My father was a British Air Force pilot posted in Singapore in 1953. Much of what Mr Baker described was also what my father experienced. After Singapore declared independence in 1965, my dad was a pilot for Singapore Airlines and became a Singaporean. He also could speak Malay and later Mandarin. It's wonderful to listen to the various experiences of expatriates in Singapore, especially those who have lived there for decades..
Mr Baker is indeed a Singapore treasure as the witness to the history and insight into SG society then and now. I am quite surprised by how his insight on the little things such as : 1) The use of Malay as a common language between the races including with white people too. Despite being SG's national language, this is not actively encouraged among Singaporeans. 2) The effects of the EIP in the public housing system on minorities preserving the culture and norms on top of difficulties in resale. 3) The fact that SG was already quite a modern and wealthy city/state as far back as in the thirties and not solely due to LKY and PAP - was another interesting fact that was rarely mentioned. 4) Term he used such as "colour bar" is not commonly used today in SG to describe racial attitudes and segregationist practices. Great work, Max, for interviewing a living witness (an objective one) to SG history.
yup back the south cbd today stretching to siglap was already well planned modern city of that time. its only the west north and mostly east were fishing villages and villages.
So the Politicians in Singapore LIED and claim Singapore was just a fishing village when PAP took over in 1959 when in reality it was already a modern city since the British colonial days.
@@jameslim3850 there were fishing villages, rubber plantation, but there were well built sea ports air ports and a cbd of that era. Singapore was a well equipped colony of that time compared to others because of the importance to the brits. To solely put as a fishing village is false. But the PAP did modernize us to a global level especially when sg hit the 80s.
I don’t think anyone says Singapore was a fishing village in 1959. They say it was a fishing village in 1819, when Stamford Raffles came. This saying was never about the PAP or whatever. I think we all know Singapore was an established trading hub ever since the British came in the 1800s, since that’s exactly what they came for. They do however often quote than Singapore was a third world country, which the PAP rapidly transformed to a first world one. This is technically true, but yes Singapore was definitely on the upper end of the ‘third world’ countries. It’s not a very descriptive way to categorize countries anyway.
It was the PAP politicians who created that fairy tale story from fishing village to so called vibrant city when it was already a metropolis back in the 1950s. this is called political narrative and brainwashing by PAP@@LDK447
I now know why my Chinese-educated mother could speak Malay. It’s probably because living in a kampung then and being Chinese-educated, the only way she could converse with other races is Malay, the lingua franca. In fact, I notice most of the Singaporeans (including Indians) in the older generations, especially those who had lived in kampungs, are able to speak in Malay.
I'm an American who's been in Singapore since 2000 with the exception of three years back in the States during that time. Jim Baker wrote The American Journey in Singapore to commemorate the American Association's Centennial in 2017, which I have a copy of. In an article I wrote for the AAS periodical a year and a half ago, I cited Mr. Baker and that book. He gives a lot of interesting information in this video about Singapore life since the 1950s, which I appreciate. My thanks to Jim and Max.
Maybe, but he’s still very American in his speech and thinking. Surprising considering he came here at age 2. As they say, you can take an American out of America but you can’t take America out of him.
This fellow clearly has a sharp mind and invaluable perspective on the evolution of a singular country. I've visited Singapore many times but feel as though I understand it better today. Nice interview, Max.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Jim Baker is living history of Singapore. I loved how he has noticed the loss of past structures with modernization that has changed almost everything except food. Thank you Max for your great find.
Good watch. I was a young British soldier serving in Singapore. Nee Soon camp between 1973- 75. Loved my time there, been back a couple of times over the years.
My father worked at Nee Soon camp with the British Army. If I remember correctly the British pulled out of Singapore in 1972. After that there were the combined forces of Australia, New Zealand & UK called ANZUK
I remember Jim in high school. He generally had a huge grin and was very friendly. Jim and I were voted most athletic in 1965. 😊 Jana Svoboda Bertkau , class of 1965
Wow I'm so amazed with the point Jim made regarding cultural values. When you have finite resources but still inspire to achieve economical growth, it will come at the expense of diminishing cultural values. I have been enjoying your content Max, every videos have been insightful. Thanks Max!
Wow, from your eyes Mr Baker there is sadness, as if you are missing part of yourself. Yes, i remember my time studying in Singapore and learned that my primary and secondary school are no longer there. Demolished and replaced! As if its all in your mind, not your history, deleted, gone! Sunken feeling! I never want to go back to Singapore again, i feel totally lost...now even Jurong Birdpark wil be gone.😢 Stay save Mr Baker! May you live a happy life.
So glad that you and Jim did indeed link up for an interview. Love the fact that some people are asking for a Part II video and recognize what insight Jim brings to your channel and audience.
Thanks for featuring Jim Baker. I know him as an educator at Singapore American School. I was hoping you featured his wife, Junia Baker. She is one of the best writers / editors I have worked with.
Hey Max, as a British person living in SG with a local wife for the past 12 years, I have really been enjoying your videos. Great content please keep up the good work :)
What he didn't tell you is if he had returned to the US in the 60s, he would probably be drafted and sent to vietnam to fight. That's what he meant by doing american NS.
What an excellent find for an interview! ❤ very insightful and you can see his love for his experience here! He’s such a gold mine of history of Singapore, I could watch a much longer or perhaps a more specific topic interview!
Among the many Ang Moh expats and permanent residents you have interviewed , I find this elderly American man to be the most genuine and non pretentious. Many of the Ang Mohs you have interviewed in the past, their views and perspectives of Singapore were borderline bullshit! Sometimes they gave me the goosebumps when they spill their BS. But this elderly American guy in this episode is one of the few exception. I like him, as I find him to be sincere and respectable.
2:57 That was deliberate. The point was to tear down those distinct Cultural Identities and forge a new one. One that is more "Singaporean". The alternative will look more like Malaysia right now. You have Chinese Kampongs, Malay Kampongs, etc...
Yeah he’s pretty much completely right about the history of Singapore. Not surprising considering he lived through the rapid modernisation. I may not be as old as him, but many of the old buildings and grassy fields that I remember are now gone as well. For better or worse, Singapore will continue to develop. PS: Jim may not look or sound like your average Singaporean, but he’s certainly dressed like one!
Lovely interview, Max. Congratulations on what seems to be a snowballing network of leads for more and more interesting interviewees! Keep up the good work! :)
What a great insight and perspective of the early days of Singapore from the eyes and memories of a foreigner. Hope you can do more of the interviews with the pioneer and older generation folks, to listen to their stories and experience of Singapore.
Good interview with Mr Baker. As a kid in the 1960s, I lived in poverty. The Singapore I know was a third world country. Maybe he stayed in the expat area and his view of Singapore was that it was a modern country. We lived in small houses and it often leaked when it rained. There was no modern sanitation and human waste went into buckets and would be collected every 2 days or so. I remembered eating chicken and meats only on special occasions. Life was tough then. His view on culture and demolished buildings were spot on. I can agree with him on most of the things he said. And yes, white people were treated differently in those days. Not anymore - among my generation, we treat them as equals now. They are not greater than us and we do not think we are inferior to them.
I don’t think any race is superior but as an Asian, who’s born and raised in Singapore I can sense an over compensation among many Asians regarding white people, they have inferiority complex you talked about that Instead causes them to over compensate and project racism and try to project that they are superior to white people. It is quite pathetic to be honest.
