《联合早报》 社团人物
“The Straits Times” 1992-11-23
(Monday)
柯木林
个人简介
柯木林 (Kua Bak
Lim)，1948年出生于新加坡。1966年德明政府华文中学高中毕业。1967年进入新加坡南洋大学历史系攻读，1971年毕业，获一等荣誉文学士学位。论文题目是：《新加坡侨汇与民信业初探（1945-49）》。个人简介
大学时期，曾于1968年至1969年担任南洋大学历史学会刊物《读史剳记》编辑。1969年至1970年任南洋大学佛学会副会长，并负责该会刊物《贝叶》第4期和第5期的编辑工作。
大学毕业后曾执教鞭，继转入新加坡关税局。1972年进入建屋发展局服务。1990年至1993年任职怡安产业公司，派驻义顺市镇理事会。1994年起负责怡安（中国）产业公司房地产咨询与管理业务. 2000年5月前往澳洲Monash Mt Eliza Business School进修企业管理课程。2005年至2007年担任怡禾控股有限公司高层管理。2007年下旬至2010年初在上海、沈阳、昆山等城市负责房地产咨询及企业管理顾问直至2010年5月回国。现为国际知名房地产集团在新加坡公司的营运顾问。
任职怡安（中国）产业公司期间, 柯木林编写并出版了《物业管理运作指南》（2000年）一书，为同行业者提供规范管理的操作模式, 是清华大学继续教育学院的客座讲师。
此外, 柯木林对新加坡华人史及中国历史亦有深厚研究，业余孜孜不倦钻研史学，数十年如一日，深入研究新加坡华人 (新华) 历史与人物，为新马著名独立学者, 时受新加坡国家图书馆、南洋理工大学孔子学院、新加坡国立大学中文系邀请, 发表学木演讲, 很受欢迎; 同时也是报刊杂志, 广播电台, 电视媒体访谈对象.
学术活动方面，1986年新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会成立时，被委为学术主任，领导学术组有计划，有系统地收集和整理华人史料，普及与开展华人历史研究的 工作，主编并出版《总会三年》(1989年)。文章多发表在学术期刊、会馆刊物、报章及杂志中，主要编著有：《新加坡华族史论集》(1972年)、《石叻 古迹》（1975年）、《新加坡华人会馆沿革史》（1986年）、《新华历史与人物研究》（1986年）、《读史随笔》（1988年）、《新华历史人物列 传》（1995年）、《石叻史记》(2007年)等。其中，《新华历史与人物研究》曾获新加坡政府社会发展部颁发的1988年度书籍奖中的学术著作奖。
社团活动方面，曾任新加坡福建会馆理事、南洋柯氏公会秘书、中华总商会文史委员会委员，南洋大学学术会发起人（之一），现任新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会研究与出版主任,新加坡国际郑和学会学术主任, 福建省华侨历史学会第六屆理事会海外顾问;华侨大学华侨华人硏究院顾问;泉州市华侨历史博物馆海外顾问等。
华人精英人才大典 - 从官场商场到史学研究 - 记新加坡历史学者柯木林
《世界华侨华人百科全书－著作学术卷》。北京：中国华侨出版社，2001。
新加坡清史研究网 - 柯木林
http://qinghistorysg.com/新加坡与清史-singapore-qing-history/柯木林/
1969年至1970年担任南洋大学佛学会副会长，并负责编辑该会刊物《贝叶》第四期和第五期的工作。大学毕业後，曾从事教学工作後转入新加坡建屋局工作。
1989年至1992年在义顺市镇理事会服务
1993年起任职于新加坡怡安（中国）产业公司。
1986年新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会成立时，被委为该会学术组主任。在他的策划下，学术组有计划，有系统地展开收集和整理华人史料，普及与扩大华人史知识的工作。1969年主编及出版了《总会三年》。
柯木林，业余从事历史研究，对新华历史人物有深入研究，已出版编著有九种，而发表在学术期刊，会馆刊物，报刊及书中篇章有二十多篇。1986年与林孝胜合著的《新华历史与人物研究》一书获得新加坡社会发展部颁发的1988年度书籍奖中的学术著作奖。
主耍编著还有《石叻史记》 (2007)、《新加坡华族史论集》 (1972) 等。
柯木林的新浪微博博客：http://blog.sina.com.cn/kuabaklim
《南洋商报》 - 柯木林 许娟云 缔结良缘 (1972-9-20)
《星洲日报》 - 柯木林 许娟云 缔结良缘 (1972-9-20)
《海外华人社会科学家传记》 - 新华史学者柯木林
新华史学者柯木林
林彬
林彬
年7月5日，柯木林出生于新加坡。父亲柯文法20年代由家乡福建省海澄县东屿村南渡至沙捞越的古晋。30年代移居新加坡，先开杂货店，后在吻基一带经营 饲料生意。1960年生意失败后，经柯氏公会宗亲的介绍至小坡一家五金行当会计，直至1973年逝世。母亲林荫治为柯文法舅父的的养女，系柯文法在家乡的 发妻死后，在新加坡续娶的第二个妻子，生五男四女。由于在柯木林之前的三个哥哥及一个姐姐在日本统治新加坡期间夭折，因此，他在家中的排行仅次于另一个姐 姐，而居长子的地位。
柯木林从小受华人教育，在中华传统文化的熏陶下成长。1955年进入公立大侨学校，1960年小学毕业。翌年升入新加坡 政府办的德明中学，至1966年高中毕业。早在儿童时期，柯木林就喜欢听故事，看连环画，对电台以闽南话播讲的《五虎平西》，及连环画《杨家将》等听到看 到入神。小学六年级时，开始看中国古典小说，对《水浒传》爱不释手。初中阅读《三国演义》、《红楼梦》、《西厢记》、《西游记》、《说岳全传》、《粉妆 楼》等中国名著古典小说时，其情感常常随小说的主人公的喜怒哀乐而沉浮，有时潸然泪下，有时茶饭无心。
但促使柯木林对中国史产生兴趣的却是如 下的两件事。第一件是1962年在中学二年级教他历史科的一位女教师的讲课。这位女教师不是历史系科班出身，而是南洋大学现代语文文学系的毕业生。但她讲 起历史来，从不照本宣科，却像讲故事般，绘声绘色，生动有趣。讲到清皇朝覆灭时，她说，清朝虽在1911年被推翻了，但末代皇帝溥仪如今尚在北京。大家如 有兴趣，可去见见他。女教师的这席话，引起柯木林对中国近代史的兴趣，也萌发了他渴望见一见溥仪的念头。当时，他买了许多中国近代史的读物，但渴望见到溥 仪的念头却一直未能实现。不过1988年春节，当他第三次访问北京时，还是设法访问了溥仪的“御弟”溥杰，请溥杰为他即将出版的《读史随笔》封面题字，总 算了却了他多年以来的这桩心事。第二件是1966年当他念高中二时，在新加坡上映的轰动一时的中国影片《甲午风云》。柯木林看完这部影片后，对这位在甲午 海战中为国壮烈牺牲的民族英雄邓世昌非常佩服，触发了他收集邓世昌资料的热情。又隔22年后，当他1988年春节重游广州时，还特地请友人带他去凭吊邓世 昌的故居，进一步收集有关的文物。从这一亲身的经历中，他深深地感到要培养人们对历史的兴趣，普及历史知识的工作是十分重要的。他认为，潜移默化的普及工 作，对引起人们学习历史，认识历史，起了不可估量的作用。这也正是他现在不辞辛劳从事新加坡华人史的普及工作的出发点。
在德明高中毕业后，柯 木林于1967年进入新加坡南洋大学历史系。在中学时，柯木林虽对中国近代史产生了兴趣，但是，他对中国的文学，尤其是唐诗和宋词更有浓厚的兴趣。因此， 他原想在中国毕业后进南洋大学中文系。但没有料到教他高二历史课的老师的一句话，却使他放弃了选读中文系的念头，并影响了他以后的学术方向。这位历史老师 毕业于南洋大学中文系，但却常对学生说：“尽量去读别的系，最好不要读中文系”。不念中文系，那么念什么系才好呢？一打听之下，他才知道南洋还设有历史 系。于是他就选读了历史这门学科。
随着1965年新加坡的独立，独立前那种暴风骤雨般的学生运动已趋于平息。1967年的南洋大学校园内，风 风雨雨的学潮也已告安静下来。人1964年开始的大学改组工作，至1968年已接近完成。同年2月，新加坡政府宣布正式承认南洋大学所授予的学位。 1969年结束了美制的四年普通学位制，改为英制三年普通学位课程暨一年荣誉学位课程。柯木林就是在这样的学习环境下开始和度过他的大学生涯。他勤奋读 书。为了在学术上有所造诣，他积极参加校园内有关的学术团体活动，参加了历史学会和佛学会。1968-1969年担任南洋大学历史会刊物《读史札记》的编 辑。1969-1970学年度担任佛学会副会长，负责编辑该会刊物《贝叶》第4期及第5期的工作。他还与王励谦（现为新加坡达利银行总经理）等一批志同道 合的同学筹款出版季刊《社会科学研究》。在这份刊物刊载的介绍社会科学的知识性文章颇获好评。可惜因经费不济，从1969-1970年出了6期即停刊。他 在上述的3份刊物上共发表了《十九、廿世纪英法在暹罗纠纷的背景》、《佛教对中国文化的影响》、《对于学习新加坡历史应有的几点认识》等9篇文章。
1960年柯木林父亲的生意失败后，家庭经济情况不太好。他是靠领取政府每年资助的750元坡币助学金、姐姐裁缝店的收入及父亲的公积金的补贴，读完三 年的普通学位课程的。在1969-1970学年度历史系43名毕业生中，他名列第4。按他的成绩，可以再读一年荣誉学位课程。但是，此时他的父亲身患癌 症，弟弟尚在中学求学，他的父亲要他结束学业，出来工作，分担家庭经济，不赞成他读荣誉学位，相反的，他却坚信只有再读一年荣誉班，取得荣誉学位，才能谋 得个满意的职业。因此，他不顾父亲的反对，在他的女友，也就是现在他的太太许娟云的支持和资助下坚持再读了一年荣誉学位班。
在读普通学位期 间，柯木林选修《东南亚华人史》，开始有系统地阅读这方面的著作，但是，那时他对华人史并没有多大兴趣[1]。促使柯木林对新、马华人史发生兴趣的，是新 加坡国际知名的东南亚史专家许云樵教授的《马来亚丛谈》这本著作。此书原是许云樵教授应马来西亚广播电台之约而撰写的广播稿，其后收编成书出版。许教授在 这本著作中，以隽永、轻松的笔调，把枯燥、刻板的新、马华人史迹趣味化、通俗化，引起了柯木林莫大的兴趣。从而引导他“进入新、马华族史的研究领域” [2]。
柯木林就读荣誉学位班后，他所确定的毕业论文就是研究华人民信业历史的论文：《新加坡侨汇与民信业研究（1945-1948）》。民 信业的诞生与华人移居新、马的历史息息相关，史料浩如烟海，但多有矛盾与抵触之处。因此，在柯木林撰写此论文之前，对新加坡民信业历史的研究，尚属一片空 白。学术研究，贵在探索前人所未发现和没有定论的领域。为了写好这篇论文，柯木林从一开始就虚心地向老一辈学者学习，争取前辈专家的指导。他不揣冒昧地登 门拜访新马史学界的泰斗陈育崧先生，陈先生热情地把战前的剪报资料及有关文献借给他，并介绍他去拜访过去经营民信业的领导人物林树彦、周镇豪、黄正本。通 过访谈，从过去经营此一行业的人士的口述历史中，鉴别了材料的正误，得益匪浅。
他的这篇论文文笔简练，条理分明。他先从侨汇与民信业的起源、 历史发展以及战前新马侨汇对中国经济上的贡献写起，接着侧重地探讨了造成战后民信业极度繁盛的因素，最后分析了侨汇及民信业由盛而衰的原因。由于他把头绪 纷纭的资料，整理得井井有条，而这些资料又足以支持他的论断，因此，有一定的说服力。负责批改这篇论文的校外考委、伦敦大学的郑德坤教授对此比较满意，给 他的评语不错。郑德坤教授认为，能把零星的报纸资料整理出来，已属不容易的事，他对这篇论文的几个附录：《个案研究——本坡最活跃的民信局》、《黄金时代 中新加坡的民信局》及《华侨家用汇款统计表》尤表满意。1982年9月，日本东京大学东洋文化研究所助教滨上武志（Hawashita Takeshi）至新加坡收集新加坡华人经济资料时，从南洋大学及新加坡大学历届毕业生论文中选中他的这篇论文，认为是唯一一篇有关新、马钱庄历史的论 文。滨下武志与柯木林素不相识，但他从南洋大学的毕业特刊中找到了柯木林的住址，特地约柯木林叙谈。
1971年，柯木林获得南洋大学历史系第 一等荣誉学位，由于家庭经济的关系，他未能进一步攻读更高的学位。大学毕业后，他开始执教鞭，其后转入政府部门工作。柯木林所从事的工作与所学的专业不对 口，但他对历史研究的热忱丝毫没有减退。用他自己的话说：“历史上的伟大事件，往往使我们低回赞叹，历史人物的光辉事迹，使我肃然起敬。读史可使我拍案叫 绝，亦可使我黯然流泪”。“更何况历史研究可鼓舞我在出境中前进，这是我毕业至今，从未放弃历史研究的原因”。对于所学专业与工作不对口，柯木林也有他的 解释。他说：“我喜欢读书，但讨厌考试。同样的，我不想把对历史的爱好职业化。一旦爱好职业化了，所作所为都要想到饭碗问题，多没意思。与其说我的专业不 对口，不如说我故意找不对口的专业，以避免一旦爱好职业化或专业化了，对它产生厌恶感！”
基于这种信念，柯木林怡然自得，在忙碌的公务和社会 服务工作之余，仍不间断历史研究工作。1973年，在陈育崧先生的鼓励与指导下，他与林孝胜等五位同道好友，利用工余时间，寻幽访古，实地勘察新加坡有代 表性的华人古迹，写出了《石叻古迹》一书，为抢救新加坡有历史价值的华人古迹做了意义深远的工作。除已收入《石叻古迹》的6篇文章外，在此前前后后他还撰 写了13篇新加坡华人史的文章，以及20余篇中国史的文章。
1986年12月他把《左秉隆领事与新华社会》等9篇华人史的文章与林孝胜撰写的 《开埠初期的新华社会》等6篇文章合辑为《新华历史与人物研究》一书，交新加坡南洋学会出版。广州暨南大学朱杰勤教授在为此书写的序言中说：“柯木林先生 的文章篇幅不多，而言之有物，文字流畅，有独到之处”。“其中有关左秉隆、叶季允、薛佛记及林树彦诸篇自是精心结构之作”。“过去虽然有些文章论及左秉 隆，但柯先生的文章在材料上有补充，在议论上有创见”。“数十年前，陈育崧先生写过一部《南洋第一报人》的小册子，介绍叶季允的学行，但侧重于叶氏学术文 艺，未能深入细致地分析叶氏的办报思想及其影响。今待柯木林《叶季允任主笔期间的叻报》一文加以补充，可谓相得益彰了”。[3]
1988年8 月，这部著作获得新加坡社会发展部颁发的1988年度书籍奖中的学术著作奖。柯木林在获此奖时，颇有感慨地说：“1973年，《石叻古迹》出版以后，没有 引起反响。这几年来可不同了，人们对历史已感到兴趣，宗乡会馆联合总会与各个宗乡会馆都很关心历史的研究、展览与出版，说明人们已经培养历史感”。[4]
随着新加坡建国20多年来，经济建设的突飞猛进，人民物质生活的日新月异，西方文化和西方的生活方式也日益冲击着新加坡华人社会的优良传统文化和价值 观。如何教育年轻一代的华人继承与发扬先辈刻苦耐劳的美德，艰苦奋斗的精神，不要忘掉“根”和“本”，也就提到议事日程上来。1986年1月，新加坡宗乡 会馆联合总会成立，柯木林被委为学术组主任。按照该会促进华人对华人优良传统文化更进一步了解的宗旨，在柯木林的策划下，学术组有计划、有系统地开展收 集、整理华人史料，普及与推广华人史知识的工作。已完成的有以下三项工作：
一、1985年8月在总会筹备期间，与新加坡《联合晚报》联合主办 征求历史图片；在此基础上又与国家档案馆、口述历史馆联合举办“新加坡华人会馆沿革史图片展览”，通过展出了图片使人们了解新加坡华人历史的进程。与此同 时还出版了《新加坡华人会馆沿革史》画册，柯木林与口述历史馆助理馆长林孝胜、国家档案馆副馆长林源福负责此画册的编辑。
二、费时一载，于 1987年6月拍摄完成新加坡第一部华人历史纪录片《抚今追昔》。这部30分钟的纪录片，运用现代科技，把一百多年来华人的重要古迹、人物、事件、文献等 串连起来，重现了新加坡先辈华人披荆斩棘，把新加坡从沼泽密林发展为一个现代化的城市国家的史实。柯木林除与林孝胜、林源福担任此录像带的历史顾问外，另 与洪保苏负责撰写旁述词。
三、1987年7月1至10月，与新加坡广播电台联合制作《石叻夜话》节目。由柯木林主讲，共18讲。节目以一问一 答的形式，深入浅出，生动有趣地讲述了新加坡华人有关人物、事件和古迹。这是继1960年马来亚广播电台邀请东南亚史专家许云樵教授主讲《马来亚丛谈》以 来，第二次播送谈华人史的节目。
此外，作为新加坡中华总商会晚晴园管理委员会的成员，柯木林还担任该管委会在1988年5月摄制的《晚晴园与 孙中山》录像带的历史顾问和撰稿人。这部22分钟的录像带概括性地介绍了晚晴园的沧桑史、孙中山三次住在晚晴园的情景及孙中山活动有关的史迹、新加坡华人 积极支援辛亥革命的活动，以期达到激起人们，尤其年青一辈对孙中山史实的兴趣，发扬孙中山忧国忧民，天下为公的精神。
在短短的几年内，柯木林在普及与推广华人史的工作上虽做出了积极的贡献，但他并没有满足现况，他认为，已进行的这些工作只是一个开端。历史研究是千秋大业的事，必须细水长流。
柯木林有个美满的家庭。太太许娟云是贤内助，育有两女。长女柯梦茵（现年14岁），次女柯梦荃（现年12岁）。
附注
-----------
[1] 及 [2] 柯木林：《记许云樵教授》，《南洋学报》第37卷，第1、2期，1982年。
[3] 柯木林、林孝胜合著：《新华历史与人物研究》，第7页，南洋学会1986年12月。
[4] 新加坡《联合早报》，1988年8月27日。
Google 搜索 - 柯木林 (2016-05-16)
https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=%E6%9F%AF%E6%9C%A8%E6%9E%97&biw=375&bih=628&prmd=imnv&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&fir=ame8bg5FAMvZhM%253A%252CP1We7lYQ4LgWEM%252C_%253BqXEbK8hqvyXEFM%253A%252CtTfHcMDb7A1fkM%252C_%253BxCiI0q5H1vs1RM%253A%252CP1We7lYQ4LgWEM%252C_%253BF2cCsFx5P2d3yM%253A%252ClY1ZM0vSlXkTFM%252C_%253BOIqo1qWRqkqehM%253A%252CP1We7lYQ4LgWEM%252C_%253BYyOr6Ctu7wENpM%253A%252Cu0Uyqboiqs6YAM%252C_%253BSYVJ2IplHGiXUM%253A%252CqtNA3xzRC8n8FM%252C_%253BirmUb16P5hOnSM%253A%252CyJtAl1axddOqbM%252C_%253BFMKnkr7CUP5cbM%253A%252CSzoiV03eEtc3ZM%252C_%253BSCCsb-vXCgYEnM%253A%252C3GDJpo7WW0fBVM%252C_&usg=__IyPC1gr4v9Afu-xkt-wjmk6D1qw%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE8dje2tvMAhXMK48KHSiGBysQ420ITQ#imgrc=Cq9Scj96rAbKoM%3A
http://www.kongfz.com/writer/kemulin/goods/
Brief Profile of Kua Bak Lim ( Revised)
Mr Kua Bak Lim is a renowned historian whose research interest focuses on Singapore Chinese community history and pioneers. Mr Kua graduated with a first class honors degree in History from the Nanyang University in 1971. After graduation, he worked at the Housing & Development Board (HDB) for several years. Presently, Mr Kua is the Chairman of the Research Committee, Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations( SFCCA).
