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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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Miss Universe Singapore-2005

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Love converts hearts, promote's peace (in memory of Pope John Paul II)

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Pulau Ubin – ex-Headman celebrates his 100th birthday

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Shopping for an HDB apartment..

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What the hell -its totally booked !!! -Chek Jawa

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Chek Jawa Revisited -28.03.05

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Pulai Tree -landmark on way to Chek Jawa and mystery of tombstone.

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small snake on coastal route.

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Lunch time for a small snake

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Source of water for cottage.

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english cottage near Chek Jawa

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Kampung House in Ubin

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Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve

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Pulau Ubin (Pulau -malay word for Island)

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Labels

Bukit Brown896
Hill 3330
Died Young187
Hill 1185
decorative tiles170
Hill 4153
Block 3 Div D151
Block 4 Div A142
Block 3 Div C109
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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Popular Post

Unnamed boy of Mr. and Mrs. Too Joon Ting (Bukit Brown)

The simple marble headstone reads, No 75 Block 4 Here lies the Beloved Boy of Mr. and Mrs. Too Joon Ting To me this tomb is a rare find providing evidence where the baby buried here is unnamed ! Usually after many years of exploring, children who were unnamed and passed away don't even have a proper tombstone / headstone marked for them. Beloved Boy of Mr. and Mrs. Too Joon Ting What was the boy's name and when did he die ? This information was missing from the tomb. Fortunately with the efforts of Raymond Goh in making the database of Bukit Brown burial registrar searchable , i manage to get a bit more insight about this boy. Child of Joon Ting Too - passed away 6 and 1/2 hours on 8 June 1941. He was buried on 10 June 1941 and was Hainanese boy. So in short it was a unnamed baby boy of Mr. and Mrs. Too Joon Ting who lived for 6.5 hours before passing on. In the same area /plot are the following: Unnamed child of Khoo Huat / 11 months 13 ...

Junior Too : A name restored (Bukit Brown)

On 8 June 1941, a baby boy lived for only six and a half hours before passing away. His grieving parents, Mr. and Mrs. Too Joon Ting, may not have given him a name to the tomb mason in that moment of sorrow, and so his headstone reflects only the words - beloved boy. Yet history is not only written in stone. Through what feels like divine guidance, this story found its way back to the family. On 8 June 2026 , on the very anniversary of the boy’s death— my article - Unnamed boy of Mr. and Mrs. Too Joo Ting (published on 24 May 2026) managed to reached out to his younger brother, Henry Too, who was alerted about my blogpost by his niece. Henry (who now is based in Australia) reached out to me online and shared a precious recollection: their father had indeed given his elder brother who passed away a name— Junior Too . Junior Too has in total 3 brothers, 1 sister and many, many relatives. Divine Intervention What astonishes me most is not only that this mystery was ...

Wee Geok Hay - Bini Sayang (Bukit Brown)

Today i am able to see another rare tomb at the pauper section of Bukit Brown. It's a simple tomb but what captured my attention is - Bini Sayang . It is a malay word for my beloved wife. That is what makes this tomb so culturally unique. The headstone reads; Bini Sayang Wee Geok Hay Died on 3rd December 1955 Note: 1955 is a mistake and if you look closer at the headstone that i chalked, you can make out 3 numbers - 302. Bini Sayang - Wee Geok Hay / Beloved Wife -Wee Geok Hay Unfortunately, there is no information i can gather about her. Initially even her date of death etched on the tomb 3rd December 1955 does not match with anyone on the burial registrar. However thanks to Raymond Goh online burial registrar checker and also confirming it visually with the actual burial registrar, i found her burial entry. Wee Geok Hay passed away at the age of 43 and is buried on 4 December 1935 at Pauper IV, Division III, 302. This explains the small numbers 302 below died on...

Mrs. Seah Eng Woon nee Madam Ng Hian Guek (Bukit Brown)

Mrs. Seah Eng Woon nee Ng Hian Guek passed away at the age of 51 on 6 February 1937. In the burial registry, her name is written as Mg Hiang Quek (Teochew). Madam Ng Hian Guek is the 2nd of four wives of Mr. Seah Eng Woon. Mrs. Seah Eng Woon nee Ng Hian Guek The names and order of people reflected in the tomb of Mrs. Seah Eng Woon nee Madam Ng Hian Guek Note: Possible connection assuming based on time line era [ yet to be confirmed ] There was an article in 28 August 1922 that mentions that Mr. Seah Eng Woon has ceased to be employed by Messrs. Yap Teck and Co., as of 15 August 1922. Huge Chinese Bankruptcies - Deficiencies of over a million Deficiencies totaling over a million dollars was reported in the bankruptcy of Yew Teck and Company, sharebrokers, rubber and jelutong merchants. The firm principal partners were Yap Yeow Teck and Seah Eng Woon (after Ng Yian Gwek who is the wife of Seah Eng Woon sold her shares to him in 1918) incorporated the firm in 1914 with a ...

