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Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore by Kah Seng Loh et al

2022; Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society; Volume: 95; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/ras.2022.0001

2180-4338

Dhevarajan Devadas,

Socioeconomic Development in Asia

Reviewed by: Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore by Kah Seng Loh et al Dhevarajan Devadas Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore. By Kah Seng Loh, Tan Alex Tiong Hee, Keng We Koh, Teng Phee Tan, and Juria Toramae. Singapore: Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd, 2021, 269 pp. ISBN 9789811815164 The story of Singapore's successful industrialisation has been traditionally told via the perspectives of political leaders, businesspeople and foreign investors. These perspectives then comprise part of the Singapore Story's formative years, where brilliant leadership and astute policymaking planted the seeds for the nation's rapid economic growth. However, the stories of the Singaporeans who worked in these early factories have remained largely unknown. Theatres of Memory provides a necessary injection of the worker's perspective in Singapore's industrial miracle. Using Raphael Samuel's 'theatres of memory' concept (1994) that prioritises people's memories over historical archives, the book gives a vivid glimpse into the lives of workers who shaped and were shaped by the evolving nature of work. The authors draw upon a trove of oral histories, personal photographs, and other records to enrich this narrative of the 'little people's' contributions. Old undergraduate theses featuring contemporary interviews with workers are also a precious primary source. [End Page 127] Through the memories of technicians, textile workers, engineers, mechanics, and other workers, the reader can visualise what it was like to enter the workforce as a young person during this hectic phase of industrialisation. Here, Chapter 5, 'Cultures of Work' shows how workers adapted to the dynamics of the factory floor and managed relations with co-workers and supervisors. There were stricter rules and closer oversight, but also more significant financial incentives and other benefits to retain trained workers. Women played a critical role in staffing Singapore's factories, juggling their work duties with family commitments. The book explores this in greater detail by studying the impact of the graveyard shift on working women. Though night shifts took a toll on their health, many women chose the option as it allowed them to be around to supervise their children during the day. In Chapter 4, 'Flatted Factories, Pioneer Workers', the authors delve into how these multi-story industrial buildings were crucial in expanding employment opportunities for women. As flatted factories were often located near housing estates, women could easily commute between their homes and work. In Chapter 8, 'Memories of Rollei' Singapore the authors explore Singapore's transition to higher-value manufacturing through the decade-long rise and fall of the West German camera manufacturer Rollei's local presence. Here, the recollections of workers sent to Germany for training provide a rare perspective on technology and skill transfers from multinational corporations to locals. Although the company closed in 1981, its skilled workforce transitioned quickly to the emerging disk drive industry, highlighting the significance of technical training. Indeed, the book devotes the next chapter to explaining the rapid growth of technical education in Singapore after the British announced their withdrawal in 1967. The memories of the 'Technical Generation' (Chapter 9) who undertook apprenticeships and training programmes reveal how many took pride in becoming technically skilled, opening doors to better economic opportunities. Despite the larger focus on the workers' stories, Theatres of Memory also reveals new insights uncovering the international aspects of Singapore's industrialisation. For example, although the contributions of the Dutch UN economist Albert Winsemius are well known, the book highlights the work of French and Japanese experts who also laid the foundations of Jurong Industrial Estate. Using oral histories, the authors illustrate the lives of Jurong's pioneer workers, paying attention to the estate's housing areas. Their accounts demonstrate how the story of Jurong is not just one of industrialisation but also the welfare of the workforce who staffed the production lines. Given the lack of access to official archival sources for researchers, oral history remains a handy tool in documenting Singapore's post-independence years. The authors do not claim to offer an encyclopaedic overview but instead weave the workers' factory floor memories into Singapore's established economic story. Theatres of Memory is therefore a valuable resource that encapsulates how...