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The Plight of the Coolies

Coolies were male labourer immigrants who were forced to leave China due to famine and unrest in order to seek a better life in foreign lands. This sojourn was usually temporary as many harboured the intention of returning to China with money in their pockets.

Coolies could be distinguished by two types – “free coolies” and “credit coolies”. The former paid for their passage and decided where they went or what they would do upon reaching their destination. Credit coolies, on the other hand, were practically penniless. On arrival at their destination, credit coolies were required to sign binding contracts with their employers.

Coolies had been flooding Singapore’s shores since the arrival of the British. In 1830, Singapore received nearly 7,000 Chinese labourers during the junk season, which was almost the size of the entire Chinese population of the island at the time.

As the coolies were usually unskilled, they were employed as manual labour in almost every sector from construction to plantation work. They were also hired to take on back-breaking jobs such as rickshaw pullers and stevedores. During periods when labour supply was tight, coolies were highly sought after by plantation owners, merchants and port operators. However, during lull times, coolies were summarily regarded as “destitute and worthless”.

The condescending attitude towards the coolies would persist until Singapore’s entrepot economy took off from the 1870s onwards when plantations and mining industries in Malaya began to flourish. With the tap of Indian convict labour turned off in 1873, Chinese coolies provided a source of cheap labour for these British-run enterprises in the Straits Settlements and Malaya. This led to a surge in demand and resulted in a huge inflow of coolies into Singapore from the southern provinces of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan in China, reaching around 50,000 annually in the 1870s before hitting 200,000 by the turn of the 19th century.

The rising demand, however, did not improve the plight of the coolies. Whether they were travelling as free coolies or under the credit ticket system, the coolies had to endure a harrowing voyage by sea to Singapore. They were piled into small vessels and herded like cattle across the often stormy South China Sea in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

Their suffering continued upon arrival in Singapore. Some credit coolies were held in the hull of the ships until a contractor or broker for the mines or plantations agreed to take on their debt. Others were confined in dark and stuffy coolie-holding stations.

Free coolies fared better than credit coolies, provided they were not duped by secret societies and ended up in their debt. Regardless, both free and credit coolies led a difficult life of hard labour and grinding poverty. The average salary of a coolie was so meagre it was hardly enough to cover his basic expenses. For example, in 1924, a rickshaw puller made about 20 to 24 Straits dollars a month. As the monthly cost of living at the time was roughly 12 to 14 Straits dollars, this meant the coolie only had eight to 10 Straits dollars each month to remit back to China, leaving him with almost nothing.

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1877 - Establishment of the Chinese Protectorate

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Each day tourists ride cable cars over Singapore's Keppel Harbour to a luxurious holiday isle haunted by death. In the world's third most densely populated country, Sentosa Island is a popular getaway, thanks to its sandy beaches, majestic rainforest, lavish resorts, and theme parks. (And it was a setting in author Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians.) But lurking behind that idyllic veneer are startling tales of torture, plunder, and deadly epidemics.

Sentosa was known for savage pirates and a brutal prisoner of war camp before the Singapore government converted it into an upmarket vacation destination in the 1970s. Now 10 million people a year visit this island, which is less than a mile from the mainland and connected by rail and cable car.

Singapore could have buried Sentosa's disturbing past beneath its cheerful present. Instead its government recently declared the 19th-century Fort Siloso a national monument and is creating fresh tourism programs that embrace its bleak history.

Pirate haven

Prior to being renamed Sentosa 50 years ago, this 1,200-acre island had an eerie moniker. It was called Pulau Blakang Mati, which means "the island behind which lies death." That name could be linked to sea nomads who once lived on Singapore's Brani Island and may have buried their dead on adjacent Sentosa, explains Kwa Chong Guan, adjunct associate professor of history at the National University of Singapore.

Sentosa's lethal reputation was burnished by pirates and an invisible enemy. In the first half of the 1800s, a mysterious epidemic killed a large percentage of the island's population, which then included bands of buccaneers. Singapore's waters brimmed with seafaring criminals long before it was settled by the British in 1819, says Stefan Eklöf Amirell, author of Pirates of Empire.

He says the Singapore Strait, which runs parallel to the nation's south coast, had always been "excellent for piracy."This was due to its heavy ship traffic and abundant ambush locations on small, forested islands like Sentosa. Even after the Brits arrived, pirate plunder persisted. "Singapore being a hub of free trade, arms trade, and easy recruitment of crews inadvertently encouraged piracy," Amirell says of this early colonial period.

(These pirates stole the biggest booty ever.)

Tourists now walk in the footsteps of buccaneers at Fort Siloso. Before it was erected on the northern headland of Sentosa in 1878, this site was popular with pirates, says Goh Geok Yian, associate professor of history at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

To reach the British port at Keppel Harbour, merchant ships had to navigate the narrow strait between that headland and the mainland. "This [location] provided the perfect combination for mounting ambushes against ships," Goh says.

From fort to POW camp to resort

Siloso was among a cluster of British coastal forts built in the late 1800s to defend Singapore from threats such as the Russian navy, Goh explains. Siloso, the only one intact, now enjoys Singapore's highest level of heritage protection as a new national monument.

To access this hilltop fort, visitors follow an elevated walkway through a forest canopy. The jungle rustles with macaques; brahminy kites soar above; and Singapore's skyline unfurls to the east, with serene Siloso Beach to the south.

This natural splendor soon gives way to hulking artillery and grim history. Visitors can inspect the fort's anti-aircraft structures, command towers, machine gun posts, and sprawling network of bunkers, tunnels, and barracks. A small museum uses videos, photos, and maps to tell Siloso's story.

(Once a state secret, these Albanian bunkers are now museums.)

The fort was designed to counter seaborne attacks from the south. But it was from the north that Siloso received its fiercest foe. In 1941, the Japanese invaded Singapore overland from Malaysia, and Siloso's weaponry was shifted accordingly. That had little impact. Singapore fell in 1942 and the Japanese turned this fort into a prisoner of war camp for British and Australian troops.

These dark tales haunt the lantern-lit night tours of Siloso, launched in December. They are also woven into the new Sentosa Heritage Trail, a signposted route past 30 historic sites, including former army offices and hospitals, most of which are explained by interpretive signs. Amid the island's golf courses and thrill rides, the trail charts Sentosa's unlikely evolution from pirate port to combat complex to, finally, holiday haven.

Ronan O'Connell is an Australian journalist and photographer who shuttles between Ireland, Thailand, and Western Australia.

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Singapore's Sentosa Island is a paradise with a brutal past

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Each day tourists ride cable cars over Singapore's Keppel Harbour to a luxurious holiday isle haunted by death. In the world's third most densely populated country, Sentosa Island is a popular getaway, thanks to its sandy beaches, majestic rainforest, lavish resorts, and theme parks. (And it was a setting in author Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians.

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An article on William Pickering and secret societies

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Chinese secret societies revisited | New Straits Times

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A visit to the National Museum of Singapore shines a light on Malaya's Chinese secret society past and its impact on Malayan society over the past two centuries, ALAN TEH LEAM SENG writes

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1. According to Source 1, how did Singapore benefit from being under the control of the EIC and the British India Government?

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Look at title of the chart, table or graph

Examine the legend (chart/graph) to know what the date represents

Study the dates/time interval

Look for trends or patterns of change

Scan the data to find out whether the numbers are moving upwards or downwards

Note the level of the increase or decrease

Use your historical knowledge to explain the changes

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The photo shows a living quarter of Chinese immigrants in Chinatown.

