My Chew Joo Chiat Story

My name is Philip Chew and I am the great grandson of the late Chew Joo Chiat. He died before I was born. As a young boy, I was not aware of my genealogy although there was a picture of him on the ancestral worship altar. I realised my ancestry when I was in secondary school. My grand mother, Chew's daughter-in-law narrated the story to me. It never occur to me that one day I have to write my great-grand-father's biography. My purpose is to tell the correct story of the man who made Joo Chiat a truly living legacy.

Chew Joo Chiat was born in a place called Her San, Fujian Province in China. He was married and had two sons and a daughter. From his eldest son, Chew had two grand children, a girl and a boy. In the early 20th century, China was a young Republic with many warlords fighting for control and power. Life was very hard for the people and many left their homes to come to Singapore. Chew Joo Chiat and his brother Chew Joo Beng were among them. The two brothers landed here with no money except their personal belongings. It was typical of Chinese migrants at that time. Together they worked very hard and saved money to be traders. Business was good and they prospered. They settled down in Joo Chiat area and bought lands from the Alsagoff family. Soon they became entrepreneurs, turning their lands into plantations for spices such nutmeg, gambier and pepper which were in great demand by the West. When copra became the cash crops, they changed to coconut plantation. Their business acumen and the ability to capitalised on the business situations helped to increase their wealth.

In early 1920s, Joo Chiat Road was still a dirt track going through Chew's plantations. Transportation of local produce was by bullock carts. The Government then wanted to buy a stretch of Chew's land for a roadway from Geylang to the east coast. Chew's foresight in seeing the benefit of a transport infrastructure passing through his lands, allowed the authority to construct the road without being compensated. In recognition of his generosity, the road was named after him as Joo Chiat Road

To be continued

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