星洲三都霞陽楊氏植德堂
Sit Teik Tong (Gongsi) in Singapore
植德堂，霞陽楊氏宗祠的堂号，是霞陽楊氏的宗亲组织，在海外，槟城植德堂和仰光植德堂分别创建于1834年和1854年，至今仍然活跃。据说菲律宾也曾有一个海外植德堂，但一直不得任何字迹可循。不过，廿世纪三十年代开始大约二十年间，新加坡的确出现过植德堂。
新加坡档案馆存有一份档案 [1] 收录了《星洲三都霞陽楊氏植德堂》上缴社团注册局的社团资料，佐证了原来从报章、文史刊物和私人收藏的中英文文献收集的霞陽楊氏在新加坡的宗亲组织的相关内容，包括职责人物和活动项目，也有更完整的补充。
新加坡植德堂成立于农历辛未年六月十八日，即1931年7月1日，星期一。社团注册全名为《星洲三都霞陽楊氏植德堂》。在首创第一届的理事表里，楊章钳为总理，楊昭明与楊金淼为副总理，楊添寿为正司理，楊昭標为副司理，楊荣宗为查账，楊允弟为财政，其他理事有楊章宁、楊水阁、楊鱼池、楊荣藻、楊章敏、楊昭成和楊昭株。
1931年12月，新加坡植德堂展开征集会员活动。
1932年 1月12日，新加坡植德堂接待槟城植德堂楊章安，留念照片里有21人，包括楊明德(1888-1959) – 前排左起第二 、楊添壽(1904 – 2000) – 前排右起第二、楊金淼（1906-1986) – 后排左起第七 楊昭標(1901-1980) – 后排右起第三, 和楊昭株) – 后排右起第六。
之后数年新加坡植德堂陆续在报章通告常年会员大会， 日期如1933年 8月 8日，1934年 7月29日，1935年 7月18日；聚会地点均在直落亚逸街。1932年出版的《新加坡指南》： 第五编198页里，星洲三都霞陽楊氏植德堂记载着的地址是一百八十八号直落亚逸街。
进入40年代，社会动荡，族人疏散，活动停顿，日战爆发后会馆文物尽失。 1947年重新召集复办， 楊明德、楊添壽仍领导组织，原班理事也有不少回返。
然而，此后十余年会员人数始终未有突破，一直徘徊在二、三十人之间，甚至最终下滑到仅有十三名会员。
1960年10月29日，星洲三都霞陽楊氏植德堂会员大会上，11名会员一致同意解散社团，剩余的基金星币503元6角由会员均分。
楊添壽在他1988年为槟城霞陽楊氏植德堂写的族谱书里，也透露他在1931年和一小群宗亲创办星洲植德堂，可惜到了战后因为霞陽楊氏人数太少而无法重立。
如上所述，霞陽楊氏植德堂存在于新加坡至多仅有十几年，一直似乎也无固定的会所。其实上世纪三十至五十年代，战争、政乱、社变导致的本就数寡的霞陽楊氏人心涣散，有心的宗亲最终扭转不了星洲植德堂的宿命。
总结新加坡植德堂存在期间已知人物身份，制表如下：
楊昭固之次子，我等的父亲楊章煌，字剑如，1935年独身自霞陽到星洲，最初便是寄宿于星洲植德堂内蒙受霞陽祖先的庇蔭一段日子；星洲植德堂复会后他便投入回馈会馆服务，一直到1960年解散。此前他也已经开始在另一个更大的福建楊氏社团：福建楊氏弘农公所服务宗亲。弘农公所后来发展成今日的福建楊氏公会。
Sit Teck Tong or Sit Teik Tong is the name given to the Gongsi, or the clan association of Xiayang Yeo’s. Penang Yeoh K(G)ongsi and Yangon Yeo Gongsi were separately founded in 1834 and 1854. Both of them have beautiful Gongsi buildings and both are still in these two places serving and caring for Yeo descendants from Xiayang in Fujian, China. Was there a Yeo Gongsi in Singapore too?
