Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

How time flies. It has been about a month since TPAS held its Annual General Meeting on Sunday 27 May 2018.

The first General Committee (GC) meeting was held two days later on Vesak Day. This was to set our broad priorities for the two-year term and assign specific tasks for the next six months. I am touched and thankful that most of the GC turned up despite the public holiday. They were filled with enthusiasm. Two members could not attend for very good reasons.

The second GC meeting will be held on 3 July. The GC’s first Planning Retreat is scheduled for 28 July. It is to bond the team and to draw up a detailed road map for the GC’s two-year term ending April 2020.

As outlined in my manifesto before I was elected, TPAS’s first order of the day is STABILITY.

Database Subcommittee

Essential to stability is a membership database that is operationally efficient for TPAS to carry out its work.

The previous GC did a great job in minimising returned magazines and mails. Our target is to reduce returned material to zero, if possible. Every returned material is a cost to TPAS. And we do want to reach out to every one of our members in a timely fashion. We do not want you to miss out on information and programmes we plan to organise for you.

A new Membership/PDPA Subcommittee headed by GC member Baba Philip Yeo has been formed. It is tasked to work on and reconcile discrepancies in the database, giving due attention to personal data privacy. It will also look into the work flows for membership applications, payments, membership approvals and updating, among other transactions.

In addition, TPAS will have to start building an infrastructure that will allow us to use our database for programmes with other third parties and stakeholders. This has to be achieved within the parameters of PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act). It will therefore take time to implement.

Please do understand that our database may not be up to date if you have moved house, changed phone numbers or email addresses and did not inform the Secretariat. This is TPAS’s most recurrent challenge.

We ask for your cooperation to email us at membership@peranakan.org.sg to update us on your mailing address, email and contact phone number. These updates are crucial if you want to read or hear directly from TPAS.

Communications Subcommittee

After our first GC meeting on 29 May, the team harnessed technology – through WhatsApp and email – to stay connected throughout the June holidays. Decisions were made and we brainstormed through this ‘magical’ online thread that bound us across time zones and geographies: from Hawaii to Japan, Southeast Asia, Croatia and to France!

Technology can also be a bane. As technology advances at a rapid pace, cybersecurity is a major concern in all organizations. TPAS is mindful of this. It is taking the necessary steps to safeguard our members’ data and digital presence. These steps will also ensure the integrity of our other digital content.

We have formed a Communications Subcommittee led by Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee, who is also editor of The Peranakan magazine. The subcommittee is responsible for TPAS’s publicity and feedback, our magazine, and TPAS’s digital platforms – for now, Facebook and our website.

Lucky for us we have in this subcommittee a few young techies – Nyonya Victoria Chanel Lee who manages our Website and email blasts and Baba Emeric Lau who manages our Facebook. GC member Nyonya Josephine Tan Eber, who is TPAS’s Digital Advisor, also actively advises the subcommittee.

Our Communications Subcommittee has been very busy trying to get a good new designer at a lower cost. And Dawn has been chasing after articles for the next edition of The Peranakan magazine coming out this September. The magazine is very highly regarded by both TPAS members and non-members for its authoritative documentation of Peranakan culture and its collectability.

Printing each edition is costly. Although advertising revenues help pay for the cost of printing, the magazine is still heavily subsidised. We will continue to manage that cost. However, members must realise that this situation is not sustainable over the long term. The GC, with the help of the subcommittee, will continue to seek solutions.

Smooth Transition

By the end of June, we would have successfully transitioned from the previous GC to the new GC.

The Secretariat and Treasurer functions are busy at work on this. In making this transition happen, I thank very much Baba Ee Sin Soo, Nyonya Koh Hwei Ling and Nyonya Angeline Kong from the outgoing GC. Also, Baba Ronney Tan, Nyonya Agnes Ng, Baba Bryan Tan and Nyonya Elizabeth Ng from the new GC. We have also had the benefit of an extra two pairs of helping hands – Nyonya Gwen Ong and Nyonya Sylvia Peh.

One of our challenges here is the management and storage of our inventory of paraphernalia ranging from files to magazines, books and souvenirs. We will have to write off much of these and find meaningful ways to dispose of them.

Baba Nyonya Convention

The transition to the new GC for the upcoming Baba Nyonya Convention in Tangerang has also been smooth, thanks to Angeline and Gwen. Gwen heads up the Special Projects Subcommittee. Her team has fully taken over the coordination of this November event in Indonesia.

Gwen recently reported that TPAS has fully subscribed to its allotment of places for the optional tours which follow the three-day Baba Nyonya Convention in Tangerang, Indonesia. The tours are all sold out!

However, if you are still interested in attending the Convention itself from November 23 to 25, please submit your request to Gwen, subject to the availability of hotel rooms.

Other Happenings

Our TPAS choir, The Peranakan Voices, was asked to sing at The Peranakan Museum’s Filterlife Weekend Festival on 23 and 24 June, in conjunction with the Museum’s Amek Gambar exhibition. They gave an “entertaining and flavourful” performance, I am told. Many appreciated the nostalgic songs they sang. We thank them for volunteering their time during the holidays and for upholding TPAS’s name.

