The Singapore Hong List ran a total of eighteen pages in the 1880’s Singapore & Straits Directory. It was introduced as a list that “will prove useful to Merchants and Foreign Residents generally”. The word “Hong” sounds more Cantonese and relates more to ‘business’ in Cantonese, to correspond to the nature of those named in the List. In the List, almost all, if not all, of the names appeared to be Hokkien or Teochew. The List thus supports the already-established history that Hokkien and Teochew merchants dominated the businesses among the Singapore Chinese during the turn of the century before the 20th.
Why was “Hong” used to entitle the list instead of “Hang”, which is the correct English transliteration of ‘business’ or ‘profession’ in Hokkien? It is likely that the term was copied from contemporary Hong Kong directories as the colonial governments exchanged records and documents between the British officials. One should not over-criticize them for not knowing the difference between “Hong” and “Hang”.
There are two entries of “Heng Moh” in this Hong List. The first appeared under the category of ‘General Merchants’ with an address at 5, Synagogue Street. The second appeared under the category of ‘Rice Merchants’ with an address at 91 Upper Boat Quay.
Later, Heng Moh was listed as one of the Principal Chinese Firms in the Singapore & Straits Directory for two sucessive years, in 1886 abd 1887.
Chong Boon Pavilion, first built in 1868 beside the Thian Hock Kheng on Telok Ayer Street, was the first organised formal learning place for the larger Chinese community, as noted in written Singapore history. A stele was erected in 1887 after the Pavilion’s rebuilding to record the donors. Heng Moh and Yeo Heng Moh, appeared in the donor list. Both were believed to be businesses partner-owned by our Great-Grandfather Yeo Poon Myah. Earlier in 1879， Yeo Heng Moh had also answered call to donate to the rebuilding of Heng San Teng Cemetry.
Between 1888 and 1896, Heng Moh did not appear in the list of Principal Chinese Firms. But the stele erected in 1896 to list the donors for the building of Cui Eng School included the name of Yeo Heng Moh with an amount of 100 silver dollars. Then in 1897, Yeo Heng Moh emerged as one of the Principal Chinese Firms in the Singapore and Straits Directory. After that, from 1898 to 1907, with the exception of 1905, Yeo Chip Moh, the business co-owned by Yeo Cheow Kaw (with Singapore-based Yeo Cheng Hai) was present in the list in the Directory. The firm was noted to be running a rice business. On the 1907 stele for the founding of the Beach Road Chinese Volunteer Club, there was a record of 100 dollars donation from Yeo Chip Moh.
The above tracks and records were first obtained from the Singapore and Settlements Directory and after, from a book by Chen and Tan. Our great-grandfather and grandfather’s achievements are humbled when compared with famous philanthropists such as Tan Tock Seng and Tan Kim Seng. However, the discovery of their names in historical records gave us a deep sense of pride and immense gratitude in knowing that they were among many of our pioneers who had selflessly and generously contributed to the community as and when they could in that early difficult period.
Of the three steles mentioned, with two in pictures in Chen and Tan’s book, only one remains in Singapore today. The founding stone for the Volunteer Club was known to have been destroyed. The Cui Eng donation stele cannot be found.
仰 索
2016.01.23