THE term "pioneer generation" has become a catchphrase. The "real" pioneers are those who were born before 1945, when the Japanese Occupation of Singapore ended.
This group of citizens would have experienced life under the British and Japanese, and when Singapore was part of Malaysia. They would have lived through the Japanese atrocities, racial riots and the communist threat.
During those periods, unrest was a way of life and "might is right" was the rule of thumb.
There were those who lived in attap huts and shacks, and experienced real poverty.
At that time, there were no proper roads and bicycles were the main form of transport. Many households lived without clean water or electricity, and used communal bathrooms and toilets.
Despite these hardships, Singaporeans co-existed in multiracial harmony.
I am among those of this generation. I was born in 1943, in a canal in Telok Ayer Street during the Japanese Occupation.
I was still an infant during the war years but my elder brother, who was about seven years old, witnessed the harsh treatment meted out by the Japanese on the locals. Some were loaded onto trucks and taken away, never to be seen again.
In the early 1960s, when the "real" pioneers entered the workforce, salaries were very low. The average monthly salary was about $200 to $300, but the dollar value was very high and most of us could make ends meet with such wages.
In fact, one could buy an HDB three-room flat for about $6,000. A second-hand car or motorcycle could be had for about $200 to $1,000.
In those days, the average family size was big - sometimes, there were 10 family members crammed into a three-room flat. But family ties were close, and filial piety and friendships blossomed. In fact, my best friends today are those who were with me in my childhood.
Cooperation and interdependence were a way of life. Those who could afford a telephone or car would share these with the whole neighbourhood. When the television set was introduced, the household with one would become a "cinema hall" for the neighbourhood.
The "real" pioneers have indeed contributed to nation-building from scratch. Our generation has seen hard times, and turned out to be thrifty and wise.
We had the satisfaction of going through such a rich life, and of building a better platform for future generations to succeed.
Terlok Nath
This group of citizens would have experienced life under the British and Japanese, and when Singapore was part of Malaysia. They would have lived through the Japanese atrocities, racial riots and the communist threat.
During those periods, unrest was a way of life and "might is right" was the rule of thumb.
There were those who lived in attap huts and shacks, and experienced real poverty.
At that time, there were no proper roads and bicycles were the main form of transport. Many households lived without clean water or electricity, and used communal bathrooms and toilets.
Despite these hardships, Singaporeans co-existed in multiracial harmony.
I am among those of this generation. I was born in 1943, in a canal in Telok Ayer Street during the Japanese Occupation.
I was still an infant during the war years but my elder brother, who was about seven years old, witnessed the harsh treatment meted out by the Japanese on the locals. Some were loaded onto trucks and taken away, never to be seen again.
In the early 1960s, when the "real" pioneers entered the workforce, salaries were very low. The average monthly salary was about $200 to $300, but the dollar value was very high and most of us could make ends meet with such wages.
In fact, one could buy an HDB three-room flat for about $6,000. A second-hand car or motorcycle could be had for about $200 to $1,000.
In those days, the average family size was big - sometimes, there were 10 family members crammed into a three-room flat. But family ties were close, and filial piety and friendships blossomed. In fact, my best friends today are those who were with me in my childhood.
Cooperation and interdependence were a way of life. Those who could afford a telephone or car would share these with the whole neighbourhood. When the television set was introduced, the household with one would become a "cinema hall" for the neighbourhood.
The "real" pioneers have indeed contributed to nation-building from scratch. Our generation has seen hard times, and turned out to be thrifty and wise.
We had the satisfaction of going through such a rich life, and of building a better platform for future generations to succeed.
Terlok Nath