From 16 to 20 August, TPAS is organising a Yogyakarta and Solo Batik Tour. We can take up to a maximum of 18 TPAS members on a first-come-first-serve basis. The highlight is a specially arranged lunch in Solo’s royal palace. I thank Nyonya Angela Kek and Gwen for arranging and coordinating this tour.

However, if there is early overwhelming demand for the tour, we will look into increasing the number of places, but not by many more. So please do book early before 16 July if you are interested. Please note that the indicated tour costs of $650 per person twin share and $780 per person single room do not include air fare nor travel insurance. Non-members will each pay $50 more. Bookings can be made through the TPAS Facebook and Website.

Tentatively in early December, TPAS will bring back Malam Jolly for its members! An organising subcommittee is being formed. More details later.

Clearly, it is going to be a full rest-of-the-year. I anticipate more programmes and events will be added after our Planning Retreat in July! We will set up a Programmes & Events Calendar, digitally and in the magazine, as we go along.

Thank you for taking the time to read this monthly letter. If you have any ideas and/or feedback, please write to me at president@peranakan.org.sg, or have a chat with any of your friendly GC members.

In ending, please take time to pause, in our busy lives, to remember those who have contributed much to TPAS – including past Hon Secretary Geok Huay and past President Peter Wee. Pray for good health to be restored to them. Not least also, pray for our Hon Life President Uncle Kip, who is in his 90s and thankfully doing well.

God bless,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
29 June 2018

Mrs Wee Kim Wee nee Koh Sok Hiong was the quintessential nyonya wife and mother. She was the quiet pillar behind our beloved late President Wee Kim Wee. She never sought to overshadow him. She never sought to outshine him. She was always there for him; standing next to him. She never failed to be with our late President Wee whenever he attended TPAS’s events and programmes. They were clearly belangkas. Mrs Wee had “resolved to be the perfect wife” on their wedding night in 1936. She succeeded exceedingly. She was the ever gracious and generous hostess. She clearly put her heart into whatever she did.

Above all else, heart and love must have been the main ingredients that made anything she cooked taste great! This must surely have been one of the many virtues she obviously pressed into the psyche of her children. I remember being invited to the family’s always-awaited-for Chinese New Year Open House meals. The dishes served were all stupendously delicious, even though daughter Eng Hwa had helped cooked them using Mummy’s meticulous recipes when she was unable to help in the dapor in her latter years.

She was all heart and love.

God bless Mrs Wee, in the Hands of Our Lord

Colin Chee
President, TPAS
8 July 2018

The Peranakan Association Singapore (TPAS) has been invited to be a Community Partner of the Singapore International Jewellery Expo (SIJE) 2018, to be held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Hall B from 26-29 July.

We Babas and Nyonyas do love our bling, so we hope that you will enjoy the following invitation and offers that your Association has specially arranged for you.

• VIP PASSES (which give you access to the VIP Lounge at SIJE) Passes can be used throughout the entire duration of SIJE (26-29 July). TPAS Members MUST register for VIP passes before the event.
• An Invitation to the official Opening Ceremony on Thursday, 26 July 2018 @ 3pm including a fashion show and tea reception. Guest of Honour, Dr Lily Neo, Member of Parliament, Jalan Besar GRC. Each TPAS member attending the Opening Ceremony will be given a goodie bag.

• An Invitation to a Tea Reception for SIJE Community Partners on Friday, 27 July @ 3pm (at the VIP Lounge). This will be an opportunity for TPAS members to network with members of other Associations including the British Association, American Women’s Association and several others.

Please register with Pricilla or Loke Ming and mention that you are a TPAS member.

Pricilla, pricilla@cems.com.sg, 6278 8666 ext.165
Loke Ming, lokeming@cems.com.sg, 6278 8666 ext.121

EXCLUSIVE OFFER BY FOUNDATION JEWELLERS!

Foundation Jewellers is giving TPAS Members 70% off list price on all purchases (except Limited Collection items) made at their booth during SIJE only (26-29 July 2018). Please mention that you are a TPAS Member to enjoy this offer.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

What’s in a Brand?

Last Saturday, 28 July 2018, your new General Committee (GC) held our first Planning Retreat.

Together with several members from our Peranakan Voices and subcommittees, we revisited the TPAS brand.

It was necessary as two thirds of the GC have never served in the committee before.

TPAS Advisors, Babas Thomas Tan and Peter Lee, were graciously on hand to support us. They were long-time GC members in past terms, as is our First VP, Baba Alan Koh. Baba Peter more than ably led our discussions on the TPAS brand and “mystique”. It was a very fruitful session.

We also discovered much about ourselves. The retreat helped the GC to better understand each other’s personality, to improve team dynamics.

This segment of the retreat was expertly facilitated by Nyonya Tina Yap, who has wide MNC training experience. She treated the learning session as her contribution to our community. Thank you, Tina!

