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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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Mrs. Tan Wi Yan nee Madam Cheong Siow Hing (Bukit Brown)

September 13, 2023

Block 3 Div A Bukit Brown Family - Tan Tock Seng Hill 3

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Goh Tye Chuan (Bukit Brown)

September 12, 2023

Block 3 Div A decorative tiles Hill 3

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Madam Ang Geok Lian (Bukit Brown)

September 10, 2023

Block 4 Div A Bukit Brown Hill 4

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Madam Lim Peck Im (Bukit Brown)

September 08, 2023

Block 4 Div A Died Young unique name

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Chan Khay Thock and Chua Chuan Neo (Bukit Brown)

September 07, 2023

Block 4 Div C Bukit Brown

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Madam Ong Jew Neo (Bukit Brown)

September 03, 2023

Block 4 Div C decorative tiles Earth Deity

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Khaw Beng Liew (Bukit Brown)

August 30, 2023

Block 4 Div C Bukit Brown marble

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Oh Kim Hong (Bukit Brown)

August 29, 2023

Block 4 Div C Hill 4

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Madam Chan Hean Neo (Bukit Brown)

August 26, 2023

exhumed Lornie Highway

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Er Woo Amateur Musical & Dramatic Association (馀娱儒乐社) at Temenggong Zhong Yuan Festival

August 20, 2023

Outreach Teochew Opera

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Grave, Artifacts - The Temenggong Zhong Yuan Festival 2023

August 20, 2023

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Ong Kee Soon and Family (Seh Ong)

August 17, 2023

seh ong sikh guard

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An ode to Sarjit Singh and Raja Singh

August 12, 2023

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Yeo Cheow Yan and Tan Sian Neo (Bukit Brown)

August 11, 2023

Bukit Brown exhumed Lornie Highway

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Labels

Bukit Brown949
Hill 3343
Hill 1192
Hill 4172
Died Young163
decorative tiles153
Block 3 Div D138
Block 4 Div A119
Block 3 Div B100
Hill 2100

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

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Resource Guide on Bukit Brown

History from the Hills (2013)

Newspaper mentions (2014)

Newspaper mentions (2017)

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

Newspaper mentions(2022)

Grave Matters-The Greater Bukit Brown(2023)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

Newspaper mentions(2024)

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

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Popular Post

Serendipity encounter with Chia Hian Neo (daughter of Chia Seng Quee and Chua Kim Neo) at Bukit Brown

We arrived Bukit Brown slightly late (as it rained earlier in the morning). We were lucky as Soh Ah Beng who was waiting for us chatted with a family and we were told by Ah Beng that they could not find a tomb at Bukit Brown Hill 4 Section A. Striking a conversation with them and looking at the picture from their phone, i was pleasantly surprised it came from my blogpost on Chia Seng Quee ! What coincidence and good luck as they were just about to leave empty handed. Among the descendant present was no other than Chia Seng Quee's daughter ! - Madam Chia Hian Neo. She is 91 years old, sharp as ever and fit enough to make the long climb up to visit her father. She indeed is an inspiration to me as she still actively participates in community activities and is a Dance Instructor. It was one of her dance student /partner that encouraged her to visit her father, something that the Chia family have done in the past together with their mother, Mrs. Chia Seng Quee nee Chua Kim Neo but due...

A visit of rediscovery and closure (Bukit Brown)

The tomb request came in to help a descendant (Tan Lay Hoon) to reconnect the tombs she once visited with her recently deceased father in the past in Bukit Brown. Thanks to the photos and information from her previous visit that she documented very well, finding the tombs was not too difficult (of course made easier with Soh Ah Beng). The only exception was the search for the tomb of her grandmother, Madam Sim Geok Kim which ended taking a bit longer as we were initially searching in the wrong division. It was at the tomb of Madam Sim Geok Kim tomb i was told about the story of Lay Hoon's father, Mr. Tan Yam Cheng and that he was only about 2 years old when her mother passed away. Yet i can see from the tomb of Madam Sim Geok Kim it was refurbished in the past well visited by her family. For me, this visit in my personal opinion seems to brings some closure to Lay Hoon seeing that now, her dad is now reunited with his mother, Madam Sim Geok Kian and their fellow family members som...

Chia Seng Quee (Bukit Brown)

While exploring Hill 4 Division A, i came across a tomb that was covered with creepers. Clearing it i uncovered the tomb of Chia Seng Quee who died on 24th November 1936 at the age of 37. The headlines of the papers reads " Man dashed to death in Singapore Street fall from high building ". Chia Senq Quee was Straits-born chinese and a senior clerk with the Great Eastern Life Insurance Co. for more than 14 years. He was earning $175 a month and was witness to have reach work on the 24th November at 8:30 am and left his personal belongings and a letter behind. Chia Seng Quee died as a result of multiple injuries sustained in the fall from the Bank of China Building in Cecil Street. Witness reporting hearing a loud thud and saw the body of Chia Seng Quee, who was dressed in a white tunic suit in a mutilated condition with his head smashed. Madam Chua Kim Neo (widow of Chia Seng Quee) who was dressed in black and with tears in her eyes gave her evidence in English during the co...

