carbuncle
08-05-12, 16:06
Joo Chiat who? Let our roads bear full names
Letter from Khng Eu Meng 04:45 AM May 08, 2012
Quite a number of roads here bear the names of eminent people who were pioneers in various fields.
These roads were named during colonial times.
But it struck me that road names mostly do not include surnames, especially if they are Chinese - for example, Eu Chin Street (Seah Eu Chin), Joo Chiat Road (Chew Joo Chiat), Kim Seng Road (Tan Kim Seng), Liang Seah Street (Seah Liang Seah), Jalan Boon Lay (Chia Boon Lay), Boon Keng Road (Lim Boon Keng), Ann Siang Hill (Chia Ann Siang) and Keong Saik Street (Tan Keong Saik).
Perhaps, during those days, it was a sign of familiarity. Who didn't know Kim Seng or Keong Saik then?
But with the passage of time, few today will know who these people were.
Who is this Ann Siang or Joo Chiat, one may well wonder. And, given the absence of surnames, it is harder to trace their history.
There are roads that do bear the full Chinese names, but these are few and far between. Names that come to mind are Cheang Hong Lim Place in Telok Ayer and Eu Tong Seng Street in Chinatown.
In Malaysia, I noted that road names tend to bear the full names and titles of those they commemorate. Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in Malacca, Khoo Sian Ewe Road in Penang, Jalan Wong Ah Fook in Johor Baru, and Jalan Yap Ah Loy in Kuala Lumpur are but a few examples.
While it can be appreciated that a change of these very old road names may disrupt one's familiarity with them, in the long run, I believe it would better serve our history and heritage for our future generations.
/TODAYonline
Letter from Khng Eu Meng 04:45 AM May 08, 2012
Quite a number of roads here bear the names of eminent people who were pioneers in various fields.
These roads were named during colonial times.
But it struck me that road names mostly do not include surnames, especially if they are Chinese - for example, Eu Chin Street (Seah Eu Chin), Joo Chiat Road (Chew Joo Chiat), Kim Seng Road (Tan Kim Seng), Liang Seah Street (Seah Liang Seah), Jalan Boon Lay (Chia Boon Lay), Boon Keng Road (Lim Boon Keng), Ann Siang Hill (Chia Ann Siang) and Keong Saik Street (Tan Keong Saik).
Perhaps, during those days, it was a sign of familiarity. Who didn't know Kim Seng or Keong Saik then?
But with the passage of time, few today will know who these people were.
Who is this Ann Siang or Joo Chiat, one may well wonder. And, given the absence of surnames, it is harder to trace their history.
There are roads that do bear the full Chinese names, but these are few and far between. Names that come to mind are Cheang Hong Lim Place in Telok Ayer and Eu Tong Seng Street in Chinatown.
In Malaysia, I noted that road names tend to bear the full names and titles of those they commemorate. Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in Malacca, Khoo Sian Ewe Road in Penang, Jalan Wong Ah Fook in Johor Baru, and Jalan Yap Ah Loy in Kuala Lumpur are but a few examples.
While it can be appreciated that a change of these very old road names may disrupt one's familiarity with them, in the long run, I believe it would better serve our history and heritage for our future generations.
/TODAYonline