The Historyogi Podcast

Nov 28 2024 39 ep. 32 mins 25

The Historyogi Podcast artwork

An accompanying podcast to The Historyogi Post, a newsletter on history and politics in Singapore for researchers, history buffs and the general public.

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#39 - From Streets to Stalls: The history of hawker policies in Singapore (with Ryan Kueh)

Nov 28 2024 24 mins

Singapore’s hawker centres are a cultural institution, serving a huge variety of affordable dishes to the masses. In 2020, Singapore's hawker culture was even added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. But how did hawker centres and hawker culture evolve through our history? Today, we speak to Ryan Kueh, author of the book “From Streets to Stalls: The History and

#38 - The Lion's Roar: The tenacity of S Rajaratnam, Singapore's first foreign minister (with Irene Ng)

Sep 10 2024 53 mins

In 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia, shattering the hope of a shared postcolonial future. The new country needed as many friends as it could get. The man who led the effort to secure Singapore’s place on the global stage was S. Rajaratnam, our first Foreign Minister. Today, we speak to Irene Ng, author of The Lion’s Roar, which is the second of a two-part biography on Ra

#37 - History on Screen: Showcasing Singapore's past in short films (with Leon Cheo)

Jul 31 2024 33 mins

Singapore’s short film industry is a small but vibrant one. With limited budgets, filmmakers aim to spotlight events and issues that rarely surface in more mainstream platforms. One such filmmaker is Leon Cheo, who has directed short films that focus on Singapore’s history. Today, we speak to Leon about his films Two is Enough (about the Stop at Two population control campaign

#36 - Enigmas: The story of Singapore's first spy chief (with Simon Tay)

Jun 30 2024 36 mins

Most of us are familiar with famous intelligence agencies such as the American CIA, the British MI6 and Israel’s Mossad. But did you know Singapore has its own spy agency known as the Security and Intelligence Division (SID)? Its first chief was Tay Seow Huah, who helped build Singapore’s early intelligence capabilities during the height of the Cold War and was involved in hand

#35 - Housing a nation: The history of urban redevelopment in Singapore (with Loh Kah Seng)

May 20 2024 38 mins

The Singapore Heritage Fest this year celebrates our nation's rich built heritage. One of the most striking examples of this are the public housing estates which dominate Singapore’s urban landscape. How did we remake the island’s colonial era urban spaces into Singapore’s earliest HDB estates? How did rehousing Singaporeans change our lifestyles and hopes for the future?

#34 - From Imperial to Singaporean: The history of animals in Singapore (with Timothy Barnard)

Apr 22 2024 34 mins

When we study and discuss history in Singapore, we usually focus on the social and political history of this country. However, the people’s relationship with this island’s natural environment also tells a rich story of its own. Today, we speak to Associate Professor Timothy Barnard from the National University of Singapore about his new edited book, Singaporean Creatures. We di

#33 - Temple Tracks: The history of Indian labourers in the Malayan Railways (with Vineeta Sinha)

Feb 18 2024 37 mins

When we think about the history of Indians in British Malaya, their work in the rubber estates usually comes to mind first. But Indians also helped construct, operate and maintain the Malayan Railways that stretched across the peninsula and connected Singapore as well. Along with the tracks came numerous Hindu temples and shrines that shaped Malaya’s religious landscape. Today, w

#32 - Arc of Containment: UK & US engagement in cold war Malaya & Singapore (with Ngoei Wen-Qing)

Jan 21 2024 36 mins

When we think about Southeast Asia during the Cold War, we usually think just about Indochina and the Vietnam War. But British counterinsurgency strategies and engagement with nationalist elites in Malaya and Singapore also influenced America’s anti-communist policies in the region. Today, we speak to Associate Professor Ngoei Wen-Qing from the Singapore Management University abo

#31 - Before he was President: Yusof Ishak & the role of Yang di-Pertuan Negara

Aug 28 2023 35 mins

Before he was President of Singapore, Yusof Ishak was the Yang di-Pertuan Negara which directly translates to “He Who is Made Lord”. Singaporeans generally know little about this role, other than it was the predecessor of the current presidency and a symbol of self-government. But in fact, the British, Federation of Malaya, and Singapore leaders all actively struggled to define

#30 - Writing a fair history of NTUC FairPrice (with Sue-Ann Chia)

Aug 06 2023 20 mins

NTUC FairPrice is such a household icon in Singapore that it’s more famous than the union movement itself. But how did NTUC come to operate a supermarket chain in the first place? Today, we speak to Sue-Ann Chia, co-editor of a new book titled “The Price of Being Fair” which chronicles FairPrice’s 50 years in business. We discuss FairPrice’s beginnings during heavy inflat