In addition, Mr Kua is the academic advisor to several cultural institutions, both overseas and local, such as the Quanzhou Museum of Overseas Chinese and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (Singapore).
During his tenure with SFCCA, Mr Kua had researched and compiled various publications such as “ History of the Chinese Clan Associations in Singapore” (《新加坡华人会馆沿革史》) in Feb 1986.
His latest and most acclaimed book is “A General History of the Chinese in Singapore” (《新加坡华人通史》) which was launched by PM Lee Hsien Loong in Nov 2015. In Aug 1988, he was awarded an Academy Book Award for his book “The Studies of Historical Figures in the Chinese Community of Singapore ” (《新华历史与人物研究》) by the Singapore Ministry of Community Development.
Mr Kua had worked with NLB on the exhibition entitled “Money by Mail to China: Dreams and Struggles of Early Migrants” in Sep 2012 and several other programmes such as the Hokkien Heritage Symposium in Apr 2011.
List of publications by Mr Kua Bak Lim :
1 "Symposium of the Chinese History in Singapore " (《新加坡华族史论集》) Dec 1972
新加坡 : 南洋大学毕业生协会
2 "Historical Monuments in Selat” (《石叻古迹》) Apr 1975
新加坡 : 南洋学会
3 " The Studies of Historical Figures in the Chinese Community of Singapore ” (《新华历史与人物研究》) Apr 1986
新加坡 : 南洋学会
4 "History of the Chinese Clan Associations in Singapore” (《新加坡华人会馆沿革史》）Feb 1986
Singapore. Oral History Department 口述历史馆
Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations 新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会
Singapore . National Archives 国家档案馆
5 "A Reflection of Our Past" (《抚今追昔》）Historical documentary Jun 1987
新加坡 : 新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会
6 “Discourse on the Reading of History” (《读史随笔》) Jan 1989
新加坡 : 南洋柯氏公会
7 "Three Years of SFCCA” (《总会三年》) Jan 1989
新加坡 : 新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会
8 “Prominent Figures of the World Fujian Communities：The Singapore Chapter”(《世界福建名人录•新加坡篇》) Nov 2012
新加坡：新加坡福建会馆
9 “Singapore Chinese : Then and Now" ( 《图说石叻坡》）Feb 2014
新加坡 : 新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会
10 "Who's Who in the Chinese Community of Singapore” (《新华历史人物列传》）Nov 1995
新加坡：教育出版私营有限公司
11 " About the KUA ( KE) Clan in Singapore ”( 《走近新加坡柯氏宗族》）Oct 2015
新加坡：南洋柯氏公会
12 “A General History of the Chinese in Singapore” （《新加坡华人通史》) Nov 2015
新加坡 : 新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会
13 “From Longyamen- The Gate of Dragon Teeth to Singapore ：The Hub of Maritime Civilization between the East and West "( 《从龙牙门到新加坡：东西海洋文化交汇点》）Dec 2016
中国：社会科学文献出版社
Remark: 27-04-2017 @ 21:13
京东 - 柯木林的书
http://book.jd.com/writer/%E6%9F%AF%E6%9C%A8%E6%9E%97_1.html?stop=1&book=y&vt=2
孔夫子旧书网 - 柯木林
http://www.kongfz.com/writer/kemulin/goods/
《联合早报》- 柯木林 (2020-02-24)
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/byline/ke-mu-lin
马英九访问晚晴园（2019 年6月6日）
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/byline/ke-mu-lin
马英九访问晚晴园（2019 年6月6日）
NAS - Oral History Interview - Kua Bak Lim
https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/interview/004353
新纪元文学院华人企业课程系列
孔夫子旧书网 - 柯木林
http://www.kongfz.com/writer/kemulin/
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/webarchives/landing-page
Blogspot: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/webarchives/2019-08-14%2011:55:59.000/wp/details/http:%2F%2Fkuabaklim.blogspot.com%2F
Sina: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/webarchives/2018-02-06%2016:50:34.000/wp/details/http:%2F%2Fblog.sina.com.cn%2Fkuabaklim
《学文》21期 - “吾心沉醉此景中”：我的历史人生
原文：
《联合早报》- 中华游泳会获30年地租延期 拟为会员和家人提供更多服务 (2023-11-28)
“吾心沈醉此景中”：我的历史人生
【新加坡】 柯木林
2020年10月，通过许源泰博士认识了厦门大学马来西亚分校的邱克威副教授，他要我为他编辑的《学文》期刊写一篇自述，考虑再三，欣然答应。
作为历史学者，文字记录是非常重要的。这次受邀撰稿，使我有机会静下心思，总结过去几十年来个人在研究华人史方面的心路历程。如果读者阅读此文后能得到某些启示，也是一件好事。
故事要从2019 年5月倒叙。
2019 年5月24日（星期五）, 我获颁第三届 “新加坡华族文化贡献奖”, 由时任新加坡文化、社区及青年部长傅海燕颁发。当晚我领取了由本地雕塑家杨子强所设计的华族文化四色结奖座，一万元新币的奖励金，以及上限为一万元的项目资助。（img 1）
2019年的 “新加坡华族文化贡献奖” 总提名32份，其中三分之二来自艺术表演领域，其余则来自文学、教育、研究、民俗等领域。共18名个人以及4个团体首次获得提名。幸运的事, 在此众多提名中, 我脱颖而出, 得了 “个人贡献奖”。我致力于新加坡华族历史研究长达40余年，编著多套史册, 40余年的努力, 总算没有白费。
“从来没有想过我的兴趣会化为奖状，我的坚持会在纪念新加坡开埠200年之际开花结果。今天的奨励，是好事也是压力！感谢我的老师、同道、家人这些年来给予的任何支持与协助”。这是得奖感言, 也是最真实的感受。
73年过去，弹指一挥间。回首过往一个甲子以来所发生的事情，有的模糊，有的清晰。总结个人一生, 大致可分为：（一）读书学习（二）官场商场（三）社会活动（四）晚年著史四个阶段。
• 读书学习 (img 2)
1948年7月5日（农历戊子年(肖鼠)五月廿九日 星期一）黄昏时分，我出生在海山街（Upper Cross Street克罗士街上段） 81号的陈大药房。这是一间私人诊所，母亲时年35 岁。当时我们住在俗称赌间口的中国街（China Street) 19 号三楼，月租 $ 27/- , 这建筑物至今还在。这里是新加坡市区的繁华地段，早年南来移民聚居处。
那时，太平洋战争刚结束三年，侵占新加坡的日军投降了。我在和平时期诞生，很是幸运。此前10多年，即1930年代， 父亲柯文法 ( 1911.10.26—1973.09.07 ) 由家乡福建省海澄县东屿村（今属厦门市海沧区）南渡至沙捞越的古晋, 之后移居新加坡，先在芽笼 (Geylang) 靠近31 巷开杂货店（遗址尚存），继而在新加坡河畔的吻基（Boat Quay)与友人合股经营饲料生意。1960年生意失败，经南洋柯氏公会宗亲的介绍, 至小坡一家五金行当会计，直至1973年逝世。
母亲林荫治 (1915.01.25—2005.03.24) 为父亲舅舅的养女，系父亲在家乡的发妻 ( 我的大妈）逝世后，在新加坡续弦的，生四男三女。由于我之前的两个哥哥及一个姐姐在日本统治新加坡期间夭折，因此，我在家中的排行仅次于同父异母的姐姐，而居长子地位。我之下有两个妹妹、一个弟弟。我五个月大时， 父亲特地申请姐姐从中国来新加坡照顾我。所以我从小由姐姐带大，姐弟感情很好。(img 3)
听父亲说，他战前在芽笼经营的杂货店, 商号“和发” , 生意不错。其舅舅（我的外祖父）心地险恶，日据时代到日本宪兵部诬告父亲无牌照售卖米粮，致使父亲被日本宪兵逮捕。还好他命不该绝，冒险逃脱才免于难，但父亲的合伙人却被枪杀。外祖父霸占了杂货店，父母从此居处不定，两位哥哥和一位姐姐在漂泊中夭折。此事我一直耿耿于怀。读中三时把这故事写了出来，并说恨外祖父、要报仇。班主任万正纯老师对这篇作文《我最难忘的一个人》的评语，至今我还记得 ：“ 这篇文章叙事强，文句通顺，但不是一个晚辈对祖父应有的态度”。
1951年我们搬到双口鼎 （Alexandra Road）一处违章建筑，租金每月$ 40 。1954 年自购一间锌板屋 ，屋价$ 3000/-, 地点在大成巷口，门牌288-Z Airport Road (后改为8A) 。这里距巴耶利峇机场（Paya Lebar Airport）很近，那时机场路（Airport Road ）还在铺设，挖土机很吵，泥尘滚滚，所以印象深刻。大成巷是出名的私会党活动地区，双枪大盜林万霖在这一带“很有名”。小时候曾亲眼目睹私会党群殴械斗，也有小混混想邀我参加私会党，被姐姐及时发现阻止。
1955年我小学一年级。本来是要报读英校的，但因错过入学报名时间才报读公立大侨学校（Tar Keow Public School）。或许是命中注定，如果我是英校生，不知现在做什么？大侨学校距住家很近，设备简陋，后来才知道这间学校的程度不错，教师素质也高。大侨学校于1936年创校，经历几次搬迁，最终坐落在宏茂桥54街 （Ang Mo Kio Street 54），2018 年12月走入历史。
小学三年级（1957年）时参加作文比赛，题目《我最快乐的一天》，写的是准备过农历新年的愉快心情，获全校公开组第一名。当年校长刘俊楷还颁发了奖状，可惜没有保留下来。现在思之，似乎我从小就对写作产生兴趣，有点记录狂。或许这也是日后选读历史系的伏笔吧！
我读书成绩中上，五年级时全班排名第8，但有一科考试不及格，“试读” 六年级，最后过关。 1960年小学毕业, 翌年升入德明政府华文中学（Dunman Government Chinese Middle School）, 从1961年初中一至1966年高中二毕业，我在德明读了六年的书。
德明政府华文中学是一所官办的华文中学，校园设备及师资在当年是一流的。譬如美术老师刘抗就是名画家，校长陈人浩的书法更是有口皆碑。我的中学毕业证书有陈人浩的亲笔签名。德明中学今天仍是名校，是新加坡政府特选学校。(img 4/5)
早在儿童时期，我就喜欢听故事看连环画，对新加坡广播电台以闽南话播讲的《五虎平西》，及连环画《杨家将》等听得看得入神。所以我崇拜历史人物，崇拜伟人事迹，但也有追星的倾向。当时喜欢的香港电影女明星有丁浩、尤敏、夏梦、白茵等。比较喜欢的男明星是忧郁小生雷震。曾经写信给丁皓，还得到她赠送的一张签名照，可惜因搬迁没有保存下来，否则也是历史档案了。中国演员则喜欢舒适、刘琼、杨丽坤和黄婉秋。
中小学时期喜欢看的杂志是《南洋儿童》、《儿童乐园》、《世界儿童》，都是香港的进口杂志。尤其喜欢《南洋儿童》的“小强的故事”。我个人的照片也被选登在第38 期的《南洋儿童》封底内頁“爱读本刊的读者” 专栏，这本刊物后来借给了一位朋友没有归还，算是永远遗失了，至今思之，还觉惋惜。印象中《南洋儿童》编辑部位于香港皇后大道中10号。1974年我第一次旅游香港，特地专程按址登门造访。香港寸土如金，《南洋儿童》编辑部也只是间小办公室。如今《南洋儿童》己停刊！
小学六年级时开始阅读小说。记得第一本阅读的是《鲁滨逊漂流记》，这是老师指定的假期作业，开学后要向全班同学讲述小说的内容。我也喜欢《木偶奇遇记》。但自从读了《中国名著故事选》之后就着迷了。此书1959 年由香港今代图书公司出版，分三册。我十分喜欢这本书，一直保留至今。这本书引起我阅读中国古典小说的兴趣。从这里入门，开始对《水浒传》爱不释手。个人情感常常随小说中主人公的喜怒哀乐而沉浮，有时潸然泪下，有时茶饭无心。
到了中学二年级，中国著名古典小说如《三国演义》、《红楼梦》、《西厢记》、《西游记》、《说岳全传》、《粉妆楼》、《说唐》、《宋太祖征南唐》等等，大都阅读完毕。当时读的四大名著是世界书局出版的节本，快速易懂。父亲给的零用钱，也省下购买这些小说。始料未及的是，当年懵懵懂懂地读这些文学作品，是为日后的历史研究打下基础。但促使我对历史产生兴趣的却是以下两件事。
第一件是1962年读中学二年级时，教历史课的女教师王映雪，她虽然不是历史系科班出身，而是南洋大学现代语言文学系的毕业生，但她讲历史，绘声绘色，生动有趣。 讲到清朝覆灭时说，清朝在1911年被推翻了，但末代皇帝溥仪如今尚在北京, 大家如有兴趣，可去见见他。老师的一席话，引起我对中国近代史的兴趣，也萌发了渴望一见末代皇帝的念头。当时还买了许多中国近代史的读物。事隔26年后，1988年春节，当我第三次访问北京时，溥仪已逝世，却拜会了溥仪的“御弟”溥杰，当时还请溥杰为我即将出版的《读史随笔》一书封面题字，总算了却了多年来想见末代皇帝的心愿。1988年6月16日 (星期四）我在《南洋·星洲联合早报》发表<会爱新觉罗·溥杰谈末代皇帝>一文, 描述了当时拜见溥杰的情景。(img 6)
第二件事是在1966年。当时我念高中二年级，新加坡上映了轰动一时的中国电影《甲午风云》。看完这部影片后，我对这位在甲午海战中壮烈牺牲的民族英雄邓世昌非常钦佩，触发了收集邓世昌资料的热诚。也是在1988年的春节，我重游广州，专程去凭吊邓世昌故居。在华工作期间，也特意造访了所有与甲午战争有关的历史遗迹。从福州的马尾船政学堂（中国第一所海军学校）、威海的海军公所、北洋海军提督署、“定远号”风景区，乃至天津的北洋水师大沽船坞遗址，都有我的足迹。2009年5月20日，在山东威海举办的《北洋海军成军120周年学术研讨会》，我受邀出席，会后写了一篇 <北洋水师访问新加坡的历史反思---兼谈甲午海战时期的北洋舰队> 的长文，收录在戚俊杰、郭阳主编的《北洋海军新探：北洋海军成军120周年国际学术研讨会论文集》, 该书由中华书局出版 （2012年10月）。
从这些亲身经历，我意识到要培养人们对历史的兴趣，普及历史知识是十分重要的。潜移默化的普及工作，对引起人们学习历史，有不可估量的作用。这也正是我日后不辞辛劳, 从事新加坡华人史普及工作的出发点。
高中毕业后，1967年进入南洋大学历史系。中学时代虽对中国近代史产生兴趣，但我对中国文学，尤其是唐诗宋词更加热爱。原本想念中文系，但没有料到高二历史课的潘先钦老师的一句话，却使我放弃选读中文系的念头，并影响了我日后的学术方向。潘老师毕业于南洋大学中文系，但却常对学生说：“尽量去读别的系吧，最好不要读中文系”。不念中文系，那么念什么系才好呢？打听后才知道南洋大学还有历史系, 于是我就选读了历史这门学科。