Neo Ah Mooy (Bukit Brown)

From the burial registrar, Neo Ah Mooy name is written as Neo Ah Mui. Neo Ah Mooy Beloved Mother of Wee Tian Kee and beloved Grandmother of Lee Ah Soo and Lee Ah Lat died on the 9th August 1936 Neo Ah Mooy / Neo Ah Mui (photo courtesy of Soh Ah Beng) Location of tomb Pauper I Division 8, plot 182A

Mrs. Ang Kay Cheong nee Madam Tan Hong Neo (Bukut Brown)

Madam Tan Hong Neo nee Nya Nya passed away at the age of 48 at her residence, No. 1 Martaban Road on 18 April 1937. Mrs. Ang Kay Cheong nee Tan Hong Neo alias Tan Nya Nya leaves behind her husband, Mr. Ang Kay Cheong, her only brother, Mr. Tan Boon Chye, 7 sons; Ang Ann Hoe, Ang Ann Beng, Ang Ann Poh, Ang Ann Guan, Ang Ann Kiat, Ang Ann Lock, Ang Ann Liang 3 daughters; Mrs. Ong Kim Seng Miss Ang Leng Neo, Miss Ang Cheng Neo 1 son-in-law: Ong Kim Seng 2 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. Listed on her tomb are; Sons: Ang Ann Hoe, Ang Ann Beng, Ang Ann Poh, Ang Ann Guan, Ang Ann Kiat, Ang Ann Lock, Ang Ann Liang Daughters: Ang Phek Neo, Ang Leng Neo, Ang Cheng Neo Son-in-law: Ong Kim Seng Daughters-in-law: Margaret Pong, Tan Chwee Neo Grandchildren: Ang Eng Kim, Ang Boh Choo, Ang Kian Liam Mr. Ang Kay Cheong and family beg to tender their sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Staffs of Messrs.. Henry Waugh & Co., Ltd, The Government Architect, The C...

Tan Mary (Bukit Brown)

Tan Mary tomb caught my eye. Other than the fact that it was all in English, the brickwork looks newer and red ink still clear than those tomb surrounding her's, meaning that Tan Mary descendants have been taking care of her tomb till date. For now, i don't have any information about Tan Mary other than what is etched on her headstone. 1354 In memory of Tan Mary Died 16th October 1935 Age 30 Years Tan Mary Location of tomb Pauper IV, Division II, plot 1935 Tan Mary's tomb in Bukit Brown Pauper 4 Division 2

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...

Teo Hoo Lye (Bukit Brown)

Teo Hoo Lye (1853-1933) Teo Hoo Lye (18 Oct 1853- 16 Nov 1933) was born in China and came to Singapore when he was 18. Like many stories of rags to riches of the early pioneers, Teo Hoo Lye worked from ground up, starting as a manual labourer, saving money to open a small grocer business called chop Soon Bee in Rochore Road. At the age of 25 he went to the Natuna and Anambas Islands and got into the copra (extracted for its coconut oil) business which was a valuable commercial product then. This then led him to expand and become a steamship owner (Aing Hong, Flevo, Batavier, Benuit, etc) and he became a consignee of ships for the export of copra, sago, rubber, etc from Natuna to Singapore and also to Sarawak. His company, Teo Hoo Lye S.S. Co. (or Soon Bee Steamship Co.) was eventually liquidated in 1935, for half a million dollars (by his trustees after his death) and 12 steamships such as Willy o' the Wisp, Massima, Huat Chiang among others bought up by Heap Eng Moh Steamsh...

Kow Yew Beng (Bukit Brown)

In loving memory of the late Mr. Kow Yew Beng Died on 19 June 1941 The names of his children; Son: Kow Teck Kim, Kow Soo Kim, Kow Boon Kim, Kow Lye Kim Daughters: Kow Gwek Kim, Kow Peck Kim, Kow Lee Kim, Kow Lian Kim From the burial registrar, Kow Yew Beng was 45 years old when he passed away. His dialect was listed as Hokkien. Mr. Kow Yew Beng Location of tomb Pauper 4 Division 4, plot 145 (also refered as Block 4 Division 4).

Archive

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2025 217
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2024 187
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2023 168
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2022 237
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2005 45
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Heritage in S'pore and M'sia

All things Bukit Brown
Singapore Tombstones Epigraphic Materials 新加坡墓碑铭集录
Bukit Brown Cemetery
Bukit Brown Trails
Burial Registrar
Bukit Brown Documentation of Graves
Singapore Heritage Society
Bukit Brown Tomb
Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore
Our Bedok Kampong House
Good morning yesterday
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Remember Singapore
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Bits & Pieces
Overseas Chinese in the British Empire

Nature Groups in S'pore and M'sia

Bird Ecology Study Group(Singapore)
Nature Society Singapore
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Wild Singapore
Raffles Museum of Bio-Diversity's Habitatnews-
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Butterfly Circle Checklist

Nature in S'pore and M'sia

Focus Ubin
National Parks(Singapore)
Mangrove Flora and fauna of Sg Buloh
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve-Wildlife Singapore
Online guide to Chek Jawa, Ubin

Daily Moon Phase

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