I agree with you, my birth certificate says Colony of Singapore so you can guess my age. Singapore in the 50s & 60s was a third world country. My parent rented a small room along Armenian Street and we had a small kerosene lamp for light and yes I use the night soil bucket system. My late mother used to tell me to study hard or end up as one of those worker carrying the buckets for disposal haha. Mr.Baker mentioned the "Tuan complex" which kind of meant white superiority or privilege which is true at that time.
This man deservea a National award. He is the one walking on Singapore land withnessing the progress of Singapore even before LKY time. He is a more Singaporean American. How Irony?
@@pinkymoon5039well..is a fact, the ones that withness the progress of Singapore are limited . You should be grateful this man still share with us what he see. Irony, he is not local.
National award? Let’s not get carried away. At most he can speak only on behalf of the tiny segment of SG society ie the tiny minority white elite, that enjoyed privileges the vast majority did not. If someone took the trouble to interview others from the masses, we would have a more accurate picture of what SG was like back then.
I love his perspective of Singapore then and now and how much has changed. Being 47, i totally understand about seeing the changes in Singapore and how fast that change seemed. But wow, he was around when NS was implemented, that would have been when the Israeli army was here to assist in starting it. That was some tough training ( my uncles and dad went through that) as for the racial riots , yeah, my mum would tell me about that. Jim's knowledge is fascinating and amazing.
agree with @ragsoh- Mr Baker’s impression of sg in 60s 70s are not quite the same as the memories recounted by my parents growing up in sg. my mom’s adopted mother worked for a wealthy chinese family, her house was small. no modern plumbing, showers are from cold large ceramic jar pouring buckets over oneself. my father only ate roti prata as the only meal on most days, no chicken or meat except on special days. so I would say Mr Baker’s perspective of sg as wealthy before lky? quite a bit different from what my parents’ stories. 😅 But the part about lingua franca being malay back then is true I guess, my parents especially my dad, can speak malay.
SG being wealthy even before LKY came to power was probably true of the elite minority in society ie white people, wealthy merchants, the ruling class, the British colonial government etc. Not the masses living in squalid atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor power and water supplies. Yes, there was a time when Malay was the lingua franca in the streets. That was a time when few locals (Chinese, Malays and Indians) could speak English, so Malay became the common language of communication among them. With the rise of education in English, English gradually replaced Malay as the common language for communication.
Studying racial relations when I was in university, I do notice that many academics prefer social and cultural enclaves, instead of the hdb racial quota policy used. This is because it's too interventionist, and smacks of social engineering, which has negative connotations. Those in the older generation prefers living within an enclave due to same culture, language and religion. I too felt it was very social engineered when I studied these academics' works in uni, until I ventured out of Singapore, and saw the divisiveness that race has created in other countries. I'm glad I am able to live beside another race, and smell the curries floating across the corridor. Singapore's society is by no means an organic occurrence. It is very engineered, but I think, it is a well thought through engineering project.
Well said. Remember we had race riots several times in our history, and as recently as 1969. So our government realised long ago that racial harmony isn’t a given and needs to be actively cultivated and protected. Racial enclaves develop easily because it’s natural for people to seek out others just like themselves. But the danger of allowing this to happen without controls is that people become less tolerant of those who are different from themselves, because of limited exposure to other racial groups, and this feeds misunderstanding and communal strife. So our government was very wise in trying to promote racial harmony in the schools, NS and even in HDB housing to ensure that all Singaporeans get used to racial diversity and learn to co-exist peacefully and harmoniously with each other. This is the opposite of the position during British colonial rule where their policy was to keep ethnic groups divided so the British could “divide and rule” them with ease. Maintaining the communal divide is great for the coloniser but bad for nation building, where your aim is to unify, not divide, the people, to promote social unity and harmony. The loss of strong racial enclaves may have diluted a culture slightly, but if the trade off is more racial harmony and social stability, I think this social engineering was worth it. Just look at the long history of systemic racism and ethnic segregation in the U.S. that has kept ethnic differences alive in a negative way which has divided the people and country.
He is totally correct..every corner in Singapore northern part yishun , sembawang, marsiling and woodlands, south, kampng glam, beach road, arab street, rochor and little india east coast, katong, marine parade , siglap, bedok, kallang airport and central orchard, holland , bukit timah , river valley , carnhill, thomson, newton , shenton way. All is unique with its own identity and thats Singapore.
You got a lot of hate from people who don't know, but that's an understatement. He is a historian who witnessed modern Singapore history first hand, and Singapore doesn't emphasize in its education, so he might be the best expert on Singaporean history.
@@mholtebeckAt best, he can only represent the views of a tiny elite white minority, but not the masses who did not enjoy his privileged “Tuan” lifestyle.
This man is a living treasure... wish he write a book about his life in SG. His POV of the history of Singapore is very interesting coming from an American who has adopted a way of life here.
Great video Max! Do interview my boss Herr Andreas J. Walther, a German national who's been in Malaysia since the 80s. Most days you can see him at Subang Airport. Very friendly gentleman, boleh cakap Melayu.
Excellent interview/video (even cut down). Having the personal perspective of someone who lived through those times is illuminating. Thanks to both of you.
it's somewhat so interesting, especially the end where he speaks about ASEAN that they will increase their wealthiness and improve. I left Germany because within 15 years all I saw was a horizontal line of development within the country - nothing really improved for the people, no things even got worse during that time. All the government did is refining their income source by establishing more cost and obstacles for people in economy. Now I'm in Taiwan myself I'm blown away by the freedom people have, during the building up stage no one bothers and puts obstacles into your way. Getting around in the world seems to be really important. There's no such country as a one fits all but things can turn out to be close in some situations.
Because Singapore is freaking amazing, that's why! Our country has issues, but compared to a lot of the rest of the world, we are actually trying to fix them.
He hit the nail on the head. Everything has changed in singapore, except the food. Nevermind showing your grandchildren anything, I can’t even show my children a single place from my childhood memories. It’s heartbreaking. Not a single house I’ve lived in, not a single school, all my favourite places I used to visit as a child or teenager, the place i met my husband, all the culture, everything is destroyed by the government. Even pulau ubin. Everything is torn down and rebuilt. It’s disgusting. Soulless.
Yes, my grandparents and my Mum used to live by Beach Road and it was by the sea. Today you go to Beach Road and its hotels , malls & office buildings. The landscape changes often in Singapore that even if you come back to certain areas in 5 years time it looks very different. Re-development is a key component of Singapore's economic growth; but the re-development is always purposeful unlike the bubble property developments in Cambodia or some parts of China.
Yes, SG doesn’t have the luxury of keeping all old buildings just for sentimental reasons because we have so little land. Unlike some places in America where nothing changes much over 20-30 years. Land use needs to be constantly reviewed to keep up with changing needs eg the recent decision to shut down the Turf Club to free up 120 hectares of land for housing etc. Yes, we need to review decisions to tear down old buildings carefully and some decisions have been questionable, but bottom line, it’s a necessary evil because our usable land is limited.