1965年新加坡独立，独立前那种暴风骤雨般的学生运动已趋平息。1966年4月25日，新学制开始实施, 结束了四年普通学位的美国学制，改为三年普通学位课程暨一年荣誉学位课程的英囯学制。1968年5月25日政府宣布承认南洋大学学位。我就是在这样的环境下开始和渡过大学生涯。
大学时期，我积极参加校园内学术团体的活动，主要是历史学会和佛学会。1968/1969年我担任南洋大学历史学会刊物《读史札记》编辑。1969/1970年度被选为佛学会副会长，负责该会刊物《贝叶》第4期及第5期的编辑工作。同时还与商学院同学王励谦（曾任新加坡达利银行总经理）等筹款出版《社会科学研究》(季刊)。我在上述的三份刊物共发表了《十九、廿世纪英法在暹罗纠纷的背景》、《佛教对中国文化的影响》、《对于学习新加坡历史应有的几点认识》等九篇文章。
《社会科学研究》由陈人浩封面题字。这份刊物每本售价$0.40, 当时还邀请谢哲声（南洋大学商学院院长）、李廷辉（新加坡政治研究所副主任）、魏维贤（新加坡大学教育学系高级讲师）与林钦蕴（新加坡国家初级学院院长）为编辑顾问。季刊所刊载的介绍社会科学知识性文章，均获好评。可惜因为经费不济，从1969至1970年，只出版了六期即停刊。
修读普通学位期间，我选修《东南亚华人史》，开始有系统地阅读这方面的著作。然而当时我对华人史并没有多大兴趣。促使我对新马华人史发生兴趣的，是国际知名的东南亚史专家许云樵 （1905-1981年）教授的《马来亚丛谈》这本著作。此书原是许云樵教授应马来亚广播电台之约而撰写的广播稿，其后收编成书出版（1961 年由新加坡青年书局出版）。许教授在这本著作中，以隽永轻松的笔调，把枯燥刻板的新马华人史趣味化、通俗化，引起我莫大的兴趣，从而引导我进入新马华族史的研究领域，直至今日。
我是靠领取政府每年资助的750元坡币助学金、姐姐裁缝店的收入及父亲的公积金的补贴，读完三年的普通学位课程。在1969/1970学年度历史系43名毕业生中，我名列第四。按成绩，可以再读一年荣誉学位课程。但是此时父亲身患癌症，弟弟尚在中学求学。自1960年父亲生意失败后，家庭经济不好, 要我结束学业出来工作，分担家庭经济，不赞成我读荣誉学位。然而我却坚持要读。不顾父亲反对，在女友，也就是日后我的太太许娟云的支持和资助下，继续读了一年的荣誉班。
考取荣誉学位必须撰写论文。当时我的论文题目是《新加坡侨汇与民信业初探（1945-1948）》，指导老师崔贵强。民信业的诞生与新马华人移民史息息相关，但史料浩如烟海，又有矛盾与抵触之处。为了写好论文，我登门拜访了南洋史学界泰斗陈育崧 （1903-1984年）。陈先生热情地把战前的剪报资料及有关文献借给我，并介绍我去拜访当年经营民信业的领袖人物林树彦、周镇豪、黄正本等。通过访谈，从过去经营民信局行业人士的口述历史中，鉴别了材料的正误，得益匪浅。
当年荣誉班同学的论文，多侧重于政治史的研究。我这篇侨批论文涉及经济史，颇有令人耳目一新的感觉。但作为历史系的学生，要写涉及经济理论的论文，并不容易。我于是自费参加由新加坡大学校外进修系主办的经济学课程，在晚间修读经济学科。
我的这篇论文先从侨汇与民信业的起源、历史发展以及战前新马侨汇对中国经济上的贡献写起，重点探讨了造成战后民信业繁盛的因素，最后分析了侨汇及民信业由盛而衰的原因。由于将头绪纷纭的资料整理得体，而这些资料又足以支持我的论断，有一定说服力，因此负责评审这篇论文的校外考委，伦敦大学的郑德坤教授对这篇论文给予很高的评价。郑教授认为，能把零星的报纸资料整理出来，实属不易，郑教授对这篇论文的几个附录：《个案研究——本坡最活动的民信局》、《黄金时代中新加坡的民信局》及《华侨家用汇款统计表》尤表满意。郑德坤教授的评语，使我考获了第12届（1970/71 年）历史系一等荣誉文学士学位。这篇论文，填补了新加坡民信业历史的空白，至今仍受重视。
1982年9月，日本东京大学东洋文化研究所助教滨下武志（Hawashita Takeshi ）来新加坡收集华人经济资料时，从南洋大学及新加坡大学历届毕业生论文中看中我的论文，认为这是唯一一篇有关新马钱庄历史的论著。滨下武志与我素不相识，但他从南洋大学的毕业特刊中找到了我的住址，特地约我讨论。滨下武志现为日本著名汉学家，已退休。
我的毕业论文发表43年后，2013年4月, 由中国国家档案馆主办, 福建省档案馆与广东省档案馆协办的〈中国侨批·世界记忆工程国际研讨会 〉在北京人民大会堂举行,我受邀并发表专题论文《一个新加坡学者眼中的侨批》, 籍以支援 “中国侨批” 的申遗工程。2013年6月19日，在韩国光州召开的联合国教科文组织，世界记忆工程国际咨询委员会（IAC）第11次会议上，由福建、广东两省联合推荐、中国国家档案局申报的“侨批档案”顺利通过评审，成功入选《世界记忆名录》。
• 官场商场
1971年大学毕业后，由于家庭经济关系，未能进一步攻读更高学位。走出校园，初执教鞭，后转入政府部门工作。
教育部与关税局都是政府部门，在这两个部门我只待了很短的时间。在德惠中学（Jalan Teck Whye Secondary School）执教，我任临时教师约半年时间。虽然仅短短半年，却教出一位奇葩学生。这位学生日后遁入道门，法号至旺道长，做了新加坡道观玉皇宫住持，新加坡道教协会会长。2019 年至旺道长邀请我，他当年的老师，主编《受禄于天：走进新加坡玉皇宫》一书作为新加坡开埠200 年献礼，或许这是道缘吧！
我在关税局待了一年时间就离职加入建屋发展局。这是我职场生涯中一个重要阶段的开始。建屋发展局为法定机构，较之政府机关，比较有自由度。
在关税局工作一年，心情是郁闷的。我被派驻海关缉私组 （Customs Harbor Division），工作性质需要三班倒：一天早班 （7am-3pm）、一天中班 (3pm-11pm)、一天晚班 (11pm-7am), 周而复始。即是说人家休息你上班，人家上班你休息。因为轮班关系，失去很多社交机会，所以一直想跳槽。后来申请了建屋发展局的工作，面试后却迟迟未获回音。等得不耐烦，乃往天福宫拜佛求签。得到的签诗却是“风中点烛”，似乎希望渺茫。当时我的女友鼓励说要看风大还是风小。果然不久，收到来函，我被录取了。多年以后，我向建屋发展局秘书处查询何以当年等很久才收到答复，才知道我是第三名侯补，也就是前两位被成功录取者拒绝接受，我才有机会。正如签诗上所说的“风中点烛”，好灵呀！从这以后，我每年农历大年初一凌晨，只要在新加坡，必到天福宫上香，直到今天。
1972 年5月我加入建屋发展局时， 新加坡正大事发展“居者有其屋”计划，需要大量管理人员。1974 年3月在还没有转正的情况下，我就被提升为区办事处（Area Office , 即后来的Branch Office，分局 ）代理主任，即一区总管。当时每间区办事处统辖约1万5000单位的组屋。如果以每单位组屋有四名住户计算，一间区办事处至少要照顾5-6 万居民。我常将之喻为古代的“万户侯”。那时我才26岁，从这个时候开始迄至退休，我一直居于领导地位，在职场生涯中还算顺利。
我服务建屋发展局16年（1972-1989年），在所负责管理的区办事处中，河水山区办事处（Bukit Ho Swee Area Office) 对我而言印象比较深刻的。原因是此前我管理的马里士他区办事处 ( Balestier Area Office) ，有些行政措施处理不当， 被上级于24小时内调离，转到河水山区办事处。河水山是旧住宅区，因19世纪甘蜜种植商载河水（Tay Ho Swee 1834-1903年）的园坵在这一带而得名。1963 年这地区曾发生过新加坡历史上严重火灾，所以此处居民泰半是灾后重建迁回的。
我认为这地区很有历史意义，决定收集资料，并联合国家档案及口述历史馆编写《河水山组屋区的形成：从荒芜到进步》（The Emergence of Bukit Ho Swee Estate: From Desolation to Progress) 一书。这是中英文版的图片集，1983年11月出版。此书以173张历史图片，记录了河水山经过三次大火洗礼后（1934年、1961年及1968年），如何从废墟中重建新家园的事迹，可谓是第一本有关政府组屋区的图片集，也是新加坡第一本地方史。
1990年新加坡政府提倡组屋管理私营化，我被调往建屋发展局属下的子公司----怡安产业公司（EM Services Pte Ltd) 任产业经理，负责义顺市镇理事会的物业管理工作， 同时兼市镇会总经理及秘书长。这是新任务，也是新尝试。以往任职区办事处总管时，很多时候是居民有事求助于你。现在我们受市镇会委托管理产业，必须学会与市镇会理事袞袞诸公打交道。公关与情商在这方面成了领导人的重要素质，如果处理不当，会影响日常行政工作。
这里有一段小插曲，即是我负责的义顺市鎮理事会是以华族先贤林义顺（Lim Nee Soon 1879-1936 年）命名的。林义顺是孙中山的支持者，与陈嘉庚有姻亲关系。为了表彰这位先贤的贡献, 市镇会特别设立“义顺室”，录制《家在义顺》（Yishun Our Home）记录片，展示义顺区的历史发展，又在义顺公园树立林义顺铜像以资纪念。
在义顺区竖立林义顺铜像纪念这位先贤，原本是以高立人博士为主席的义顺市镇会的主意， 我就是此市镇会的总经理兼秘书长。但是，1991年8月全国大选后，由于反对党民主党的蒋才正在义顺中区当选，而原定要竖立铜像的义顺公园又在义顺中区范围内，因此，包括铜像在内的整个义顺公园发展计划，就交由蒋才正为主席的义顺中市镇会处理。高立人博士又在他的义顺南选区再塑一尊，林义顺铜像就此闹双胞。
这两尊铜像的高度（2.3 公尺）、重量（700公斤）和造型相差无几，立于3公尺高底座上，而且都是由上海油画雕塑院的三名著名雕塑家陈古魁、王志强、吴慧明负责雕塑。两尊铜像的制作费大约相同，各为8万多元。不同的是伫立义顺南第八邻区公园的林义顺铜像手拄拐杖，竖立义顺镇公园的铜像则是手握圆帽。（img 7）
当时此项计划引耒不少争议。作为历史学者，我至今仍坚信为林义顺塑像是对的。这两尊铜像目前尚在，但已迁址，铜像的底座也折了：一尊在义顺中心（Yishun Central 1) 大牌934座，建屋发展局义顺分局办事处前；另一尊在华侨中学校园内。事隔31年林义顺铜像已是文物了；而时任义顺市镇会主席兼义顺南区议员高立人博士亦于2015 年逝世，致哀！
1991 年8月大选的结果，我所负责的义顺市镇理事会必须重组。 1994年6月我被调离市镇会，改任怡安（中国）产业公司总经理，这是新加坡怡安产业公司在中国的子公司，经营中国房地产的管理、咨询与培训工作。当时业务遍及厦门、泉州、苏州（工业园）、上海、北京等地。
本以为可以继续在市镇会工作，却没想到因大选的结果而被调离。如果不是大选关系，我不会离开市镇会，也没有机缘到中国工作。“凡事与愿违，上苍必有安排”。人生际遇风云，不同阶段的不同选择，决定了日后生命的轨迹与方向。遭遇小挫折不必太在意，或许这是为你另开新天地的契机，顺其不顺便是顺。在整个职场生涯中，被派往中国是重要转折点。在华经商经验对我至关重要。这使我的视野、胸𦡞与思维，豁然开朗，真的有点脱胎换骨的感觉。我因此深深地到感觉，人一定要 “走出去” ，不可局囿于小圈子。
从1994 年至2009 年，我前后在中国待了15 年，这是一生中最重要的15 年。期间根据新加坡的物业管理经验，配合中国的国情与法规制度，编写了《物业管理运作指南》一书。此书出版后一纸风行，2000年6月初版，2012年10月再版，如今这本书在中囯已成为物业管理同行与大专学府参考书。在华期间，我亦时常受邀到清华大学继续教育学院授课，参加中国房地产高端论坛与会议、接受当地报章媒体杂志访问，这些都是任职怡安（中国）总裁时的主要活动。
怡安（中国）在华运作10 多年，因新加坡总公司策略改变，乃结束在华业务。2007 年4月我回返新加坡后申请提早退休，时年58 岁。当时，新加坡的法定退休年龄是62岁，提早退休的原因有二，一是从中国回来以后，好像不太适应这里的工作方式；其二，在职场上的工作年龄还有四年的剩余价值，可以找机会到私人企业工作。毕竟过去20多年都在官场、法定机构或政联公司上班，现在倒是想看看私人企业的运作方式。
说实话，退休初期有点失落感。已太适应了每天早上起来梳洗上班的日子，现在晨起后面对漫漫长日，没有目标，不知如何是好。偶尔也会回忆起工作期间的甜酸苦辣。尤其怀念在华期间的日子，既艰辛又甜蜜。所幸的是，此时新加坡青年书局想出版一套《南洋大学术论丛》，主编陈剑找到了我，于是开始整理旧稿，辑成《石叻史记》一书，交由青年书局出版（2007 年8月）。
退休不到半年，又重作冯妇。从 2007 年8 月开始，我辗转在上海、沈阳、昆山的私人企业工作。2010年6月加入新加坡的莱坊物业管理公司（Knight Frank Estate Management Pte Ltd) 任营运顾问( Operations Support Consultant) 至2012 年8月离开莱坊。这是我第二度退休，此后不再涉足职场。从这时开始，我已有经验管理退休后的生活。
综上所述，我是所学非所用。对于所学历史专业与工作不对口，有时也不免自我安慰一番。正如我喜欢读书，但讨厌考试的道理一样。同样的，我也不想把对历史的爱好职业化。一旦爱好职业化了，所作所为都要想到饭碗问题，多没意思。与其说我的专业不对口，不如说我故意找不对口的专业，以避免一旦爱好职业化或专业化了，产生厌恶感！
虽然不能学以致用，但对历史研究的热忱丝毫没有减退。历史上的伟大事件，往往使我们低回赞叹，历史人物的光辉事迹，使我肃然起敬。读史可使我拍案叫绝，亦可使我黯然流泪。更何况历史事件可鼓舞我在逆境中前进，历史硏究对个人而言是一种人生修养。帝王将相御人之术，可以作为管理的借鉴，这也是我自毕业至今，从未放弃历史研究的原因。而且在工作期间，时刻不忘留下历史记录，所谓 “雁过留声” 是也。
• 社会活动
前文述及，大学期间我参加校园内的学术团体活动，担任学会刊物的编辑工作，同时还与同学筹款出版季刊, 发表文章, 这为日后我活跃于华人社团及编写大型史册而铺路。可以说，大学时代参加的课外活动，是一种精神，这种精神在毕业后延续，奠定了社会活动的基础。
1971 年大学毕业不久，参加了中峇鲁民众联络所管理委员会，每个星期三晚上协助该区国会议员庄日昆接见民众，成为生活中不可缺的一部分。在社会基层组识活跃约16、17年，才把精力转投在宗乡会馆的活动上。
新加坡建国后经济突飞猛进，人民生活水平提高，西方文化和生活方式也冲击华人社会的传统文化和价值观。如何教导年轻一代继承与发扬先辈刻苦耐劳的美德与精神，也就提到议事日程上来。
华人宗乡会馆是一股不可忽视的社会力量。在近百年的新加坡华族史上，会馆曾经扮演重要的角色。建国后宗乡会馆的活动，主要表现在发扬与保留母族文化，并且在很大程度上配合既定的国策。1986 年1月27日成立的新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会 (简称宗乡总会)，是新加坡华人史上的大事。宗乡总会成立的意义，在于抢救华人意识和维护中华文化的传承。此后30 年，我个人的社会活动与宗乡总会推广的文化项目，紧密地结合一起。
宗乡总会成立后，我被委为学术主任。这是一项义务工作，不是受薪的。按照宗乡总会宗旨，我负责的学术组（即今学术委员会）主要是推广、普及、保存及整理华族历史文化。这项工作分几方面进行:
(一) 1985年8月在宗乡总会筹备期间，我们与《联合晚报》联办《历史就在你家里》活动 (1985年9月至1986年3月)，向民间征集历史旧照片。之后在此基础举办《新加坡华人会馆沿革史》图片展，并与时任口述历史馆助理馆长林孝胜、国家档案馆副馆长林源福联合编辑《新加坡华人会馆沿革史》同名画册（1986 年3 月），让人们了解新加坡华人历史的进程；
(二) 1986年8 月筹办 “新华文史资料中心” , 库存许云樵教授所赠五万册藏书;
(三) 1987年6月，费时一年，完成拍摄新加坡第一部华人历史纪录片《抚今追昔》。这部30分钟的纪录片，运用现代科技，把一百多年来重要的古迹、人物、事件、文献等串连起来，重现了先辈华人披荆斩棘，与新加坡从沼泽密林, 发展为一个现代化城市国家的史实。我为此记录片的历史顾问之一；
(四) 1987年7月至10月，与新加坡广播电台联合制作《石叻夜话》节目。由我主讲，共18讲。节目以一问一答形式，深入浅出地讲述新加坡的有关人物、事件和古迹。这是继1960年马来亚广播电台邀请许云樵教授主讲《马来亚丛谈》以来，第二次播送谈华人史的节目。1989年9月29日至12月1日，我们也在中华总商会首开《中华文化十讲 》名家讲坛 , 很受欢迎。
1989 年是宗乡总会成立的首三年，我负责主编出版《总会三年》（1986-1989 年）纪念特辑。也就在这年的5月，宗乡总会决定用五年时间,分几个阶段完成《新华历史人物列传》的计划。
《新华历史人物列传》作为宗乡总会成立10周年纪念的重点项目, 我担任该书总编纂。1995年11月《新华历史人物列传》出版, 标志着宗乡总会在保存先辈史料的一个重要里程碑。本书共收录了1176名先贤事迹，涉及的领域包括政治、经济、文化、教育、艺术等。从1819年新加坡开埠至1990年止, 跨越170年的时空。
完成编纂《新华历史人物列传》后，由于工作关係，1996 年5 月我卸下学术主任一职，前往中国工作。自1985年9月当 宗乡总会还在筹备委员会的阶段加入作为首任学术主任，至1996离任，我服务宗乡总会达10年之久。此后，我在中国各大城市从事房地产管理、经营与咨询业务, 很少注意或涉及本地社团与会馆的活动。
2009年我从中国返回新加坡时，没有即刻重返宗乡总会。因为手上还有一些未处理之事。回新后，我发现了一些变化 : 宗乡总会会址搬迁了，工作人员也增多。新加坡的社会迎来不少世界各地的移民，其中许多是来自中国的移民。这批外耒人士，本地报章媒体付予了他们一个专有的名词 : “新移民”。 百年前移民浪潮 , 百年之后又以不同的方式出现在这岛国上 , 历史正在重演 ?
