng was a baby boy who passed away at 2 and 1/2 months old. The record for his name was Sng Baba. Baby Sng alias Sng Baba Location of tomb Block 3 Division C, plot 564. 8RQG+3XF Singapore Baby Sng tomb revisited on 18 Oct 2025

Ng Boo Bee (Taiping)

Ng Boo Bee (1853-1921) 黄务美, was born and educated in Fujian, China before making his way to Malaya, first in Penang before eventually making a name for himself in the State of Perak. His father is Ng Koh Sung and mother, U Choot Kwah. He started out as a brick manufacturer and timber merchant under the name of Chop Swee Bee in Taiping, Ipoh and Teluk Anson. In Taiping, he acquired the tender contract as a railway contractor under Mr. C.R. Hanson, Resident Engineer for Perak Railways and was probably responsible for the building of the first railway in Malaya which connected Taiping to Port Weld. It was during this time he shrewdly acquired land around Kamunting. Ng Boo Bee Millionaire tin miner The land purchases around Kamunting made Ng Boo Bee a millionaire and with that he acquired also various houses in Taiping and also Penang. The Governor of the Straits Settlement, Sir John Anderson visited Ng Boo Bee tin mine in 1908 which had at that time, employed 4,500...

Khoo Kay Hian (Bukit Brown)

During the rubber boom of the 1910, Khoo Kay Hian / Khoo Kay Hean was well positioned and made money as a rubber broker based in The Arcade. He went on to be the founder of one of the best known stock broking firm in Singapore bearing his namesake, Kay Hian and Co in 1921. He was also a committee member of the Singapore Sharebrokers' Association (this was before it became the Singapore Stock Exchange). Throughout his career, he held various positions and they included: Assistant Secretary of the Ee Hoe Hean Club (1918) ; Management Committee of the Garden Club (1920) Chinese Lantern Procession (1922), Joint Honorary Secretary together with Lim Kee Cheok. (Lim Chwee Chian was the Chairman) and also Committee member of the Singapore Chinese Girls School (1925). He contributed to various causes and some of them include: Kampong Martin Relief Fund (1916), Chinese Halifax Relief Fund (1917), Sir Arthur Young's Portrait Fund (1919), St Andrew's Hospital Building (1920), Nanyang U...

Kamala Circus - The Great Indian Circus visits Singapore

I heard about the Tai Thean Kew circus from my involvement with Bukit Brown and during one my tours on the Queenstown Heritage Trail , i was told of another Indian circus troupe that existed in the late 1950's and 1960's. Recently, while curating ideas for a Bukit Brown tour on Pioneers of Early Entertainment, i came across a travelling circus troupe by the name of Kamala Circus. Kamala Circus (source: NewspaperSG) Kamala Circus was reputed to be the largest travelling show in the Far East. It boasted over 100 Indian artist and featured acts such as the flying trapeze act, the "Globe of Death" motor cycle act by two young girls, a 30 foot leap by a motorcyclist and the "cat" act. It claims over 300 tons of equipment and animals which include 16 horses, 8 Ceylon baby elephants, an African lion and 2 lionesses, 2 tiger cubs and 3 Indian mountain goats. It came to Singapore in 1947 from India via Ceylon and performed for a month before touring around th...

Miss Tan Kim Khee alias Mary Low (Bukit Brown)

Miss Tan Kim Khee alias Mary Low passed away at the age of 20 on 26 January 1933. From the burial registrar, her name is written as Low Kim Kee and age 19 years old when she passed away. Unfortunately i am not able to find any further information about her and why she has 2 surnames. Miss Tan Kim Khee alias Mary Low / Low Kim Kee Location of tomb Block 3 Section C, plot 591 Miss Tan Kim Khee alias Mary Low

Mrs. Ho Tiang Keng nee Teonh Geok Cheng (Bukit Brown)