Old newspapers, archived official document [1], some organisation publications and a few personal memorabilia outline together a very brief presence of Yeo Gongsi in Singapore.1
The Singapore Yeo Gongsi was formed on July 1st, 1931. It was registered as Sam Tor Har Yang (Yeo See) Sit Teck Tong. In the first Committee, Yeo Chiang Khnee was the President, Yeo Cheow Beng and Yeo Kim Beow (son of Yeo Cheng Hai) were Vice-Presidents, Yeo Tiam Siew was the Hon. Secretary, and Yeo Cheow Peow was the Hon. Treasurer. Other committee members included Yeo Yeo Eng Chong, Yeo Oon Tay, Yeo Chiang Leng, Yeo Chwee Koh, Yeo Hoo Tee, Yeo Eng Cho, Yeo Chiang Chew, Yeo Cheow Seng and Yeo Cheow Too.
In January 1932, Yeo Cheang Ann from Penang Kongsi visited Singapore Gongsi and took a photo together. Identified from the photo were Yeo Beng Teck(1888-1959) – Front Row No.2 from left, Yeo Tiam Siew(1904 – 2000) – Front Row No.2 from right, Yeo Kim Beow (1906-1986) – ack row: (In the middle) No.7 from left, Yeo Cheow Hpyeow (1901-1980) – Back Row No.3 from right and Yeo Cheow Too – Back Row No.6 from right。
Newspaper reports in subsequent years advertised calls for Annual General Meetings. There was also a donation given to a Patriotic Fund in 1940.
In a Chinese edition of Singapore Directory, the Singapore Gongsi had an address as 188, Telok Ayer Street.
Entering the tumultuous period of the 1940’s, no activities were reported. During the Japanese occupation, earlier documents including meeting notes were lost or destroyed. In 1947, leaders like Yeo Beng Teck and Yeo Tiam Siew called to revive the Singapore Gongsi. The first meeting after the war was held on June 28th, 1947.
However, membership remained small, never exceeding fifty. Eventually, it dwindled to 13 numbers in 1960.
Eleven members voted on an AGM held on October 29th, 1960 to dissolve the Gongsi. The fund balance of S$503.60 were distributed equally to the members.
Separately, Yeo Tiam Siew in his personal memoir [5], published in 1993, wrote that the Singapore Gongsi was started with a handful of members in Singapore in 1931. He also lamented that the Gongsi “could not be resuscitated after World War II in September 1945”, principally because of the small number of ‘YEOs’ of the Har-Yang Village in Singapore at that time.
Sit Teck Tong (Singapore) survived not more than 30 years. The following table shows all the Identified persons during her existence as provided in [1].
Before it was dissolved, several committee members were already active in other bigger Yeo or Hokkien clans in Singapore. Yeo Cheow Hpyeow joined Chang Chow General Association (星洲漳州总会). Yeo Kheamp Joo was with Hokkien Hong Long Kong So (福建弘农公所), which was later to become Singapore Hokkien Yeo See Association (新加坡福建楊氏公会). Singapore Hokkien Yeo See Association as of now has been located since 1980’s at Yeo’s Building, 2 Telok Blangah Street 31 in Singapore.
1935年的某段日子，父亲楊章煌曾在星洲植德堂屋内，曲膝角隅刮胡髭。
父亲爱帅，陋室中也不忘保持清爽光鲜。
Yeo Kheamp Joo, was seen in the last photo here, identified by him as the premises of Sam Tor Har Yang (Yeo See) Sit Teck Tong in the 1930’s. He was apparently in a tight corner, and not exactly in a comfortable position, shaving. It was lucky for him to register his short but memorable presence in this community hall endowed with ancestral blessings.
参考文献 / References:
| 1 | 星洲三都霞陽楊氏植德堂 Sam Tor Har Yang (Yeo See) Sit Teck Tong, Record Reference 1006/47, National Archives of Singapore |
| 2 | Directories of Singapore Chinese Associations, 新加坡华侨社团通讯名录, 出版人 陈展翼，1953年 |
| 3 | 楊氏宗谱，G2篇各地宗亲动态：星洲福建楊氏公会记略， 星洲楊氏总会出版，1965年 |
| 4 | 新加坡指南，潘醒侬编著，1932年 |
| 5 | Yeo Tiam Siew, “Destined to survive, the story of my life”, 1993 |
| 6 | Various newspapers 1930-1960. |
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