Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly letter to TPAS members and guests)


WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN!

On Saturday 28 December 2019, we danced away the year to the tunes of Matthew and the Mandarins, our choir, The Peranakan Voices and The Merrilads band. Malam Jolly Western was a fitting end to a dazzling but hectic 12 months.

This year alone, your Association blazed through a total of 26 events for members and collaborated with many inspiring partners. The Peranakan Voices gave six performances. There were several high points: They included our inaugural Baba Nyonya Literary Festival; the Peranakan Identity Forum titled “Who Am I?” which touched on the DNA profiles of Singapore Peranakans; the return of our afternoon tea dances Joget Siang; the launch of the Dalam Dapor cooking workshops; our popular topical talks and re-enactments of key Peranakan festivals; not forgetting our special tie-up with W!ld Rice for Emily of Emerald Hill. Best of all, we welcomed our youngest members with our first Junior Members event in collaboration with the NUS Baba House in November!

Thank you for your support.

TIME IS A TYRANT

But at my back I always hear

Time’s winged chariot hurrying near…

I have always been cowed by these lines composed by the 17th century English poet, Andrew Marvell, from his famed poem, To His Coy Mistress. I learnt it in secondary school. Being a last-minute student, it resonated with me. I always feared I did not have enough time to study for my exams! I am sure many of you had similar exam nightmares.

Marvell’s lines have remained, for me, an unremitting reminder of how tyrannical time can be and the pressures it always brings to bear on us.

Your General Committee (GC) was elected 19 months ago in May 2018. In another four months our term ends. Since June last year we have tried our utmost to keep the promises set out in our manifesto which is summed up in our slogan “Unity. Stability. Growth.”

Under Unity, my team and I have focussed our hopes and efforts on binding us all together as a community, as challenging as it has been. We have reached out to those who have felt estranged from the Association. We have embraced them. Some have returned while others have kept aloof. We will continue to reach out.

Stability. Our aim was to stabilise and revamp the association’s administration and raise funds for events. More importantly, to strengthen TPAS’s role as the voice of the Peranakan community and to champion its culture and heritage. Many of you have kindly come up to us or written us to say how much you appreciate what we are doing. Thank you.

One sure sign of success: the many complaints of being unable to register for some of these events that were so quickly over-subscribed. We are continuously looking for larger venues to accommodate members. All told, between June 2018 and December 2019, we have organised 30 events, and raised funds through several loyal donors.

Growth. We said we would reach out to the young. You graciously gave us that mandate to start recruiting members between 6 to 18 years of age. Since we opened this new category in October, we have registered 17 Junior Members. To be honest, we were expecting more. We soldier on. Adult membership has shot up by 212 to total 2,101 members since the GC entered office on 27 May 2018. Youth outreach will remain a core objective. But, as we have said before, while we aim to attract younger members to TPAS, we will not neglect our older members who have contributed so richly over the years, and still do. This is adat.

OUR TERM IS ENDING

Our next Annual General Meeting is on Sunday, 26 April 2020. The two-year tenure of your current GC ends the day before. We had a good ride and we hope you also feel that the Association has stepped up to keep our culture alive.

This team plans to stand for re-election for another two-year term. Whether we come in or members welcome a fresh new team does not matter to us.

What concerns us most is continuity in what we have instituted and have done – digital membership database, governance, thoughtful protocols, efficient work processes, a keen sense of integrity, and fiduciary responsibility – especially cost defensibility. Preparations are almost complete for next year’s 120th Anniversary Peranakan Ball on 18th July 2020 and the 33rd Baba Nyonya Convention from 20th-22nd November.

I have always emphasised to my team: While it is important to ensure that we deliver what we promised our members, it is more important that we pay attention to how we deliver them. The Association’s excellent reputation and integrity must always be jealously protected.

 AN APPRECIATION

For all these reasons, I must first thank God. And then my little nyonya, Linda Chee. She has been my quiet and constant confidante who I can count on to check me in my charge of crazy ideas and private rants.

I also pay tribute to my incumbent GC team members who weathered with me through thick and thin, and who made things happen – Raymond Wong, Ronney Tan Koon Siang, Agnes Ng, Bryan Tan, Elizabeth Ng, Gwen Ong, Dawn Marie Lee, Josephine Tan Eber, Ngiam May Ling, Philip Yeo, Monica Alsagoff, Sylvia Peh and Christopher Tan. And those who stepped down but who continue to advise and help us when we needed them – Alan Koh, Emeric Lau, Steven Lim, Philip Chia and Christine Ang.

I would also like to thank The Peranakan Voices who have served steadfastly for the past 25 years, headed by Choir Master, Francis Chia. They include Angeline Kong, Adrian Kang, Agnes Ng, Anne Chia, Anthony Lee, Chan Eng Thai, Charles Chan, David Ang, Irene Ooi, Irene Poh, Irene Tai, Jessie Lee, Lionel Chia, Mabel Long, Patrick Ng, Peggy Chua, Peggy Lee, Rosy Ang, Ruby Ng, Shia Ai Lee, Shirley Kua, Sylvia Poh, Veronica Ong and other PVs who went before them.

Not forgetting our many non-GC volunteers and advisers: Victoria Chanel Lee our Webmaster, Genevieve Peggy Jeffs our Chairperson of The Peranakan Ball 2020 Organising Committee, Alvin Yeo, Anne Than, Ben Chia, Benjamin Tan, Chris Yap, Eileen Chan, Elisabeth Chan, Eugene Tan, GT Lye, Jackie Sam and Kok Choy, Ivan Lim, Jeannie Sim, Jenny Soon, Joanne Low, John Lee, Kevin Tan, Marlene Foo, sisters Molly and Dolly Low, Natalie Cheah, Joanne Tan, Billy Steven Tay, Pauline Chan, Theresa Tan, Cheryl Lee-Cheang, the Tan family – Samantha, Simone, their parents Suzanne and Simon and grandmother Peggy, Tan Swee Choo, Tony Tan, Thomas Tan, Veronica Yeow, William and Andy Gwee, Yang Kok Wah and Aye Nyi Nyi, and Yip Wai Kuan. And thank you, too, to our events’ many guest presenters and Panel of Subject Experts, too many to mention. My sincere apologies if I have missed anyone.

Our appreciation to all our working partners – Gunong Sayang Association, Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association Singapore, The Peranakan Museum, NUS Baba House Museum, National Heritage Board, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Heritage Conservation Centre, People’s Association, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, St Patrick’s School, National Library Board, Genome Institute of Singapore and Genealogy Society Singapore.

Our heartfelt thanks, too, to all our Friends (donors) who have always had our backs, giving generously when we needed them to, and who wish to remain anonymous. I will never forget what two of our donors said to us, separately. The gist: “Giving money is easy. But we really appreciate that you volunteer your time and effort to serve the community and to keep our culture alive.” This has greatly encouraged us.

 Kamsiah manyak manyak! Your GC and I wish each of you and loved ones a Blessed New Year! Keep healthy, be kind to all around you, and always remember to Keep Our Culture Alive!

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth.
It is not going to be business as usual.
31 December 2019