By: Nicole Oo 1D Source 1: An account of overcrowding in Colonial Singapore before WWII.
I can still remember, in the early 1930s, when houses were built and people moved in to Geylang, it brought a merry mood to the atmosphere. About 90 percent of the people who lived there were Malays. Besides them, there were Chinese and Indians residing there… Geylang Serai has many inhabitants. In 1933, Geylang Serai was crowded with settlers. The Chinese merchants who opened shops such as medicine shops dwelled in the outer part near the roadside. Behind those shops were the kampongs where the Malays lived. The Kampongs were so overcrowded that the passageway became narrow, and if we opened our window, it would touch the window of our neighbour. The houses were closely built. About 5,000 to 6,000 houses were there.
Adapted from: CPDD(2014), Singapore: The making of a Nation-State, 1300-1975
Inference: The source tells me that the living conditions for the Chinese in Colonial Singapore were cramped and overcrowded. This can be seen from the source which states that there were “about 5,000 to 6,000 houses were there.” and the houses were “closely built.” A large number of houses was built in Geylang, showing that many people lived in Geylang at that time. Also, the source stated that the houses were built closely together, showing that there was a high density of people living in Geylang Serai. Hence, the place was very overcrowded and thus the conditions were very harsh. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source 2: An article about Chinese coolies in Colonial Singapore before WWII.
Chinese coolies formed the early backbone of Singapore's labour force, engaged mainly in hard physical labour. They were mainly impoverished Chinese immigrants who came to Singapore in the later half of the 19th century, seeking their fortune but serving instead as indentured, unskilled labourers. ...The coolies suffered much hardship, they were very poor and lived in cramped dwellings with no windows and light. Many of the jobs taken by coolies involved hard labour, taking a toll on their bodies. They were given to opium inhaling to relieve their tired bodies of its soreness and to gambling in an attempt to escape from their misery. The whites and wealthy Chinese employed the coolies mainly because of their willingness to work hard for little money. The coolies were, in a way, the backbone of early Singapore's economy because they generated growth for the economy and caused the country to prosper. Few Chinese coolies went back to China later but most coolies settled down in Singapore doing other odd jobs. ...
Inference: The source tells me that many of the Chinese coolies did not live comfortably in their accommodation. This can be seen from the source which states that their homes were “crammed” and did not have any “windows” and “light”. This shows that their homes were small and and they did not have enough space. Also, their homes were poorly ventilated, since there were no windows to allow air to enter and leave their houses. In addition, their homes lacked proper lighting, which probably made it difficult for them to see at night in their houses. Hence, many of the Chinese coolies did not lead a comfortable life. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Source 3: A short article about Sanitation in colonial Singapore before WWII.
...1880s to 1987: Night soil bucket Before modern sewage was introduced, toilets were rudimentary outfits - no more than a wooden shack with a galvanised metal bucket. Waste was collected and transferred to plantations on the outskirts of the city. The euphemistically named night soil man and his "32-door limousine" - the vehicle used to collect human waste - were an everyday sight on the streets of Singapore. Some who remember the night soil collectors say they would put off going to the toilet till the night soil bucket was changed; others claimed they took up smoking to kill the stench in the toilets. Attempts to introduce a town sewage system made little progress until the 1920s due to financial and technical challenges. Night soil collection was present in Singapore until as recently as 1987, when the last two night soil buckets were decommissioned. ...
Inference: The Chinese in colonial Singapore had poor facilities for sanitation. This can be seen from the source which states that “toilets were rudimentary outfits - no more than a wooden shack with a galvanised metal bucket. “ This shows that the toilets for the Chinese in colonial Singapore were very basic, as their toilets were just a metal bucket and a small shack, showing that their toilets were not advanced as they did not have basic features such as a flush or pipes unlike modern toilets. In conclusion, the Chinese in colonial Singapore had poor facilities for sanitation. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________