1. Do you think this space was occupied by one person or a family? Use details from the photo to support your answer.

2. What does Source 2 tell you about the living conditions of the Chinese immigrants?

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Smith Street, Temple Street, Japanese Street and Banda Street; all adjoining streets in today's Chinatown had one thing in common during the colonial times. Three and four-storey brothels which along with prostitution, also promoted opium smoking, drinking and gambling

When Raffles founded modern Singapore as a British trading settlement in 1819, migrants poured in the island from China, India and Malaya. As the number of migrants increased, which were overwhelming males settling in the areas around Chinatown, brothels became an important outlet for their sexual needs. These migrants or sinkhehs came to Si Lat Po(Singapore's old Chinese name) without their wives and found solace in the arms of Ah Ku or prostitutes.

Slowly, Chinatown was flooded with tea-houses, theatres and opium dens tended by young singsong girls locally known as Pei Pa Chai or Pipa girls. These girls were paid by the hour by rich clients to play mahjong or prepare opium. Many, in due course, were lured into prostitution.

These prostitutes mainly came from China, Japan and Europe. Though, there were no British prostitutes due to a ban imposed by the then British administration of Singapore.

The National Heritage Board (NHB) describes the life of a prostitute in colonial Singapore as "horrendous". "Once in a brothel, the girls were often subjected to beatings, and received little or no medical attention. Riddled with diseases, these pitiful women were often also murder victims. Seeing no other escape from their living hell, a number of these prostitutes took their own lives. While some threw themselves off buildings, others preferred a more subtle method - an opium overdose," informs the NHB in one of the placards placed in Chinatown.

Interestingly, by 1923, there were 423 government-run shops selling opium over-the-counter between 6am to 10pm. But in brothels, opium would be available till 2am.
Chinese brothels

The most infamous street at the turn of the 20thcentury was the Smith Street, which was lined with 25 three and four-storey shop-houses packed with prostitutes. While two were Japanese, most of the other brothels were Chinese, with the most notorious being the no. 65. It's owner, Loh Sai Soh, was stabbed when she attempted to stop a customer from leaving without paying. This street served as a red-light area between 1901 and 1930. Adjoining Smith Street was the Temple Street, which got its name after the Sri Mariamman Temple located at one end of the street, and was also famous for its Chinese brothels.

Japanese brothels
Also known as Yap Pun Kai (or the lane of foreign prostitutes) or Japanese Street, this street hosted the few Japanese brothels in colonial Singapore. Notably, "until the pre-war years, Japanese prostitutes plied their trade along this street in an oddly noble effort to help finance their country's military campaigns," says NHB. Another street notorious for Japanese brothels till 1930 was the Banda Street located at the junction of Sago Street, Sago Lane and Spring Street.

"Sexually transmitted disease became rampant and epidemics swept through Chinatown, leading to the passing of the Contagious Disease Ordinance in 1870, requiring brothels to be registered and prostitutes to be examined medically for disease. In 1887, the Ordinance was repealed, and the registration of brothels was stopped in 1894. Without these controls in place, the number of brothels increased further. This was fuelled by the record increase in the migrant labour at the end of the century. It was also at this time, that the full effects of the repeal came into effect; the pandemic spread of gonorrhea and syphilis in the Chinese community. The importing of prostitutes to Singapore was finally banned in 1927 and brothels made illegal in 1930," informs the Chinese Heritage Centre situated in Chinatown, Singapore.

All information in this story is courtesy National Heritage Board and Chinese Heritage Centre, Chinatown, Singapore.
Credit: Newzzit

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History: The brothels of colonial Singapore - Singapore News

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Smith Street, Temple Street, Japanese Street and Banda Street; all adjoining streets in today's Chinatown had one thing in common during the colonial times. Three and four-storey brothels which along with prostitution, also promoted opium smoking, drinking and gambling When Raffles founded modern Singapore as a British trading settlement in 1819, migrants poured in the ...

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Let our Curators tell you more Ep 2: 36 oaths of the Secret Society

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Using the graph/table shown; respond to these questions:

1. What trends do you observe in the total trade of Singapore from 1824 to 1938?

2. Explain the trends in Singapore's imports and exports from 1824 to 1938.

3. Is the table or graph a better way to represent the data on Singapore's trade? Why do you think so?

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1. After reading the article, do you think the British authorities should suppress prostitution in Singapore? Explain your stand.

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Brothels in colonial Singapore, with its large male migrant population, did a roaring trade. Adeline Foo examines the lives of the unfortunate girls and women who were sold into prostitution.

A late-19th century portrait of a pipa tsai (Cantonese for "little pipa player"). The pipa, or Chinese lute, is a pear-shaped four-stringed musical instrument made of wood. These girls were trained to play the instrument and sing to entertain men in clubs and brothels in Singapore. In some cases, the pipa tsai were forced into prostitution. Courtesy of National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board.

"I went a few times because of my youthful follies, to see those girls being sold to the brothels. The auction took place in front of the go-downs at the port. The zegen [pimp] took the girls out of the hold, ordered them to change their clothes and lined them up in front of a warehouse. The brothel-owners bought them on the spot in [the] auction. Good looking girls were priced between one and two thousand yen, and ordinary girls from four to five hundred yen."

This account by Tomijiro Onda, a Japanese barber in Singapore, describes how the trade in young girls operated here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ships carrying girls from Japan and China reached Singapore after three weeks to a month, while junks from Hong Kong took slightly more than a week. Once these girls landed, they were sold "as if they were cattle". Between 1900 and 1910, the average price for a Japanese woman was 500 to 600 yen, while a Chinese girl shipped in from South China cost between $150 and $500. This was a large sum considering that the average worker earned a monthly wage of about $10 to $15 in those days.

While much has been said about Singapore's early economic history with its focus on canny entrepreneurs and hardworking coolies, much less has been written about the seedier side of a colonial port city where men vastly outnumbered women. In 1884, there were 60,000 Chinese men but only 6,600 Chinese women, of whom an estimated 2,000 - mainly Cantonese and Teochew - worked as prostitutes. It is believed that as much as 80 percent of the young Chinese girls who came to Singapore in the late 1870s were sold to brothels.

Prostitution at the turn of 20th-century Singapore, as with most other things, was the result of supply rising to meet demand. Most of the prostitutes came from patriarchal societies like China and Japan. There, sexual licence and the purchase of women was a male prerogative. Abject poverty in some regions in turn pushed these women out to find work in places like Southeast Asia.

In addition to girls who were "imported" into Singapore from elsewhere, there were others on the island who were tricked into entering the profession. In 1940, the Nanyang Siang Pau described how one hapless victim was misled:

"'A''s mother met a woman whom she regarded as Second Aunt, who was sympathetic towards her daughter. Second Aunt recommended 'A' to get a job and offered to bring her to Kuala Lumpur. She agreed and left Singapore without telling her mother. Later, they returned to Singapore and 'A' became a prostitute. 'A' chose not to find her mother because she did not wish for her to know that she was a prostitute, it was an ugly thing. She only wished to save up enough money, look for her mother and return to China with her. She thought that once she had become a prostitute, it was not possible... to turn back..."

In some instances, prostitutes raised abandoned or orphaned girls as their own, and some of these girls followed in their adopted mothers' footsteps. Once a girl reached puberty, she would have been taught the necessary skills by an "older sister". During a more explicit period of training, the teenager would receive detailed instructions in the arts of lovemaking and massage. She would also learn how to use aphrodisiacs and other sexual devices, and how to entertain and pleasure men from sex manuals, erotic paintings and pamphlets.

Once the girl, usually between the ages of 13 and 15, completed her apprenticeship, her virginity would be sold to the highest bidder: men would pay several hundred dollars to more than a thousand dollars for the experience of deflowering her.

Chinese coolies unloading goods in a godown, 1900s. Chinese male migrants to Singapore in the 19th century, who worked mainly as coolies, were a lonely lot and sought solace in the arms of prostitutes. Boden-Kloss Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

The Brothels

The men who frequented brothels in Singapore were a mixed bag that included "sons of towkay, bank clerks, street hawkers, rickshaw pullers, high-ranking officials, restaurant proprietors, colonial soldiers, and denizens of the underworld". These men could have their pick from any of the many brothels that lined certain streets cheek by jowl.