Two New GC Members & Transition

We have two “new” GC members – Nyonyas Gwen Ong and Dawn Marie Lee. They were invited by the GC to fill vacant positions in the committee when Babas Emeric Lau and Steven Lim asked to step down because of work exigencies. I thank both Emeric and Steven for volunteering their time when we needed them.

We are just getting into the third month of our term.

Much of the past two months have been focused on rebuilding and rekindling relationships, taking over the secretarial and treasury work from the previous team, and hunkering down to identify gaps in our administration, operating protocols and governance.

Work has started on closing the gaps we identified. Introducing new technologies to achieve operating efficiencies will take more time.

The GC has already touched base with the People’s Association and the Peranakan Museum. We have also started meeting up with advertisers of The Peranakan magazine to thank them for their strong and continued support. We will soon meet up with GSA, Chetti Melaka, Eurasian Association and other associations in the Federation, although I have already begun informal chats with several of the respective Presidents. In my catch-up list are NUS Baba House and NHB, NAC, STB, tertiary institutions and schools, among others.

Programmes

We have begun work on organising some programmes this year and next. They will cater to the wide spectrum of our members.

We supported the Singapore International Jewellery Expo in July for TPAS members to enjoy special privileges, and discounts at Foundation Jewellers for the duration of the fair.

It was well received by members.

In mid-August this year, we will have our first “private” batik tour in Jogjakarta and Solo. Other activities are being lined up. We will announce them when we have tied up the loose ends.

We are now busy coordinating the 31st Baba Nyonya Convention in Tangerang, Indonesia, organised by Pertiwi, in November. Over 70 TPAS members have registered for this annual convention held by rotation among members of the Federation of Peranakan Associations.

New: Christmas Malam Jolly. Booking Opens Soon!

Best of all, we will have a Christmas Malam Jolly to laojiat and celebrate in festive style, on the day of Tang Chek! This will be on Friday, 21 December at a convenient and beautiful venue that will be announced soon along with other details. Tables are limited, so make sure you book early!

Reaching Out to Our Young

One of our biggest challenges is membership. One third of our members are aged above 70 years.
The cold truth is that our TPAS membership is gradually ageing in line with Singapore’s population.

We will have to increase the number of younger members if TPAS is to survive future attrition within the next 10 to 20 years. That means reaching out to our youth as well as those in their twenties, thirties and forties. How do we do it? We will share our plan with you in due course.

It is an urgent item we will address during the planned review of our Constitution.

Getting Funding

As a non-profit heritage and cultural organization, TPAS is highly dependent on external funding.
Generating income through programmes is insufficient to sustain TPAS.

Over the last three years, we have been drawing down on our reserves. The time has come to replenish these reserves through fund raising, income generation and further cost management. Otherwise we will not be able to operate as an association in six years’ time.

Last year saw the lowest level of deficit recorded for the past three years – $21k, versus over $30k per year in both 2016 and 2015. This was achieved through careful cost cutting, prudent spending and staying with just basic break-even programmes. It also meant a reduced level of activity.

Cost Burden

We have identified our biggest cost burden. Unfortunately, it is our highly regarded and much-loved magazine.

Although our editorial committee of The Peranakan magazine is made up of hardworking volunteers who produce engaging content, the graphic design, printing and mailing still add up to a huge sum. Advertising revenues have plunged and cannot cover the cost of production – a common story with many media companies – and postage cost has gone up.

The past couple of years have seen a cutback in the number of issues from four a year to two. Many of our members bemoan the fact. The magazine team has flirted with alternative designers and printers to lower cost while maintaining standards. Even so, cost creeps continue to beset us.

We are therefore still actively looking for more sustainable solutions. To be honest, going fully digital is a clean long-term solution; but we know this will break many hearts.

The Next Two Years

In spite of all this, if we do our sums right and pull together, and with a little help from our friends, we can and should look forward to good news in the next two years.

Next year, our beloved The Peranakan magazine will celebrate its Silver Jubilee. Singapore will celebrate its Bicentennial in 2019 as well.

In 2020, the Peranakan Association Singapore will celebrate its 120th Anniversary, and our choir, the Peranakan Voices, turn 20!

There is still much to be excited about and to look forward to.

God bless,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
31 July 2018

The Peranakan Association Singapore is saddened by the passing of our former President, Baba Peter Wee.

A few days after the TPAS AGM on 27 May 2018, I called on Baba Peter Wee at Katong Antique House (KAH). He looked gaunt and was already getting weaker. When he saw me, he tried to pull himself up from the planter’s chair in his dining room, where he was resting, to greet me. I rushed to his side to tell him there was no need to get up.

My late mother used to say that you can tell the breeding of a man by the little courtesies he shows to others.

Babas and Nyonyas have a saying, “Orang tu di besair kan cukop sopan santon cara kita. Sikit pun tak boleh hiam.” (That person is well brought up according to our Peranakan ways. You cannot find fault in his manners.)

Human nature is so complex and full of contradictions. There is light and dark in us all. We try our best to be good, but without realising it, we may sometimes lose our way. Baba Peter’s later years were tinged with controversy, whether deserved or undeserved; but always, he worried about the state of our Peranakan culture and did his best to preserve it.