与以往一样, 南来的移民需要帮助。传统上, 这是宗乡会馆所扮演的角色。早年宗乡会馆在团结乡亲、排难解纷问题上 贡献不小。如今在新的历史条件下, 宗乡总会可以扮演更重要角色。如何协助新移民融入本地社会，与其他各族同胞和谐共处, 成了宗乡总会新的任务。
2010年10月30日 (星期六) 宗乡总会的历史又翻过了新页。在宗乡总会服务25年的黄祖耀（时任大华银行集团董事主席），把主席的重担顺利地移交给新的会长--- 在建筑界长袖善舞的蔡天宝。黄蔡二人祖籍同属福建, 他们在新加坡福建族群中, 享誉甚隆。和黄祖耀作为金门会馆会长一样, 蔡天宝同时也是福建会馆会长。
也就在这年，我重掌宗乡总会学术委员会。此间前后30 年，我见证了宗乡总会从诞生至“而立之年” 的历史历程。2011年1月，当宗乡总会纪念成立25周年之际，我撰文〈“一万年来谁著史”— 重返宗乡总会绪言〉，发表在《总会二十五年》特辑 ，表达了个人参与宗乡总会的感想。
必须感谢蔡锦松，是他把我引进宗乡总会的。锦松是当年宗乡总会的首任秘书长，也是我中学时期的学长。由于他知道 我个人的爱好，因此在宗乡总会创始之初，工作委员会的五组中要我负责学术组。作为学术主任，在宗乡总会每个阶段的标志性学术活动中，我成了主要推手并参与其事，工作虽烦琐有时也忙乱，但却自得其乐。
自从重掌学术委员会后，更有系统的在以往的基础上，重新出发，以新加坡华人历史文化为主轴，自2011年4月开始，举行的国际研讨会与系列专题讲座有：《闽帮人物与闽商精神》国际研讨会 （2011年4月）、《新加坡侨批文化展》（2012年9月）、《三州府论坛 》之 《百年盘点：峇峇人物与文化》（2013年9月）及《关公文化》 座谈会 （2014年8月）。 此外，还有个别的讲座如《从历史文化角度谈华经商》 （2011年6月）等。
比较受欢迎的专题讲座是《石叻坡记忆》系列讲座 。我们举办了《新加坡四大历史名楼》（2012年4月）、《家书抵万金》（2012年9月）、《新加坡历史悬案》（2013年5月）、 《星洲四才子》（2014年5月）等专题。这系列讲座的特色是雅俗共赏，几乎场场爆满。2015年10月，又举办《名人与庙宇》座谈会，旨在带领公众探索新华历史名人和庙宇宗祠的情结，领略南洋庙宇文化。
在宗乡总会办公大楼內设立永久性的历史走廊是理事会的工作重点。配合《光阴的故事》历史走廊的完成（2013 年9月），我们编印了《图说石叻坡》 （2014年2月） 及《石叻寻梦》手机视频导览录音（2015年11月），方便随时随地重温新加坡历史。 2016年3月6日主办《新加坡华人通史》座谈会, 让广大读者能更深入地阅读这本历史专著。
除担任新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会理事兼学术委员会主任外，我担任的其他社会职务尚有：南洋理工大学华裔馆董事、新加坡国家图书馆咨询委员会、新加坡华族文化中心学术委员会委员、晚晴园——孙中山南洋纪念馆学术委员会成员、南洋柯氏公会名誉董事、泉州市华侨历史博物馆海外顾问等，目前是马来西亚新纪元大学学院客座教授。
• 晚年著史
历史研究可说是我的第二生命，著史生涯贯穿了我的人生，为什么这里用“晚年著史”为标题呢？这主要是为了行文的方便。还有就是退休后，可以腾出更多时间，更能集中精力从事历史研究工作。从2009年至今的12年间，我在史著数量上有增加，质量也有所提高。
历史研究是千秋大业，普及与推广华人史的工作，也应该细水长流。这项工作必须坚持下去。基于这种信念，在忙碌的公务和社会活动之余，我仍不间断地从事历史研究。
记得大学毕业后第一篇报章文章，是发表在1972年5月7日的《星州日报》，题目是《新加坡民信业领袖林树彦》。此后对投稿报章杂志就很感兴趣。1973年，在南洋史学界泰斗陈育崧的鼓励与指导下，我集合了一批同道友好：林孝胜、张夏帏、吴华、张清江、李奕志，利用工余时间寻幽访古，实地勘察新加坡有代表性的华人古迹，每周一篇轮流发表在《星州日报》副刊《星云》版。后来把这些文章合辑出版《石叻古迹》一书，列为南洋学会丛书之十三，陈育崧为该书封面题字并作序，我写了后记，为抢救新加坡有历史价值的华人古迹略尽绵力。
1986年12月我把《左秉隆领事与新华社会》等九篇华人史的文章，与林孝胜撰写的《开埠初期的新华社会》等六篇文章合辑为《新华历史与人物研究》一书，由新加坡南洋学会出版。广州暨南大学朱杰勤 （1913-1990年）教授在此书序言中说：“柯木林先生的文章篇幅不多，而言之有物，文字流畅，有独到之处”。1988年8月，这部著作获得新加坡社会发展部颁发的1988年度书籍奖中的学术著作奖。获此奖时我颇有感慨地说：“1973年《石叻古迹》出版以后，没有引起反响。这几年来可不同了，人们对历史已感到兴趣，宗乡会馆联合总会与各个宗乡会馆都很关心历史的研究、展览与出版，说明人们已经培养历史感”。（见《联合早报》，1988年8月27日）。
过去40 年没有间断的历史研究，似乎是在为日后编撰大型史册铺路。早在1992 年，在一次接受《联合早报》访谈中 （1992年11月23日)，我曾表示最大的愿望是 “集合一批志同道合的朋友, 联合撰写一部从1819年到今天的新加坡华人社会通史” 。在这意义上，《新加坡华人通史》的出版可说是实现了我多年的愿望。
机会永远是留给有准备的人。2012年我向宗乡总会提议用三年时间，在2015年纪念宗乡总会成立30周年，暨庆祝新加坡共和国建国50周年（SG50) 之际出版《新加坡华人通史》作为 献礼。2013年9月18日，在第 14届理事会暨执委会第七次会议上，这项提议得到批准，由我负责主编。
《新加坡华人通史》内容涵盖了14世纪迄今近700年的新加坡华人历史。这部80多万字，厚826页的历史巨著，筹备三年多，动员了新、马、中、港、澳（洲）、及日本37位历史学者共同编撰。此书是继1923年宋旺相爵士的英文巨著《新加坡华人百年史》后,第一部以华文撰写,以新加坡华人为主线, 有系统载录新加坡华人史的典籍。这本史册从全方位、多角度梳理了新华历史的概况，以及华人在社会发展各阶段的特点、成就和贡献 。
《新加坡华人通史》是一项浩繁而艰巨的工程。最大的挑战就是制定全书纲目。由于这是一项全新项目， 完全没有前例可循，唯一可资参考的是几部当年殖民地官员所撰写的英文典籍，还有就是一般的历史著述。在一次和我的老师，著名东亚研究专家黄枝连教授的邮件通讯中，忽然脑洞大开，八个字即刻湧现出来：“我行我素，不拘一格”，这就是我要的通史风格。
我用了一整年的时间, 数易其稿，最后才敲定全书各个章节的纲要。尽管如此，在整个编辑过程中，还是不断地修改。框架是建立起来了，但必须给各章节安排亮眼的题目。我挖空心思，早想晚想，走在路上也在想。有一次过马路，想着想着，差一点被疾驰而来的汽车撞到，若非命大，这本书已跟我无缘了。
我常说，我不是在编书，而是做管理项目。我是项目总经理，从初步规划、草拟大纲、筹钱出版、印刷校对等等，很多时候都要亲力亲为，真的是校长兼校工，校工兼敲钟了。我把职场上的管理经验用在编务上，也算得心应手。
2015年11月9日李显龙总理在主持《新加坡华人通史》发布会致辞时, 形容这本史著为 “献给华社的珍贵礼物”。中文版推出后获得热烈回响，兹后由福建人民出版社引进中囯出版。中国版分上下两册，2018年5月18 日在福建泉州华侨历史博物馆举行首发式，新加坡驻厦门总领事池兆森参与其盛；时任新加坡国家图书馆馆长伍慧贤女士亦专程到泉州捧场。同年12月，《新加坡华人通史》入选《中华读书报》2018年百佳图书（历史和传记20种好书）。在中国全国这么多图书中能脱颖而出，确实不易, 感谢福建人民出版社的引进！
与此同时，我也协助陈有利教授 （Prof Kevin YL Tan）把宋旺相英文巨著中的800 多位先贤英文名还原中文。2020 年初由新加坡国家图书馆出版，这就是One Hundred Years‘ History of the Chinese in Singapore (The Annotated Edition), 此书解决了今后学者对该书资料的出处及人物中文名字的困扰问题。
在纪念新加坡开埠 200年之际，《新加坡华人通史》又推出英文版，借此拓展至更广泛的读者群，尤其是友族和国际读者。英文版不是翻译版，而是由英文学界组成的团队负责编撰，2019年6月英文版面世，柯宗元教授（曾任新加坡国家博物院院长）与我联合主编。 中英文版的《新加坡华人通史》都是由蜚声国际的历史学家王赓武教授作序。英文版的序文作者则增加了新加坡总理李显龙。 (img 8)
2019年是忙碌的一年。为配合新加坡开埠200周年，我们呈现了《新加坡历代人物传记数据库》，提供网页界面，数据外链，将数据库与新加坡国家图书馆、新加坡国家档案馆和新加坡国立大学中文系图像档案库的资料联系起来，便于用户搜索先贤资料及社交网络。此项目第一阶段主要关注200名华人先贤，未来计划则是建立1819年至2019年的先贤个人和人物关系网络的大数据库。
这些学术活动，得到学界的肯定，厦门大学把宗乡总会视为学术研究的合作伙伴。为更完善东南亚华族文化与历史资源，2018 年2月宗乡总会与马来西亚新纪元大学学院签署《学术交流合作备忘录》，展开长达五年的交流。在这计划下，我与该校东南亚学系系主任廖文辉博士，联合编注《三州府文件修集选编》，于2020 年11月出版。
三州府是华人对新加坡、槟榔屿、马六甲组成的英属海峡殖民（Straits Settlements）的俗称。这本《三州府文件修集》原是殖民政府培训公务员的华文读本， 1894 年在新加坡出版。原书现珍藏于新加坡国家图书馆缮本珍藏部，分三册七卷，共收录 383 篇函件。《三州府文件修集选编》只摘录其中 162 篇与早期新马华人社会有关的文件。本书可说是一座宝库，存放着大量19世纪新马华社信息，与底层人民的生活样相，是一部不可多得的社会史资料。根据书中内容，2021年4月9日（星期五）我在“早报悦读@NLB” 线上，专题主讲了 《19世纪新加坡华人底层社会》，现场Facebook直播约有7400多位听众, 网络传播的威力真大。
从2013年起，我也代表晚晴园— 孙中山南洋纪念馆前往中国、日本 (2015年10月) 及旧金山 (2015年5月) 发表学术演讲。与晚晴园结下不解之缘，乃因早年曾协助新加坡中华总商会晚晴园管理委员会摄制《晚晴园与孙中山》记录片 (1988 年5月），我是这部记录片的历史顾问和撰稿人。此纪录片至今仍为晚晴园珍藏。晚晴园现已交由国家文物局管辖，是国家保护的古迹。2015年1月我获新加坡文化、社区与青年部、国家艺术理事会、国家文物局联合颁发之“SG50奖牌”。如果说，2019 年5 月的“新加坡华族文化贡献奖” 是对我多年来历史研究的肯定，2015年 的“SG50 奖牌“，可视为我参与各项文化活动的征信物。
如今是网络时代，现代科技可以更方便地使知识文化流传推广。不知道从什么时候开始，就热衷于以科技著史。通过这样的渠道和世界各地历史爱好者共享研究心得，是我在2009年2月设立《柯木林（Kua Bak Lim）博客》的目的。 和一般以日志形式出现的博客不同，《柯木林（Kua Bak Lim）博客》登载了我个人曾发表过的文章及与个人相关的訊息，可视为我个人的资料库。《柯木林博客》也得到各地历史爱好者的支持。一些研究新马华人史的学者, 还将本博客作为研究的参考资料库, 甚为欣慰！
2018 年6月我担任六集人文纪录片《共生缘》的学术顾问。这六集120 钟的记录片，由厦门理工学院影视传播学院副教授黄婉彬担任监制，系统地理顺了峇峇与娘惹文化。该片2021 年5月9日在马来西亚Astro电视台播出，获得华语节目最高收视纪录，全国收视排名第九。此前一年，2020年6月6日香港凤凰卫视中文台和欧美台向全球播出，收视率排名37。
今年（2021年）8月，我亦为宗乡总会制作的《新加坡秘踪》视频系列担任历史顾问。通过新生代喜欢的网络元素和科技，以期吸引更多年轻观众。《新加坡秘踪》系列共有五集，题目是《一个木匠》《两个金文泰》《三大世界》《四家俱乐部》和《五大道》，每集五分钟，讲述新加坡的奇闻轶事。（img 9）9 月23 日（星期四），我参与由新纪元大学学院文学与社会科学院，与当地媒体《东方日报》ONLINE联办的线上学堂系列课程《华商先辈·人文情怀》，我负责第10讲《明月何曾是两乡：新呷两豪门》，分享祖辈从中国移居南洋的奋斗故事。（img 10）
总觉得一直很忙，退休后比退休前还忙，找我的人也多，时常要处理来自各方的询问、 访谈、 介绍学者、 推荐参考资料等等，一点都不寂寞。平日生活，除写作外，就是社团活动、讲座、与朋友聚餐、唱卡拉OK。近年疫情关系，已有一年多无法出国。但这样也好，可以致力研究工作，減少应酬。
兴趣产生动力，从事自己喜欢的历史研究，倒也不见得辛苦。 目前正在为宗乡总会策划《新加坡秘踪》视频系列二，及网上展览馆，宣传新加坡华人的故事。正在进行的大型史册项目有《陈笃生家族史》、《庆德会会史》。与林孝胜合著的名人传记《商业与艺术同荣：张东孝回忆录》，2021年底面世。
一点感想
我自认为是个有历史癖的人，幼时喜欢看历史连环图，中小学时爱读古典小说，大学选修历史系。所作所为，所思所想，都要从历史中寻找答案。谈论议题，以古喻今，用的也是历史。即使过去几十年业务繁忙，案牍劳形，但对历史的热忱，血不曾冷。经常利用工余时间进行历史研究，寻幽访古的田野工作。如此长年积累，于是留下不少研究专篇。这些作品多发表在学术期刊、报章杂志上，也曾将这些著作汇总出版。
两个印象最深刻的求学记忆，一是准备高中会考；一是撰写荣誉学位毕业论文。我原是理科生，后理转文。我读理科数学差，也不喜欢物理。读文科讨厌地理，但对文学、历史有浓厚兴趣。中四会考成绩并不理想，只获乙等文凭，希望在高中会考拼一下。所以准备高中考试非常辛苦，也因此有了近视眼。可能高考压力太大，留下后遗症。即使毕业后工作几年了，有时还会梦见考试。大学时代的压力在撰写毕业论文，还好有前辈指引，得以顺利完成。
我不喜欢运动。记得上初中一时，体育课才得60分，还是老师网开一面才勉强及格，否则不能升班。看电影是我的主要活动，后来变本加厉，竟然发展到一年看180部电影的记录，平均隔天或几天看一部电影，甚至一天看两部至三部。那是1965年的事。当时中四会考刚过，读高中一时没有准备中四会考那年心情紧绷，比较松懈, 所以有时间泡电影院。我也喜欢看电影杂志，如邵氏机构出版的《南国电影》等，熟悉当年香港影坛的八卦新闻，也时常与朋友聊天电影话题，当时还尝试写影评，好笑！
欣赏老歌与华乐是我高中时期的爱好，尤其喜欢旧上海时代的流行歌曲。老歌除了音律优美外，作词者的古文功底好，歌词文学水平很高。当年上海滩影视歌坛的一些老牌演员及歌手，如周璇、韩兰根、严华、黎锦光（李七牛，金玉谷，《夜来香》词曲作者 ）、贺绿汀、范烟桥、姚敏等等，都耳熟能详。多年以后（1991年）我到上海拜访严华（周璇第一任丈夫）、黎锦光。当时我对严华说，50多年前他谱写的《送君》、《百鸟朝凤》、《月圆花 好》等名曲在新加坡仍然十分流行，严华笑而不答。1992年，严华辞世，1993年黎锦光亦离去！人事沧桑，如斯而已！
自从1971年大学毕业后进入社会工作，在官场、商场这两种截然不同文化的领域里，服务了38年，弹指一挥间。现在该是“倦鸟归巢”，静下来整理和反思的时候了。官场、商场与学界是截然不同的世界，三者我都涉及了，当然有不同感受。官场求自保，商场重利益，学界比较复杂，五味杂陈。但有了商场的实战经验，再回来研究历史，可以从不同的视角看问题，也是有好处的。
回首前尘，我有两个“不务正业”。大学时代主修的是历史，可是毕业后从事的却是物业管理。业余时间，搞的又是历史研究，直至退休后专注于史学著作，才算回归正途，才有时间把过去撰写华人史的文章整理汇总出版。第一次退休时整理的是《石叻史记》，前文已述及。第二次退休整理《从龙牙门到新加坡：东西海洋文化交汇点》，2016 年12 月由社会科学文献出版社在北京出版。
从事历史研究多年最大的感受就是要读好书。从这点上说，《万历十五年》这本史学著作对我的影响极为深刻。《万历十五年》是国际知名明史专家黄仁宇博士（Ray Huang）的力作。黄仁宇早年毕业于美国密支根大学历史系，对明代的财政与税收制度有深入研究。此书初稿用英文撰写，书名为 “1587 ，A Year of No Signifance”，1981年美国耶鲁大学出版。书成后，再由作者本人译写为中文，1982年5月由北京中华书局刊行，中国著名作家廖沫沙为该书挥翰题签。本书尚有法、日、德等国文字版本，很有国际地位。
《万历十五年》从“大历史观”的研究视角出发，选取了明朝万历十五年（1587年）作为考察切入点，运用历史小说的叙事模式和传记体式的章节，通过对关键历史人物悲惨命运的描述，探析了晚明帝国走向衰落的深刻原因。这充分体现了作者的大历史观，即宏观的、系统的历史，也即“从技术的角度看待历史”。读《万历十五年》这本书，使我在历史研究方法上有更深层次的认识，很是受益，在我多次演讲中常提及此书。
读史从长时间，远距离看问题。历史虽然不能重演，但会有惊人相似之处。历史作为个人的一种修行，可以洗滌心灵，令人产生敬畏之心，让历史学习进入另一境界。所以我从耒没有后悔选读历史系。
学习历史的最高境界在融汇贯通，在于“悟”字，终臻历史哲学。读历史就是读人性。以逻辑思维探索人物心理活动，这正是训练人们思考与分析能力，可以作为处世之道与生活哲学。人类最大的教训就是没有从历史教训中吸取教训，因此一而再，再而三地重蹈复辙。其实，所有事件，小至个人際遇，大至国家大事，只要熟读历史，往往可以找到相应案例，因时制宜，寻找解决方案。2018年10月，新加坡囯家档案馆为我录制了10 小时的口述历史，我就是以这种观点，讲述个人的经历、人生观与处世哲学。
如果有人问我，此生最大的遗憾是什么？我可以毫无疑问地说，我自幼缺位导师（mentor），出身也不富裕。如果自幼有导师指引，现在情况或许很不一样。还好自己胡闯，没有行差踏错，算是上苍对我的眷顾。我也因此愿意当年青人的导师，为他们指出人生道路与研究方向。
我有两位女儿，四位外孙女。我曾経是一个不折不扣的影迷，所以两位女儿的名字都源自电影明星。我喜欢夏梦演的《绝代佳人》，也喜欢白茵的《苏小小》。所以大女儿梦茵，是夏梦、白茵各取一字。1976年二女孩出世，汪明荃主演的《清宫残梦》电视剧风靡新马，二女儿乃取名梦荃。
两位女儿都不是学历史的，大女儿是建筑估算师；小女儿学商业管理，她们都留学澳洲。当今教育制度注重实用科学，不太重视社会科学。小女儿虽对历史偶感兴趣，但肯定不会做深入研究，这也是大势所趋，自己也无能为力。看来我的历史研究工作是后继无人的了！然而倘若我的著作可以影响年轻一代，或许他们读了我的文章后有所启发，也是一种功德吧！
稿于2021年8月30日. 新加坡
2021年9月11日 修订
An Autobiography: My Life’s Journey in History Research
By Kua Bak Lim
原文:
An Autobiography: My Life’s Journey in History Research
By Kua Bak Lim
In October 2020, I got to know Associate Professor Khoo Kiak Uei (邱克威) from Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) through Dr. Hue Guan Thye (许源泰). AP Khoo asked me to write an autobiography for a journal, Xue Wen《学文》 where he is the editor. After much consideration, I gladly agreed.