Good interview but I disagree that Singapore was already middle-class back in the 50's and 60's. The majority of the population then were quite poor. Maybe we had a better infrastructure in the city area back then, as compared with neighbouring countries. Outside the city area were mostly kampungs with no electricity and proper sanitation. Most of the people living in these kampungs are farmers, odd jobs laborers, artisans or hawkers. Surely, these people living in such conditions cannot be considered middle-class. Like it or not, it was our first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew and his team of capable ministers who painstakingly developed the nation after its independence in 1965. It was only by the 1970s that Singapore start to become a thriving economy. I am as old as Jim to testify the true situations of Singapore during the 50's and 60's.
Agree. I was born in 1958. I grew up in Serangoon Gardens and remember the huge kampong Cheng San nearby that stretched all the way to Upper Thomson Road. It was full of atap huts, fish ponds, dirt tracks, rubber estates, farms etc. It was just one of the many kampongs that existed in Singapore outside the city area, and looked quite similar to kampongs in rural Malaysia. It was only in 1973 that Kampong Cheng San was cleared to build the Ang Mo Kio HDB estate. Many other rural kampongs continued to exist into the 1980s. The Bukit Ho Swee fire that destroyed a big squatter settlement happened in 1961. I can’t agree that Singapore was already middle income in the 1950s and 60s. From my memories as a child growing up in the 60s, there were still many kampongs and fish ponds all over Singapore, featuring atap huts with well water, inadequate sanitation, etc. Many houses downtown still had no flush toilets and relied on daily night soil collectors. Does this qualify as middle income? We shouldn’t diminish the achievements of Mr LKY and other pioneer leaders in greatly improving living conditions for the people. In the 1950s and 60s, outside the downtown areas, the rest of SG was similar to kampongs in neighbouring Malaysia. How can this be described as middle income? Maybe as a white person, he lived a privileged expat lifestyle due to the “Tuan” complex he mentioned. That was only for the tiny elite minority, and certainly not for the masses in SG, most of whom were generally poor.
He was talking about compared to world standards at the time, it was demonstrably so a middle income country, as opposed to a poor or low-income country. But certainly compared to what it is now, it has developed a long way since then
it's all due to distribution of wealth. back then, wealth was concentrated among merchant families, top administrators, and big corporations, and rarely invested for social development. So, despite being a regional economic and administrative hub, only the élites can get the best of it.
@@khairulhelmihashim2510 and @mdjcsmith thanks for stating two important points to help clarify what Mr Baker was referring to when he described Singapore as a "middle income" economy back in the 50s and 60s (comparing globally). To be clear for several people who have questioned this, he wasn't stating that Singapore had a large "middle class" back then.
Actually, the actual words he used were that SG was a “middle class country” and never really a third world one. Is this correct? Even if up to the time the PAP took power in 1959, SG had the 5th largest port in the world, the profits would have gone to the British colonial government and ruling elite, and little of it percolated down to the masses. Which explains why SG had the 5th largest port in the world and yet most people still lived in relative squalor, in atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor electrical and water supply.
So interesting and really thankful for these people who stay on🎉🎉.It doesn't matter if you are a foreigner or Singaporean as long as you love Singapore Thatz the most important thing
Demographics changes. How Singapore from a Malay majority becomes Chinese majority. I think it has to do with their migration policy. This was written by Michael Barr if I'm not mistaken. Barr wrote how LKY's migration policy of encouraging Chinese from Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to migrate to Singapore in order to ensure that the Chinese population is at 70% of the whole Singaporean demography. It's done to ensure political and social stability.
Even if true that SG had the 5th largest port in the world at the time the British left in 1959, it’s clear from the fact that most people were still living in squalid atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor electrical and water supply into the 1970s, that these benefits did not percolate down to the masses. Probably because the British colonial government and ruling elite kept it for themselves or repatriated the profits earned back to Mother England. So what we had was a rich colonial government and ruling elite, but poor masses. Does this qualify as a “middle income country”?
Max, I say this with love 😊 - it’s “Tuan” complex not ‘Twan’ as you spelled it in your subtitles. 😊 I’ve seen quite a bit of misspelling to Malay words also from your other videos. Nevertheless, I enjoy your videos. Thanks!
Very good interview!! Interesting and insightful. I don't know about other things but there was one thing that directly adversely affected on us because of racial quota when we tried to sell our HDB unit (for some personal reasons), we couldn't sell to a specific ethnic group (they could give a matching offer to our asking price) and ended up accepting eligible ones at a reduced price than we initially inteneded resulting in a negative sale. And we suffered a net loss.
🫡 Mr Jim Baker who shared with us the history of S’pore. This is another great video I will save to my playlist. I’m a proud specialist who serve our country for 10 years❤❤❤
Prior to HDB & even after HDB was formed, Hougang from 4 mile stone (where current NEX Shopping Mall is located) all the way to Punggol was predominantly Teochew enclave. When the kampongs made way for HDB, the Teochews are still the majority. In the old days even the Malays in Hougang, Punggol and Upper Changi Rd near Tanah Merah areas could speak Teochew. Election rallies at Hougang Constituency were fought in Teochew dialects and of course Workers’ Party Low Thia Khiang’s superior command of Teochew gotten the upper hand and won Hougang.
even the food is disappearing.. it's getting harder and harder to find food like char kway teow. they still do exist, but not as easy as it used to be to find
If my comment is not deleted again as in a previous video, l would like to say that during that period in 1950s, my grandparent lived in a private apartment and there were other private estates too. Amusement parks tall buildings ,roads,buses and government buildings exist-so Singapore was not a backwaters place.
Yep my mother who just turned 70 also said there were private estates, amusement parks, etc., but they were not widespread across the island, and only the wealthy could access them. Nobody is denying the existence of these infrastructure, but they were just not representative of the majority of people (who were not economically well-off) and majority of the island (still undeveloped with kampongs and plantations) in those days.
I think he meant "Tuan" complex, as is "lord" or "master" in Malay. That's a fascinating anecdote. Makes you think of the Michael Fay case in a slightly different light, in a sense that no one is above our rules.
I don't agree that Singapore was a middle-income society when it became independent in 1965, . There are some very rich locals and a small proportion of locals doing ok (still not considered middle-class). Majority of locals were living in quarters and/or unsantized condition/environment. Later on after independence, most of these locals moved to rented flats and some could afford to purchase. Most of my primary classmates and schoolmates lived in rented flat; we too moved from kampong to rented flat.
By world standards Singapore was a middle income country in the 1950s . It was already one of the top 5 biggest ports, and certainly not a fishing village.
Not so sure about the figure of kampongs in Singapore, but there were still a few around Tiong Bahru/Bukit Merah area in 1971. I was living in one at Kim Tian, and some friends in others
11:36 ‘Twan Complex’ which I think should be ‘Tuan’ - in Malay it means ‘sir’. First time I heard of this terminology & it answered a lot of questions why locals behaved the way we did towards caucasians/white people back then. As ‘tuan’ meant ‘sir’, locals were serving the British & thus we developed such a servitude complex. Nothing wrong, just helps me understand ourselves better. 🙏🏼
The "Tuan Complex" is still alive and hasn't gone away, unfortunately. At least in the minds of some expat Westerners. Remember Anton Casey? And Olivier Desbarres? They were the worst examples but I remember being a guest at parties which had expat Westerners in them and I overheard some discussing their "LBFM" and whether to "upgrade" them to "LYFM" on their next posting to Hong Kong. I later found out to my horror that "LBFM" was their acronym for "Little Brown Fucking Machine" (i.e., their Malay girlfriends) and "LYFM" was the acronym for "Little Yellow Fucking Machines" (i.e., their anticipated Chinese girlfriends upon posting to Hong Kong). Can you say "objectification"???