"Each of the districts... had their local clients... Europeans - diplomats, officials and planters - favoured the discreet Japanese women of Malay and Malabar Streets. Foreign tourists, soldiers, and, especially Japanese sailors also sought their sexual favours by visiting the unregistered haunts of Malay and Eurasian women scattered in the side lanes and alleys of the city. Rickshawmen made regular journeys to the brothels in Chin Hin Street, Fraser Street, Sago Street, Smith Street, Tan Quee Lan Street and Upper Hokien Street."

A photo of karayuki-san by G.R. Lambert & Co., 1890s. Courtesy of National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board.

Japanese prostitutes, known as karayuki-san, operated within the Japanese enclave along Hylam, Malabar, Malay and Bugis streets where Japanese merchants, shopkeepers, doctors and bankers had set up shop. By 1920, the Japanese community in Singapore was large and thriving enough to host its own newspaper, the Nanyo Shimpo, a Japanese cemetery and a Japanese school.

In the Kreta Ayer/Chinatown area, Chinese brothels catered to a largely different clientele. In addition to brothels that served the average worker, there were high-class ones that were visited by rich patrons who had their favourite prostitutes.

A portrait of a karayuki-san with her hair let down, 1890s. Gretchen Liu Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Historian James Warren's in-depth study of life in Singapore brothels pieced together the practices of women in the profession by, among other things, examining information from coroner's records and inquests as well as interviewing people who lived close to where the brothels were. His research unveiled intimate details such as how older women in the brothel prepared virgins for their first sexual experience. Warren also learned of their beauty secrets that included washing one's face with powder ground from raw rice instead of cheap scented soap.

Some of these sex workers managed to escape the trade: a few were able to save enough money to pay their way out of brothels while others were bought by wealthy businessmen and ended up as their mistresses or concubines. The latter were a minority though; for most, prostitution was a lifetime prison sentence until they met with illness or death.

Warren's research uncovered shocking accounts of sex workers dying because of venereal disease, fatal fights resulting from social rivalry, alcoholism and drug abuse. Many prostitutes committed suicide - by overdosing on opium or ingesting poison, or by hanging or slitting their throats and, in one gory account, being burnt alive - because they had no chance of ever leaving the brothel. Death provided release from poverty, debt and ill health.

One account by Chu Ah Tan, a brothel owner, recounted the desperation experienced by a prostitute struggling with pulmonary tuberculosis and venereal disease. For eight years she smoked opium and injected herself with increasing dosages of morphine. She finally died after an overdose of opium.

"Wong Mau Tan was one of the prostitutes in my brothel... she was coughing a lot and said that she had a cough and headache for two months. Yesterday evening, her maidservant found her in bed, spit was coming from her mouth. I removed her to the hospital, she was conscious up to the last."

A G.R. Lambert & Co. photo of coolies on China Street, 1890s. The street was infamous for its numerous gambling houses. Courtesy of Editions Didier Millet.

An Evening's Entertainment

Why did men in Singapore visit prostitutes? For some, it was all part of business entertainment. Influential Chinese and European elites would arrange to meet in brothels to discuss business first before progressing to the evening's entertainment. And it was not just the rich who thought a visit to a prostitute was normal.

Entreprenuer Choong Keow Chye recalled in his oral history account:

"I was a sinkeh earning about $10 a month. These people who won some money, $80 to $100, in gambling invited me to the brothel... Three to five dollars, or eight to ten dollars would pay for a night's stay with a prostitute."

The women could not keep all this money either: they were expected to pay the brothel owner between 40 and 50 percent of their earnings for rent, secret society protection, food, tailored dresses, loan of jewellery and medical fees.

Beyond the immediate satiation of their sexual urges, many of the thousands of men who sought comfort in the arms of prostitutes did not see marriage in their future. They were too poor and earned too little to even entertain the thought of finding a wife, either in Singapore or back in their hometowns. These men toiled as manual labourers, working as rickshaw pullers, coal shovellers, construction workers and coolies, and led a tough life with little or no means of leisure. Apart from work, these men were lonely and many led a meaningless existence without companionship.

The now demolished Chinese Protectorate building on Havelock Road, c. 1910. The office was first set up in 1877 at a shophouse on North Canal Road under William Pickering, the first Protector of Chinese, to look after the affairs of Singapore's migrant Chinese community. In 1888, the Protectorate established the Po Leung Kuk in another location to help women who had been sold or tricked into prostitution. Courtesy of National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board.

Prostitution naturally brought with it a host of social ills. The demand for paid sex was a lucrative source of revenue for brothel owners and especially for the secret societies that controlled the brothels, and hence any threat to this business would have serious consequences. Secret societies frequently fought one another over control of the brothels and the women.

Sex workers were also a conduit for sexually transmitted diseases. This was a problem that pervaded all classes of society. Even the wealthy who patronised the more expensive brothels on Smith Street under the misconception that the women there were more discriminating, and thus safer, were not exempt. These men then - either knowingly or unknowingly - passed on sexually transmitted diseases to their wives and concubines.

Despite the many social problems associated with prostitution, the colonial authorities tolerated and legalised the trade in the early years, partly due to the low female-to-male population ratio in Singapore.

Protecting Girls and Women

The government, however, did help young girls and women who were trafficked into prostitution. This task was initially handled by the Chinese Protectorate, which was set up in 1877 under colonial administrator William Pickering. The Protectorate managed the affairs of the migrant Chinese community.

In 1888, the Protectorate set up a separate body, the Po Leung Kuk, or the Office to Protect Virtue, to help women who had been sold or tricked into prostitution. The Po Leung Kuk also functioned as a halfway house for young girls such as the mui tsai that it helped rescue from abuse.

The mui tsai (literally "little sister" in Cantonese) were girls as young as eight years old who came to Singapore, accompanying a relative or a fellow villager. The girls came to seek a better future through marriage or employment as domestic workers. However, many of these girls ended up being tricked into prostitution, or sold to rich families who might abuse them.

As the mui tsai grew into her teens, her situation could worsen: if she was pretty, she would find herself servicing the sexual needs of the male members in the household; if she were to bear children, she would not be allowed to claim or acknowledge them until her mistress passed away. The Po Leung Kuk rescued these girls, gave them a safe place to live and trained them in useful skills that could help them find decent men to marry or a useful job when they left the Po Leung Kuk.

Another group of young girls who were rescued by the Po Leung Kuk was the pipa tsai. These were girls who were trained to play and sing to the accompaniment of the pipa, a short-necked wooden lute. In brothels and clubs where men gathered, these girls entertained their clients by reciting Chinese poetry and bantering with them. The older among the pipa tsai would be made to sit at tables to accompany men. These girls were paid by the hour and sometimes also provided sexual services.

How did these pipa tsai enter such employment? Like the mui tsai, they had been entrusted by their parents in China to the care of distant relatives in Singapore, the so-called "third or sixth paternal aunt" - sum gu or luk gu - some of whom worked in or even owned entertainment establishments themselves. The pipa tsai could also have been picked out when these "aunts" visited destitute women and their young daughters living in shelters such as temples.

Girls who had been forcibly controlled and detained by these aunts could escape their bondage only after they had outlived their popularity or if they were able to find married men who were willing to buy them out of their pipa-playing employment. The more fortunate girls were rescued by the authorities and taken in by the Po Leung Kuk. But this was a temporary arrangement: the future of these girls depended on whether they could learn new skills and find suitable jobs after leaving the Po Leung Kuk.

The Cabaret Scene

When the glitz and glamour of the 1920s Shanghai nightclub scene spilled over to Singapore, it brought with it the promise of a different life, at least for some of the women who struggled to make a new life for themselves after they had left or broken free from sexual slavery and bondage.