As a historian, written records are of great significance. Being invited to write this article gave me the opportunity to reflect and summarize my decades-long intellectual journey in researching the Chinese diaspora history. If readers can find inspiration from this article, it would be a positive outcome.
My story begins with a flashback to May 2019.
On Friday, 24 May, 2019, I was honoured with the 3rd "Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award", which was presented by then Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Ms Grace Fu. That evening, I received the Four-Color knot trophy designed by local sculptor Yeo Chee Kiong (杨子强), a cash prize of $10,000 and a project funding of up to $10,000.
On 24 May 2019, I was honoured with the 3rd "Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award"(Photo: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre)
In 2019, there were a total of 32 nominations for the Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Awards, with two-thirds coming from the performing arts sector, while the rest from the fields such as literature, education, research and folklore. A total of 18 individuals and 4 groups were nominated for the first time. Fortunately, among these many nominees, I stood out and won the Individual Contribution Award. I have dedicated more than 40 years to the study of the history of the Chinese in Singapore, compiling and authoring many historical volumes. After over four decades of effort, my hard work has finally paid off.
“I never imagined that my interest would translate into an award, and that my perseverance would bear fruit on the occasion of Singapore’s Bicentennial commemorations. Today's recognition is both a blessing and a source of pressure. In my Award acceptance speech, I mentioned: “I am deeply grateful to my mentors, peers and family for their unwavering support and assistance given me over the years". This also reflects my genuine and sincere feeling.
73 years have passed in the blink of an eye. Looking back over the past six decades, some memories blur while others remain vivid. Reflecting on my life’s journey, it may be divided into four distinct phases:
(1) Education in Early Years
(2) Career in Civil Service and Private Sector
(3) Social Activities and Community Services
(4) Writing History in My Retirement Years
Education in Early Years
On the evening of 5 July 1948 (Lunar Calendar: 29 May, in the Year of the Rat, Monday), I was born at Tan’s Dispensary, located at 81 Upper Cross Street. This was a private clinic, and my mother was 35 years old then. We lived on the third floor of 19 China Street, colloquially known as “Dujian Kou” (Gambling Den Entrance), with a monthly rent of $27.The building still stands today. This area was a bustling part of downtown Singapore and historically a settlement for early immigrants from southern China.
As a child, I lived in what was commonly known as Gambling Den Entrance, third floor, No.19 China Street.
At that time, the Pacific War had ended 3 years earlier, and the Japanese Army that invaded Singapore had surrendered. I was indeed fortunate to be born during peacetime. Over a decade prior, in the 1930s, my father, Kua Boon Huat (柯文法 26 October 1911 – 7 September 1973), left his hometown of Dongyu Village in Haicheng County (福建省海澄县东屿村), Fujian Province (now part of Haiceng District, Xiamen City) to Kuching, Sarawak. He later moved to Singapore, where he first opened a provision shop in Geylang near Lorong 31 (the site still exists today). Subsequently, he partnered with friends in a feed supply business at Boat Quay along the Singapore River. In 1960, his business failed. Through the recommendation of the Nanyang Kuah Si Association （南洋柯氏公会), he found work as a clerk at a hardware store in North Bridge Road and remained there until his passing in 1973.
My mother, Lim Imm Tee (25 January 1915 – 24 March 2005), was the adopted daughter of my father's uncle. After my father’s first wife passed away in her China hometown, he re-married in Singapore. Mother gave birth to four boys and three girls. As my two older brothers and older sister died young during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, I became the eldest son in the family after my half-sister, from my father’s first marriage in China. Below me are two younger sisters and a brother. When I was five months old, my father asked my half-sister to come from China to look after me. So I was brought up by my half-sister, and we had a very good relationship.
My father told me that before the war, he ran a provision shop named "Ho Huat” (和发) in Geylang, and business was good. However, his uncle (my maternal grandfather) was an unscrupulous person who went to the Japanese Military Police during the Japanese Occupation, to falsely accuse my father of selling rice and grain without a license. This led to my father's arrest by the Japanese authorities. Fortunately, at risk to his own life, he managed to escape from the Japanese, but my father's partner was arrested, and never heard of again. After that, my grandfather seized control of the provision shop. Since then, my parents became homeless, constantly moving from place to place, and my two brothers and sister died young while wandering around. This story has always haunted me. I wrote about this story when I was in secondary three. In my composition titled "The most unforgettable person in my Life", I said I hated my grandfather and wanted to take revenge. The class teacher, Mdm Van Chin Shoon (万正纯) commented on it, and I still remembered her comments to this day: "This essay has a strong and fluent narrative, but it is not the attitude that a junior should have towards his grandfather”.
Eldest sister is sitting in the middle. I'm standing on the right (22 June 1956)
In 1951, we moved to an illegal structure on Alexandra Road, paying a monthly rent of $40. By 1954, we purchased a zinc-roof house for $3000, located at the entrance of Lorong Tai Seng, with the address of 288-Z Airport Road (later renumbered as 8A). It was close to the Paya Lebar Airport. At that time, Airport Road was still under construction, the bulldozers were noisy, and kicked up a lot of dust, which left a deep impression on me. Lorong Tai Seng was notorious for secret society activity. The notorious “Double-Gun Bandit ” Lim Ban Lim (林万霖) was well-known in this area. As a child, I personally witnessed gang fight involving weapons. Once, a small-time troublemaker even wanted to robe me in to join the secret society, but my elder sister found out in time and stopped me.
In 1955, I started primary one. I was originally supposed to enroll in an English school, but because we missed the registration deadline, I ended up attending Tar Keow Public School (公立大侨学校). Perhaps it was fate - had I gone to an English school, who knows what I would be doing now? Tar Keow Public School was very close to my home and its facilities were rudimentary. Only later did I learn that the school actually had a good standard of education and highly qualified teachers. Founded in 1936, Tar Keow Public School went through several relocations before eventually settling at Ang Mo Kio Street 54. In December 2018, it passed into history.
In primary three (1957), I took part in a composition competition. The topic was "My Happiest Day of My Life" in which I wrote about the joyful mood of preparing for the Lunar New Year. I won the first prize in the school’s open category. That year, the principal Liu Junkai (刘俊楷) awarded me with a certificate, but regrettably, it was not preserved. Looking back now, it seemed I developed an interested in writing from a young age – almost an obsession with recording and documenting things. Perhaps was that an early sign pointing toward my eventual decision to study history in university?
I was an above- average student, ranking 8th in my class in primary five. However, I failed one subject and was only “provisionally promoted” ("Shidu", 试读) to Primary Six. In the end, I managed to pass. I graduated from primary school in 1960 and entered Dunman Government Chinese Middle School (德明政府华文中学) the following year. From 1961 to 1966, I was there from secondary one to pre-university two, spending a total of six year at Dunman.
Dunman Government Chinese Middle School was a government-run Chinese-medium school. It was considered top-tier in term of both facilities and teaching staff during that era. For instance, my art teacher, Liu Kang (刘抗) was a famous artist, and the principal Chen Jen Hao (陈人浩) was celebrated for his excellent calligraphy. My secondary school graduation certificate bears the personal signature of Chen Jen Hao. Today, Dunman remains a prestigious school and is designated as one of the Singapore’s Special Assistance Plan ( SAP) schools, emphasizing bilingual excellence.
The art teacher, Liu Kang instructing me in painting. (Source: Dunman High School Graduation Class Commemorative Special Issue 1964).
Since my early childhood, I enjoyed listening to stories and reading picture-story books. I was particularly mesmerized by the Hokkien- dialect radio broadcasts of "Five Tigers Conquering the West "《五虎平西 》 and the picture book "The General of the Yang Family "《杨家将 》". This admiration for historical figures and their great deeds also led me to have a penchant for celebrities. At that time, my favorite Hong Kong actresses were Kitty Ting Hao (丁浩), Lucilla You Min (尤敏), Hsia Moon (夏梦) and Daisy Yan Pak (白茵). Among the male actors, I had a liking for the melancholic leading young man, Kelly Lui Chun (雷震). I once wrote to Kitty Ting (丁浩) and received a signed photo from her. It was a pity that it was not preserved due to shifting of our house, otherwise it would also be a historical memorabilia. As for mainland China actors/ actresses, I especially appreciated Shu Shi (舒适), Liu Qiong (刘琼), Ms Yang Likun (杨丽坤) and Ms Huang Wanqiu (黄婉秋).
My favourite magazines during primary and secondary school years were "The Nanyang Children “《南洋儿童》, "The Children Paradise "《儿童乐园》 and "World Children "《世界儿童》, all imported publications from Hong Kong. I was particularly fond of the “Xiao Qiang’s Story" 《小强的故事》 series in "The Nanyang Children ". My personal photo was even featured in issue 38 of “The Nanyang Children” under the column “Readers Who Love This Magazine” 《爱读本刊的读者》 on the inside back cover section. Unfortunately, I lent this issue to a friend who never returned it, resulting in it being lost permanently, a regret that lingers to this day. I recalled that the editorial office of The Nanyang Children was located at No. 10 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong. When I first traveled to Hong Kong in 1974, I made a special visit to this address. Given Hong Kong’s high property costs, the editorial office of The Nanyang Children was only a modest space. Sadly, the Nanyang Children has since ceased publication!
When I was in the primary six, I began reading novels. The first book I read was Robinson Crusoe 《鲁滨逊漂流记》, which was assigned as holiday homework by my teacher, with the requirement to present its contents to the class when school resumed. I also enjoyed “The Adventures of Pinocchio” 《木偶奇遇记》. However, I became fascinated after reading "Selected Stories from Chinese Classics" 《中国名著故事选. Published in 1959 by Hong Kong Modern Books Company (香港今代图书公司), this book came in three volumes; I cherished it deeply and have kept it to this day. It sparked my interest in reading classical Chinese novels, leading me to become engrossed in Water Margin (or Outlaws of the Marsh《 水浒传》). In reading them, my emotions often fluctuated between joy, sorrow and struggle of the characters in the novel, sometimes moved to tears, or even causing me to lose my appetite.
By my secondary two, I had read most of China’s renowned classical novels, such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms 《三国演义》, Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦), The Western Chamber 《西厢记》，Journey to the West 《西游记》, Complete Chronicle of Yue Fei 《说岳全传》, The Powdered Tower 《粉妆楼 》, Tale of the Tang Dynasty 《说唐》, Emperor Taizu's Southern Campaign 《宋太祖征南唐》, etc. At that time, the Four Great Classical Novels I read were the abridged versions published by the World Book Co. Ltd (世界书局), which were concise and easy to understand. I saved the pocket money given by my father to buy these novels. Unexpectedly, I was ignorant back then to realize that reading these literary works would lay the foundation for my work in historical research later. However, it was the following two events that sparked my interest in history.
The first event dates back to 1962 when I was a secondary two student. Our history teacher, Mdm Ong Yong Suet (王映雪) who was not formally trained in history but a graduate from the Department of Foreign Languages and Studies at Nanyang University. She taught history with passion and vivid storytelling. When she talked about the fall of the Qing Dynasty, she remarked that although Qing Dynasty was overthrown in 1911, but the last emperor, Puyi (溥仪), was still in Beijing. She suggested that if we were interested, we could go and meet him. Her words had aroused my interest in modern Chinese history and kindled a desire to meet the Last Emperor. At that time, I also purchased many books and began devouring on modern Chinese history. 26 years later, during the 1988 Spring Festival, on my third visit to Beijing, Puyi had already passed away; but I had the privilege to meet his "imperial younger brother御弟", Pu Jie (溥杰). I even requested Pu Jie to inscribe the cover calligraphy for my upcoming book "Essays on Reading History" , fulfilling my longstanding wish of seeing the Last Emperor . On 16 June 1988 (Thursday), my article titled "Meeting Aisin Gioro Pujie: Talking about the Last Emperor "《会爱新觉罗·溥杰谈末代皇帝》was published in the Nanyang.Sin Chew Lianhe Zaobao 《南洋•星洲联合早报》, recounting the visit with Pu Jie.
Visiting Aisin Gioro Pujie, the imperial younger brother of the Last Emperor (16 February 1988)
The second event took place in 1966, when I was in pre-university two. At that time, a Chinese film that cause a sensation, “The Naval Battle of 1894 《甲午风云》” was screened in Singapore. After watching the film, I developed profound admiration for the national hero Deng Shichang (邓世昌) who heroically sacrificed his life in the Sino-Japanese naval battle, and this ignited my fervour to collect historical materials about him. Also, during the Spring Festival of 1988, I revisited Guangzhou and specifically to pay homage to Deng Shichang’s former residence. While working in China, I intentionally visited all the historical sites related to the First Sino-Japanese War. From the Fuzhou’s Mawei Naval Academy (马尾船政学堂, China’s first naval school), to the Weihai ‘s Naval Office, the Beiyang Fleet Admiralty Headquarters (海军公所), the "Dingyuan Battleship (定远号) ” Scenic Area, and even the ruins of the Beiyang Fleet’s Dagu Dockyard (大沽船坞) in Tianjin, I had left my footprints at all these places. On 20 May 2009, I was invited to attend the “Academic Symposium Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Beiyang Fleet" held in Weihai, Shandong. After the conference, I wrote a lengthy article titled “Historical Reflections on the Beiyang Fleet (or Beiyang Squadron, Imperial Chinese Navy）’s visit To Singapore – With a Discussion on the Beiyang Fleet during the First Sino-Japanese War <北洋水师访问新加坡的历史反思—兼谈甲午海战时期的北洋舰队>” which was included in the anthology“New Perspectives on the Beiyang Fleet 《北洋海军新探》" edited by Qi Junjie (戚俊杰) and Guo Yang (郭阳) and published by Chung Hwa Book Company (中华书局) in October 2012.
From these personal experiences, I have come to realize the vital importance of cultivating public interest in history and disseminating historical knowledge. Subtle and continuous efforts to popularize history can have an immeasurable impact on inspiring people to learn it. This became the very starting point of my tireless dedication to promoting the history of the Singapore Chinese in the year to come.
After graduating from pre-university-two, I entered the History Department at Nanyang University in 1967. Although I had developed an interested in modern Chinese history during my secondary school years, I was even more passionate in Chinese literature, particularly the poetic masterpieces of the Tang and Song dynasties. I originally intended to major in Chinese literature, but unexpectedly, a single remark by my pre-university-two history teacher Puah Sin Khim (潘先钦), changed my mind and influenced the direction of my future academic path. Mr. Puah, a graduate from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Nanyang University himself, often advised his students: "Try to study in other departments if you can, it is best not to choose the Chinese Department." If not Chinese Department, I wondered what else I should study? After some enquiries, I learned that Nanyang University also had a History Department, so I chose to study history instead.
In 1965, Singapore gained independence, and the tumultuous student movements that had taken place before independence gradually subsided. On 25 April 1966, a new academic system was implemented, ending the four-year general degree program under the American-style system and replacing it with the British-style system of a three-year general degree, followed by a one-year honours degree course. On 25 May 1968, the government officially announced the recognition of degrees conferred by Nanyang University. It was in this environment that I began my university studies.
During my university years, I actively participated in campus academic organizations, mainly the History Society and the Buddhist Society. In 1968/1969 I served as the editor of “Reading History Notes “《读史札记》, the journal of the Nanyang University’s History Society. In the 1969/1970 academic year, I was elected Vice-President of the Buddhist Society (佛学会) and was responsible for editing Issues 4th and 5th of its publication Beiye (Bodhi Leaves)《贝叶》. Concurrently, I collaborated with my room-mate Ong Lay Khiam (王励谦, who later became General Manager of Singapore Tat Lee Bank, 达利银行) from Faculty of Commerce, to fundraise and publish the Quarterly Journal Studies of Social Sciences 《社会科学研究季刊》. Altogether, I authored 9 articles across these three journals, including "The Background of the Anglo-French Disputes in Siam during the 19th and 20th Centuries “<十九、廿世纪英法在暹罗纠纷的背景>, "The Influence of Buddhism on Chinese Culture “ <佛教对中国文化的影响>, and “ Some Reflections on Studying Singapore History” <对于学习新加坡历史应有的几点认识 >.