My wife Linda and I had many random conversations with Baba Peter from the time we bought our first antique mirror from him nearly forty years ago at KAH. We talked about life, God, Mother Mary, religion, collecting, raising families, the Catholic Church, sarongs, kebayas, food, nyonya kueh and people. But, always, we ended up talking about our culture and its relevance to younger generations.

“Our culture is dying,” he would usually say, shaking his head. And we would reassure him by saying, “Maybe it is the culture that our parents and grand-parents have known and traditionally practised which is dying. In itself, there is a renewed interest in Peranakan culture, especially since the hit TV series The Little Nyonya!”

That afternoon when I sat next to him lying in the planter’s chair, our conversation casually drifted back to this thread – how can we make our culture relevant to our young?

I assured him that the new General Committee is full of zeal and energy, and ready to engage our youth and keep our culture alive. He nodded slightly and smiled, then closed his eyes for a brief respite.

Rest in peace, Baba Peter Wee.

Colin Chee,
President
The Peranakan Association Singapore

Note: Baba Peter Wee was the past President of TPAS General Committee for 8 years from 2010 to 2018. He first got to know about TPAS in the 1960s. Based on our available records, he joined the GC as a committee member in 1994.

The post Keeping Our Culture Alive – Tribute to Baba Peter Wee appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Gather your family and friends to celebrate Christmas and Tang Chek with TPAS! Enjoy a delicious buffet spread of Asian and Western cuisine. Be entertained by Elvis Tribute artiste, Romito Mendoza, who has performed at sold-out concerts at the Esplanade. Book now!

Click the links below to download the forms:

Per pax booking form

Donation table booking form

The post Malam Jolly 2018 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

Our TPAS Logo

At our third General Committee meeting on 28 August 2018, the GC agreed to a slight refinement of our iconic and beautiful TPAS logo:

What we did was to remove the words “The Peranakan Association” from the frame that protects our emblem, the phoenix. At the same time, we aesthetically strengthened the lines of the frame.

We decided on the change for two reasons.

Firstly, the words within the frame were redundant, given that they are already spelt out in the logo.

Secondly, whenever the logo was printed small, the words within the frame would smudge.

We hope you like this cleaner look, as we do.

This original phoenix logo was first introduced on 7 January 2003. It was then described as follows:

The Peranakan Association logo comprises a soaring phoenix with its tail swooping in a circular manner depicted within a lobed rectangular cartouche (or medallion) with rounded corners.

The phoenix is a decorative and auspicious motif favoured by the Peranakans. In Chinese mythology, the phoenix symbolises the south cardinal point. It is also associated with imperial power and is the insignia of the Empress. In Western tradition, the phoenix symbolises rebirth and regeneration, being the mythical creature that is reborn from the ashes of a great conflagration.

The swooping circular tail of the phoenix also expresses the longevity and permanence of the Peranakan community. The design of the phoenix and of the lobed medallion is derived from typical motifs found on Peranakan furniture, textiles and ceramics. The complexity of the design also expresses a sense of heritage, culture and tradition which are the chief concerns of The Peranakan Association.

We thank GC member, Nyonya Josephine Tan, for refining the logo.

But we all stand on the shoulders of the logo’s original designer, Baba John Lee, who also shared with us his perspectives during this exercise.

Is TPAS only for Peranakans?

For several weeks now we have been reaching out to family, friends, well-wishers and strangers to become members of TPAS. With open arms.

The most common refrain to the invitations we made was, “But I am not a Peranakan. Can I really join?”

Of course you can. There is nothing in our Constitution that says you must be a Peranakan in order to become a member.

As long as you have an interest in things Peranakan and wish to be a life member, the GC will generally accept your application to be one.

TPAS is one of the most inclusive associations I know of.

We also have members who are ethnically Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Caucasians and Japanese

I think of TPAS as a melting pot of many races and nationalities…just like Singapore!

Please look out for Chakap Chakap in the upcoming edition of The Peranakan magazine (which will be out in September) where I will share more of my thoughts.

God bless,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
31 July 2018

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee August 2018 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

NYONYA CYNTHIA WEE-HOEFER REMINISCES WITH NYONYA CECILIA ONG ABOUT THE PLAY THAT LAUNCHED BABA GT LYE’S WAYANG PERANAKAN CAREER

Photos courtesy of Baba Peter Wee.

For more than 20 years since the 1960s, there was a lull in the Peranakan theatre scene. No new plays were written or staged until 1984, when Pileh Menantu (Choosing a Daughter-in-Law) revived wayang Peranakan. Unlike the Baba plays of the 1950s, the cast comprised of both men and women.

My friend, Nyonya Cecilia Ong, directed the play. Now in her early 70’s, Cecilia was then working as a producer in Radio and Television Singapore, having recently returned from her studies at Central School of Speech and Drama.

Pileh Menantu was commissioned for the Singapore Arts Festival. Cecilia recalls, “Baba Robert Yeo, who was on the festival’s sub-committee, asked Baba Felix Chia to write a play for a universal audience, not just for Peranakans. Previously, Baba plays were the domain of the Gunong Sayang Association (GSA).”