The women who chose to step into Singapore's budding cabaret scene could now take control over their lives. Dancing in a cabaret paid relatively well, and was filled with music, alcohol and laughter. They could doll up and use their feminine wiles to manipulate men, unlike the subservient mui tsai, pipa tsai or brothel worker who had to endure servitude, slavery and indignity.

Five dance hostesses at a cabaret in the 1930s. The women are dressed in figure-hugging cheongsams with daring slide slits that showed off their legs. They were an obvious attraction for men with their artfully applied makeup and coiffured hair-dos. Courtesy of Mr and Mrs Lee Kip Lee.

As cabarets and nightclubs burgeoned in Singapore, women who lacked education or skills were able to seek out more enticing employment opportunities, beyond just prostitution. This is not to say that prostitution disappeared; not everyone had the attributes of a cabaret girl. For those who did not, the flesh trade continued to be an option.

Because of the lowly status of women and the stigma around sex work, the lives of prostitutes in late 19th- and early 20th-century Singapore are typically given scant attention. However, they are an important part of Singapore's social history, as historian James Warren has noted: "Much of the history of Singapore between 1870 and 1940 was in part shaped, and in large measure endured, by prostitutes and coolies."

THE OFFICE TO PROTECT VIRTUE

The Po Leung Kuk was set up in Singapore in 1888, about 10 years after it was first established in Hong Kong. The Po Leung Kuk, or the Office to Protect Virtue, was created to offer protection to girls who had been sold or lured into prostitution.

In Singapore, the Po Leung Kuk also provided protection and assistance for the repatriation of women and girls to China. Its other role was to supply marriage partners to a predominantly male population who did not have the means to find a bride from their village.

In addition to housing girls rescued from prostitution, the Po Leung Kuk took in young female servants known as mui tsai if they had been abused. The Po Leung Kuk also functioned as a "halfway house", offering shelter, food and training to rehabilitate girls. Once the residents turned 18, they were eligible for marriage. All applications made to the Po Leung Kuk by men to select brides were carefully screened and approved by the management committee.

The Po Leung Kuk had its beginnings in Lock Hospital in the Kandang Kerbau area, moving subsequently to larger premises on York Hill in Chinatown which could accommodate as many as 300 residents.

Women who were rescued and rehabilitated by the Po Leung Kuk were sought after as wives as they were trained in domestic service, and acquired skills such as dressmaking and hairdressing that could help supplement their husband's income.

Life for the residents of Po Leung Kuk seemed to be a pleasant one, if a visitor's impression in 1936 is any guide:

"The walls of the main schoolroom which is a large cheerful apartment are gaily decorated with pictures drawn and painted by the pupils themselves. The children are educated in accordance with Chinese custom, and the bigger girls are taught the arts of fine sewing and embroidery. With few exceptions, the girls are all under eighteen, and they appeared so happily carefree that I found it difficult to believe they had ever suffered unkind treatment or neglect."

In Singapore, the Po Leung Kuk's management committee was chaired by the Protector of Chinese and a body of 13 influential Chinese businessmen. The activities of the Po Leung Kuk were supported by government funds and private donations.

Mrs Mabel Winter, the first Lady Assistant Protector of Chinese, passed away on 25 January 1934. Image reproduced from The Straits Times, 26 January 1934, p. 13.

On 1 March 1929, Mrs Mabel Winter was appointed the first Lady Assistant Protector of Chinese. She took over the management of Po Leung Kuk's day-to-day operations and was assisted in her duties by a committee of ladies.

Winter's appointment as Lady Assistant Protector of Chinese was significant as it was the first time a woman had been given such an important post, signifying the serious intent of the British, or at least the Chinese Protectorate, to rescue and rehabilitate women and girls from prostitution and slavery.

Mabel Winter was the wife of Mr H.B. Winter, the proprietor of a well-known tailoring establishment on Battery Road. She had been born in Hong Kong where "she learned to speak Chinese so fluently that the Chinese expressed astonishment at her complete mastery of the language".

She married in Colombo in 1915, where her husband had served in the Fifth Gurkhas regiment.Unfortunately, Winter's time at the Po Leung Kuk was cut short when she died from pneumonia on 25 January 1934 and was buried in Bidadari Cemetery. She was only 42.

To remember her contributions, the Mabel Winter Memorial Shield was set up and given out annually to an outstanding candidate in the Po Leung Kuk who excelled in needlework and cooking and displayed exemplary conduct.

From the 1930s, the number of women and girls admitted to the Po Leung Kuk in Singapore fell. One researcher suggests that this was due to the implementation of the 1930 Women and Girls' Protection Ordinance that outlawed brothels and vice activities. Unfortunately, the legislation sent brothels underground and made it harder to track and rescue women who needed help. In 1932, the Mui Tsai Ordinance was introduced to prohibit the acquisition of mui tsai; this would, in time, also reduce the number of girls that needed to be rescued.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Po Leung Kuk's premises were abandoned and its residents dispersed to several welfare centres. When the British Military Administration took over after the war, the new Department of Social Welfare was set up, and the Po Leung Kuk was closed.

Adeline Foo is a scriptwriter and an adjunct lecturer. Her research interests include women, and societal prejudice and discrimination. She is the researcher and creator of Last Madame, a drama series about the 1930s brothel scene in Singapore. The show debuted in September 2019 on MediaCorp Toggle.

Notes

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Brothels in colonial Singapore, with its large male migrant population, did a roaring trade. Adeline Foo examines the lives of the unfortunate girls and women who were sold into prostitution. A late-19th century portrait of a pipa tsai (Cantonese for "little pipa player"). The pipa, or Chinese lute, is a pear-shaped four-stringed musical instrument made of wood.

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The Malacca Strait, between Malaysia, Singapore and Sumatra, has been a favourite haunt of pirates for over a thousand years.

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Singapore's First Secret Society: The Ghee Hin Kongsi

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DRIVEN BY SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES

The centre's executive director Krishnaswamy Natarajan said the increase in such incidents was driven by a socio-economic situation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, lower fish catch due to climate change and the prevailing Southwest monsoon.

He added that this has forced some locals living along the strait to turn to sea robbery and petty crimes to make ends meet.

"The Singapore Strait is one of the major international shipping routes which sees almost 1,000 ships a day ... with an increasing volume of maritime trade as pandemic (restrictions) ease," he told CNA's Singapore Tonight on Friday (Jul 21).

"There are far too many opportunities available for the people in the region who are not economically sound, and who are looking to make a livelihood."

While the incidents were "not alarming" as most fell under petty theft, the continued boarding of ships by perpetrators could lead to more serious situations, he said.

"In a threat situation, there can be a collision of ships in the area because they are manoeuvring so close to each other," said Mr Natarajan. "It could be a dangerous situation which could lead to environmental disaster. (In such circumstances,) there could even be a closure of the strait temporarily until the situation improves."

He said countries around the hotspots are making an effort to ensure the safe navigation of ships and put in place environmental protection measures.

However, he also urged governments to do more and step up law enforcement, enhance surveillance, increase patrols and respond promptly to incidents.

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Rise in sea robbery cases around Singapore Strait driven by socio-economic issues, says piracy report

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Perpetrators usually target ships that are ill-prepared, manoeuvre at slow speed and have low freeboard.

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SINGAPORE - An average of 112 rioting and serious hurt cases have been linked to secret societies in Singapore each year for the past five years and cases involving the use of weapons such as parangs and knuckle dusters have declined over the same period.

There was one case involving weapons last year, down from 12 in 2016, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said in a written parliamentary reply on Tuesday (Feb 2).

Providing these figures, Mr Shanmugam said that the secret society situation in Singapore is under control.