The Quarterly Journal Studies of Social Sciences featured cover calligraphy by Chen Jen Hao (陈人浩). Each issue was sold at $0.40. At that time, we also invited prominent scholars including Prof Tse Chee Seng (谢哲声, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Nanyang University), Lee Ting Hui (李廷辉, Deputy Director of the Singapore Institute of Political Studies), Gwee Yee Hean (魏维贤, Senior Lecturer, Department of Education, University of Singapore) and Lim Kim Woon (林钦蕴, Principal, National Junior College of Singapore) to serve as editorial advisors. The quarterly published informative articles introducing various aspects of social science, which was well received. Regrettably, due to financial constraints, the publication ceased after only six issues between 1969 and 1970.
While pursuing my general degree, I took a course on “History of the Chinese in Southeast Asia” and began systematically reading related works. However, at that time, I was not particularly interested in Chinese diaspora history. What truly prompted me to become interested in the history of the Chinese in Singapore and Malaya was the book "Malaya Miscellany “《马来亚丛谈》 by Prof. Hsu Yun Tsiao (许云樵1905-1981), an internationally renowned historian in Southeast Asia history. This book was originally a series of radio scripts written by Prof. Hsu at the invitation of the Malayan Broadcasting Corporation, the text was later compiled and published in book form by Singapore Youth Bookstore (新加坡青年书局) in 1961. In this book, Prof Hsu used a concise and light-hearted style to transform the otherwise boring and stereotypical history of the Chinese in Singapore and Malaya into something lively and accessible. It greatly captivated me and ultimately led me into the history of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore and Malaya, which I still do to this day.
I completed my 3-year general degree course with the help of a government bursary of $750 every year, with income from my elder sister’s dress-making shop, and my father’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings. Among the 43 graduates from the History Department in the 1969/1970 academic year, I ranked fourth. Based on my academic performance, I was eligible to continue with an additional year for an Honours degree. But at that time, my father was suffering from cancer, and my younger brother was still in secondary school. Since my father's business failed in 1960, our family had been facing financial difficulties. My father wanted me to stop studying and start working to help support the family, and he did not approve of me pursuing the Honours degree. Nevertheless, I was determined to continue. Despite my father's objections, I went on to complete the Honours year, with the support and financial assistance of my girlfriend, Koh Khiang Hoon (许娟云), who later became my wife.
To qualify for an Honours degree, I was required to write a thesis. My thesis topic was “A Preliminary Study on Overseas Chinese Remittances and the Remittance Industry in Singapore (1945-1948)” <新加坡侨汇与民信业初探>, under the supervision of Choi Kwai Kerng (崔贵强). The emergence of Chinese remittance industry was intimately connected to the history of Chinese migration to Singapore and Malaya. However, the vast and fragmented historical records contain contradictions and inconsistencies. In order to write a solid thesis, I sought guidance from Tan Yeok Seong (陈育崧, 1903-1984), a leading historian in the field of Nanyang history. Mr. Tan gladly provided me with pre-war newspaper clippings and archival materials. He also introduced me to Lim Soo Gan (林树彦), Chew Ting How (周镇豪) and Huang Zhengben (黄正本), who were the key figures in the remittance business in those years. Through the interviews and oral histories from these former remittance businessmen, I was able to cross- reference and verified the accuracy of those materials, which greatly enriched my research.
Back then, most of the honours classmates’ theses focused on political history. My thesis on the Qiaopi (侨批overseas Chinese remittance) touched upon economic history offering a refreshing perspective. Yet for a history student, writing a paper that involved economic theory was no easy task. So I enrolled myself in an economics course run by the Department of Extramural Studies at the University of Singapore at my own expense to study economics in the evening.
My thesis began with the origins and historical development of overseas Chinese remittances (侨汇) and the remittance industry (民信业) ，as well as the contribution of remittances from pre-war Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaya to China’s economy. It then focused on analyzing the factors that led to the flourishing of the remittance industry after the war, and concluded with an examination of the reasons behind its subsequent decline. Because I was able to organize a wide range of scattered materials coherently – and these materials effectively supported my arguments, the external examiner responsible for reviewing this paper, Professor Cheng De Kun (郑德坤) of London University gave the thesis high praise. Prof. Cheng noted that compiling fragmented newspaper sources into a cohesive study was no easy task. He was especially impressed by several appendices in the thesis:
• Case Study :The Most Active Remittances House in Singapore 个案研究—本坡最活动的民信局
• Remittance House in Singapore during their Golden Age 黄金时代中新加坡的民信局
• Statistical Tables of Overseas Chinese Household Remittances 华侨家用汇款统计表
Prof Cheng’s endorsement earned me a First Class Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in History in the 12th Convocation (1970/71). This thesis filled a historical gap in the study of Singapore's remittance industry, and is still highly regarded today.
In September 1982, the then Assistant Professor Hamashita Takeshi (滨下武志) from the Institute of Advanced Studies on Asia at Tokyo University, Japan (日本东京大学东洋文化研究所) came to Singapore to collect materials on the Chinese economy. While reviewing past theses by graduates of Nanyang University and the University of Singapore, he came across my thesis and considered it the only scholarly work on the history of Qianzhuang (钱庄 money changer) in Singapore and Malaya. Although we had never met, Prof Hamashita managed to find my address through Nanyang University graduation yearbook and made a special effort to arrange a meeting to discuss the topic. Hamashita Takeshi is now a renowned sinologist in Japan and has since retired.
In April 2013, 43 years after the publication of my graduation thesis, the "International Symposium on Chinese Qiaopi and the UNESCO Memory of the World Program (中国侨批·世界记忆工程国际研讨会) " was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The event was organized by the National Archives Administration of China and co-sponsored by Fujian Provincial Archives and Guangdong Provincial Archives (福建省档案馆与广东省档案馆). I was invited to present a paper on "Qiaopi through the Lens of a Singaporean Scholar “<一个新加坡学者眼中的侨批> in support of China’s bid to include “ Qiaopi Archives” in the UNESCO Memory of the World Heritage. On 19 June 2013, at the 11th meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program held in Gwangju, South Korea, the “Qiaopi Archives (中国侨批)” jointly recommended by Fujian and Guangdong provinces and submitted by National Archives Administration of China, successfully passed the review and were formally inscribed in the “Memory of the World Register".
Career in civil service and private sector
After graduating from university in 1971, I was unable to pursue further studies due to the financial situation in my family. After leaving campus, I first worked as a relief teacher, and later move to work in the Customs and Excise Department. Both the Ministry of Education and the Customs Department are in the Civil Service, but my tenure in these two government departments was very brief.
As a relief teacher, I taught at Jalan Teck Whye Secondary School for about half a year. Although it was only a short period, I had a remarkable student. This student Lee Choon Huat (李春发) later devoted himself to Taoism, and became a Taoist monk known as Master Lee Zhiwang （李至旺）. He is now the abbot of the Yu Huang Gong, a Singapore Taoist Temple (新加坡道观玉皇宫) and president of the Singapore Taoist Mission (新加坡道教协会). In 2019, Master Lee invited me, his former teacher, as the chief editor to produce a publication titled Taoist Culture in Singapore: A Living Tradition 《受禄于天：走进新加坡玉皇宫》for commemoration of the Singapore‘s Bicentennial. Perhaps this could be a Taoist karmic bond.
I worked at the Customs and Excise Department for a year before leaving to join the Housing Development Board (HDB). This marked the beginning of an important phase in my career. As a statutory board, the HDB offered more freedom compared to government departments.
Working at the Customs and Excise Department for a year was a rather depressing experience. I was assigned to the Customs Harbour Division, where the nature of the work required shift duties: one day of morning shift (7am-3pm), followed by the next day afternoon shift (3pm-11pm), and then a night shift (11pm-7am), in constant rotation. That is to say, when others were resting, I was working, and when others were working, I was resting. Due to shift duties, I missed many opportunities to socialize and was eager to switch job. I eventually applied for a position at the HDB. But after the interview, there was no response for a long time. Growing impatient, I went to Thian Hock Keng Temple (天福宫) to pray and seek a divination lot. The drawn verse I received read, “lighting a candle in the wind" (风中点烛), which seemed to imply that my chance were slim. However, my girlfriend at the time encouraged me, saying that it depended on how strong the wind was. Sure enough, not long after, I received a letter informing me that I had been accepted. Years later, I asked the HDB Secretariat why it had taken so long to get a reply, and only then did I learn that I was the third reserved candidate. The first two successful candidates had declined the offer, which gave me a chance. Just as the verse had said, "Lighting a candle in the wind", it turned out to be incredibly accurate! Ever since then, I make it a tradition to visit Thian Hock Keng Temple in the early hours of the first day of the Lunar New Year as long as I am in Singapore, and I have kept this practice to this today.
When I joined HDB in May 1972, Singapore was in the midst of a major public housing scheme (“Home Ownership for the People Scheme”) and there was a great demand for management personnel. In March 1974, even before being confirmed as permanent staff, I was promoted to Acting Head of Area Office (later known as Branch Office) , effectively becoming the chief administrator of a district. At that time, each Area Office take charge of approximately 15,000 units of HDB flats. Assuming an average of 4 occupants per unit, an Area Office was responsible for management of at least a population of 50,000-60,000. I often likened this to the "Marquis of Ten Thousand Households (万户侯)” in ancient times. I was only 26 years old then, and from that point onward until my retirement, I remained in a management position and have had a fairly successful and smooth career.
I served in the HDB for 16 years (1972-1989). Among the Area Offices I managed, Bukit Ho Swee Area Office left a deep impression on me. The reason was that, due to mishandling certain administrative measures at my previously managed Balestier Area Office, I was abruptly transferred within 24 hours by my superiors to the Bukit Ho Swee Area Office. Bukit Ho Swee is an old estate named after the 19th century gambier planter Tay Ho Swee (1834-1903), whose plantations were located. In 1963, this area suffered from the most serious fire in Singapore's history, and most of the residents here were fire victims who were resettled after the fire.
I recognized the historical significance of this area and decided to gather information and collaborated with the National Archives and the Oral History Centre, to produce a book on: The Emergence of Bukit Ho Swee Estate: From Desolation to Progress 《河水山组屋区的形成：从荒芜到进步》. This bilingual pictorial book was published in November 1983 and was a collection of 173 historical pictures to record how Bukit Ho Swee was rebuilt from the ashes after three major fires (1934, 1961 and 1968). It is considered as the first pictorial book on HDB estates and also the first of its kind on the local history publication.
In 1990, when the Singapore Government advocated for the privatization of public housing management, I was seconded to EM Services Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of HDB, as an Estate Manager responsible for the management of the Yishun Town Council. I was also concurrently holding the positions of General Manager and Secretary of the Town Council. This was a new assignment and a new challenge. In the past, when I was Head of Area Office, it was often that residents had to turn to you for help. But now, when we were entrusted with the management of estates by the Town Council, we must learn how to interact with councillors. Public relations skills and emotional intelligence became critical leadership qualities in this context, and if not handled properly, they could affect daily administrative operations.
There was an interesting episode here: the Yishun Town Council that came under my management was named after the Chinese community pioneer Lim Nee Soon (林义顺, 1879-1936). Lim was a supporter of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (孙中山) and was related by marriage to Tan Kah Kee (陈嘉庚). To honour this pioneer’s contribution, the Town Council specially set up the "Nee Soon Room (义顺室)”, and produced a documentary titled "Yishun Our Home" 《家在义顺》 to showcase the historical development of Yishun area. A bronze statue of Lim Nee Soon was also erected in Yishun Neighborhood Park as a tribute.
The original proposal to commemorate Lim Nee Soon by erecting a bronze statue in Yishun Park came from the Yishun Town Council chaired by Dr. Koh Lip Lin (高立人), where I served as General Manager and Secretary. However, following the general election in August 1991, Cheo Chai Chen (蒋才正) of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party was elected in Yishun Central Constituency, which encompassed Yishun Park, where the bronze statue was initially planned to be located. As a result, the entire Yishun Park development project, including the statue, was handed over to the Yishun Central Town Council, chaired by Cheo Chai Chen. In response, Dr. Koh Lip Lin commissioned another statue in his Yishun South constituency, thus resulting in a “twin statue” situation.
The height (2.3 meters), weight (700 kilograms) and design of the two bronze statues were nearly identical. Both were mounted on a 3-meter-high pedestal and were cast by three renowned sculptors from the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute: Chen Gukui (陈古魁), Wang Zhiqiang (王志强), Wu Huiming (吴慧明). The production cost of the statues were also similar, around $80,000 each. The difference lies in their details: the statue located in Yishun South Neighbourhood 8 Park depicts Lim Nee Soon leaning on a walking stick, while the one in Yishun Central Park show him clutching a round hat.
A bronze statue of Lim Nee Soon leaning on a cane, and another clutching a round hat (photo by Kua Bak Lim)
At the time, this initiative sparked considerable controversy. As a historian, I still firmly believe that erecting statue of Lim Nee Soon was the right decision. The two bronze statues still exist today, though they have been relocated, and their pedestals were no longer intact. One now stand in front of the HDB's Yishun Branch Office at Block 934, Yishun Central 1, while the other is located within the campus of the Hua Chong Institution. It has been 31 years and the statue of Lim Nee Soon has become heritage artifacts. Dr. Koh Lip Lin, the then Chairman of Yishun Town Council and Member of Parliament for Yishun South, passed away in 2015 - my deep condolences!
As a result of the general election in August 1991, the Yishun Town Council, which I was responsible for, was revamped. In June 1994, I was transferred from the Town Council and was appointed as the General Manager of EM (China) Pte Ltd怡安（中国）产业公司, a subsidiary of Singapore-based EM Services Pte Ltd in China. EM (China) was engaged in real estate management, consultancy and training services in China, with operations at the time spanning cities such as Xiamen, Quanzhou, Suzhou (Industrial Park), Shanghai and Beijing etc.
I had initially thought I could continue working at the Town Council, but unexpectedly, the outcome of the general election led to my transfer. Had it not been for the election outcome, I would not have left the Town Council, nor would I have had the opportunity to work in China. As the saying goes," When things don’t go as planned, it’s because Heaven has other arrangements." Life is full of unpredictable circumstances - the different choices we make at different stages determine the trajectory and direction of our future. That is, do not dwell too much about minor setbacks, perhaps they are opportunities in disguise, opening up new possibilities. Going with the flow of what seems like a detour may in fact lead to smooth sailing. Throughout my career, being sent to China was a major turning point. The experience of doing business in China was crucial for me. It broadened my perspectives, expanded my mindset, and transformed my way of thinking. I truly felt reborn. This experience makes me deeply realize that one must "step out" of their comfort zone and not remain confined to a small circle.
From 1994 to 2009, I spent a total of 15 years in China - 15 of the most important years of my life. During this period, drawing upon Singapore’s experience in property management and adapting to China’s national conditions and regulations, I authored a book titled "Property Management and Operation Guide”《物业管理运作指南》. Upon its publication, the book quickly gained widespread popularity. This book was first published in June 2000 and reprinted in October 2012, and it has since become a key reference book for property management professionals and academic institutions across China. While in China, I was frequently invited to lecture at Tsinghua University's School of Continuing Education (清华大学继续教育学院), participated in high-level real estate forums and conferences, and gave interviews to local newspapers, magazines and media outlets. These were among my major activities during my tenure as CEO of EM (China) Pte Ltd.
EM (China) operated in China for over a decade. Due to a strategic change by the Singapore headquarters, the company decided to cease its operations in China. In April 2007, I returned to Singapore and applied for early retirement at the age of 58 years. At that time, Singapore’s statutory retirement age was 62. I had applied for early retirement for two reasons: Firstly, after returning from China, I found it somewhat difficult to adapt well to the working style here; and secondly, I still had four years of residual value left in my working life, so I could look for opportunities to work in the private sector. After all, having spent over 20 years working in the civil service, statutory boards or government-linked companies, I would like to see what it would be like to work in the private sector.
To be honest, I felt a sense of loss during the early days of retirement. I have become so accustomed to the daily routine of waking up, getting ready, and going to work every morning. Now faced with a long unstructured day, I found myself without direction and unsure of what to do. Occasionally, I will recall the sweet and sour moments of my working life, in particular, I missed the days when I was in China, which were both hard and sweet. Fortunately, at this time, the Youth Bookstore of Singapore wanted to publish a set of Nanyang University Academic Essays 《南洋大学术论丛》, and the editor-in-chief, Chen Jian (陈剑), approached me. I started working on it, and began to organize the old manuscripts and compiled them into a book called "The History of Selat”, 《石叻史记》, which was published by the Youth Bookstore in August 2007.
Less than half a year after retirement, I returned to the workforce again. Starting from August 2007, I worked at various private enterprises in Shanghai, Shenyang and Kunshan. In June 2010, I joined Knight Frank Estate Management Pte Ltd in Singapore as an Operations Support Consultant until I left Knight Frank in August 2012. This marked my second retirement. After which, I have never returned to the professional life. From this point on, I had the experience managing retirement life.
In summary, what I had studied was not what I end up doing. Sometimes I console myself over the fact my history major was unrelated to my work, it is just like how I enjoy reading but dislike taking exams. Similarly, I prefer not to turn my passion for history into a profession. Once my hobby is professionalized, everything you do has to revolve around making a living, which is meaningless. Rather than saying my major was unrelated to my work, it is more accurate to say that I deliberately chose a job that would not align with my major, so as to avoid the risk of growing to resent it once my hobby becomes professionalized.
Although I was unable to apply what I learned directly in my career, my passion for historical research has never diminished. The great events in history often leave me in awe, and the glorious deeds that historical figures had accomplished command my deepest respects. Reading history can make me tap the table in admiration, or move me to tears. Moreover, historical events inspire me to move forward in times of adversity. To me, the study of history serves as a form of personal cultivation. The leadership strategies of emperors, generals, and ministers offered valuable references for management. This is why I have never given up my study of history since graduation. Even during my working years, I always make an effort to leave behind a historical record – as the saying goes 'a goose leaves its sound as it flies by ' (雁过留声) .
Social Activities and Community Services
As mentioned earlier, during my university years, I participated in activities of academic societies on campus, serving as an editor of their publications, and also collaborated with my classmates to raise funds to publish a quarterly journal and contributed articles. This paved the way later for my active involvement in Chinese community and my work on compiling major historical records. It can be said that the extracurricular activities I took part in during university represented a spirit which continued after graduation and laid the foundation for my future social activities.
Shortly after graduating from university in 1971, I joined the Tiong Bahru Community Centre Management Committee. Every Wednesday evening, I assisted the MP Chng Jit Koon (庄日昆) in Meet-the-People session, which became an integral part of my life. I remained active in grassroots organizations for about 16 or 17 years before shifting my focus to activities in clan associations.