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...

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...

Too Nam (Cheras Christian Cemetery)

A Cantonese teacher by the name of Mr. Too Nam (杜南) who taught the late Dr. Sun Yat Sen in Honolulu and maintained their friendship since then, has passed away at the age of 86 years old on 5 October 1939. Mr. Too Nam of No. 1 Old Pudu Road taught Cantonese in Honolulu and California in his younger days and several Malayan Government officials studied under him. Among them were Messrs. Sansom, Fairburn, P.B. Shelly, Pountney, Ridgeway and Rev. Horley where some of his pupils. When the Anti-Opium Society was formed, Mr. Too Nam was one its pioneers. He helped to form the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and was its Secretary for many years. He had a namesake school, the Too Nam School, where many students graduated and went on to public servants and post also in mercantile firms. Other than being a teacher, Mr. Too Nam studied Perpetual Motion, a system where with perpetual motion can be realised and once realised used for the elimination of the disasters to which the earth is subjected...

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

The death took place on 4 July 1937 of Mrs. Lim Tiang Soon nee Madam Ang Nya Chik, Singapore octogenarian and third daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ang Kim San of Malacca, at her residence, 376 Race Course Road. According to the newspaper article, Madam Ang Nya Chik was 83 years old when she passed away and leaves behind 22 descendants, a son - Mr. Lim Kee Cheok, 2 daughters, Mrs. Chua Kim Swee and Mrs. Lim Bachik, 6 grandsons, 7 granddaughters, 3 great grandsons and 3 great daughters. From her tomb, i can gather that Madam Ang Nya Chik was born on 16 February 1858 and passed away on 4 July 1937. (Roughly 79-80). From her marble tomb, after some careful cleaning, we manage to make out the names of her children; Son: Lim Kee Cheok Grandsons; Lim Inn, Lim Chui Tor George, Lim Chui Chye Arthur Great grandsons: Lim Cheng Hye, Lim Cheng Hock Daughters: Lim Hock Neo, Lim (Teo) Hood Neo Granddaughters: Lim Chui Lian, Lim Geng Neo Great granddaughters: Rosie Lim...

Chua Kim Teng and family (Lao Sua)

One of the interesting cluster of tombs in Greater Bukit Brown is the cluster of tombs that belong to Chua Kim Teng (蔡金鼎) (1865 - 1944), his father, Chua Eng Cheong /Chua Ying Chiang (蔡應昌) and Chua Kim Teng's second wife, Seow Geok Lian (萧玉銮). Chua Kim Teng was said to have made his fortunes in rubber and property and produce imports from Pontianak, Dutch Borneo. Chua Kim Teng was the sole proprietor of a private market in the East Coast Road area (mention in the papers in 1930). This came to light in a suit by Chua Kim Teng against the Municipal Commissioners who wanted the market closed and eventually managed publicly. He was once the Vice-President and subsequently the President of the Cheng Kee Hean Association (founded in 1893) and his house played host to its gatherings including its Silver Jubilee in 1918 and its 28th Anniversary celebration in 1921. Chua Kim Teng passed away during the Japanese Occupation in 1944. He had 3 wives , the first two were sisters (first wife...

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...

Kwa Siew Tee and family (Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery)

Kwa Siew Tee, a Semarang born Chinese was a Municipal Commissioner (an appointment he held till 1949). He was also the General Manager of Overseas Chinese Bank Corporation Limited, Assistant General Manager of The Eastern United Assurance Corporation, Limited and a Member of the Hospital Board. He received a Certificate of Honour in 1951. Kwa Siew Tee passed away at the age of 89 on 20 March 1977. Group photo of the founding of Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation in 1932 Kwa Siew Tee is standing behind. (source: National Archives of Singapore) Family Kwa Siew Tee and family (source: National Archives of Singapore) Wife: Madam Wee Yew Neo Madam Wee Yew Neo is the daughter of Wee Theam Seng . She passed away on 14 May1980. She is survived by; 3 sons: Kwa Soon Siew, Kwa Soon Chuan, Kwa Soon Bee 4 daughters: Kwa Geok Neo, Kwa Geok Lan, Kwa Geok Choo, Kwa Geok Eng. Son: Kwa Soon Hock Kwa Soon Hock is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Kwa Siew Tee. He was a sta...

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