@@AppleMacGeek thank you for sharing your experiences, it is beyond appalling to know my community is being called LBFM. I want to be respectful & not scorn at colonists’ mindset, but it becomes a moral historical lesson for us now. To strive beyond our subjugated past. This video inadvertently became a reflection point, thanks for sharing the perspectives.
He brings up a great point about how Singapore 🇸🇬 lost a large part of its identity when Malay ceased to be the lingua franca and the demise of Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, etc.
Thank you for sharing. Love my country, my home Singapore. Mr. Baker blends in well with Singapore. I'm Singaporean Eurasian and have uncles on both sides of the family with very Caucasian skin colour. So no problems for him as an Eurasian/Singaporean. God bless n thank you again🙏🙏🇸🇬🇸🇬
First of all, he was my Asian Studies teacher way back in 1988, and this how he talked back then. The class was Modern Asian Problems (which was his design) and it is still one of the best classes I've taken. BTW- the guy is a political genius because the last time I saw him was in 2016 (right before the US released the Kragen in November 2016) and even back then he knew what was happening.
I kind of have to disagree with Mr. Barker, I think Singapore still have their unique cultures and identities. Sure the Chinese is larger, but you still see malay culture, Indian culture western culture in many places. It may not be as much as what he saw back in the 50s and 60s. But it's still there. However, I will agree, in the future, you won't see the culture anymore, because things keeps changing.
he talked of "culture" from a positive context. Culture is not good or bad/better or worse - it's just is. LKY was nation building and a lot of things got in the way. Actually, Singapore should update the HDB quota scheme by including religious affiliations.
As a local Singaporean, i am perplexed why it is often said that signapore turns from third world to first country in a generation. I slightly studied the history before. As a port city, the city should be considered a decent middle income state then. Having heard this video, i guess the exaggeration is a figure of speech and it uses the lens of modernity to see the status quo of the past.... Instead of comparing in the same space tine. Such marketing techniques 😂
Under most western colonial governments, money made from the colonies is mostly repatriated home, and little percolates down to benefit the masses. Hence you have a rich colonial government but poor masses, as seemed to be the case with SG too up to the time the British left in 1959. Therefore, even if SG was the world’s 5th largest port when the British left in 1959, most of the money had gone to the British colonial government, wealthy merchants and ruling elite, while the majority of people continued to live in squalid atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor power and water supply. Talk about income gap.
@@anchored555 If we are talking about colonialism, in modern term，yes, the income gap is apparent, so does social status in most colonised area. However, in that timeline, if we ask why so many people choose to flock to the port city or choose to settle in Singapore, the reason is they see future prospects than their homeland. Thus, they are willing to take in the hardship (for example from china) . It is true that the merchant and colonial government take the big bulk of the soup while the masses take leftover soup. Still, as the port city did prosper as a whole but the income level soon normalise as more migrants compete over the leftover soup This explains the problem of overcrowding and poor sanitation which you mentioned in later part. It is also a big challenge for the government to resolve.
Thoroughly enjoyed this interview with Mr. Baker ! His understanding, insights and perspective based on Singapore's history and culture. The only complain is that the interview is really too short, hope to see him again!
@@bell-xk5ddBesides kopi-O, we also have kopi & kopi-C. Likewise for the local teh (tea) too! Isn't these mixes of beverages all accepted by all individuals here?
Amazing interview. Personally, I feel food is slowly changing and certain food taste no longer exists. He mentioned, 20, 25 years, Indonesia will be world power, I no doubt about it.
The food is also changing. What you love to eat growing up is being nudged aside. Your grandchildren is loving food that is quite different from what you ate.
Watch the SECOND PART of the interview with Jim Baker here - ua-cam.com/video/g-Ewy6MPWok/v-deo.html
I went to Singapore American School and Mr. Baker was my teacher!! What a great guy
Here we worship white man
Do you miss the Food 😉
@@vorlon81He wouldn’t 😂
@@SiaanLala Mr. Ho’s fried rice was 👌🏻
he was my teacher when I went there too. Class of '73.
My father was a British Air Force pilot posted in Singapore in 1953. Much of what Mr Baker described was also what my father experienced. After Singapore declared independence in 1965, my dad was a pilot for Singapore Airlines and became a Singaporean. He also could speak Malay and later Mandarin.
It's wonderful to listen to the various experiences of expatriates in Singapore, especially those who have lived there for decades..
Mr Baker is indeed a Singapore treasure as the witness to the history and insight into SG society then and now. I am quite surprised by how his insight on the little things such as :
1) The use of Malay as a common language between the races including with white people too. Despite being SG's national language, this is not actively encouraged among Singaporeans.
2) The effects of the EIP in the public housing system on minorities preserving the culture and norms on top of difficulties in resale.
3) The fact that SG was already quite a modern and wealthy city/state as far back as in the thirties and not solely due to LKY and PAP - was another interesting fact that was rarely mentioned.
4) Term he used such as "colour bar" is not commonly used today in SG to describe racial attitudes and segregationist practices.
Great work, Max, for interviewing a living witness (an objective one) to SG history.
yup back the south cbd today stretching to siglap was already well planned modern city of that time. its only the west north and mostly east were fishing villages and villages.
So the Politicians in Singapore LIED and claim Singapore was just a fishing village when PAP took over in 1959 when in reality it was already a modern city since the British colonial days.
@@jameslim3850 there were fishing villages, rubber plantation, but there were well built sea ports air ports and a cbd of that era. Singapore was a well equipped colony of that time compared to others because of the importance to the brits. To solely put as a fishing village is false. But the PAP did modernize us to a global level especially when sg hit the 80s.
I don’t think anyone says Singapore was a fishing village in 1959. They say it was a fishing village in 1819, when Stamford Raffles came. This saying was never about the PAP or whatever. I think we all know Singapore was an established trading hub ever since the British came in the 1800s, since that’s exactly what they came for.
They do however often quote than Singapore was a third world country, which the PAP rapidly transformed to a first world one. This is technically true, but yes Singapore was definitely on the upper end of the ‘third world’ countries. It’s not a very descriptive way to categorize countries anyway.
It was the PAP politicians who created that fairy tale story from fishing village to so called vibrant city when it was already a metropolis back in the 1950s. this is called political narrative and brainwashing by PAP@@LDK447
I now know why my Chinese-educated mother could speak Malay. It’s probably because living in a kampung then and being Chinese-educated, the only way she could converse with other races is Malay, the lingua franca. In fact, I notice most of the Singaporeans (including Indians) in the older generations, especially those who had lived in kampungs, are able to speak in Malay.
I'm an American who's been in Singapore since 2000 with the exception of three years back in the States during that time. Jim Baker wrote The American Journey in Singapore to commemorate the American Association's Centennial in 2017, which I have a copy of. In an article I wrote for the AAS periodical a year and a half ago, I cited Mr. Baker and that book. He gives a lot of interesting information in this video about Singapore life since the 1950s, which I appreciate. My thanks to Jim and Max.
he is Singaporean..he is not wearing shoes or slippers at home..love this conversation..thank you
he has a sandal tan, can't get anymore boomer singaporean 🤣
Takes more than going barefoot at home to make one Singaporean.
