Growing up on Pulau Ubin (2E5 Yi Lin's Mother)

Interviewer : Ng YiLin      18 July 06

Location :home.

  My mother, Lai Ah Yong was born on the 6 Feb 1955, on Pulau Ubin. She

had a family of 12, 10 siblings and both her parents. She was the 8^th children.

She had been living in Pulau Ubin for years. Both my grandparents were

from China and are Cantonese. They were permanent residents.

My grandfather, Lai Hua was born in 1914. He worked as a mine and

rubber plantation worker. My grandmother, Chin Han Jeen, was born in

1917. She worked as a farmer .She would also help my grandfather in the rubber

plantation. (Editor's Note: Pulau Ubin was called Pulau Batu Ubin or "granite stone island" where 

granite was mined from the quarries there from the mid-1800s to the late 1970s. There were also 

coffee, durian, nutmeg, pineapple, tobacco and rubber plantations on the island.)

  My grandfather passed away before I was born. I have not seen him before.

My grandmother passed away recently.

  My mother would help my grandparents in farming and house chores, such

as cooking ,washing and fetching water from a well. She also had to take

care of her younger brothers. Life was hard. She had to work at the age of 

12, after she finished her primary school education, in order to have an additional source of 

   income.

  Playing with marbles, catching fishes from the drain, shooting birds were

games that my mother played during her childhood days. She  always played

with the children next door, together with her siblings. They would be able

 to catch tadpoles and frogs from the drain if they were lucky enough.

  She would work during holidays. 

   The teachers were strict in the olden days

Any mischief or pranks could result in a caning, therefore, she did not dare to

do any pranks. She was well-behaved in school. However, she would still be

 punished when she failed her test or exams. Not many people were able to

get educated in the olden days, my mother and family members had to work

to earn money for school fees. Hence, my mother had a heavy

responsibility to study hard in school.

My mother had been studying in Ming Jiang Primary School (the only

school on the island), which was located around the Pulau Ubin Jetty (it was 

closed years ago). Her house was located far away from the school. It

took an hour to walk to school everyday. My mother still remembered her

teachers. Mr Huang (form teacher of primary five), and Mr Jie (form teacher

of primary 6).

In her childhood, she had been staying in Pulau Ubin and she had not visited Singapore before.

Until her school brought the class to Singapore. They had visited Haw Par

Villa and also factories. She was excited as it was the first time that she

visited Singapore.

The subjects that the primary school provided was the same as now (English,

Maths, Chinese and Science) .

She was a Buddhist and used to pray at the ‘Da Bo Gong’ temple.

Dating was getting common at that time. However, my mother got to know my

father by ‘matchmaking’. They know each other via introduction of friends.

They married a year later.

She started to work in Singapore after she graduated from school. She

worked as a tailor. She was staying with her sister who had moved to

Singapore a few years earlier than her.

For her leisure, she went window shopping and to parties with her colleagues. She enjoyed

singing a lot, so she joined the choir with her friends.

Her brother (Lai Ah Ha) was the first of batches of young men who went for national

 service. Life was tough in the army.

My mother has not gone through World War 2, however her parents did.

They brought their children to the forest (my mother had not born yet) to hide from the Japanese. 

They lived in the forest for 3 years. They relied on sweet potato and tapioca.

My mother was about 8 years when she experienced the Racial Riots. Her father

and other villagers on the island had to guard the sea to prevent Malays from

getting onto Pulau Ubin. My mother was afraid as her house was located

near the sea. Her father would give a signal if the Malays came. My mother

and her siblings would run as fast as they could if they heard the signals.

Life was harder in the olden days. They had to earn money at the age of

twelve. We are lucky to be born after the war. We should treasure what we

have now and in the future.