OUR WORK IN MALASIA INCLUDING SINGAPORE Published by NATIONAL BOARD OF THE YOUNG WOMENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS of the United States of America 600 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK % \ OUR WORK IN MALASIA, INCLUDING SINGAPORE The Field Malasia, which includes: Malay Peninsula, Singapore the principal city. Borneo. Celebes. Java. Large islands around Java. Dutch New Guinea. Sumatra. 3 The People English, European, including many French and Dutch and Portuguese, Eurasian, Jews, Armenian, Chinese, Malays, Japanese, Indians. The Languages Malay, English, Chinese. Conditions of Women English, European and Eurasian —all regarded as Chris¬ tian, but many living irreligious and even Godless lives. Jews —a few very wealthy, but many very poor and uneducated, and living very much like the Malay people. Malays —For the most part ignorant, degraded Moham¬ medans. Chinese —Many women in wealthy homes with limited education. Very many poor, ignorant, and even degraded. Japanese —(a) A few wealthy women, wives of merchants and traders, but with little education, or religious teaching, (b) A large number of professional immoral women. Indian (a) A few Parsees, and other higher class women, (b) A large number of ignorant and degraded coolie women. Avenues of Service Before Y. W. C. A. Hostels for business young women, teachers and travelers. Travelers’ aid. Camps and conferences. Home study circles. School and neighborhood Bible classes. Bible training classes for teachers and Bible women. Evangelistic work. Training school for Christian workers and teachers. 6 SINGAPORE "Hail, Mother, East and West must seek my aid Ere the spent year may dare the ports afar, The second doorway of the wide world’s trade Is mine to loose or bar. "We also will make promise So long as the blood endures. 1 shall know that your good is mine; Ye shall feel that my strength is yours." Thus Kipling defines the strategic importance of Singa¬ pore, and those who know something of the problems of the “Far East” are agreed that the words of Eng- land’s response—“Your good is mine’’ need very special emphasis to-day. A writer has recently described in a graphic way the “first impressions” of this interesting port. She says: “On the Singapore wharf is a market of models and a life- class for a hundred painters, and sculptors may study all the tones of living bronze in postures more of repose than of action, perhaps. Japanese, Chinese, Siamese, Malays, Javanese, Burmese, Singhalese, Tamils, Telugus, Sikhs, Parsees, Lascars, Malabars, Malagary, and sailor- folk of all coasts; Hindus and heathen of every caste 8 and persuasion are grouped in brilliant confusion of red, white, and brown patterned drapery, of black, brown, and yellow skins, and behind them, in ghostly clothes, stand the pallid Europeans, who have brought law, order and system, customs, habits, comforts and luxuries of civilization to the tropics and into the jungle. It was not so very hot, only eighty-six degrees, by the ther¬ mometer, but so slight an exertion as to cross the deck to lift a book left one limp and exhausted, with cheeks burning, and the breath coming faster—that insidious, deceptive heat of the tropics declaring itself—that steam- 9 ing, melting quality in the sun of Asia that so soon makes jelly of the white man’s brain, and that in no way com¬ pares with the scorching, dry, ninety degrees in the shade of a North American hot-wave summer day. But not¬ withstanding the fact that all this is true, yet people in Singapore are a peculiarly happy people, if we dare call those happy who are absorbed in and content with material property.” In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffler was ordered to estab¬ lish an English Port at Achin Head at the north end of Sumatra. This he did, but even before he had 10 obtained the full consent of his Home Government he founded a colony in the Island of Singapore, for with the foresight of a true statesman he knew that the South¬ ern Point of the Malay Peninsula must control all traffic with the “Far East.” His efforts on behalf of his beloved colony were tireless and though his time of service was brief—he died when only forty-five—-his name ranks among those of the greatest English statesmen of the East. The population is now something over 800,000. There are about 5,000 Europeans including an English 11 regiment that is always stationed here. Probably every country in Europe is represented, but women are in the minority, the ratio being about one to three. When the colony was founded in 1819, there were barely 200 people in the village of Singapore, but ere a year had passed, several thousand Chinese of the middle classes and coolies had arrived, and within three years, the population had risen to over 1 0,000, and each succeed¬ ing year has marked a steady growth. The phenomenal progress and prosperity of the colony have doubtless been in a large measure due to the fact that Sir Stamford 12 Raffler insisted that it be founded and maintained as a free port. As early as 1823, a Government Institution was opened for the education of Asiatics, but some time later, it became an elementary English school, and in 1843, a Girls’ School was added. Other schools have since been opened, specially during the last twenty years, for the Chinese people are very progressive and are eager to have their children educated. The moral conditions of the city—or, to speak more accurately, the immoral sections of the city—need not 13 be described here as they have been depicted in the book, “The White Slave Traffic in the Far East.” Missionary efforts have been carried on in the colony for many years and yet the number of Christians, apart from the Europeans who are all regarded as Christians, is less than might be expected. The Malays are gener¬ ally Mohammedan and during recent years an ever increasing number of the Chinese have professed that faith. 14 Young Women s Christian Association in Singapore In January, 1913, Miss Laura Radford, formerly general secretary at Calcutta, India, was appointed to the general secretaryship of the Singapore Association. Upon her arrival in Singapore, Miss Radford found a deep interest in the work, many girls coming forward asking for membership. Association work was begun in Singapore twenty years ago in a school for Chinese girls, and the branch in that school has continued ever since 15 as the center for Association work. Upon Miss Rad¬ ford’s arrival it seemed imperative to secure suitable rooms for Association headquarters. Early in June the Asso¬ ciation was established, temporarily at least, at 1 1 Dhoby Ghaut, the rent being provided by monthly subscriptions from a number of interested friends. Something of the opportunities for service before the Association can be gleaned from the following facts reported from a house to house visitation: “We visited fifty homes all of which stand in two long 16 blocks of connected buildings just beside our Institute. We found that few of the 2 1 6 people living in these fifty homes speak English. Of this number there were twenty Protestants, thirty-five Roman Catholics, nine Jews, six¬ teen Mohammedans, twenty Hindus, and four Buddhists. We also found living within these two blocks seventy- eight Chinese, thirty-five Eurasians, fourteen Japanese, forty-four Tamils, nine Jews, and eight Portuguese.” The first conditions of Miss Radford’s work can best be described in her own words: 17 “Last week I went to six Chinese homes and came in touch with nineteen girls and young women, either mem¬ bers or those wishing to be members. It is the personal work here that counts, but one life seems so useless in the face of the great open doors before us. “The girls’ Bible class had seven present the first week and seventeen this week, and we have a ladies’ Bible class of over fifteen members. “I am studying Malay as it is an absolute necessity in my work, but thus far, I have not been able to find a teacher. This fact illustrates how truly pioneer work 18 is needed in this city. All the Chinese, except the new¬ comers from China, speak Malay, but only a few of the women read or write it, yet even those who have some English always converse in Malay.” There are 240 members of the Association at the present time.