@@anchored555- he lived in Singapore longer than 3/4 of the "Singaporians"
Maybe, but he’s still very American in his speech and thinking. Surprising considering he came here at age 2. As they say, you can take an American out of America but you can’t take America out of him.
Please more interviews with Mr. Baker, a living history book.
One of your best interviews yet! 👏🏼
🙏
love the questions!
This fellow clearly has a sharp mind and invaluable perspective on the evolution of a singular country. I've visited Singapore many times but feel as though I understand it better today. Nice interview, Max.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Jim Baker is living history of Singapore. I loved how he has noticed the loss of past structures with modernization that has changed almost everything except food. Thank you Max for your great find.
Good watch. I was a young British soldier serving in Singapore. Nee Soon camp between 1973- 75. Loved my time there, been back a couple of times over the years.
Stephen, thank you for your service and to be part of Singapore's critical time in history. ❤
Welcome u back.. thanks for your service. Greeting from a Singaporean
I was staying in Nee Soon, near Transit Road. There was a camp there.
My father worked at Nee Soon camp with the British Army. If I remember correctly the British pulled out of Singapore in 1972. After that there were the combined forces of Australia, New Zealand & UK called ANZUK
Hope to see you back here in Singapore soon 😊
I remember Jim in high school. He generally had a huge grin and was very friendly. Jim and I were voted most athletic in 1965. 😊
Jana Svoboda Bertkau , class of 1965
Yet another interview that tells thenuntold stories that was never ever told. Thank you Max! ❤
Wow I'm so amazed with the point Jim made regarding cultural values. When you have finite resources but still inspire to achieve economical growth, it will come at the expense of diminishing cultural values. I have been enjoying your content Max, every videos have been insightful. Thanks Max!
Wow, from your eyes Mr Baker there is sadness, as if you are missing part of yourself. Yes, i remember my time studying in Singapore and learned that my primary and secondary school are no longer there. Demolished and replaced! As if its all in your mind, not your history, deleted, gone! Sunken feeling!
I never want to go back to Singapore again, i feel totally lost...now even Jurong Birdpark wil be gone.😢
Stay save Mr Baker! May you live a happy life.
So glad that you and Jim did indeed link up for an interview. Love the fact that some people are asking for a Part II video and recognize what insight Jim brings to your channel and audience.
Hey buddy, thanks so much for your help organizing it! 🙏
Thanks for featuring Jim Baker. I know him as an educator at Singapore American School. I was hoping you featured his wife, Junia Baker. She is one of the best writers / editors I have worked with.
She passed away 3 years ago unfortunately…
@@MaxChernov that is very sad. I know her more in person when I was working at SAS a decade now. Thanks for sharing.
@@MaxChernov😢
Hey Max, as a British person living in SG with a local wife for the past 12 years, I have really been enjoying your videos. Great content please keep up the good work :)
🙏
Thank you for the interview. It's insightful to learnt from someone living here for 70 years and sharing on the transformation of Singapore.
man this is wayy better than what I expect. I want more of this interview
What he didn't tell you is if he had returned to the US in the 60s, he would probably be drafted and sent to vietnam to fight. That's what he meant by doing american NS.
Good point
Spot on.
He’ll probably be the first to “siam” back to the US if there’s trouble in Singapore.
Despite having lived in SG for so long, he still retains the American accent n he sounds very articulate. Well done Mr Baker!
What an excellent find for an interview! ❤ very insightful and you can see his love for his experience here!
He’s such a gold mine of history of Singapore, I could watch a much longer or perhaps a more specific topic interview!
Mr. Baker is awesome. He was my Track and Field coach at SAS around 2007
My husband graduated SAS in 1982. .Jim baker was his teacher. My husband is also missing old Singapore.
Among the many Ang Moh expats and permanent residents you have interviewed , I find this elderly American man to be the most genuine and non pretentious.
Many of the Ang Mohs you have interviewed in the past, their views and perspectives of Singapore were borderline bullshit! Sometimes they gave me the goosebumps when they spill their BS.
But this elderly American guy in this episode is one of the few exception. I like him, as I find him to be sincere and respectable.
Yes! I very much agree too!
2:57 That was deliberate. The point was to tear down those distinct Cultural Identities and forge a new one. One that is more "Singaporean". The alternative will look more like Malaysia right now. You have Chinese Kampongs, Malay Kampongs, etc...
Hopefully there is a part 2 interview with Jim.. Love the way he articulates about the past Singapore and his perspective.
I am 74 now myself.
Hmm..your observations through the years are pretty accurate.
Hope your years ahead will happy & be a blessed one. 🙏
Yeah he’s pretty much completely right about the history of Singapore. Not surprising considering he lived through the rapid modernisation. I may not be as old as him, but many of the old buildings and grassy fields that I remember are now gone as well. For better or worse, Singapore will continue to develop.
PS: Jim may not look or sound like your average Singaporean, but he’s certainly dressed like one!
He's a true "Ang Mo Ah Pek" in the most respected sense! 😜
Lovely interview, Max. Congratulations on what seems to be a snowballing network of leads for more and more interesting interviewees! Keep up the good work! :)
What a great insight and perspective of the early days of Singapore from the eyes and memories of a foreigner. Hope you can do more of the interviews with the pioneer and older generation folks, to listen to their stories and experience of Singapore.
this is the kind of video that we long waited for. Living history talks with unbiased view. Please do more interview like this. subbed
One of your most interesting interesting interviews recently!
This is a great interview. I learned something about Singapore's history from Jim's perspectives. Thanks!
His table and chair is retro , last time Singapore coffeeshop the tables and chairs are like that. Nice and cool.
Good interview with Mr Baker. As a kid in the 1960s, I lived in poverty. The Singapore I know was a third world country. Maybe he stayed in the expat area and his view of Singapore was that it was a modern country. We lived in small houses and it often leaked when it rained. There was no modern sanitation and human waste went into buckets and would be collected every 2 days or so. I remembered eating chicken and meats only on special occasions. Life was tough then. His view on culture and demolished buildings were spot on. I can agree with him on most of the things he said. And yes, white people were treated differently in those days. Not anymore - among my generation, we treat them as equals now. They are not greater than us and we do not think we are inferior to them.
I don’t think any race is superior but as an Asian, who’s born and raised in Singapore I can sense an over compensation among many Asians regarding white people, they have inferiority complex you talked about that Instead causes them to over compensate and project racism and try to project that they are superior to white people. It is quite pathetic to be honest.
I agree with you, my birth certificate says Colony of Singapore so you can guess my age. Singapore in the 50s & 60s was a third world country. My parent rented a small room along Armenian Street and we had a small kerosene lamp for light and yes I use the night soil bucket system. My late mother used to tell me to study hard or end up as one of those worker carrying the buckets for disposal haha. Mr.Baker mentioned the "Tuan complex" which kind of meant white superiority or privilege which is true at that time.
This man deservea a National award. He is the one walking on Singapore land withnessing the progress of Singapore even before LKY time. He is a more Singaporean American. How Irony?