He was responding to Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok) and Mr Melvin Yong (Radin Mas), who asked about recent trends in gang-related activities following the arrests of 151 people allegedly linked to unlawful societies.

The operation that swept up the 151 alleged gang members between Dec 21 and Jan 3 was part of continuous anti-gang suppression and deterrence efforts by the police, said Mr Shanmugam.

The arrests followed a number of rioting cases in December last year, some of which occurred near entertainment outlets in the city and led to serious injuries.

Mr Shanmugam said secret societies now are largely made up of loosely-organised street gangs and mainly comprise younger members who flit between different groups.

While the number of youths dealt with by the police for secret society-related offences has remained stable in the last five years - with an average of 153 per year - youth gangs remain a serious concern.

The police invest significant resources to educate and engage youths to deter them from joining secret societies, Mr Shanmugam said, citing regular anti-gang talks held in secondary schools. The police also work with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Education and volunteer welfare organisations to rehabilitate at-risk youths before they become entrenched in the gang mindset.

Against the backdrop of Covid-19 restrictions, which has limited such activities, the police are now looking to enhance their anti-gang outreach efforts online, Mr Shanmugam added.

For example, the police and National Crime Prevention Council organised an online football video game tournament last year for more than 100 youths, who also received anti-gang talks and crime prevention advice as part of the competition.

The police had previously said that the number of arrests for gang-related activities has generally declined over the last decade, from about 1,000 per year in 2012 and 2013 to about 700 per year in 2018 and 2019.

Last year's figure was significantly lower due to Covid-19 movement restrictions.

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Secret society situation in Singapore under control: Shanmugam

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SINGAPORE - An average of 112 rioting and serious hurt cases have been linked to secret societies in Singapore each year for the past five years and cases involving the use of weapons such as parangs and knuckle dusters have declined over the same period.

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1. Why did piracy increase around the Straits of Melaka?

2. Why was it challenging for the British authorities to suppress piracy?

3. What are the impacts of piracy on early Singapore?

4. Is piracy a concern for Singapore today? Why or why not?

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On Duty: Secret Societies Branch Officer (SPF)

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1. What is 'brotherhood' in secret societies? Why is brotherhood important?

2. What strengths or traits did William Pickering, the British protector of the Chinese possess?

3. What is/are the difference(s) between the secret societies in the past and present?

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Origins of the police force in Singapore

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Origins of the police force in Singapore

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Formed in May 1820, the SPF is one of the oldest government organisations in Singapore. From humble beginnings of a 12-man team, led by Francis James Bernard, the SPF has grown from strength to strength, in tandem with the nation.

1. Why did crime rates increase in early Singapore?

2. Identify THREE common crimes in early Singapore.

3. Why was it difficult to recruit men to the police force in the past?

4. Describe THREE measures Thomas Dunman carried out to improve the police force.

5. Which other organisation did the police force work

closely with in the 19th century?

6. Identify THREE common crimes in current Singapore.

7. Is the current police force better than the past? Why or why not?

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The official Singapore Police Force website. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is a uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The mission of the SPF is to prevent, deter and detect crime to ensure the safety and security of Singapore.

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It is an upward trend, increasing in trade

As the years went by, Singapore grew as a trading port and total incomes grew by a lot.

We think that graphs are a better way to represent the data as we can see the trends increasing more clearly

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The amount of trade from 1824 to 1938 increased until the year 1903; it then stayed almost the same from then to 1913. From 1913 to 1923, the amount increased the most amongst the few years. Afterwards, the amount decreased until year 1933 before it increased in 1938.

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EIC established an able and just administration, which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely. Although the British India Company suffered a constant drain on its finances, it still continued to support Singapore even if it gave them no profit.

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The EIC established an able and just administration which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely. The British India Government also supported a constant drain on its finances to maintain Singapore as a colony, even though Singapore gained no profit and hardly paid a cent in taxes.

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- it is increasing

-the trades from 1824 to 1938 grew and the amount of import Singapore received increased along with the exports

-graph is a better way to represent data on Singapore’s trade . Because it is easier to understand and simpler to see.

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The value of goods traded in sg increased up to 1923 when it suddenly decreased in between 1923-1933. I think a graph is easier to understand as it is clearer and easier to spot an increase or decrease

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The EIC established an able and just administration, which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely, and this contributes partly to the reason why Singapore became successful and prosperous.

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1. The trade of Singapore was increasing, decreased in 1933 and regained trade in 1938

2. More traders came to Singapore so Singapore grew as a trading port in 1933, the trades fell which could be due to the Great Depression resulting in the extremely low price of rubber .

3. A graph is better as we can compare the results with other years and it is more visible and obvious.

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Singapore benefited under the EIC when it established an able and just administration , which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely . The British India government still supported Singapore even though there was a constant drain on its finances to maintain its colony from which gained no profit and hardly paid a cent in taxes . This contributes to Singapore’s prosperity

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The EIC established an able and just administration, which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely. The British India Government supported a constant drain on its finances and maintained a colony which helped gained them almost nothing.

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The EIC established an able and just administration, which allowed sg to build freely

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Cheong Yu Tong, Ning, Jaslyn and Trinity

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Cheong Yu Tong, Ning, Jaslyn and Trinity

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1. We observed that that from the year 1824-1923, the value of goods traded in SG increased. From the year 1923-1933, the value of trade drastically decreased. However, from 1933-1938 the value of trade increased.

2. As years went by, our port grew more prosperous with more traders stopping by, thus increasing our imports and exports from 1824-1923. However, the Great Depression hit and caused our imports and exports to have a downfall.

3. The table is a better way to represent data as we have clear numbers however, the graph can clearly show us the increase and decrease of the data in the Singapore’s traded.

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the value of singapore trade per year increased over time, but decreasing in 1923 to 1933. this is probably because of the great depression which occured from 1929 to 1939. the trade in 1938 however, increased, maybe because ww2 starts in 1939

i think a line graph is easier as you can see the spikes in the trend more easily

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EIC established an able and just administration which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely.

Even though Singapore did not bring the British India government any profit, they still supported Singapore colony with a constant drain on their finances .

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1. The total trade gradually increases from 1824-1923. From 1923-1938, the total trade decreases and then increases again.

2. Singapore’s imports & exports increases from 1824-1923. From 1923-1938, its imports & exports decreases then increases again

3. I think a graph is a better way to represent data on Singapore’s trade. A graph is an easier way to show a visual demonstration of a large amount of data. Graphs also make data presentable and easy to understand.

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The total trade of Singapore from 1824 to 1938 increased from $11.6m to $689.9m

There was an increased in Singapore’s imports and exports from 1824 to 1913, but the imports decreased in 1923 and the export remains constant. In 1933, the imports increased and the exports decreased.

A graph as we would be able to see the trend in one glance while for the data graph we need to read all the data and it is very time consuming

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1. Trend

Before the 1820s, Singapore did not have any trade. However, from 1824 to 1923 Singapore's total value of trade increased to $975m. Then, in 1933 it started to decrease, but increased a little again the following year in 1934.

2. Reason

The increase from 1824 to 1923 was probably due to Farquhar as he set up businesses that attracted traders to Singapore and with the conditions that were favourable to Singapore, more people came. However, during 1933 I think piracy increased and there were more wars around Singapore, making it more dangerous to travel there.

3. Graph/ Table

I find that for the trends, the graph is easier to see and for the numbers the table is easier to see. This is because the from graph's trend you can easily tell how the value of goods increased and when, but not exactly by how much.

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It is because Singapore was largely poverty stricken and was largely populated with immigrants, with pirate ships threatening maritime trade. The development of legal institutions could no longer keep pace with the growing population. Thus many crimes went unreported.

Pirate ships threatening maritime trade; secret societies; coolies and labour abuse

It is because working conditions were bad, wages were low and working hours were long.