Cecilia says that directing the play was challenging. “I felt like I was treading on eggshells. I wanted to move away from the typical melodrama of previous Baba plays and present the script in a modern setting, yet ensure the correct delivery of Baba Malay,” she shared. “Playwright Baba Felix Chia attended some rehearsals and gave a few tips, but did not do more,” said Cecilia.

Back then, there were hardly any professional theatre actors in Singapore, so she placed an advertisement in the newspapers to look for the cast.

Little did she know that among the amateurs she auditioned, one would eventually become a legendary wayang Peranakan star. A gentleman by the name of Henry won the role of the father. It was his first foray into theatre and Pileh Menantu launched his stage career.

Cecilia had a hard time casting the matriarch. Her search led her to the Kampong Kapor Church where she had spotted Mrs Mah Beng Guan. Cecilia was bowled over by Mrs Mah’s vivacious personality. The octogenerian gamely agreed to play the role even though she had no acting experience.

To keep up with the exacting standards of Peranakan culture, Cecilia asked wayang Peranakan star, the late Baba William Tan, “to help with the enunciation, the tone and emotion that is proper to the characters”. “The songs and pantons were written by William and his musicial team from GSA,” she remembers.

The late Baba Peter Wee, who owned Katong Antique House, provided elaborate props, including an antique tok sam kai (altar table), and paraphernalia for the wedding scene. The authentic wedding pageant in the play was conducted under the supervision of a real-life, elderly sangkek um (mistress of ceremonies in a Peranakan wedding) from Melaka.

A seroni (Chinese clarinet) player was brought in from Melaka. In a last minute panic, Cecilia roped in her young son to play the pageboy in the wedding procession. Luckily, he could fit into the costume!

Pileh Menantu had a successful five-day run of sold-out performances at the Drama Centre, which was then at Fort Canning Park.

“When I directed Pileh Menantu, I found that I had to rely on three essential skills which are not taught in drama school: resourcefulness, patience, and diplomacy! There was great camaraderie between the cast and crew. We had fun!” says Cecilia.

Pileh Menantu marked the beginning of a renaissance for Peranakan theatre. The novice actor who played the role of the father went on to become a doyen of Peranakan theatre, GT Lye.

“I would dare say that this play not only revived wayang Peranakan, but also renewed interest in Peranakan culture. There was excitement within the Peranakan community over the play, and it brought our culture into the mainstream. This led to new Peranakan plays being written and performed, and even Peranakan wedding processions staged to showcase the culture,” says Cecilia.

The post Pileh Menantu: A Landmark Play appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

BABA LEE YUEN THIEN PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE ICONIC FEMALE IMPERSONATOR, DATUK KENNY CHAN

I grew up in the early 1990s, a time where the internet and smart phones were uncommon or barely heard of. There was no YouTube, Netflix, or Astro. I vividly remember that my favourite weekly television programme was Baba & Nyonya on TV1.

My whole family, especially my Mama and I, would make sure that our television would be switched on at least 15 minutes before the start of programme.

Bibik Kim Neo (played by Baba Kenny Chan) and Ah Chim (played by the late Chee Hood Siong) were our all-time favourite characters! Over the years, the duo and their team produced 509 episodes of the comedy series which was certified by the Malaysian Book of Records as the longest running TV series in the history of the country.

Both Uncle Kenny and Uncle Hood Siong were staunch Buddhists. When they retired from television, they dedicated much of their time to the propagation of Buddhism, mainly in Melaka at the Seck Kia Eenh Temple, a place of worship favoured by the Melaka Babas.

Among the many discussions on Peranakan culture that I had with Uncle Kenny, I clearly remembered that he always stressed the importance of sharing and passing down knowledge to the next generation. Many Babas like Uncle Kenny, valued and took ownership of our culture. However there have been others who were so afraid to share it that they took their knowledge with them when they passed on.

While we mourn the passing of this iconic Melaka-born Baba, let us keep Uncle Kenny’s memory alive by emulating his spirit of sharing his knowledge generously. Throughout his lifetime, he tirelessly shared the beauty of our Peranakan culture through his wonderful television shows, theatre sketches, and cuisine. He is dearly missed.

The post Goodbye to a Beloved Bibik appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

EXCLUSIVE TO THE PERANAKAN magazine

All photos courtesy of Nyonya Wee Eng Hwa.

Click on the photos to read the captions!

The post Two Lives Less Ordinary: A Tribute to Dr & Mrs Wee Kim Wee by their daughter, Nyonya Wee Eng Hwa appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

EXCLUSIVE TO THE PERANAKAN magazine

Listen to this rare recording of a dondang sayang performance by Nyonya Daisy Chan, Baba William Tan (the famous female impersonator) and Inche Geok. This half-hour performance, sung in Baba Malay, was recorded in 1957 for a radio show and aired during Chinese New Year.

Recording courtesy of Daisy Chan’s daughter, Nyonya Irene Poh.