So do all the other singaporeans who witnessed it that are still living.
Award for just living? 😅
@@pinkymoon5039well..is a fact, the ones that withness the progress of Singapore are limited . You should be grateful this man still share with us what he see. Irony, he is not local.
National award? Let’s not get carried away. At most he can speak only on behalf of the tiny segment of SG society ie the tiny minority white elite, that enjoyed privileges the vast majority did not. If someone took the trouble to interview others from the masses, we would have a more accurate picture of what SG was like back then.
I love his perspective of Singapore then and now and how much has changed. Being 47, i totally understand about seeing the changes in Singapore and how fast that change seemed. But wow, he was around when NS was implemented, that would have been when the Israeli army was here to assist in starting it. That was some tough training ( my uncles and dad went through that) as for the racial riots , yeah, my mum would tell me about that. Jim's knowledge is fascinating and amazing.
Truly excellent interview ! Jim Baker provides a much appreciated testimony of the early days of Singapore, that helps understand what we see today.
agree with @ragsoh- Mr Baker’s impression of sg in 60s 70s are not quite the same as the memories recounted by my parents growing up in sg. my mom’s adopted mother worked for a wealthy chinese family, her house was small. no modern plumbing, showers are from cold large ceramic jar pouring buckets over oneself.
my father only ate roti prata as the only meal on most days, no chicken or meat except on special days.
so I would say Mr Baker’s perspective of sg as wealthy before lky? quite a bit different from what my parents’ stories. 😅
But the part about lingua franca being malay back then is true I guess, my parents especially my dad, can speak malay.
SG being wealthy even before LKY came to power was probably true of the elite minority in society ie white people, wealthy merchants, the ruling class, the British colonial government etc. Not the masses living in squalid atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor power and water supplies. Yes, there was a time when Malay was the lingua franca in the streets. That was a time when few locals (Chinese, Malays and Indians) could speak English, so Malay became the common language of communication among them. With the rise of education in English, English gradually replaced Malay as the common language for communication.
Jim speaks from the perspective of a privileged minority..he doesn’t know what was being poor like in the 60s.
Studying racial relations when I was in university, I do notice that many academics prefer social and cultural enclaves, instead of the hdb racial quota policy used. This is because it's too interventionist, and smacks of social engineering, which has negative connotations. Those in the older generation prefers living within an enclave due to same culture, language and religion. I too felt it was very social engineered when I studied these academics' works in uni, until I ventured out of Singapore, and saw the divisiveness that race has created in other countries. I'm glad I am able to live beside another race, and smell the curries floating across the corridor. Singapore's society is by no means an organic occurrence. It is very engineered, but I think, it is a well thought through engineering project.
Well said. Remember we had race riots several times in our history, and as recently as 1969. So our government realised long ago that racial harmony isn’t a given and needs to be actively cultivated and protected. Racial enclaves develop easily because it’s natural for people to seek out others just like themselves. But the danger of allowing this to happen without controls is that people become less tolerant of those who are different from themselves, because of limited exposure to other racial groups, and this feeds misunderstanding and communal strife. So our government was very wise in trying to promote racial harmony in the schools, NS and even in HDB housing to ensure that all Singaporeans get used to racial diversity and learn to co-exist peacefully and harmoniously with each other. This is the opposite of the position during British colonial rule where their policy was to keep ethnic groups divided so the British could “divide and rule” them with ease. Maintaining the communal divide is great for the coloniser but bad for nation building, where your aim is to unify, not divide, the people, to promote social unity and harmony. The loss of strong racial enclaves may have diluted a culture slightly, but if the trade off is more racial harmony and social stability, I think this social engineering was worth it. Just look at the long history of systemic racism and ethnic segregation in the U.S. that has kept ethnic differences alive in a negative way which has divided the people and country.
Everything in Singapore is social-engineered to within an inch of its life. Nothing has changed. Not even now.
Impressive that you can find such a gem to interview with.
He is totally correct..every corner in Singapore northern part yishun , sembawang, marsiling and woodlands, south, kampng glam, beach road, arab street, rochor and little india east coast, katong, marine parade , siglap, bedok, kallang airport and central orchard, holland , bukit timah , river valley , carnhill, thomson, newton , shenton way. All is unique with its own identity and thats Singapore.
He knows Singapore better than most Singaporeans. I learned a lot here.
Local people now very well about singapura especially from name temasik again during melaka kingdom before portugis come here....
That's a sweeping statement to make. How many Singaporeans have you spoken to, especially those whose family have been here for generations?
Ok chill..
You got a lot of hate from people who don't know, but that's an understatement. He is a historian who witnessed modern Singapore history first hand, and Singapore doesn't emphasize in its education, so he might be the best expert on Singaporean history.
@@mholtebeckAt best, he can only represent the views of a tiny elite white minority, but not the masses who did not enjoy his privileged “Tuan” lifestyle.
This man is a living treasure... wish he write a book about his life in SG.
His POV of the history of Singapore is very interesting coming from an American who has adopted a way of life here.
interesting interview. My wife is Singaporean, and we travel back to Singapore every few years to visit family and notice the changes each time.
Thank you for this video. It is nice to hear Jim's perspective of Singapore. It is spot on!
Great video Max! Do interview my boss Herr Andreas J. Walther, a German national who's been in Malaysia since the 80s. Most days you can see him at Subang Airport. Very friendly gentleman, boleh cakap Melayu.
Can you make an intro for me with him?
Excellent interview/video (even cut down). Having the personal perspective of someone who lived through those times is illuminating. Thanks to both of you.
He lived through such an interesting time in Singapore. Yet another great interview!
it's somewhat so interesting, especially the end where he speaks about ASEAN that they will increase their wealthiness and improve. I left Germany because within 15 years all I saw was a horizontal line of development within the country - nothing really improved for the people, no things even got worse during that time. All the government did is refining their income source by establishing more cost and obstacles for people in economy.
Now I'm in Taiwan myself I'm blown away by the freedom people have, during the building up stage no one bothers and puts obstacles into your way. Getting around in the world seems to be really important.
There's no such country as a one fits all but things can turn out to be close in some situations.
He is absolutely true on the food..thumbs up
Because Singapore is freaking amazing, that's why! Our country has issues, but compared to a lot of the rest of the world, we are actually trying to fix them.
He hit the nail on the head. Everything has changed in singapore, except the food. Nevermind showing your grandchildren anything, I can’t even show my children a single place from my childhood memories. It’s heartbreaking. Not a single house I’ve lived in, not a single school, all my favourite places I used to visit as a child or teenager, the place i met my husband, all the culture, everything is destroyed by the government.
Even pulau ubin. Everything is torn down and rebuilt. It’s disgusting. Soulless.
One of the more interesting video as the gentleman has a wealth of experience to share
Yes, my grandparents and my Mum used to live by Beach Road and it was by the sea. Today you go to Beach Road and its hotels , malls & office buildings. The landscape changes often in Singapore that even if you come back to certain areas in 5 years time it looks very different. Re-development is a key component of Singapore's economic growth; but the re-development is always purposeful unlike the bubble property developments in Cambodia or some parts of China.