Thomas Dunman raised the caliber of policemen by stressing on discipline among officers; he also implemented a pension scheme; helped fight rampant crime

The Chinese Protecteorate

Shoplifting; fraud cases; outrage of modesty

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1, 2. from 1824-1923, the imports and exports of the goods increased, causing the total money earned to increase as well. Then, from 1923-1933, the imports and exports decreased by a fair bit, which caused the total money earned decrease a lot as well. Lastly, from 1933-1938, the imports and exports increased again, which caused the total money earned to increase.

3. Graph. It is easier to see whether the trends went up or down as. it is more obvious. It is also faster to observe as we don’t have to read all the numbers and see whether it increases or deacreses.

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EIC established an able and just administration, which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely. The EIC Government supported a constant drain for 34 years on it finances to maintain a colony from which it gained no profit, and which hardly paid a cent in taxes.

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singapore benefited under the EIC for a short while because of the government system implemented by the EIC. but after singapore got more people, the EIC probably didn’t do much for its success after that but idk

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The total trades increases up till 1923 and decreases until 1933, after 1933 it increases again.

In 1824, more traders started stopping by Singapore to stock up on supplies, hence, increasing our total trades. However, from 1923, it decreases until 1933 and increases again after that.

The graph is better. The graph is easier to read for comparing increases and decreases

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Singapore had largely poverty-stricken immigrant population and pirate ships threatening maritime trade , faced high crime rates in its early years

Prostitution , gambling , drug abuse

There were bad working conditions and wages . Long hours and no pension gained

He raised the calibre of police by stressing on discipline amongst officers , he establish rules and regulations for officers to adhere to , drew patrol sector boundaries and introduced a standard uniform for use .

The British military administration

Merger stirred up racial and communal violence . Indonesia saboteurs carried out bombing and there were bad riots

Yes . The current police force recruited more people and they have better weapons and more advanced technology .

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The EIC "established an able and just administration, which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely." Additionally, "the British India Government supported a constant drain on its finances to maintain a colony from which it gained no profit, which hardly paid a cent in taxes," helping with Singapore's prosperity.

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1) The EIC established an able a just establishment which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely. The British India government supported a constant drain on its finances to maintain a colony even though it gained no profit.

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1. Poverty

2. Prostitution, gambling, drug dealing

3. The job was difficult

4. he raised the calibre of policemen by stressing on discipline amongst officers. By 1846, he had established rules and regulations for officers to adhere to, drew patrol sector boundaries and introduced a standard uniform for use. He also fought for better working conditions and wages, shorter hours and a pension scheme

5. Sikh Police Contingent, the Chinese Protectorate

6. Theft, assault, traffic violations

7. Yes as they have better equipment and more people

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1. It is an upward trend, increasing in 1824 to 1913. However, there was a decrease in trade value and, in 1923 the trade was significantly lower.

2. From 1917 to 1923, the Second Great War was going on. This impacted the number of traders coming in to Singapore to trade their goods, lowering the number of imports in Singapore until 1923. With fewer traders coming to Singapore, the number of exports also decreased, affecting the total trade. After 1923, however, traders started to return again and the imports started increasing. However, the number of exports decreased as Singapore started to focus more on education rather than trade, with numerous schools being founded around this period.

3. We find that the graph is easier to read, as there are not too many values in the graph which affect how the graph is read. However, the graph is better to relay more information accurately, as it tells you the exact values.

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The EIC established a just administration which allows Singapore to build up its trade and supported them in terms of finance despite the fact that Singapore gained no profit and did not pay taxes.

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1. I think a family stayed in this place as I think the object hanging from the ceiling is a bed or chair for someone to sit on. At that time, this room was considered a very big living space so this room was a house for families.

2. From the source, it is obvious that the living conditions of the Chinese immigrants were very poor. Since the immigrants have to use their money to buy food for their families, they have hardly any money left so they can only afford to buy or rent this tiny room for their families to live in. It was a very small room for families of 5/6 so that meant that they couldn’t even have enough space to sleep before a hard day at work.

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1. Brotherhood was important so they could count on each other and protect each other like they were actually brothers.

2. He was powerful with aura and he taught the public dialect which was like their secret code of communication

3. In the past they focused on terrorism and getting money by threatening others with violence. In present day they do other things like drugs, trafficking

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1. The centre’s executive director Krishnaswamy Natarajan said the increase in such incidents was driven by a socio-economic situation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, lower fish catch due to climate change and the prevailing Southwest monsoon. This has forced some locals living along the strait to turn to sea robbery and petty crimes to make ends meet. There are far too many opportunities available for the people in the region whoa re not economically sound, and who are looking to make a livelihood.

2. The Singapore Strait, which runs parallel to the nation’s south coast, had always been excellent for piracy. This was due to its heavy ship and abundant ambush locations on small, forested islands like Sentosa. Even after the Britains arrived, pirate plunder persisted. Singapore being a hub if free trade, arms trade, and easy recruitment of crews inadvertently encouraged piracy.

3. In early times piracy was a life of life, with rich pickings from passing ships. Pirates effectively controlled the Strait, often demanding tribute from ships and port authorities. Local rulers later took advantages from this, working with the pirates to take charge of the area and to fight off potential invaders.

4. No. Even though the number of sea robbery incidents confuses to rise sharply in Asia this year, with almost two-thirds of the total cases occurring in the Singapore Strait so far, the increase incidents were “not alarming”. Majority of the cases were classified as “least severe”, with the crew unharmed in most instances. Typically, these robberies were carried out under the cover of the night between 6pm and 6am. They usually target ships that are ill-prepare, manoeuvre at slow speed and have low freeboard-a deck that is lower and closer to the waterline, making it easier to board. Culprits often boarded vessels in small umbers, and were either unarmed or armed with knives and sticks. The report said the perpetrators were largely non-confrontational and escaped when noticed by the crew. It added that the nature of the incidents were generally opportunistic and of lower severity. Commonly stolen items included ship stores, scarp metal and machinery  spares.

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I think that the Singapore government should suppress prostitution because a lot of innocent girls who are often underage were lured into doing prostitution unwillingly. Although some people consider prostitution as their source of income, there are still many disadvantages of doing it, for example, there was a raise of sexually transmitted diseases and illnesses became rampant and epidemics swept through Chinatown, leading to the passing of the Contagious Disease Ordinance in 1870, requiring brothels to be registered and prostitutes to be examined medically for disease. Many people also committed suicide because of this. Overall, it also depends on that person and if they actually want to become a prostitute.

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1. singapore was flourishing and growing in population and poverty-stricken immigrants yet they had no police

2. piracy, secret societies and gambling

3. the pay was not high and people did not want to be police officers

4. Dunman stressed on discipline among officers, established rules and regulations for police to adhere to, drew patrol sector boundaries and introduced a standard uniform for use. He also fought for better working conditions and wages, shorter hours and a pension scheme.

5. chinese protectorate

6. burglary, scams cyber crime

7. it is better now because its has a bigger force and is more advanced and people are not corrupted

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1) Singapore had a largely poverty stricken immigrant population and pirate ships threatening maritime trade and faced high crime rates in its earliest. The development of th legal institutions could not keep pace with the growing population. Many crimes went unsupported.

2) Piracy, Coolies abuse and prostitution.

3) The working conditions were very bad and they had very low wages and they also had to work for very long hours.

4) Thomas Dunman raised the calibre of policemen by stressing on discipline amongst officers. He had established rules and regulations. He also fought for a pension scheme.

5) The police force worked with the Chinese Protectorate.

6) Theft, Sexual harassment and scams.

7) Yes as there are more manpower now and they are more trained to act during unforeseen circumstances. They also learn to handle incidents quicker and have the necessary equipment for better-sense-making to fight crimes.

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1. Maintaining law and order was a challenge in the newly colonised Singapore. At first, a police force hadn’t been establised yet until William Farquhar set one up.