After Singapore’s independence, the economy advanced rapidly and people’s standard of living improved. However, Western culture and lifestyle also impacted traditional culture and values of the Chinese community. As a result, the question of how to inculcate the younger generation to inherit and promote the virtues and spirit of diligence and perseverance of their forefathers was brought onto the agenda.
Chinese clan associations are a social force that cannot be overlooked. In the hundreds-year history of the Chinese community in Singapore, the associations have played an important role. After the founding of the nation, the activities of the clan associations mainly focused on promoting and preserving ancestral culture, and to a large extent, aligning with national policies. The formation of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) on 27 January 1986 was a major event in Singapore’s Chinese history. Its significance lies in its efforts to revive the Chinese consciousness and safeguarding the heritage of Chinese culture. For the following 30 years, my personal activities had been closely tied to the cultural initiatives promoted by the SFCCA.
After the establishment of SFCCA, I was appointed as Chairman of the Research Committee. This is a voluntary position without pay. The objective of the Committee is promote, popularize, preserve and organizing historical and cultural heritage of the Chinese community. The tasks of the Research Committee are as follows:
• In August 1985, when the SFCCA was still in its protem committee stage, we co-organized an activity - “History at Home <历史就在你家里>” (September 1985 to March 1986) with the Lianhe Wanbao 《联合晚报》 which involved collecting old historical photographs from the public. Based on this collection, we then held a pictorial exhibition entitled "History of the Singapore Chinese Clan Associations"《新加坡华人会馆沿革史》.Together with Lim How Seng (林孝胜), then Assistant Director of the Oral History Centre, and Lim Guan Hock (林源福), the Deputy Director of the National Archives, we co-edited a publication of the same title (March 1986) to enhance public understanding of the historical development of the Singapore Chinese community;
• In August 1986, we set up the Singapore History Resource Centre (新华文史资料中心) which housed a collection of 50,000 books donated by Prof. Hsu Yun Tsiao (许云樵);
• In June 1987, after a year of effort, the first documentary on the history of the Singapore Chinese, "Reflection of Our Past "《抚今追昔》 was produced. This 30-minute documentary using modern technology to link together key historical sites, figures, events and documents spanning over a century, to recreate the history of Singapore's development from a swampy jungle to a modern city-state through the struggles and contributions of the early Chinese pioneers. I served as one of the history consultants for this documentary;
• From July to October 1987, I co-produced the radio program "Night Chats on Selat (石叻夜话)” with the then Radio Television Singapore (RTS). I was the presenter of this 18 lectures radio program. Presented in a Q & A format, the program provides in-depth accounts of the people, events and historical monuments of Singapore in a clear and accessible manner. This was the second radio program on the history of local Chinese to be broadcast, since Radio Malaya invited Professor Hsu Yun Tsiao (许云樵) to give a talk on " Malaya Miscellany 《马来亚丛谈》 " in 1960. From 29 September to 1 December 1989, we also launched the first of our "Ten Lectures on Chinese Culture” series《中华文化十讲》 at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI), which was very well received.
The year 1989 marked the first three years of the SFCCA. I was responsible for editing and publishing the commemorative special edition titled “Three Years of the SFCCA "《总会三年 》 (1986-1989). It was also in May of that year, the SFCCA decided to embark on the project of "Who’s Who in the Chinese Community in Singapore "《新华历史人物列传》, in several phases over a period of five years.
As a key project commemorating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the SFCCA, I took on the role of chief editor for the book “Who’s Who in the Chinese Community in Singapore ". Its publication in November 1995 marked an important milestone for the SFCCA’s efforts in preserving the historical records of our ancestors. The book documented the lives and contributions of 1,176 pioneers, covering fields such as politics, economy, culture, education and arts. It spanned a period of 170 years, from the founding of modern Singapore in 1819 to 1990.
After completing the project of “Who’s Who in the Chinese Community in Singapore", I stepped down as Chairman of the Research Committee in May 1996 due to work commitments in China. Having joined the SFCCA in September 1985 during its protem committee stage as the first Chairman of the Research Committee, I served for ten years until my resignation in 1996. Since then, I have been engaged in real estate management, operations and consultancy work across major cities in China, and have paid little attention to or participated in the activities of local Chinese clan associations and community services. When I returned to Singapore from China in 2009, I did not immediately rejoin the SFCCA, as I still had some unfinished matters to attend to. Upon my return, I noticed some changes; the SFCCA's premises had been relocated and the staff had increased in number. Singapore’s society had also welcomed a significant influx of immigrants from around the world, many of them from China. The local newspapers and media gave these newcomers a specific term: "the new immigrants". A century ago, there was a wave of immigrants, and now, a hundred years later, it seems to be happening again, albeit in a different form. Is history repeating itself?
As in the past, immigrants coming to the south need help. Traditionally, this has been the role of clan associations. In the early years, clan associations made significant contribution in uniting people and resolving disputes. Today, under new historical circumstances, SFCCA can assume an even more important role; how to assist new immigrants in integrating into local society and living in harmony with people of other ethnic group has become a new mission for the SFCCA.
On Saturday, 30 October 2010, the SFCCA turned a new page in its history. After 25 years of dedicated service, Wee Cho Yao (黄祖耀), then Chairman of the United Overseas Bank Group, smoothly handed over the presidency to his successor, Chua Thian Poh (蔡天宝), a prominent figure in the properties industry. Both Wee and Chua are Hokkien and well known amongst the Singapore Hokkien community. Notably, just as Wee was the President of the Kim Mui Hoey Kuan (金门会馆), Chua Thian Poh also holds the position of President of the Singapore Hokkien Huey Kuan (新加坡福建会馆).
It was also in that same year, I resumed my duties as Chairman of the SFCCA’s Research Committee. Over the span of 30 years, I have witnessed the SFCCA’s journey from its formation to its 30th anniversary. In January 2011, on the occasion of commemorating its 25th anniversary, I authored an essay titled entitled "Prologue to My Return to SFCCA"《 “一万年来谁著史”——重返宗乡总会绪言》, published in the Special Edition 25th Anniversary of SFCCA《总会二十五年》. In it, I expressed my personal feelings on my involvement with the SFCCA.
I must thank Alan Chua (蔡锦松) who brought me into the SFCCA. Alan Chua was the first Secretary- General of SFCCA and also my senior from secondary school days. Knowing my personal interests, he invited me to head the Research Committee when the SFCCA was first founded, which was one of the five working committees. As the Research Committee Chairman, I became a key driving force and active participants in each of the SFCCA major academic events throughout its various stages. Although the work was tedious and sometimes hectic, I enjoyed it.
Since my return in taking charge of the Research Committee, I have systematically built on previous efforts with a renew focus on the Singapore Chinese’s history and culture as a main axis. Starting in April 2011, a series of international conferences and thematic lectures have been organized, including: The International Conferences on "Prominent Figures and the Spirit of the Hokkien Business Community （Apr 2011《闽帮人物与闽商精神》）, the " Singapore Qiaopi Culture Exhibition ”（Sep 2012《新加坡侨批文化展》), the "Straits Settlements Forum- A Centennial Review: The Baba Personalities and Culture" (Sep 2013《三州府论坛之百年盘点：峇峇人物与文化》), and the " Symposium on Guan Gong Culture “(Aug 2014《关公文化》). In addition, there were also specialized lectures such as "Doing Business in China: a Historical and Cultural Perspective" (Jun 2011《从历史文化角度谈华经商》) and so on.
The more popular talks were the “Memories of Selat " 《石叻坡记忆》series. Among the themed talks we organized were "Singapore's Four Historical Buildings "《新加坡四大历史名楼》(April 2012), "Money by Mail to China " 《家书抵万金》(September 2012), "Unsolved Mysteries in Singapore History 《新加坡历史悬案》(May 2013) and "The Four Literary Talents of Singapore 《星洲四才子》(May 2014). The hallmark of this series was its broad appeal to both academic and the general audiences, with nearly every session drawing a full house. In October 2015, a symposium on "Famous Figures and Temples "《名人与庙宇》 was held, aiming to guide the public in exploring the connections between Chinese prominent figures and temples in Singapore, while appreciating the unique temple culture of the Nanyang region.
Setting up a permanent history gallery within the SFCCA building was a key focus of the Council’s work. In conjunction with the completion of the history gallery on "The Singapore Chinese: Then and Now” (September 2013), a publication of the same title《图说石叻坡》was produced (February 2014). A mobile Apps "Dreams of Selat” 《石叻寻梦》was launched in November 2015 allowing individuals to revisit Singapore's history anytime, anywhere. On 6 March 2016, we also organized a symposium on A General History of the Chinese in Singapore to help readers gain an in-depth understanding of this significance historical monograph.
In addition to serving as Chairman of SFCCA’s Research Committee, I also hold several other social and academic positions: Board of Governor, Chinese Heritage Centre at Nanyang Technological University, Member of the Singapore National Library Advisory Committee, Member of the Academic Committee of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Member of the Resource Panel of the Sun Yat-sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (孙中山南洋纪念馆学术委员会), Honorary Director of the Nanyang Kuah Si Association (南洋柯氏公会), Overseas Consultant to the Quanzhou Overseas Chinese History Museum (泉州市华侨历史博物馆). Currently, I am an Associate Professor at New Era University College (新纪元大学) in Malaysia.
Writing History in My Retirement Years
Historical research could be said to be my second life. My career in writing history runs throughout my life.
So why is this section’s title “Writing History in My Retirement Years (晚年著史)" used here? This is mainly for the convenience of writing. Moreover, after retirement, I have been able to devote more time and to concentrate more fully on historical research. Over the past 12 years from 2009 to the present, I have produced many historical works in terms of quantity and quality.
Historical research is a grand undertaking for posterity, and the popularization and promotion of Chinese history should also be carried out continuously and must be sustained over the long term. Based on this conviction, I continue to engage in historical research without interruption, in spite of my busy schedule of office and social activities.
I still remember the first article I published after graduating from university appeared in Sin Chew Jit Poh 《星州日报》 on 7 May 1972. The title was "Lim Soo Gan： Leader of the Singapore's Chinese Remittance Industry "《新加坡民信业领袖林树彦》. Since then, I developed a strong interest in contributing articles to newspapers and magazines. In 1973, under the encouragement and guidance of Tan Yeok Seong (陈育崧), a renowned historian in Nanyang studies, I gathered a group of like-minded friends, viz Lim How Seng (林孝胜), Teo Han Wee (张夏帏), Wu Hua (吴华), Chang Chin Chiang (张清江) and Lee Yik Chee (李奕志) to carry out field study and visiting representative Chinese heritage landmarks in Singapore during our spare time after work. Each week, we took turns publishing a weekly article in the "Sin Hoon "《星云》 supplement column of Sin Chew Jit Poh. These articles were subsequently compiled into a book "Historicial Monuments in Selat "《石叻古迹》, published as the thirteenth volume in the South Seas Society Monograph Series. Tan Yeok Seong inscribed the book’s title and wrote its foreword, while I wrote the postscript. This endeavour has allowed me to make a small contribution to save Singapore’s historically valuable Chinese heritage.
In December 1986, I compiled nine articles on Chinese history, including "Consul Zuo Binglong and the Singapore Chinese Community" 《左秉隆领事与新华社会》 together with six articles written by Lim How Seng, such as " The Singapore Chinese Community in the Early Years of the Port Opening《开埠初期的新华社会》 into a volume titled “Research on Singapore Chinese History and Figures in the Chinese Community of Singapore ” 《新华历史与人物研究》which was published by the South Seas Society of Singapore. In the preface to this book, Prof. Zhu Jieqin (朱杰勤, 1913-1990) from Jinan University (暨南大学) in Guangzhou wrote: "Kua Bak Lim's articles are concise yet substantive, well-written, and have unique insights.” In August 1988, this book received the 1988 Academic Book Award presented by the Singapore’s Ministry of Community Development. Upon receiving the award, I said with emotion: "After the publication of “Historicial Monuments in Selat” in 1973, it drew little impact. Things are different these years. People have developed an interested in history. The SFCCA and various clan associations are all concerned about the research, exhibition and publications of history, indicating that a sense of history has taken root." (See Lianhe Zaobao 《联合早报》, 27 August 1988).
The uninterrupted historical research over the past 40 years seems to have paved the way for compilation of a large-scale historical volume in the future. As early as 23 November 1992, in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, I expressed that my greatest wish was to “gather a group of like-minded scholars to jointly write a comprehensive history of the Singapore Chinese community from 1819 to the present. In this sense, the publication of "A General History of the Chinese in Singapore 《新加坡华人通史》 can be said to have fulfilled my long-cherished aspirations.
Opportunities always favour those who are prepared. In 2012, I proposed to the SFCCA to spend three years compiling “A General History of the Chinese in Singapore” , to be published in 2015 as a tribute marking both the 30th anniversary of the SFCCA and the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Singapore (SG50). On 18 September 2013, at the 7th meeting of the 14th Council and Executive Committee, this proposal was approved and I was appointed as the Chief Editor.
The book “A General History of the Chinese in Singapore" covers nearly 700 years of history of the Singapore Chinese from the 14th century to the present. This monumental historical masterpiece, consisting of over 800,000 words and 826 pages, and had mobilized 37 historians from Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Australia and Japan, took more than three years to prepare and compile it. Being the first written in Chinese language since Sir Song Ong Siang's English language magnum opus "One Hundred Years’ History of the Chinese in Singapore "《新加坡华人百年史.》was published in 1923, this new monograph systematically documents the history of the Singapore Chinese, taking them as the central threads, and provided a multi-dimensional overview of the Singapore Chinese’s characteristics, achievements and contributions at each stage of the country’s social evolution.
A General History of the Chinese in Singapore is a massive and arduous project. The greatest challenge lies in formulating the outline for the entire book. As this is a completely new project with no precedent to follow, the only available references were a few English-language texts written by colonial officials of the time, as well as some general historical writings. During my email correspondence with my mentor, Professor Ng Kee Lian (黄枝连), a renowned East Asian studies scholar, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Eight Chinese characters immediately came to my mind: “我行我素, 不拘一格”, which translates roughly to “I will do it my own way and not to stick to one format" .This is exactly the style I wanted for this General History book.
It took me an entire year and several revisions to finalize the outlines of all the chapters in the book. Even so, changes continued throughout the editing process. When the framework of the book had been established, I still needed to come up with eye-catching titles for each chapter. I racked my brain, thinking about it day and night, and even while walking on the street. Once, while crossing the road, I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I almost got hit by a speeding car. Had I not been lucky that day, this book would be irrelevant to me.
I have often said that I’m not just compiling a book, but managing a project. As a project’s general manager, I was involved hands-on in almost every aspect, from initial planning, drafting the outline, raising funds for publication, overseeing printing and proofreading. I truly was “wearing many hats”; it is really like being the principal and the janitor, the janitor and the bell-ringer all at once. Applying my professional management experience from workplace to editorial work has proven to be quite effective.
On 9 November 2015, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the launch of A General History of the Chinese in Singapore, described the monumental work as "a precious gift to the Chinese community". The Chinese edition received an enthusiastic response upon its release, and was later introduced to China for publication by the Fujian People's Publishing House (福建人民出版社). The Chinese edition was published in two volumes, with its inaugural launch held on 18 May 2018 at the Quanzhou Overseas Chinese History Museum in Fujian Province (福建泉州华侨历史博物馆). The Consul–General of Singapore in Xiamen, Mr. Chi Chiew Sum (池兆森) graced the event, and the then Director of the National Library of Singapore, Ms. Wai Yin Pryke (伍慧贤), also made a special trip to Quanzhou to attend. In December of the same year, A General History of the Chinese in Singapore was selected as one of the “Top 100 Books of 2018” ( 20 best books under the History and Biography category) by the China Reading Weekly (中华读书报).To stand out among the vast number of books published nationwide in China is no small feat, and we are truly grateful to the Fujian People's Publishing House for making this possible.
At the same time, I also assisted Prof Kevin YL Tan (陈有利) in restoring the Chinese names of over 800 pioneers recorded in English in Song Ong Siang' monumental work. Published by the National Library of Singapore in early 2020, this became the “ One Hundred Years’ History of the Chinese in Singapore (The Annotated Edition)”. The Annotated edition has resolved the longstanding issues scholars faced regarding the sources and the Chinese names of the individuals referenced in the original text.
To commemorate the Bicentennial of Singapore, A General History of the Chinese in Singapore was also published in English to reach out to a wider audience, especially non-Chinese and international readers. The English edition is not a direct translation of the Chinese version but was written by a team of English-language scholars. It was launched in June 2019, co-edited by Prof Kwa Chong Guan (柯宗元, former Director of the National Museum of Singapore) and myself . Both the Chinese and English editions feature a foreword by the internationally renowned historian Prof Wang Gungwu (王赓武). Additionally, the English edition includes a foreword by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong .
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong presided over the release of "The General History of Chinese in Singapore" on 9 November 2015.
2019 has been a busy year. In conjunction with the Singapore Bicentennial, we presented the "Singapore Biographical Database "（SBDB《新加坡历代人物传记数据库》, which provided a web interface and linking the database with information from the National Library of Singapore, the National Archives of Singapore and the Image Archives of the Department of Chinese and Literature at the National University of Singapore. This project was designed to be an integrated database so that users can search for ancestors’ profiles and social networks. The first phase of this project focused on 200 Chinese historical figures, with future plans to build a larger database of these personalities and their relationships from 1819 to 2019.
These academic activities have gained recognition from the scholarly community, with Xiamen University regarding the SFCCA as a valued research partner. To further enrich the Chinese cultural and historical resources in Southeast Asia, the SFCCA signed a “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Academic Exchanges and Cooperation” with Malaysia’s New Era University College in February 2018, initiating a five-year collaboration. Under this program, Dr. Lew Bon Hoi (廖文辉), Head of the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the New Era University College, and I jointly compiled and annotated the “Collection of Chinese Documents in the Straits Settlements ”《三州府文件修集选》, which was published in November 2020.
The term San Zhou Fu (三州府 Three States Prefecture) was a colloquial name used by the Chinese to refer to the Straits Settlements, which comprised of Singapore, Penang, and Malacca under British colonial rule. This Chinese textbook titled A Textbook of Documentary Chinese，Selected and Designed for the special use of Members of the Civil Service of the Straits Settlements and the Protected Native States《三州府文件修集》 which was published in Singapore in 1894, was meant for the colonial government to train civil servants. The original work, now preserved in the Rare Collections of the National Library of Singapore, consists of 3 volumes in 7 books, containing a total of 383 documents. The “Collection of Chinese Documents in the Straits Settlements”《三州府文件修集选编》, features 162 carefully chosen records specially related to the early Chinese community in Singapore and Malaya. This book can be considered as a true treasure trove, offering a wealth of information on 19th century Chinese community in Singapore and Malaya, particularly the lives of the common people. It is a rare and valuable source of social history. Based on the contents of this book, I delivered a special online lecture titled “The Chinese Working Class in the 19th Century Singapore (19世纪新加坡华人底层社会)" on 9 April 2021 (Friday), as part of the Zaobao Read @ NLB series. The event was live streamed on Facebook, attracting over 7,400 viewers - a testament to the power of online outreach.