The post Daisy Chan: The Star You Never Knew appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

EXCLUSIVE TO THE PERANAKAN magazine

Here’s a first look at some historical photos that will be added to Amek Gambar during the exhibit rotation in October 2018. Don’t miss this fascinating exhibition on Peranakans and photography at The Peranakan Museum.

All photos courtesy of The Peranakan Museum. Gift of Mr and Mrs Lee Kip Lee.

Click on the photos to read the captions!

The post Amek Gambar Sneak Peak appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Alternatively, click here to download and view The Peranakan Issue 2 2018.

The post Issue 2 2018 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

A Fresh New Look

Many of you would have received, by now, this year’s second issue of our beloved magazine, The Peranakan. I hope you enjoy the fresh new design, layout and graphics. We are continuously improving the design and layout for your enjoyment.

Barely a week into the magazine’s release, we have received mostly favourable feedback from many of you. Thank you. Almost without exception, you liked the striking cover.

I would be remiss if I did not give credit to the magazine’s Creative Adviser, Baba John Lee, who more than conceptualised the cover design. The editorial team was jostling over the options for the cover. Then John added a bold touch that hit the sweet spot! As mentioned in my previous letter, he is the creative mind behind TPAS’s iconic soaring phoenix logo.

The brighter, lighter look of this issue is the work of young designer, Nyonya Joanne Low, a young Peranakan who is in her 20s.

The magazine’s editorial team is younger now, and unsurprisingly, more tech savvy. Led by Editor, Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee, the young team includes Nyonyas Victoria Chanel Lee and Natalie Cheah, and Baba Bryan Tan, who is also the TPAS Treasurer.

Youth is tempered by our more experienced former Editor Nyonya Linda Chee, now Editorial Adviser, and Assistant Editor, Baba Emeric Lau. I continue to serve on the editorial team as a writer and photographer. Another key member is our Advertising Manager, Nyonya Ngiam May Ling.

In a way, this September issue is a debut issue for this team. For more than a year we have been looking into ways to trim printing and design costs and to transition the Editor. I would like to thank my wife, Nyonya Linda Chee, who helmed the magazine as co-Editor with Baba Peter Lee for three years, and then for the next 11 years as the Editor. She deftly identified and groomed a much younger and talented Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee to succeed her.

There are four other persons that I would also like to thank. The first is Baba Peter Lee. In so many ways, he is the heart and soul of the magazine. He insists on remaining in the background and providing quiet support. But how do you hide a pillar in the shadows?

Then, there is sharp-eyed Nyonya Elisabeth Chan who has unassumingly helped Linda to proofread articles.

Finally, I must thank Nyonya Michelle Yap, who has been the magazine’s designer for more years than Linda has been the Editor, and Baba Ian Yap, who designed many beautiful covers in earlier issues. Kamsiah, Michelle and Ian.

There are countless others, too many to name, who have contributed to the stature of the magazine – writers, photographers, illustrators and advertisers. Without their unstinting support, it would have been very difficult to survive the years. Linda will be writing an article to pay tribute to them in a special issue of The Peranakan to celebrate its Silver Anniversary in 2019.

We are still looking for more good writers, photographers, researchers, illustrators, videographers and techies to join the team. Please contact Dawn at editor@peranakan.org.sg if you share our passion for our unique culture.

Embedded Technology

Our magazine has a new tech dimension by way of the QR Code, since the last issue (2018 Issue 1).

A QR code essentially allows us to add value to the magazine by enhancing print articles with related bonus content like videos, music, podcasts and other stories on our TPAS website.

If you have a smart phone, here’s how to scan the QR Codes in each issue:

1. Open your camera app or QR code reader app.
2. Point the lens over the QR Code on the page until it comes into focus.
3. You will see a message pop-up stating “Re-directing URL”. Click to see the Bonus contents. Scroll down to select.

Much of the bonus content is exclusive to The Peranakan magazine. In the latest issue, there are beautiful family photos to accompany Nyonya Wee Eng Hwa’s tribute to her late parents Dr and Mrs Wee Kim Wee, our former President and First Lady. You will also find an extremely rare audio recording of a half-hour dondang sayang performance aired on radio in 1957.

Do continue to enjoy The Peranakan magazine.

The Peranakan Will Soon Be 25! Share your memories

As mentioned, the magazine will celebrate its Silver Anniversary next year. We call on members – both Peranakans and non-Peranakans – to share with us their special memories of a treasured silver item that we may feature in this special issue. Please send your stories and accompanying photos to our Editor, Dawn, at editor@peranakan.org.sg by 15 November 2018.

Magazine For Overseas Members

For the last few years, due to the high cost of postage, we have requested that TPAS members residing overseas provide us with a Singapore address to receive a copy of the print magazine. However, our overseas members have continually asked for the print magazine to be mailed to their respective home countries.

I am pleased to announce that the General Committee has decided to give overseas members the option of receiving the twice yearly issues at their respective overseas addresses for a small fee to cover the cost of postage.

The GC has locked the fee at S$20 per year, for now, to be paid in advance in one lump sum of S$40 nett for a full two years.

Details of this initiative will be announced separately in the coming weeks.