2. There was disorderly conduct like theft and murder.

3. The police will face violent acts of crime, including secret societies. The police force was woefully incapable of bringing the situation under control and often needed the assistance of army soldiers for assistance.

4. He improved the efficiency and training of the police force. Among the measures he introduced were improved pay and working hours for policemen, setting up training programmes and night classes for members of the force, and creating a pension scheme for retired policemen.

5. The british east india company (eic)

6. Pickpocketing, shoplifting and traffic violations

7. Yes, it is better, as the crime rate has dropped and less serious crimes have been committed.

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1. Singapore was a free port and British were controlling get waters around Singapore and along the straits of Melaka where orang laut and pirates were. They didn’t like that they couldn’t control the area anymore which led to attacks on vessels and boats coming to Singapore

2. Many goods were lost and many lives were taken.

3. There is still piracy today but much lesser so it is still a concern

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brotherhood means they could rely on each other during hard times and dangerous periods

William Pickering was clever

The secret societies in the past had focused on dangerous things such a terrorism while present day secret societies focused on keeping the citizens safe from drugs and trafficking

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1. Singapore had a largely poverty-stricken immigrant population and pirate ships threatening maritime trade in its early years. The development of the legal institutions could not keep pace with the growing population so many crimes went unreported. Further exacerbating the problem was the lack of proper supervision in the police force and poor morale among the rank-and-file officers. Thus, crime rates increased.

2. Prostitution, gambling and secret societies were some common crimes.

3. Working conditions were not as good.

4. He raised the calibre of police by stressing on discipline amongst officers. He also established rules and regulations for officers to adhere to and drew patrol sector boundaries.

5. The Chinese Protectorate.

6. The current police force is better than the past. The police force has become more modernised and law & order has become more emphasised and crime is prevented better now.

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it is a family room. As there are many things lying around and its cooped

It is very dirty and the living conditions were terrible

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1. Singapore has a largely poverty-stricken immigrant population and pirate ships threatening the maritime trade which caused Singapore’s crime rate to increase in the early years. Many crimes went unreported and with the exacerbating problem okf the lack of proper supervision in the police force and poor morale among officers.

2. Piracy, Secret Societies, Prostitution.

3. People in the last used to be more invested in trading as a source of income, they also did not want to issue their lives and the pay given was not as high.

4. He raised the calibre of policemen by stressing on discipline amongst officers. He also established rules and regulations for officers to adhere to, drew patrol sector boundaries and introduced a standard uniform for us. Lastly, fought for better working conditions and wages, shorter hours and pension scheme.

5. The Chinese protectorate.

6. Theft, Disorderly conduct, Traffic violations

7. Yes, it is better. the SPF uses more orders technology and more manpower.

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1. Brotherhood is important because this way the people in the secret societies can depend on each other in times of need like brothers would.

2. William Pickering possessed perseverance.

3. In the past, there was a lot more violence involved compared to the present.

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Singapore, with its largely poverty-stricken immigrant population and pirate ships threatening maritime trade faces high crime rate in its early years. Common crimes in early Singapore were theft, riots, and gang fights. However, it was difficult to recruit police as policing was not always seen as an attractive job, other professions either paid more or seem relatively safer. As for Thomas Dunman, "he raised the calibre of policemen by stressing on discipline amongst officers. By 1846, he had established rules and regulations for officers to adhere to, drew patrol sector boundaries and introduced a standard uniform for use. He also fought for better working conditions and wages, shorter hours and a pension scheme." Some of the organisations that worked with the police force are like the Chinese Protectorate. I think that the police force now isn't exactly "better" but is certainly more strong in numbers and advanced

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I think the British should suppress prostitution in Singapore as more than 80 percent of the young girls who came to Singapore in the late 1870s were sold to Brothels. Plus, once girls between the ages of 13 and 15 completed her apprenticeship, her virginity would be sold to the highest bidder. As the prostitutes had no chance of leaving the brothel, some of them decided to commit suicide. Their death would thus provide release from poverty, debt and ill heath. To conclude, I think the British should help to suppress prostitution as it may be lethal.

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1. I think this place the space was occupied by a family as the room was considered large and was able to fit one whole family there. The object hanging from the ceiling was used for babies to sleep in, thus showing that a family lived there with children and that more than one person lived there.

2. Source 2 tells me that the living conditions of the Chinese immigrants was very poor. The Chinese immigrants might not have a lot of money as the room was small and cramped for a whole family to live in. Plus, the place was very dirty and cramped, showing that their living conditions were not good.

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1+2 . The Chinese coolies fled to Singapore to search for a job when Singapore’s trade flourished. More secret societies were then formed which led to more thuggery, drug dealing and gambling.

3. There was a lack of proper supervision in the police force and poor moral among the rank and file officers

4. He raised the caliber of policemen by stressing on discipline among officers. He also established boundaries and introduced a standard uniform for use. Furthermore, he also fought for better working conditions and wages, shorter hours and pension schemes.

5. The federation of Malaya and became a part of the newly formed Malaysia.

6. Scams, theft, vandalisation

7. Yes, we have more resources and more manpower.

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1. Brotherhood was mutually healing each other in times of trouble and respecting each other’s womenfolk. Brotherhood is important as it helped refrain members from becoming police informants and due to the internal laws and they also could give assistance and no one would disrespect  each other. For example, they had to rescue each other when they were in trouble and also take care of each other’s parents if they were not here.

2. He was resilient and undaunted when faced with challenges. For example, he immersed himself into the daily lives of the immigrants in order to gain insights of furtive fellowships.

3. In the past, many of the secret societies stuck terror in people through numerous killings. The groups mainly consisted of only Cantonese and Southern China people. There were also internal laws in order to have secrecy. Some societies like Ghee Hin Kongsi also collected protection fees and would threaten you if you did not pay for it. They also lurched attack on competitors and took part in heavy riot. In the past, secret societies claimed much more lives and damaged more homes than the ones in the present. They also had more men in their society. In the present, an average of 112 rioting and serious hurt cases have been connected to secret societies in Singapore annually. The number of youths death with by the police for secret society-related offences has been an average of 153 annually.

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According to Source 1, the East India Company established an able and just administration, which allowed Singapore to build up its trade freely. However, the EIC also suffered from a constant drain on its finances, and for 34 years from 1833 to 1867, the British India Government supported it and helped the EIC maintain a colony, even though it did not gain any profit.

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1. So they had someone else to help them

2. He was intelligent and could speak multiple languages and could control riots

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1. Brotherhood is something that’s makes the secret society stronger as the people in it always stick together and never quit. This makes them more bonded and stronger as they’ll stick together and help each other in need.

2. William Pickering had leadership.

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1. People were desperate for money at that time so they resorted in crime to get money to supply their families overseas.

2. Trafficking, pickpocketing, theft

3. Immigrants they were weak and at that time being in the poilce force did not pay much.

4. Thomas Dunman raised the caliber of policemen by stressing on discipline among officers;he also implemented a pension scheme.

5. The Chinese Protectorate

6. Theft, disorderly conduct, traffic violations

7. Yes it is better. The SPF used better technology and more manpower.

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1. a family. the room is very big compared to other houses in the same time and it is unlikely for one single person to live there. there is also LOTS OF STUFF and MANY BOWLS so there are many people

2. they do not have their own houses and can only live in shared living quarters. it is also very small and dirty

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How many secret societies are there currently in the present?

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1. It was a sign secrecy, mutual help in times of trouble and respect for each others women folk.

2. He can speak the secret society’s dialect. He was also very resilient.

3. In the past, secret societies involved more violence and illegal activities. However, now in the present, secret societies use involve less violence and less illegal activity

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“Brotherhood” is the way that the gang members treat each other (like family)

William Pickering was just and firm in his decisions and maintained law and order. He also spoke dialects which helps him converse and relate to the members of the secret societies.