Since 2013, I have also represented the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (晚晴园, SYSNMH) to deliver academic lectures in China, Japan (October 2015) and San Francisco (May 2015). My enduring connection with the SYSNMH dates back to the 1980s when I assisted the SYSNMH Management Committee under the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (新加坡中华总商会晚晴园管理委员会) in producing the documentary "Wan Qing Yuan and Sun Yat-sen “( 《晚晴园与孙中山》) in May 1988. I served as historical advisor and scriptwriter for this documentary, which remains a treasured part of SYSNMH’s collection. Now under the care of the National Heritage Board (NHB), the SYSNMH has been gazetted as a national monument. In January 2015, I was awarded the “SG50 Medal” jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the National Arts Council and the National Heritage Board. If the “Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award” I received in May 2019 was a recognition of my years of historical research, the “SG50 Medal” in 2015 can be seen as a testament to my longstanding involvement in various cultural activities.
We now live in the digital age, where modern technology make it easier to disseminate and promote knowledge and culture. At some point, I developed a keen interest in documenting history through the lens of technology. It was with this goal in mind that I set up the “Kua Bak Lim Blog 《柯木林博客》 “in February 2009 - as a platform to share my research insights with history enthusiasts around the world. Unlike typical blogs that take the form of personal journals, the “Kua Bak Lim Blog” features articles I have published and information related to my work, effectively serving as my personal archive. I am heartened that the blog has gained the support of history enthusiasts from all over the world. Some scholars researching the history of the Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia have even used it as a reference database for their studies.
In June 2018, I served as history advisor for a documentary, titled “The Peranakan - An Untold Story” 《共生缘》. This 120- minute documentary consisting of 6 episodes, produced under the supervision of Huang Wanbin (黄婉彬), Associate Professor at the School of Film and Television Communication at Xiamen Institute of Technology (厦门理工学院影视传播学院), presented a systematic exploration of the Baba and Nyonya culture. The documentary was broadcast on Malaysia’s Astro TV network on 9 May 2021 where it achieved the highest ratings for Chinese-language program and ranked ninth at the national level. A year earlier, on 6 June 2020, the documentary was aired globally by Phoenix Chinese Channel (凤凰卫视) in Hong Kong and Phoenix North American channels, where it ranked 37th in viewership ratings.
In August this year (2021), I also served as history advisor for the SFCCA's video series "This is Singapore (新加坡秘踪)". This series aimed to attract younger audience incorporating poplar online elements and technologies favoured by the new generation. "This is Singapore “consists of 5 episodes entitled "A Carpenter (一个木匠)" "Two Clementi’s (两个金文泰)" "Three Worlds (三大世界)" "Four Clubs (四家俱乐部)" and "Five Avenues (五大道)". Each episode is five minutes long and tells quirky and fascinating tales of Singapore. On 23 September (Thursday), I participated in an online lecture series "Pioneering Chinese Entrepreneurs and their Humanistic Spirits (华商先辈 • 人文情怀)" jointly organized by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of New Era University College and the Malaysian media outlet Oriental Daily ONLINE. I was responsible for the 10th lecture: Two Prominent Families in Singapore and Malacca (明月何曾是两乡：新呷两豪门) “sharing the story of our ancestors’ migration from China to Nanyang (Southeast Asia) and their struggles.
I always felt even busier after retirement than before - I was constantly approached by many people. I have to deal with enquiries, interviews, introduction of scholars, recommendation of reference materials, and so on. As such, in the study of history, I was not lonely at all. In addition to writing, my daily life consists of club activities, lectures, dinners with friends, and karaoke sessions. In recent years, due to the pandemic, I have not been able to go abroad for more than a year. But this was fine with me, as I can devote myself to more research and reduce socializing.
"This is Singapore" tells anecdotes about Singapore. "Pioneering Chinese Entrepreneurs and their Humanistic Spirits” poster
Interest fuels motivation. Engaging in historical research that I enjoy does not feel particularly strenuous. Currently, I am planning the second video series of "This is Singapore" for the SFCCA, as well as an online exhibition to promote stories of the Chinese in Singapore. Ongoing large-scale projects include "An illustrious Heritage: The History of Tan Tock Seng and Family 《家风传承：陈笃生家族史》 and "Keng Teck Whay :200 Years of Brotherhood 《义结金兰：庆德会》". The biography "Together We Prosper: Memoirs of Daniel Teo 《商业艺术同荣：张东孝回忆录》, which I co-authored with Lim How Seng, will be released at the end of 2021.
Some Afterthought
I consider myself a history enthusiast. Since childhood, I have enjoyed reading historical comic books; during my school years, I was drawn to classical novels, and at university, I choose to major in history. In everything I do and think, I seek answers from history. When discussing issues, I often draw parallels between the past and the present - again, through history. Even during the past few decades when I was occupied with works and burdened with official matters, my passion for history never waned. I often devote my spare time to do historical research and fieldwork, exploring forgotten places and tracing the past. Over the years , this persistent effort has resulted in a number of specialized research writings. Many of these have been published in academic journals, newspapers and magazines, and some have been compiled into books.
The two most memorable experiences in my student life were preparing for my high school examination (formerly the HSC exams or A-level) and writing my honours thesis. I was originally a science student, but later switched to the arts stream. I was weak in mathematics and disliked physics. After switching to the arts, I hated geography, but developed a strong interest in literature and history. I did not do well in the secondary 4 examination (GCE ‘O’ Level) and was only awarded a Grade B certificate. I hoped then to put up a fight in pre-university (HSC Examination). For that I worked extremely hard to prepare for it and I ended up becoming myopic. The stress of the pre-university examination was so intense that it had left a legacy. Even after graduating and working for a few years, I still have nightmares about exams. During university, the main source of pressure came from writing the honours thesis. Fortunately, with guidance from my seniors, I managed to complete it smoothly.
I disliked sports. I remembered when I was in secondary one; I only scored 60 marks in Physical Education, and that was only because the teacher was lenient enough to give me a pass; otherwise I could not be advanced to the next level (secondary two). Watching movies was my favourite pastime, which later intensified to the extent that I watched 180 movies a year - or one movie every other day or a few days - sometimes even two to three movies a day. That was in 1965, at that time, the secondary 4 GCE ‘O’ level examination was just over, and I was in the first year of pre-university. It was not as stressful as when I was preparing for my secondary 4 exam, so I had the time to hang around cinemas. I also enjoyed reading movie magazines, such as the "Southern Movies“ 《南国电影》 published by Shaw Brothers Studio. I became quite familiar with the gossip news of the Hong Kong film industry and often chatted with friends about movies. I even tried to write film reviews - it is quite amusing to think about it now.
Appreciating old songs and Chinese orchestral music was a hobby of mine during high school years, and I was especially fond of the pop songs of Shanghai’s golden era. In addition to the beautiful melodies, those composers had good foundation in classical Chinese and the lyrics were of high literary standard. The veteran performers and singers of old Shanghai's entertainment scene, such as Zhou Xuan (周璇), Han Langen (韩兰根), Yan Hua (严华), Li Jinguang (黎锦光, also known as Li Qiniu (李七牛), Jin Yugu (金玉谷), composer and lyricist of "Night- Blooming Jasmine “《夜来香》) , He Luting (贺绿汀), Fan Yanqiao (范烟桥), Yao Min (姚敏), etc were all household names I knew by heart. Many years later in 1991, I visited Yan Hua (Zhou Xuan's first husband) and Li Jinguang in Shanghai, I told Yan Hua that the famous songs he composed more than 50 years ago, such as "Farewell My Dear 《送君》", "All Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix "《百鸟朝凤》" and "Full Moon and Blooming Flowers "《月圆花好》", were still very popular in Singapore. He merely smiled in response. In 1992, Yan Hua passed away, and Li Jinguang followed in 1993 ! Such were the vicissitudes of life!
Since graduating from university and entering the workforce in 1971, I have served for 38 years across two different worlds i.e. the civil service and the business world. In the blink of an eye, the years have flown by. Now it is time for the "weary bird to return to its nest (倦鸟归巢)" - to slow down, reflect and reorganize my thoughts. The civil service, the business world and academic are entirely different realms, and I have been involved in all three, each offering its own experiences. The civil service seeks self-preservation; the business world prioritizes profits, while academia is more complex with a mixture of many characteristics. However, having gained practical experience in business, returning to the study of history allows me to approach issues from different perspective, which is certainly beneficial.
Looking back, I have had two “sidelines”. Although I majored history in university, but after graduation, I worked in property management. In my spare time, I continue to pursue historical research. It was only after retirement, when I could focused entirely on historical writings that I had truly returned to my proper path and finally had the time to compile and publish my earlier works on Chinese history. Upon my first retirement, I compiled the “The History of Selat 《石叻史记》” as mentioned earlier. After my second retirement, I completed the "From Longyamen (The Gate of Dragon Teeth ) to Singapore：The Hub of Maritime Civilization between the East and West " 《从龙牙门到新加坡：东西海洋文化交汇点 》, which was published in Beijing by the Social Science Literature Publishing House (社会科学文献出版社) in December 2016.
My biggest takeaway after many years of historical research is the important of reading good books. In this regard, the historical work: 1587，A Year of No Significance 《万历十五年 》 had an extremely profound impact on me. This book is a masterpiece by Dr. Ray Huang (黄仁宇博士), an internationally renowned historian on the Ming Dynasty. Ray Huang, a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Department of History in the United States, had conducted in-depth research on the Ming Dynasty's fiscal and taxation systems. The first draft of this book was written in English and entitled "1587. A Year of No Significance", published by Yale University in 1981. After completion of the book, it was translated into Chinese by the author himself, and published in May 1982 by the Chung Hwa Bookstore in Beijing (北京中华书局), with the calligraphed title penned by the celebrated Chinese writer Liao Mosha (廖沫沙) . The book was also available in French, Japanese, German and other languages, thus achieving significant international recognition.
Starting from the research perspective of the "macro history" view, the 15th year of Wanli reign (万历十五年) of the Ming Dynasty, i.e. 1587, was chosen as the starting point. Adopting the narrative style of a historical novel and biographical chapter structure, the book analyzed the deep-rooted causes of the late Ming Empire’s decline through vivid portrayals of the tragic fates of key historical figures. This fully reflected the author's macro -historical outlook, history viewed in a broad, systematic way, or “history seen from a technical perspective." Reading the book "1587- A Year of No Significance" gave me a deeper understanding of historical methodology, which was very beneficial. I frequently reference it in my public lectures.
Reading history allows us to view issues from a long-term and long-distance perspective. Although history seldom repeats itself, there could be striking similarities. For the individual, the study of history is a discipline that purifies the soul, inspires awe, and elevating historical learning to another level. This is why I have never regretted choosing to major in history.
The highest realm in the study of history lies in the integration of the word "enlightenment" and the ultimate attainment of historical philosophy. To study history is to study human nature. Exploring the psyche of the characters with logical thinking is precisely the way to train one's thinking and analytical ability, which can be used as the way and philosophy of life. The greatest tragedy of mankind is that it has not learnt from the lessons of history, and therefore tend to repeat the same mistakes again and again. In fact, whether it is personal encounters or major national events, a thorough understanding of the historical perspective often reveals corresponding cases from which one can find and adapt solutions. In October 2018, the Singapore National Archives recorded a 10-hour oral history for me, in which I shared my experiences, worldview and philosophy of life from this perspective.
If someone asks me what my biggest regret in life is, I could reply without hesitation that I grew up without a mentor, and also my humble beginnings. Had I had a mentor to guide me from an early age, my life today may look very different . Fortunately, I did not make any serious mistakes in my life, which is a blessing from Heaven. For this reason, I am willing to be a mentor to young people, showing them the path of life and the direction of research.
I have two daughters and four granddaughters. I was once an avid movie fan, so both of my girls were named after movie stars. I like Hsia Moon’s "Peerless Beauty" (夏梦, 《绝代佳人》) and was fond of Bai Yin’s "Su Xiao Xiao" (白茵, 《苏小小》), so my eldest daughter, Moon Yin (梦茵), was named by taking one character from each of the actress , Hsia Moon and Bai Yin. In 1976, when my second daughter was born, the HKTV series "Fading Dreams of the Qing Court" starring Lisa Wang Min Chuan (汪明荃, 《清宫残梦》) became a hit in Singapore and Malaysia, my second daughter was named Moon Chuan (梦荃). Neither of my daughters studied history. The eldest one is a quality surveyor, while the younger one majored in business management. They were both educated in Australia. Today's education system emphasizes practical sciences far more than the social sciences. Although my younger daughter occasionally shows interest in history, she will certainly not delve into it deeper. This is also the trend of the times and beyond my control. It seems that there will be no successor to continue my work in historical research. However, if I can influence the younger generation with my writings, that in itself would be a positive impact !
Original manuscript : 30 August 2021 Singapore
Revised : 11 September 2021
English translated by John Kua S.H. (19 Aug 2025)
First vetting : 30-03-2025 @ 20:49 Home
Final vetting : 13-10-2025 @ 13:42 JAS
具有118年历史的中华游泳会，最近获政府批准延长土地租约30年，并计划为会员及他们的家人提供更多服务。
中华游泳会（Chinese Swimming Club）会长谢真发星期一（11月27日）接受《联合早报》采访时表示，游泳会拥有约40%的土地所有权，剩余约60%归政府所有，原来的租约一旦到期，便会影响到部分建筑的运营。
同时，游泳会靠近汤申—东海岸线正在建设的马林百列和丹戎加东地铁站，关系到地铁沿线地区的整体规划。为了说服政府给游泳会延长地租时限，从2019年开始，谢真发便带领同事们与三到四个本地相关政府部门进行了长期谈判，最终说服政府批准更新租约，可租用至2053年。
为8800名会员提供服务 见证多名游泳运动员成长
游泳会始建于1905年，历经一个多世纪的沧桑，依然在东海岸地区为8800名会员提供游泳、各类体育运动、餐饮等多类服务。虽然现在的游泳会已经很难找到当初兴建时的痕迹，但在馆内的展示厅里，俨然排列着若干个100多年前游泳会屋顶的动物装饰。
目前，游泳会总面积将近1万8000平方米，拥有五个错落有致的泳池，分别为初学者、一般游泳、专业训练、水球运动、娱乐等不同用途设计。记者当天傍晚6时左右走访游泳会时，看到各年龄层的游泳者正在不同泳池健身，而一旁的专业训练泳池里也有不少运动员正在接受集体训练。
中华游泳会见证了我国多名游泳运动员的成长，包括曾在东运会获得过39枚金牌的我国前游泳名将陈丽燕，“蝶王”约瑟林也是其荣誉会员。
谢真发告诉记者：“获得了30年延期，让我们更有信心把游泳会建设得更好，让会员有宾至如归的体验。”
制定发展战略 提升各类服务
他指出，游泳会已经制定了一项2030发展战略，将根据需求进一步提升各类服务，尤其是拓展共享工作空间和儿童托管中心的功能，让会员及他们的家属获得更佳服务。
本地历史学者柯木林（75岁）是40多年的老会员，他说，1980年代的时候，游泳会年长者较多，设施也比较传统，而现在这里已拥有各个年龄层会员，装修和服务都更加现代化。
“游泳馆现在非常受欢迎，周末常常客满，所以我会选择非繁忙时段到这里用餐或者参加唱卡拉OK等娱乐活动。”
Wikipedia - Kua Bak Lim
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kua_Bak_Lim
Wikipedia - Kua Bak Lim
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kua_Bak_Lim
Radio tales of old Singapore
The Straits Times, 8 July 1987, Page 3
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19870708-1.2.64.4.4
Book on who's who m Chinese community to be launched
The Straits Times, 21 November 1995, Page 25
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19951121-1.2.30.1.15
Ai 生成的资料：
柯木林老师是新加坡著名的历史学家，专注于研究东南亚地区的历史和文化。他以扎实的学术功底和深入浅出的写作风格而闻名，为人们解析了新加坡及周边地区的历史演变和文化传承。柯木林老师曾在多家媒体和学术机构担任要职，为新加坡社会的历史意识和文化认同做出了重要贡献。 — 2024.03.25 ( Mon) @ 14:07
Ai 生成的资料：
柯木林是一位在新加坡历史学界具有重要影响力的学者。他是新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会学位委员会主任，同时也是一位备受认可的历史学家。他的学术研究覆盖了华人移民历史、华人社会和文化的多个方面，为我们理解新加坡华人社区在英国殖民地时期的发展历程和变迁提供了宝贵的视角和深入的见解。
此外，柯木林还积极参与学术活动，与新加坡及国际上的其他知名学者共同推动新加坡历史研究的发展。例如，他曾经与新加坡国立大学历史系副教授黄坚立、中山大学人类学系特聘教授陈志明、香港中文大学文学院院长、历史学讲座教授梁元生等人一同担任编委会成员。因此，可以肯定地说，柯木林对新加坡史学界的贡献是显著且重要的。
— 2024.03.31（ Sun) @ 14:21
欢迎柯老师回厦晚宴菜单
《南洋商报》南洋大学1970-71年度各院系普通学位及荣誉学位毕业生名单揭晓 (1971-05-30)
.jpg)
Kua Bak Lim is a prominent historian and author, known for his extensive work on the history and heritage of the Chinese community in Singapore. He has contributed significantly to the documentation and understanding of Chinese culture and history in the region through his scholarly research and publications. Kua Bak Lim's expertise and dedication have made him a respected figure in the field of historical studies, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia's Chinese diaspora.
— From ChatGPT dated 15-05-2024 @ 12:00
新加坡南洋理工大学校友联系处 贺 生日快乐
南洋大学1970/71学年度毕业生名册
《源》总175期·2025年第3期·页16-19 - 章秋燕: 用笔守护记忆 以心传承文化——柯木林
SFCCA - 用笔守护记忆 以心传承文化——柯木林
https://sfcca.sg/2025/07/07/%E7%94%A8%E7%AC%94%E5%AE%88%E6%8A%A4%E8%AE%B0%E5%BF%86%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%A5%E5%BF%83%E4%BC%A0%E6%89%BF%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96-%E6%9F%AF%E6%9C%A8%E6%9E%97/
