Tham Chin Kuo and Thing Jia Lian
Singapore - My Roots, My Stories, My Lives
Tham Chin Kuo:
Tham never imagined that there would be another life after 50 years old. He thought he already had started anew when he first came over to Singapore from China in 1955 with his mum and sister when he was 7 years old. It was tough adjusting at first, squeezing into a rented room above a shophouse in Kampong Bahru, and starting his formal education at only 9 years old. And being Mandarin educated, his job options were limited.
Nevertheless, he worked hard to earn an honest living. He witnessed great developments in Singapore economy post-independence. He got married, had a daughter who graduated from University, and applied successfully for BTO flats twice.
Then life took an interesting turn when he joined the grassroots in 1995. He remembered he did not even know what meeting minutes were. But he really enjoyed making friends with like-minded residents who wanted to serve the community.
He also subsequently joined the People’s Action Party in 2001 when Keat Hong division was formally carved out and Mr. Ahmad Khalis became the first MP for Keat Hong. He shared how they started out only with two filing cabinets for the meet-the-people sessions. They also did not have a proper venue, borrowing the tables and chairs instead from PCF Kindergarten every Monday night. Despite being able to speak only a little bit of English, his down-to-earth nature and sincerity won over the hearts of all the three MPs including Mr. Zaqy Mohamad (2006-2020) and Mr. Zhulkarnain (2020 - present), all of whom address him affectionately as Brother Tham.
In 2020, Tham received his 25-year long Service Award for serving in the grassroots. He is very well-loved by the younger generations of volunteers for whom he had mentored and encouraged over the years.
Looking back, he is very much contented that despite his lack of higher education, he has been able to contribute back to his country that he has called home.
Thing Jia Lian:
The firstborn of new citizens who came from Malaysia, Jia Lian had the opportunity to attend primary school at the newly relocated catholic primary school, De La Salle. She almost didn't make it for the registration as her parents were not familiar or ‘savvy’ with the system. Fortunately, the neighbours were all talking about how popular the other primary school so her father recalled he had received a letter to register. If not, she would attend the next year! Close shave indeed if not for the networks!
Step by step, she completed her formal education, shaped and modelled her values and behaviours based on the Civic Moral education taught at school. A bilingual, she was thankful for the system, while imperfect with flaws, managed to give her a foundation to set her for success later. Jia Lian had the opportunity to further her studies abroad; Netherlands - a port city just like Singapore, and Switzerland, which is surrounded by bigger powers but remain a neutral state.
“You raise me up to more than I can be!”
Her memories of the community centre was not a stagnant or static photo, but one that continuously changes. Jia Lian saw how the place was central to so many families and households’ lives - weaving many relationships together. She took her first piano class there. Her mother learnt cooking from the ‘CC’. Her neighbours sang at the karaoke club there. They learnt about possible policies and CHAS card there!
Jia Lian was interested to be part of community service after graduating from formal education. When she saw a ‘JOIN US’ card at the counter in CC, she filled it up with a pen in those squares and submitted her sincere wish. It came true and she was assigned to an RC, because of her varied and diverse interests, it was the best thing hoped for! She made friends with people from all walks of life, rich in diverse experiences, life phases, ethnicities, and age groups! That was the beginning of hotpot sessions, mahjong, and Kbox after late nights trying to create events and moments that create social cohesion in the community.
From Uncle Tham to Jia Lian, Singapore has come a long way, from pencil to pen, from a state where the odds were stacked against a young nation, to one that is seen as a bright dot on the world map with a powerful passport, to more exciting and better future ahead for Singaporeans!