In the interim, please help us to disseminate this message to your friends who may also be TPAS members, wherever they are, to inform them of this option.

Thank You, Baba Philip Chia!

Baba Philip Chia asked to step down from the General Committee because of several heavy personal commitments. However, he has agreed to be one of our subject experts on culinary matters.

The General Committee would like to thank Philip for the team player that he has been. He always put TPAS first in many of his personal business engagements even though he did not have to – actively networking for the association and looking out for prospective members. Kamsiah manyak, Philip!

Linda and I will soon be away on an extended holiday. Till we catch up again, God bless and be kind.

Sincerely,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
30 September 2018

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee September 2018 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

FOR TPAS MEMBERS ONLY

We’ve arranged this private guided tour of the exhibition, CHETTI MELAKA OF THE STRAITS, especially for you. Register now to avoid disappointment as places are limited!

The post Chetti Melaka of the Straits Private Guided Tour appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Dear members, some of you living overseas have told us that you would like to receive a print copy of our magazine, THE PERANAKAN.

The General Committee is pleased to announce that this will be possible from 2019.

A small fee of SGD$10 per issue will be collected to cover postage and handling cost. For ease of administration, SGD$40 for 4 issues will be collected at one time.

Overseas members who want to receive 4 issues of the print magazine starting in 2019, please send your contact details and SGD$40 payment to secretariat@peranakan.org.sg by 31 December 2018.

Overseas members who miss this deadline will have to wait until to 2021 sign up.

PAYMENT DETAILS
Bank name: OCBC
A/c name: The Peranakan Association Singapore
A/c no: 501030159001
UEN no: S62SS0034J (for payments by PayNow)

TERMS
1. TPAS will acknowledge receipt of payment in writing (by email). Members are to keep this as proof of payment. No reply means that payment has not been received.
2. Before the end of the 4-issue subscription, TPAS will invite overseas members to renew their postage pre-payment. TPAS will not mail print copies of the magazine to those who on our records have not prepaid. No reminders will be sent.
3. The print magazine will be delivered by surface mail. (7-8 weeks delivery time).
4. TPAS will not be held responsible for non-delivery arising from the fault of the postal system.

The post Overseas Postage for TPAS Members Living Outside Singapore appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

Dear Nyonyas and Babas,

As I write this letter from my hotel room overlooking Austria’s famed lake-town, Hallstatt, my wife Linda and I have already spent some 15 days traversing much of Croatia, a hint of Bosnia, and a glance of Slovenia.

We have self-driven over 1,300 km across beautiful undulating countryside, crossed fog-covered mountains and explored some very old towns in autumn weather. We are only halfway through our journey across part of Europe.

And every day I have been waking up to about a hundred WhatsApp messages from TPAS’s General Committee (GC) members. These more than match the mileage we have clocked up so far!

In many ways it reflects the kind of youthful enthusiasm and energy that your young team is bringing into TPAS.

More importantly, it tells of this GC’s aim to make a difference in what we do, befitting our commitment – It is not going to be business as usual.

The GC is now five months old since we were elected in late May. We have two major events remaining before this year closes: the annual Baba Nyonya Convention that will take place from 23-25 November in Tangerang, Indonesia, and our Christmas Malam Jolly on 21 December at the Chinese Swimming Club Ballroom.

We thank you for your overwhelming support for these events.

Also important to TPAS is the inaugural event that we are organising for our young babas and nyonyas on 18 November at The Peranakan Museum – a children’s colouring workshop on Peranakan motifs conducted by Australia-based artist Gabby Malpas. It is so important to interest children in our culture when they are young.

Later this year, we will provide you with a calendar of confirmed and tentative events for the 12 months of 2019.

In the frenzy of all this activity, it is sometimes easy to forget that our non-profit association is being run entirely by volunteers, many of whom hold down full-time jobs or run their own businesses.

To help TPAS do its job better, we call on members to also volunteer your time to serve the community. Do not hesitate to contact us. Also, please do not shy away from us when we tap on your shoulder.

We are especially gratified that 160 members have so far responded to our call to update your personal particulars. It goes a long way to help us reconcile our membership database, and, most importantly, to help us to stay connected with you.

TPAS has close to 2,000 members. During this digitalisation phase, we would like to encourage more of you to quickly update your particulars if you haven’t done so.

We also ask for your understanding and patience when you receive a call after office hours or during the weekends from Agnes Ng, our Asst Hon Secretary.

The task has been made onerous as there are still tens of existing members, especially those living overseas, who still have not registered their email addresses or phone numbers. We will be reaching out to our overseas members through their respective overseas Peranakan associations, if any, as well.

Please contact Agnes at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg to update your particulars.

The GC’s recent call for membership updates has also led to a perplexing and potentially difficult situation – we have received responses from a few individuals who we have absolutely no record of membership. The GC will soon decide what to do about this.

In the meantime, Linda and I will continue to enjoy a cold but golden autumn in Europe. We are both wrapped up to weather the average 7 deg C chill, as you can see from the most recent photo of me accompanying this letter.