In the past, secret societies did many illegal activities, they are very active in the past and is always going behind the governments backs. On the other hand, secret societies today are less active and do lesser illegal activities today.

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1. They have poor living conditions as their house is very cluttered.

2. They should suppress it to a certain extent. The government should not allow trafficking of women from china to be put into brothels, but they should still allow prostitution in some aspects so that the people who control these brothels do not illegally go underground.

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This was as "Singapore, with its largely poverty-stricken immigrant population and pirate ships threatening maritime trade faced high crime rates in its early years. The development of the legal institutions could not keep pace with the growing population. Many crimes went unreported. Further exacerbating the problem was the lack of proper supervision in the police force and poor morale among the rank-and-file officers."

Three common crimes in early SG are shop theft, riots, and gang fights.

It was difficult to get police, as policing was seen as a poor profession in the past.

Another organisation police worked with was The Chinese Protectorate.

Three current common crimes are shoplifting, animal abuse and outrage of modesty.

I wouldn't say it is better, but is certainly stronger in terms of the number of police and the upgrade of their weapons.

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Brotherhood is like being family in secret societies and never leaving. This is as people in the society knows secrets and can easily expose the group if they leave.

William Pickering was resilient and clever as he could speak many languages and often prevented or controlled riots.

Now, there are less secret societies.

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I think it is occupied by a family as there are items used by different family members.

This shows that immigrants often lived in small, cooped up spaces and barely has space to move around.

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What are the infamous secret societies

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I think that they should suppress prostitution. This is because prostitution often lead to suicide as these girls were extremely scared and could not leave the brothels. It also spread many diseases. Prostitution also objectifies women which is also bad as men would feel that they own them and can mistreat them like items. Thus I feel that prostitution should be suppressed.

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1. Brotherhood was very important, and it meant that secret society members had to help the other members, their ‘brothers’, in times of need.

2. One strength that William Pickering, the protector of the Chinese is perseverance. He did not give up when he faced challenges

3. One difference between secret societies from the past and the present is that the members of the secret societies now are mostly teenagers.

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1. I think a family lives in it as there are way too many things to all belong to one person

2. Their living conditions were bad as a family had to all live in one room

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What happens to the people who reject the offer to join the secret society?

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1) “Brotherhood” is looking after each other and give and receive support from each other. There is a very specific set of rules they have to follow like, taking care of each other.

2) William Pickering was the first European in Singapore who could speak fluent Chinese and Hokkien, which gained the trust of many of the Singapore Chinese.

3) The secret societies now are not that violent as secret societies in the past. In the past, they did more dangerous things like terrorism while in the present, they focus more on drug trafficking.

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1. Yes, we think the British should suppress prostitution in Singapore. These people were often lured into prostitution and were often subjected to beatings, and received little or no medical attention. Many of them also took their own lives as they could not escape from this. It also resulted in many people being riddled with diseases. Therefore, the British should suppress prostitution

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Yes as a lot of girls working as prostitutes were very young and they don’t deserve this. They also get no medical care and have very bad mental health.

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This space was occupied by a family. Because back then, people were poor and one single person could not afford such a big room. Thus, we think a family lived here.

From the source above, we can infer that they were poor and lived in bad living conditions. The stuff in the picture looked dirty and worn out. There were also different things that could have belonged to different people, thus having to squeeze inside a small room. Hence, we can infer that they are poor.

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I think Singapore should suppress prostitution. This is because prostitution is bad in many ways for example; they hurt the women’s dignity and young girls may get post trauma and depression. Prostitution was a big problem in early Singapore as many young women were being sold to brothels as prostitutes. However, the British authorities did not do much to solve this problem as they had little manpower to search vessels for women who could have potentially been brought to Singapore as prostitutes and have been tricked.

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Yes. As a result of Prostitution , girls were sold as items one a girl from Japan or china landed in Singapore , they were sold as if they were cattle . The purchase of women and sexual licence was a male prerogative there was also people from other islands who were tricked into entering the profession . Once you had become a prostitute it’s not possible to turn back .

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Why is it that secret societies still exist to this day?

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1. I think a family stayed in this place. The room looks big an enough for a whole family to stay inside. The object hanging from the ceiling is used babies to sleep. Hence, this shows there is a family with children staying there.

2. It was tight and there was not a lot of space. The windows and walls of the room were unsanitary and there were black spots on them. Thus, we can infer that the Chinese immigrants were poor and their living lifestyle was simple, not extravagant.

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1. crime rates could have increased in early singapore because many people from overseas who are possibly criminals or gangsters came and committed crimes!!!,

2. prostitution,piracy,opium

3. the police force started off with very little people and they had to work long hours.

4. he made the first set of rules for police i think

5. the chinese protectorate

6. money laundering, sexual abuse, hit and run

7. yes the current police force is bettter because there are more people!!!,

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1. The Malacca straits provide the pirates a place to hide and objects of value that they could steal. The Malacca straits also have a weak local governance and political unrest.

2. They could not afford a permanent naval force as they only had 3 gunboats in its fleet. Thus, the British was unable to curb privacy effectively.

3. Pirates were attacking ships just outside the Singapore’s harbour, causing many traders to stay away. This would disrupt the trade in Singapore and cause many items to be stolen.

4. Piracy is still a concern in Singapore. The Singapore Strait is one of the major international shipping routes. With an increasing volume of maritime trade after the pandemic, there are many opportunities for people to make a livelihood out of piracy

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Look after each other, not only receive support, but also provide support for others. You need to look after him when he is in trouble, save him, and come to his rescue. Look after his family when he is not around.

William Pickering was brave, thus enabling him to became the first British to point out that secret societies were considered triads. He was also  to try and solve the problems taht early Singapore was facing, mainly about teh secret societies. Speak dialects, to communicate with the Chinese community and the secret society Brave, try to get rid Chinese protectorate

Last time, not controlled, cording, In the past, there weren’t police and campaigns to encourage youth not to join. Now, there are many campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of joining a secret society.

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1. In 1826, Singapore became incorporated into the Straits Settlements. The police force in Singapore came under the command of the Resident Councillor John Prince. Singapore, with its largely poverty-stricken immigrant population and pirate ships threatening maritime trade faced high crime rates in its early years. The development of the legal institutions could not keep pace with the growing population. Many crimes went unreported. Further exacerbating the problem was the lack of proper supervision in the police force and poor morale among the rank-and-file officers.

2. Piracy, Prostitution and Secret Societies.

3. Working conditions were not desirable and it was a very tiring job with low pay and was not worth it.

4. Thomas Dunman established rules and regulations for officers to adhere to, drew patrol sector boundaries and introduced a standard uniform for use. He also fought for better working conditions and wages, shorter hours and a pension scheme

5. The Chinese Protectorate

6. Drug abuse, Scams and Shop-Lifting

7. Yes, the current police force is better than the past. They have more manpower than the police force in the past and are more respected now than in the past. They also have new capabilities such as bomb blast management, counter assault measures and other counter terrorist measures.

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1) We think that this space is occupied by a family as there are a lot of clothes in the room and there were two mattresses.

2) The Chinese immigrants were very poor and they could not afford a bigger place to live in. Hence the Chinese families that came to Singapore only had one room to share.

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1. brotherhood in secret societies is the act of being ‘bound’ to the other society members and if you leave they murder you! yippee

2. william pickering was resilient and charitable!,!

3. secret societies then were involved in many illegal activities but their not very lowkey about it, unlike secret societies now.

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Prostitution should be allowed in Singapore to a certain extent. The government should not allow trafficking of prostates across the Singapore border but they should allow some brothels to be open in some areas for prostitution, so as to ensure that the people who control brothels do not go illegally underground.

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Are all secret societies for a bad purpose?