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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 with the label marble

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Chia Hood Theam and Madam Yan Lan Neo tombstone

February 03, 2026

Family - Chia Hood Theam funeral cost marble

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Mrs. Low Peck Lock nee Khoo Chit Neo (Bukit Brown)

January 30, 2026

Block 2 Division G marble

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Koh Bee Huat (Bukit Brown)

January 25, 2026

Block 2 Division G Died Young marble

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Miss Tan Chai Luan (Bukit Brown)

January 25, 2026

Block 2 Division G Died Young marble Youtube Shorts

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Tan Eng Seng (Bukit Brown)

January 18, 2026

Block 4 Div C marble

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Teo Hock Leng (Bukit Brown)

November 29, 2025

Block 3 Div C Died Young marble

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Teo Soon Lam (Bukit Brown)

November 20, 2025

Block 5 Division C ceramic photo Died Young marble

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Madam Lim Kin Neo (Bukit Brown)

October 18, 2025

Block 3 Div C marble

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Lim Loon Sin (Bukit Brown)

September 05, 2025

Block 3 Div A marble

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Madam Ho Leng Hay (Bukit Brown)

September 04, 2025

Block 4 Div A marble

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Tan Kai How (Bukit Brown)

August 24, 2025

Block 5 Division C Died Young marble

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Lim Tiong Kee (Bukit Brown)

August 22, 2025

block 2 Division H marble

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Mrs. Lim Tiang Soon nee Ang Nya Chik (Bukit Brown)

August 17, 2025

Block 4 Div B marble video

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Mrs. Chua Lye Hock nee Madam Tan Guan Buay (Bukit Brown)

August 03, 2025

Block 4 Div C ceramic photo marble video

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Ewe Yen Hee (Bukit Brown)

Block 3 Div C marble

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Mrs. Koh Kong Leng nee Goh Choo Neo (Bukit Brown)

Block 3 Div C decorative tiles Died Young marble

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Bukit Brown911
Hill 3332
Hill 1187
Died Young178
Hill 4164
decorative tiles163
Block 3 Div D148
Block 4 Div A120
Block 3 Div C107
Block 4 Div C104

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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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Popular Post

Together to the grave - a doctor and his mother (Bukit Brown)

In one of my trips to Bukit Brown, Block 3 Division B, plot 450, i came across a cluster of family graves, with a fence and gate. The way the plaques or memorial stones were laid out got me curious and what i uncovered was a tragic story. Double tragedy A family dinner for the Tan's at a house by the sea in No 135/136 Pasir Panjang Road on 7 February 1968, ended on a sour note, when Madam Siew Lin Neo, 72 years of age suddenly collapsed after dinner. Desperately trying to revive Madam Siew Lin Neo was her eldest son Dr. Essel Tan Sin Lian, 47. He did not manage to save his mother. Grief stricken, he was heard repeating "It's no use being a medical man, if i can't even revive my own mother" . He took the death of her mother very personally, so much so that he blamed himself and he took it as a personal failure. He also subsequently collapsed and was brought to the General Hospital where he died at 3:45 am, 8 hours after the death of his mother on 8 February 196...

Tan Swee Hoe and family (Batu Pahat)

Sometime back in August 2012, i wrote an article about Tan Swee Hoe who is buried in Bukit Brown . Tan Swee Hoe came to Singapore as a young boy and worked his way up, eventually becoming one of founders of Ho Hong Bank, and later a director of Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) after it merged with it. He was also for two terms, the president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Batu Pahat, shareholder of Ho Aik Steamships. Tan Swee Hoe was a member of the Council of State, Johore and received a title S.M.J (Setia Mahkota Johore) from the government of Johore in 1929 for his contributions. He owned several property in Singapore and Batu Pahat. Tan Swee Hoe In January 2014, i was fortunate to make a trip with like minded friends to Batu Pahat to visit one of the properties he owned as well as a temple he contributed too and finally the grave of his son. Tan Swee Hoe's mansion First on my wishlist was Tan Swee Hoe's mansion on 160 Jalan Kluang, Batu Paha...

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...

Funeral expense of Madam Goh Kim Neo (Bukit Brown)

I do get questions on how much it would have cost for a funeral in Bukit Brown. There are some examples of estimate cost, but today i found a detail example of this for the funeral of Mrs. Lim Chia Teck nee Madam Goh Kim Neo who passed away at the age of 70 on 20 July 1939. The below is a close-up of an entry from the notebook of Mr. Chia Keng Tye (son-in-law of Madam Goh Kim Neo and son of Mr. and Mrs. Chia Hood Theam ) dated 20 July 1939. Breakdown of cost for the funeral expense of the late Madam Goh Kim Neo Chia Keng Tye's handwriting was very clear and gave a detail breakdown of the funeral expense of Madam Goh Kim Neo who passed at the age of 70 on 20 July 1939. The cost came down to $1436. The breakdown includes Grave Plot $60 Burial Fee $15 Malacca Coffin $180 Ang Chin Huat $500 Various Other expenses $301 Making Kubor $380 There is so many interesting nuggets from this breakdown including the cost of the coffin ($180) and how they used the service of Ang Chin Huat...

