Tucked away right at the end of Club Street was the 18th stop on our trail: no 76, the Chinese Weekly Entertainment Club. I’m not sure if you caught the connection there, but Club Street was in fact named after this building which catered to a very exclusive clientele. It is believed to have been founded in 1891 by a Peranakan billionaire, who restricted access to only allow the rich men in the Chinese community to become members. This meant that only English speaking Straits Chinese were privileged enough to join and attend the grand social events. It retains it exclusivity, evident from the street with the numerous luxury cars parked in the driveway.
Arguably
the most famous member is Sir Song Ong Siang, the first Chinese person
to receive a knighthood. A young achiever, he won the Guthrie
scholarship at the age of 12, a record held for five years until he was
disqualified for being underage. He continued to achieve academically
throughout his life, and became a well-respected scholar, being the only
Chinese Queen’s scholar to read law in England. Sir Ong-Siang was also
highly involved in community activities, including the Anglo-Chinese
boarding school as well his position as the Chairman of the Chinese
Christian association. An advocate of women’s education, Sir Ong-Siang
also helped to found the Singapore Chinese Girl’s School in 1899
although his most significant contribution is considered to be his book One Hundred Years History of the Chinese in Singapore. For his work within the colony, Sir Ong-Siang was awarded the OBE in 1927.