The headstone and shoulder was barely discernable and it looks like in a few more years, it would be complete engulfed by the roots and vine of the fig tree. However after some digging we found marble slabs which details who the person that is buried here as well as the name of her children and grandchildren. Mrs. Ho Tiang Keng nee Teonh Geok Cheng passed away at the age of 72 at her residence, No. 319 Geylang Road on 5 December 1929. She leaves behind; 1 son; Ho Kim Seng 1 daughter-in-law 1 daughter: Ho Chien Kim 1 son-in-law; Wee Chye Teck 6 grandchildren. Grandsons listed; Ho Thiam Chuan, Ho Thiam Siew, Ho Thiam Swee The only information i could find about Ho Tiang Keng was the he was a committee member of the Udang Association during the time when Wee Thiam Ghee was President. (1914). Tomb of Mrs. Ho Tiang Keng nee Teonh Geok Cheng Mrs. Ho Tiang Keng nee Teonh Geok Cheng Children of Mrs. Ho Tiang Keng nee Teonh Geok Cheng Children of ...

Khoo Soo Hong (Bukit Brown)

Khoo Soo Hong passed away at the age of 38 on 22 February 1944. On the burial registrar his dialect was listed as Hokkien. Khoo Soo Hong Possible Connection A possible link is when i look at the ceramic photo of Khoo Soo Hong (1944) from his tomb and comparing it with a famous group photo that list Khoo Soo Hong back in 1932. The below group photograph was taken in 1932 during the founding of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), which merger's three banks - Chinese Commercial Bank Limited (1912), Ho Hong Bank Limited (1917) and Oversea-Chinese Bank Limited (1919). Standing in the front row are: Mr. Tan Chin Tuan (fourth from left), General Manager Ong Piah Teng (fifth from right), Tan Ean Kiam (sixth from right) and Assistant Manager Khoo Soo Hong (second from left). Back Row: Yap Peng Gek (left), Kwa Siew Tee (third from left), Chew Hock Leong (sixth from left) and a Mr. Teo (right). Group photo taken in 1932 during the founding of OCBC If the theory was correct, the pho...

Madam Koh Tham Neo and family (Bukit Brown)

Madam Koh Tham Neo nee Mrs. Wee Kuan Chek passed away at the age of 82 at her residence at No. 6 Bukit Purmei on 19th August 1940. She leaves behind a son, Mr. Wee Whatt Beng, 1 daughter-in-law, 3 daughters, 1 son-in-law, 12 grandchildren, 3 grandsons-in-law and 10 great grandchildren. Listed at her tomb are the name of her children; Son: Wee Whatt Beng Daughters: Wee What Neo, Wee Chwee Neo Grandsons: Wee Beng Kuan, Wee Beng Whatt Granddaughters: Wee Kuan Neo, Wee ? Neo Madam Koh Tham Neo Family Son: Wee Whatt Beng The marriage of Mr. Wee Whatt Beng of No 6 Bukit Purmei, (the only son the late Mr. Wee Kuan Chek and Madam Koh Tum Neo) and Miss Choo Teck Neo (second daughter of the late Mr. Choo Eng Choon and the late Madam Tan Sock Yang) took place on 21 September 1934. I am not able to find the obituary notice of Mr. Wee Whatt Beng, but i found for Madam Choo Teck Neo. She passed away on 8th August 2001. Sons: Wee Beng Kwan, Robert ;Wee Beng Whatt, Henry ; Wee B...

Rattan furniture industry in Singapore: past and present

Exploring the HDB estate opposite Queensway Shopping Centre, i came across a Rattan furniture shop , Chun Mee Lee Rattan Furniture. It is not often you find a shop in Singapore that sells furniture solely made by rattan and indeed it was a pleasant and nostalgic surprise to encounter.The shop was filled to the brim with rattan furniture and ware, but what was more surprising for me, was to see a lady working on re-upholstering a chair with rattan trimmings. This indicates to me that not all the rattan ware was exported from either Indonesia and Malaysia, some were still done locally. Chun Mee Lee Rattan Furniture( directions here ) Rattan furniture stacked to the ceiling Worker reupholstering a chair with rattan trimmings Fast forward a few weeks, this time in Joo Chiat, i came across another shop called Teong Theng Co ( directions here ) which although wasn't filled to the brim with rattan furniture (there were other types of wood furniture as well), i...

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Heritage in S'pore and M'sia

All things Bukit Brown
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