The story behind the iconic fig tree in Bukit Brown- Teo Chye Neo found

Madam Teo Chye Neo who lived in 40-A Onan Road was stab in the face and neck after a quarrel with a 16 year old Hylam Boy by the name of Yeo Tin Keng alias Ah Neok (Little Boy) who was employed as a cook in the deceased 's house at 10am in the morning of 23 June 1933. She died as result of extensive hemorrhage. It was also understood that Teo Chye Neo (who was married to Tan Siang Hee) had been pregnant for 7 months. Teo Chye Neo passed away at the age of 27 and was buried in Bukit Brown on 25 June 1933. Her burial entry is at Block 3 Section D, plot 373. Today we tried to find Teo Chye Neo and her unborn child. We found that a huge fig tree, a landmark in Bukit Brown hill 3 as taken over. Tombkeeper Queenie confirmed that there used to be a tomb there when she was young but even back as young lady, the fig tree with it aerial roots hanging down its branches has slowly enveloped the headstone. The fig tree that has engulfed the tomb of Madam Teo Chye Neo The fig tree w...

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...

Lim Nee Soon and family (Bukit Brown)

Mr. Lim Nee Soon's wife (Wee Pek Hay) and two of his son's ( Lim Chong Kuo and Lim Chong Pang ) tomb can be found in Bukit Brown, Block 4 Division A. Mr. Lim Nee Soon is not buried there but in Nanking, China. It is however difficult to write a story about Lim Nee Soon family members tomb cluster in Bukit Brown, without first introducing Mr. Lim Nee Soon first. Pineapple King and Patriot Mr. Lim Nee Soon (1879-1936) is the son of Mr Lim Peng Guan and was born in Kampong Glam, Beach Road in 1879. His father died when Lim Nee Soon was only 8 years old and was left in the care of his maternal grandfather, Mr. Teo Lee (Mr Teo Eng Hock's father). Lim Nee Soon received his early education in both St. Joseph Institution and Anglo-Chinese School and therefore proficient in both English and Chinese languages. A Teochew, he started from scratch, working as a shopkeeper assistant at the age of 18 and from there he climbed the rungs by next working for timber merchant Tan Tye a...

Funeral of Tay Koh Yat at Bukit Brown

I am fortunate to get a glimpse of rare photos, this time of a gentlemen who was well loved by the people during his lifetime - Mr. Tay Koh Yat (鄭古悅) (1880-1957) , recipient of the Certificate of Honor, Order of the British Empire. This rare photos that i selected for this article were of his funeral procession at Bukit Brown and the photos came to light because it was donated by the family of Tay Soo Choon (one of Tay Koh Yat's son) and made available online via National Library Board (NLB) . For those who are not familiar with Tay Koh Yat, his story is one of rags to riches, eventually becoming the Proprietor of Tay Koh Yat Bus Company. He was also a war hero, a community leader and staunch anti-communist. He was conferred the Order of the British Empire in 1952 for his courage in keeping the bus service in operation despite Communist threats and repeated arsons. Tay Koh Yat passed away at midnight, 29 January 1957 (Chinese New Year eve) at his home at No. 58 Tras Stre...

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...

Tay Koh Yat (Bukit Brown)

Tay Koh Yat (1880-29 January 1957) C.H., O.B.E, was born in Kinmen in 1880 and came down to Singapore in 1902 at the age of 22 as a poor immigrant and got a job as a $2-a-month clerk in a Chinese shop were his duties include sweeping floors. He then joined Chop Guan Seng Hin as a partner.At the age of 32, he established Guan Soon (branches in Indonesia and Penang), followed by Aik Seng Hin and finally Chin Joo Seng and Co. His name (to a much older generation of Singaporeans) is linked to his namesake bus company called Tay Koh Yat Bus Company. Starting from just 2 buses in 1921, it went on to become one of the largest in the colony. He was also a director of the Chung Shin Jit Poh, a Chinese newspaper and committee member of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Hokkien Huay Kuan. Tay Koh Yat was also a chairman of the Thong Chai Hospital at Eu Tong Sen Street. Tay Koh Yat (source: NLB ) Tay Koh Yat Bus - 1951 advertisement (source: NewspaperSG) War Hero A l...

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