Have a lovely rest of the year. Thank you for your support and words of encouragement. I am sorry if I have not been responding to your messages to me these past few weeks. I promise to catch up when we return in mid-November.

Sincerely,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
30 October 2018

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee October 2018 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

THE PERANAKAN magazine published by TPAS, is now an award-winning magazine! It was in competition at this year’s Media Publishers Association Singapore (MPAS) Awards which recognises the best magazines in Singapore based on excellence in editorial content and design.

THE PERANAKAN magazine bagged the Special Interest Media of the Year (Bronze) Award. Editor, Dawn Marie Lee, received the award on 8 November 2018 on behalf of the editorial team.

THE PERANAKAN magazine is run entirely by volunteers. A BIG THANK YOU to all our past and present contributors, our writers, photographers, graphic designers, illustrators and our previous editors, Baba Lee Kip Lee, Baba Peter Lee and Nyonya Linda Chee.

Not forgetting our advertisers and generous sponsors who have given us financial support over the years to promote and document Peranakan culture. You have all made this magazine GREAT!

If you would like to volunteer with the magazine, please contact our editor, Dawn Marie Lee through our volunteer form.

The post The Peranakan Magazine Wins Industry Award appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Photo courtesy of Baba Alan Goh

The post Tang Chek Pantons appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

On Friday 21 December 2018, our association’s Christmas Malam Jolly started smoothly in dry, cool and breezy weather. It could have been wildly different. The night before, the weather forecast for 21 Dec was heavy rain and lightning from 11am to 5pm. At 9am on Friday, the weather forecast had shifted the storm later to from 12pm to 7pm.

We had the makings of a perfect storm. Our Malam Jolly guests, were scheduled to arrive at the ballroom from 6.15pm and the dinner and dance, to celebrate Christmas and Tang Chek, was to start at 7pm. Some of us got the umbrellas ready. Some of us covered the event with prayers. Others covered it with their salt, chilli and onions!

After the lovely evening was over, the General Committee breathed a collective sigh of relief that it did not storm outside. No one debated which measure was the most effective in stopping the forecasted storm.

In a way, this is how happy families live their lives. They simply identify a challenge and work together to resolve it. No threat of finger-pointing, no beating of the chests for being right, no I-told-you so.

It was also about teamwork. An advance team was at the venue to dress up the ballroom from 1pm on Friday, knowing that another team had already completed the ballroom’s basic set-up the night before.

And during dinner, we had two teams (including first-aiders) respectively managing the evening’s logistics and sale of our Raffle Tickets that raised $1,950 for the association.

A third team, our choir The Peranakan Voices, brought some colour to the evening. And there was also the team that brought in 55 high-value and attractive prizes for the Raffle Draw! I thank all of them for making the evening run so smoothly.

We thank our sponsors (identified below) for their generosity! And to all our guests and sponsors that evening, a BIG THANK YOU for supporting us. We are sorry we had to turn many of our members away as the response was unexpectedly overwhelming.

We had hoped and planned for 180 guests, but managed to accept 222 eventually without compromising the space for the evening. We will try harder in 2019.

The General Committee (GC) has just completed 7 months of its 2-year term. I daresay we have accomplished much for a volunteer team whose members have full-time jobs and businesses of their own. I would like to thank each of them and their loved ones for their contributions to the association and community.

We are fortunate to register 80 new Life members this year. We are grateful to each new member who has joined us. This has no doubt brought much-needed funds into our coffers for the year.

But the GC is also mindful that this windfall is short-term. It also represents, for the GC, a responsibility to ensure our members are well served in the coming years.

I have mentioned many times before that membership is a key concern. Not simply the numbers, but to bring in more of our young and to engage them in our culture. I believe culture is best assimilated and absorbed when young.

A key hurdle against this happening is that our constitution limits membership to only those 18 years of age and above.

On 7 December this year, a Working Group made up of GC members met to review the constitution specifically around membership to enable the young to join us, and to clarify parts of the constitution to smoothen procedures during future General Meetings.

We are indeed fortunate to be advised in this review by Baba Kevin Tan, who actively participated in our December 7 discussions. He now runs his own consultancy but also currently holds Adjunct Professorships at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS), the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and Nanyang Technological University where he teaches constitutional law, international law and international human rights. Educated at both NUS and Yale Law School, Professor Kevin Tan is known as an authority of constitutional law both locally and internationally. He is a Peranakan and we are grateful to have him guide us in this review of our constitution.

The outcome of our review is now being deliberated by the GC. We will decide on them during our GC meeting on 8 January 2019. We will share with you, our association members, once the final draft is approved by GC, for your approval at our upcoming AGM.

Our Annual General Meeting is now tentatively set for 31 March 2019, if all goes well with our review of the Constitution, our 2018 Accounts and after we are able to confirm the AGM venue.

In the meantime, on behalf of the General Committee, I wish all of you and your loved ones, a Blessed New Year and one that is overflowing with good health, happiness, and loving relationships! And thank you very much for your support.

God bless you!

Sincerely,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
31 December 2018

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR RAFFLE DRAW SPONSORS FOR MALAM JOLLY 2018!

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee December 2018 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.