Yes, SG doesn’t have the luxury of keeping all old buildings just for sentimental reasons because we have so little land. Unlike some places in America where nothing changes much over 20-30 years. Land use needs to be constantly reviewed to keep up with changing needs eg the recent decision to shut down the Turf Club to free up 120 hectares of land for housing etc. Yes, we need to review decisions to tear down old buildings carefully and some decisions have been questionable, but bottom line, it’s a necessary evil because our usable land is limited.
It was only last year that I discovered that Shaw Towers had disappeared
We need more videos with Mr. Baker!!! A city walk would be awesome. Tour of the old districts (whats left) !!!
Good interview but I disagree that Singapore was already middle-class back in the 50's and 60's. The majority of the population then were quite poor. Maybe we had a better infrastructure in the city area back then, as compared with neighbouring countries. Outside the city area were mostly kampungs with no electricity and proper sanitation. Most of the people living in these kampungs are farmers, odd jobs laborers, artisans or hawkers. Surely, these people living in such conditions cannot be considered middle-class. Like it or not, it was our first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew and his team of capable ministers who painstakingly developed the nation after its independence in 1965. It was only by the 1970s that Singapore start to become a thriving economy. I am as old as Jim to testify the true situations of Singapore during the 50's and 60's.
Agree. I was born in 1958. I grew up in Serangoon Gardens and remember the huge kampong Cheng San nearby that stretched all the way to Upper Thomson Road. It was full of atap huts, fish ponds, dirt tracks, rubber estates, farms etc. It was just one of the many kampongs that existed in Singapore outside the city area, and looked quite similar to kampongs in rural Malaysia. It was only in 1973 that Kampong Cheng San was cleared to build the Ang Mo Kio HDB estate. Many other rural kampongs continued to exist into the 1980s. The Bukit Ho Swee fire that destroyed a big squatter settlement happened in 1961. I can’t agree that Singapore was already middle income in the 1950s and 60s. From my memories as a child growing up in the 60s, there were still many kampongs and fish ponds all over Singapore, featuring atap huts with well water, inadequate sanitation, etc. Many houses downtown still had no flush toilets and relied on daily night soil collectors. Does this qualify as middle income? We shouldn’t diminish the achievements of Mr LKY and other pioneer leaders in greatly improving living conditions for the people. In the 1950s and 60s, outside the downtown areas, the rest of SG was similar to kampongs in neighbouring Malaysia. How can this be described as middle income? Maybe as a white person, he lived a privileged expat lifestyle due to the “Tuan” complex he mentioned. That was only for the tiny elite minority, and certainly not for the masses in SG, most of whom were generally poor.
He was talking about compared to world standards at the time, it was demonstrably so a middle income country, as opposed to a poor or low-income country. But certainly compared to what it is now, it has developed a long way since then
it's all due to distribution of wealth. back then, wealth was concentrated among merchant families, top administrators, and big corporations, and rarely invested for social development. So, despite being a regional economic and administrative hub, only the élites can get the best of it.
@@khairulhelmihashim2510 and @mdjcsmith thanks for stating two important points to help clarify what Mr Baker was referring to when he described Singapore as a "middle income" economy back in the 50s and 60s (comparing globally). To be clear for several people who have questioned this, he wasn't stating that Singapore had a large "middle class" back then.
Actually, the actual words he used were that SG was a “middle class country” and never really a third world one. Is this correct? Even if up to the time the PAP took power in 1959, SG had the 5th largest port in the world, the profits would have gone to the British colonial government and ruling elite, and little of it percolated down to the masses. Which explains why SG had the 5th largest port in the world and yet most people still lived in relative squalor, in atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor electrical and water supply.
So interesting and really thankful for these people who stay on🎉🎉.It doesn't matter if you are a foreigner or Singaporean as long as you love Singapore Thatz the most important thing
Omg max! Another amazing interview! I hope you’d find more gems like Mr Baker.
Such an interesting interview. I totally enjoyed every minute of it
What new did you learn about Singapore from Jim?
- he dispels myth of poor, undeveloped Singapore prior independence.
- the ability of average Singaporeans to converse in Bazaar Malay.
Demographics changes. How Singapore from a Malay majority becomes Chinese majority. I think it has to do with their migration policy. This was written by Michael Barr if I'm not mistaken. Barr wrote how LKY's migration policy of encouraging Chinese from Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to migrate to Singapore in order to ensure that the Chinese population is at 70% of the whole Singaporean demography. It's done to ensure political and social stability.
Sg was already a rich infrstructured country before the british left..
Even if true that SG had the 5th largest port in the world at the time the British left in 1959, it’s clear from the fact that most people were still living in squalid atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor electrical and water supply into the 1970s, that these benefits did not percolate down to the masses. Probably because the British colonial government and ruling elite kept it for themselves or repatriated the profits earned back to Mother England. So what we had was a rich colonial government and ruling elite, but poor masses. Does this qualify as a “middle income country”?
As far as i can recall, environment started improving in mid 70s. We moved from rented flat (with shared toilets, kitchens, washing area) in 1976.
So interesting to see that they both do not have shoes on indoors.😊
Ofc 😊
That's a common practice in parts of Asia
Should continue part 2 pls .
educational video. I always enjoy listening elder people's story. They give information that you can't find in books. greetings from Turkey.
Thanks Max. Your work helps me better understand Singapore and Mr Barker insights were most insightful!
Max, I say this with love 😊 - it’s “Tuan” complex not ‘Twan’ as you spelled it in your subtitles. 😊 I’ve seen quite a bit of misspelling to Malay words also from your other videos. Nevertheless, I enjoy your videos. Thanks!
Hiring a new subtitles editor now
i was wondering about that. Tuan as in "master complex" . Meaning caucasians are often seen as the "Master" race. Fascinating.
Yes, it was or is perceived so by perhaps some whites but not necessarily so by the natives of Nusantara - especially in this day and age. 😊
Impressive + genuine interview 👍❤ Thank you very much for sharing.
Very good interview!! Interesting and insightful. I don't know about other things but there was one thing that directly adversely affected on us because of racial quota when we tried to sell our HDB unit (for some personal reasons), we couldn't sell to a specific ethnic group (they could give a matching offer to our asking price) and ended up accepting eligible ones at a reduced price than we initially inteneded resulting in a negative sale. And we suffered a net loss.
A really interesting interview. Thank you for creating it.
🫡 Mr Jim Baker who shared with us the history of S’pore. This is another great video I will save to my playlist. I’m a proud specialist who serve our country for 10 years❤❤❤
Prior to HDB & even after HDB was formed, Hougang from 4 mile stone (where current NEX Shopping Mall is located) all the way to Punggol was predominantly Teochew enclave. When the kampongs made way for HDB, the Teochews are still the majority. In the old days even the Malays in Hougang, Punggol and Upper Changi Rd near Tanah Merah areas could speak Teochew. Election rallies at Hougang Constituency were fought in Teochew dialects and of course Workers’ Party Low Thia Khiang’s superior command of Teochew gotten the upper hand and won Hougang.
Punggol end was a small fishery and fishermen wore only undies 😂
even the food is disappearing.. it's getting harder and harder to find food like char kway teow. they still do exist, but not as easy as it used to be to find
This is good finding Max, This is what we afraid in Malaysia.. Losing our cultural value.. but here it is we still strong and love our culture.
Great interview. Very insightful.
