Annual Staff Fund

Members are hereby invited to voluntarily contribute to the SCC Staff “Annual Ang Pow Fund 2022”.

It is an SCC tradition that this contribution amounts to the equivalent of one month’s subscription and the fund will be fully dispersed in the month January 2023 as an ex-gratia payment that is equally distributed amongst all members of staff. This is the only occasion in the year when Members may show their appreciation to the Club’s employees in this manner.

In keeping with recent practice, the amount will be debited to Members’ Accounts and will be reflected in the November 2022 Statement of Account and will be deducted via GIRO on 21 December 2022.

This contribution as previously stated is wholly voluntary and members may give written notice prior to 21 December 2022 should they choose to make a smaller, larger or no contribution at all. We would be pleased to accept an email notification to ang.pow@ scc.org.sg as to your choice of option.

On behalf of all SCC’s employees, the Management would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patronage and support of the Club and its staff over this past year.

OBITUARIES

The Club records with deep regret the passing of our Members. Our sincere condolences go out to the families of the departed.

Mr. Capt Alexander De Silva Mr. Chan Yuen Wah Jimmy

Mr. Donald Teo Cheng Tuan Mr. Tan Kay Toh Mr. Oei Hong Bie

IN CONVERSATION WITH

JEYA AYADURAI

After graduating from the University of Leeds, UK, with a degree in International History and Politics, Jeya Ayadurai became a lecturer in Military History and International Relations at the former Department of Strategic Studies at the Singapore Command & Staff College (now known as the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College) for six years. In 1994, Jeya left his secure career in academia to pursue his dream of setting up his own history consultancy firm - Singapore History Consultants (SHC) is today one of Singapore’s premier research and consultancy house; over the years he has also helped establish four other companies that play a significant role in heritage and tourism in Singapore, including Journeys Pte Ltd, The Changi Museum Pte Ltd, The Heritage Box and Haw Par Villa Pte Ltd. In addition to developing SHC educational programmes, Jeya also has vast experience in research and consultancy work, having led SHC research teams on many high-profile national projects including the Mandai Rainforest Safari Park, Chinatown Enhancement Project and the Historical Study of Labrador Park where the team discovered underground chambers and tunnels. Over the years, Jeya has been a nominee and recipient of several national awards, including the ‘Special Recognition Award’ by the Singapore Tourism Board, which was awarded for his contributions to museum management, heritage and tourism. He was on the Board of Governors for the Army Museum of Singapore and a member on the United Nations Education Science and Culture Organisation (UNESCO) sub-commission on heritage. In June 2022, Jeya was made an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

What ignited your interest in history?

It was an act of my dad who bought a whole series of books including an encyclopedia of two volumes on world history when I was nine years old. He opened the world of reading and access to amazing knowledge that allowed one to understand our social environment.

That encyclopedia took me to different places and times. For a child of nine, it was the joy and wonder of being on a journey of discovery. I still have and treasure the two volumes on world history.

Why should we study military history and preserve war remembrance for modern society?

For some, the blood and gore of war is repulsive and to focus on its teaching and war remembrance is tantamount to glorifying the evils of war.

How is the gazetting of the Padang important for Singapore and how do you think the Singapore Cricket Club can honour that?

While I understand the pain and horror of war, I’ve always seen conflict as part of the human DNA and that man has lived with war since the start of history. As long as man exists, it will always be a subject matter that will be relevant for study. The benefit of being a military historian is to teach military professionals how to conclude a military campaign with speed, efficiency and the least loss of life that is possible, both for your side and the enemy. The lack of knowledge and strategy in war leads to untold violence. The absence of strategy and its resultant butchery by the Russians is what we are witnessing in Ukraine. So the teaching of military history has its utility. The part of war that I am fascinated by is the incredible courage and sacrifice that is displayed by ordinary men and women. The nobility of the human spirit on display by these individuals inspires me. Remembering them and their sacrifice thus becomes an obligation. The war commemorations and remembrance ceremonies are one way of educating future generations to look beyond their own petty needs and to follow a higher example. An appreciation of the sacrifice helps make us better people.

Why is it important that we and future generations know about Singapore’s heritage and history?

Singapore has an amazing story to tell. One as compelling as many other nations. The people who don’t seem to realise that are essentially Singaporeans themselves. As a student of Turkish history, I once recall the story of a Grand Vizier in the 19th Century, who complained to the Sultan that the people saw the moon with the eyes of a cow, while in the rest of Europe, people were doing scientific studies and examining the moon from many different perspectives. He was complaining that while Europe was industrialising and progressing, the Ottoman Turks were still stuck in more primitive times. I sometimes feel that our people, including those who should know better, view our heritage in similar fashion that the Grand Vizier complained about - with the eyes of a cow. As heritage consultants, one of our more important tasks is to provide knowledge that leads to understanding, which in turn leads to appreciation. We sometimes fail to appreciate our heritage, simply because that knowledge has not been made available, either because no one is sharing that history or that it is being done in an unexciting manner. Understanding and appreciating our history provides us with a gravitas and a cultural ballast that would steady our ship even in the worst of storms. It makes us more complete as individuals and thus, better citizens. It is one of the reasons why my team at Singapore History Consultants and Journeys focuses on bringing back to life and helping to preserve the few heritage sites that remain in Singapore, such as the Battlebox and Haw Par Villa. They are cultural assets that our nation cannot afford to lose. The Padang has been around since the birth of modern Singapore, that is from the time of Raffles. The city grew around it and as we became independent, it was the central focus of our National Day. Thus, the Padang witnessed the worst and best days of Singapore’s history - from the fall of Singapore, to the Japanese surrender, to riots and transfers of political leadership. Those who have driven or walked past Connaught Drive or St Andrew’s Road would frequently watch the games played

“Understanding and on it. appreciating our history The Padang is the very reason for the provides us with a gravitas Club’s presence in this historic part of Singapore. As John Turnbull Thomson’s and a cultural ballast that painting shows, cricket was already being played on it by 1851, leading to the would steady our ship even establishment of the Club on this site in 1852. in the worst of storms. SCC honours the gazetting by continuing It makes us more complete what we have always been doing since 1852, by having a presence and continuing as individuals and thus, our sports on this historic field. Just as our existence here was because of the better citizens. ” Padang, we are as much for the reasons why the Padang still exists today - we will maintain the spirit and rationale for its use. The clubs on the Padang played an important role, not only in the social life of the city, but made significant contributions to the development of sports in the nation. We should continue doing so. But beyond sports, we recognise the Padang in terms of the monuments that sit on its perimeter. We restarted the process of reviving the use of the Cenotaph for commemoration ceremonies on Remembrance Day (11 November). I recall when the Club first asked the National Parks permission to do the ceremony at the Cenotaph, and was rebuked for trying to hold an activity on a gazetted national monument. We had to enlighten the official that the very purpose of the Cenotaph was for remembrance services. By holding these services every year, we honour the sacrifices made by the armed forces and educate the young on the purpose of these monuments.