Great sharing & content. I served my national service at the former NZ army camp. Its quite an experience to stay in the airconditioned bunks.
I've been enjoying the trend of old guys with sagely life advice.
If my comment is not deleted again as in a previous video, l would like to say that during that period in 1950s, my grandparent lived in a private apartment and there were other private estates too. Amusement parks tall buildings ,roads,buses and government buildings exist-so Singapore was not a backwaters place.
I only delete rude comments
@@MaxChernovmy comment is not rude but a general opinion of true blues.
Yep my mother who just turned 70 also said there were private estates, amusement parks, etc., but they were not widespread across the island, and only the wealthy could access them. Nobody is denying the existence of these infrastructure, but they were just not representative of the majority of people (who were not economically well-off) and majority of the island (still undeveloped with kampongs and plantations) in those days.
Fascinating conversation, thanks Max.
I think he meant "Tuan" complex, as is "lord" or "master" in Malay. That's a fascinating anecdote. Makes you think of the Michael Fay case in a slightly different light, in a sense that no one is above our rules.
My sister Tobey and Bret Anderson taught with him at SAS
I don't agree that Singapore was a middle-income society when it became independent in 1965, . There are some very rich locals and a small proportion of locals doing ok (still not considered middle-class). Majority of locals were living in quarters and/or unsantized condition/environment. Later on after independence, most of these locals moved to rented flats and some could afford to purchase.
Most of my primary classmates and schoolmates lived in rented flat; we too moved from kampong to rented flat.
By world standards Singapore was a middle income country in the 1950s . It was already one of the top 5 biggest ports, and certainly not a fishing village.
I guess Jim referred more for the industries development
That the British, other Westerners and the very rich locals (not many), but not the general common locals
Most were run/owned by Westerners
Not so sure about the figure of kampongs in Singapore, but there were still a few around Tiong Bahru/Bukit Merah area in 1971. I was living in one at Kim Tian, and some friends in others
Amazing insight. Thank you, Mr. max 🙏🏽🙇🏻♀️
11:36 ‘Twan Complex’ which I think should be ‘Tuan’ - in Malay it means ‘sir’. First time I heard of this terminology & it answered a lot of questions why locals behaved the way we did towards caucasians/white people back then. As ‘tuan’ meant ‘sir’, locals were serving the British & thus we developed such a servitude complex. Nothing wrong, just helps me understand ourselves better. 🙏🏼
The "Tuan Complex" is still alive and hasn't gone away, unfortunately. At least in the minds of some expat Westerners. Remember Anton Casey? And Olivier Desbarres? They were the worst examples but I remember being a guest at parties which had expat Westerners in them and I overheard some discussing their "LBFM" and whether to "upgrade" them to "LYFM" on their next posting to Hong Kong. I later found out to my horror that "LBFM" was their acronym for "Little Brown Fucking Machine" (i.e., their Malay girlfriends) and "LYFM" was the acronym for "Little Yellow Fucking Machines" (i.e., their anticipated Chinese girlfriends upon posting to Hong Kong). Can you say "objectification"???
@@AppleMacGeek thank you for sharing your experiences, it is beyond appalling to know my community is being called LBFM. I want to be respectful & not scorn at colonists’ mindset, but it becomes a moral historical lesson for us now. To strive beyond our subjugated past. This video inadvertently became a reflection point, thanks for sharing the perspectives.
He brings up a great point about how Singapore 🇸🇬 lost a large part of its identity when Malay ceased to be the lingua franca and the demise of Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, etc.
Thank you for sharing. Love my country, my home Singapore. Mr. Baker blends in well with Singapore. I'm Singaporean Eurasian and have uncles on both sides of the family with very Caucasian skin colour. So no problems for him as an Eurasian/Singaporean. God bless n thank you again🙏🙏🇸🇬🇸🇬
First of all, he was my Asian Studies teacher way back in 1988, and this how he talked back then. The class was Modern Asian Problems (which was his design) and it is still one of the best classes I've taken. BTW- the guy is a political genius because the last time I saw him was in 2016 (right before the US released the Kragen in November 2016) and even back then he knew what was happening.
Did you mean "the Kraken" (a.k.a. "The Manchurian Cantaloupe" or "The Cheetolini")? 😆
I kind of have to disagree with Mr. Barker, I think Singapore still have their unique cultures and identities. Sure the Chinese is larger, but you still see malay culture, Indian culture western culture in many places. It may not be as much as what he saw back in the 50s and 60s. But it's still there. However, I will agree, in the future, you won't see the culture anymore, because things keeps changing.
he talked of "culture" from a positive context. Culture is not good or bad/better or worse - it's just is. LKY was nation building and a lot of things got in the way. Actually, Singapore should update the HDB quota scheme by including religious affiliations.
As a local Singaporean, i am perplexed why it is often said that signapore turns from third world to first country in a generation. I slightly studied the history before. As a port city, the city should be considered a decent middle income state then.
Having heard this video, i guess the exaggeration is a figure of speech and it uses the lens of modernity to see the status quo of the past.... Instead of comparing in the same space tine. Such marketing techniques 😂
Under most western colonial governments, money made from the colonies is mostly repatriated home, and little percolates down to benefit the masses. Hence you have a rich colonial government but poor masses, as seemed to be the case with SG too up to the time the British left in 1959. Therefore, even if SG was the world’s 5th largest port when the British left in 1959, most of the money had gone to the British colonial government, wealthy merchants and ruling elite, while the majority of people continued to live in squalid atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor power and water supply. Talk about income gap.
@@anchored555 If we are talking about colonialism, in modern term，yes, the income gap is apparent, so does social status in most colonised area.
However, in that timeline, if we ask why so many people choose to flock to the port city or choose to settle in Singapore, the reason is they see future prospects than their homeland. Thus, they are willing to take in the hardship (for example from china) .
It is true that the merchant and colonial government take the big bulk of the soup while the masses take leftover soup. Still, as the port city did prosper as a whole but the income level soon normalise as more migrants compete over the leftover soup
This explains the problem of overcrowding and poor sanitation which you mentioned in later part. It is also a big challenge for the government to resolve.
it WAS a port city, pre-WW2
infrastructure was damaged after the war
Thoroughly enjoyed this interview with Mr. Baker ! His understanding, insights and perspective based on Singapore's history and culture.
The only complain is that the interview is really too short, hope to see him again!
Jim Baker the living legend !
There are many living legends in Singapore too...not necessarily white..
@@bell-xk5ddBesides kopi-O, we also have kopi & kopi-C. Likewise for the local teh (tea) too! Isn't these mixes of beverages all accepted by all individuals here?
Amazing interview. Personally, I feel food is slowly changing and certain food taste no longer exists. He mentioned, 20, 25 years, Indonesia will be world power, I no doubt about it.
they need north korean nuclear technology to achieve that
This guy was very insightful.
This interview should be part of Singapore's Oral History
The food is also changing. What you love to eat growing up is being nudged aside. Your grandchildren is loving food that is quite different from what you ate.
Wow, how did find him ? I love how he shared about his memory during LKY era.
My networking skills haha
google search and chat gpt can achieve wonders!
I prefer reading books by LKY for more accurate information...
1:45,thats exactly what I told my family.
Now that was 13.32 minutes of my time well spent, very interesting
His insights on singapore is actually much more insightful than most Singaporean.