Ouyang Huanyan looked after MM Lee’s household from the 1940s.
Mavis Toh and Lim Ruey Yan 1 February 2009
In 1945, Madam Ouyang Huanyan found employment as a housekeeper with a Lee family.
Never did she expect the eldest son of the family to eventually become the Prime Minister of Singapore.
She also witnessed the wedding of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and Madam Kwa Geok Choo, his classmate from Cambridge University. It was a simple affair where relatives were invited to dinner.
This anecdote and others are published in a book titled Zishu Nu From Shunde, by China Women Publishing House in 2006.
It features the history and stories of Madam Ouyang and other women who left China to work as housekeepers and nannies in South-east Asia in the early 1900s. They all came from the Shunde district in Guangdong province.
The book came to the attention of National Neuroscience Institute chief Lee Wei Ling recently. Dr Lee, Mr. Lee’s daughter, told The Sunday Times that a friend had chanced upon the book while visiting a village in China.
In one of the chapters, Madam Ouyang, now 91 and still healthy (see box below), recounted her life in Singapore.
Born in 1918, she left her hometown in Cangmen at the age of 14 to join her sister in Singapore.
They were women - known variously as majie, zishu nu and amah - who took vows of celibacy so they could commit to serving their masters, and were a common sight then.
Her first employer was the famous Tan Kah Kee, a rubber magnate and Chinese community leader who gave money to start numerous schools. But she had no idea who he was. Her sister was already working in the household.
The Tans thought highly of the Ouyang sisters. When Japanese troops invaded Singapore in 1942, the Tan family had wanted to leave together with the sisters, but Madam Ouyang’s sister did not want Madam Ouyang to go to a faraway place as she was still young. The Tans left their youngest daughter in the care of the two women as they fled the country.
After the war, so grateful were they to the women for keeping the girl safe that Mrs. Tan asked the sisters to live with the family. Recalled Madam Ouyang in the book: ‘She said, ‘I’ve always treated you sisters like my daughters, please stay’.’
But by that time, Madam Ouyang was already working for the Tans’ neighbour - the Lee family.
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew returned home from his studies in Britain during her second year with the family. She witnessed his wedding - a simple affair where relatives were invited to a meal to celebrate the occasion.
Madam Ouyang recalled that although Mr. Lee’s home was big, it was furnished simply ‘and was in fact a little bit old’. She and the other workers felt at ease there because the family was friendly and warm.
She remembered how Mrs. Lee, a lawyer, was especially kind to the majie. She once told them: ‘We’re busy in the office and will arrive home late, so please have your meals first and do not go hungry. You can prepare the dishes after we get home from work. Everyone will not be inconvenienced this way. Is it all right?’
Hence, the practice in the household was for the workers to eat before the employers.
Most of the workers in the Lee household came from the Pearl River Delta because Mr. Lee felt that they were ‘well-disciplined, refined and hardworking’.
The family also welcomed other majie when Madam Ouyang invited them over for chats and visits. Mrs. Lee addressed them as ‘jie’ (sister) and Madam Ouyang would feel a sense of pride.
Even after Mr. Lee became prime minister, his style remained simple, she remembered.
She recalled that the maids used to address Wei Ling by her name. When Mr. Lee took office, Madam Ouyang started addressing her as ‘Da Xiao Jie’, a term used for the employer’s eldest daughter.
But the young girl told her sternly: ‘It’s my father who’s the prime minister, not me. So please address me by my name.’
The Lees often took her on their outings so she wouldn’t be cooped up at home. As she watched Mr. Lee hold the hands of his children, Madam Ouyang felt that the prime minister was more like a patient father and a friendly friend. ‘Someone you can trust and be at ease with.’
Mr. Lee also valued tradition. She recalled one Chinese New Year where he ordered a set of mandarin jackets for the children.
She added that he told his elder son Hsien Loong: ‘We are Chinese, so we should follow the traditional customs when celebrating the Spring Festival.’
In the late 1980s, Madam Ouyang returned home to Cangmen due to her poor health. She often received letters from Dr Lee inquiring about her health and asking her to return to Singapore.
Dr Lee, who still refers to Madam Ouyang as ‘Yan Jie’ today, had been raised by her since young. She told The Sunday Times that Madam Ouyang’s voice was strong when she phoned her last year.
‘She said her nieces and nephews were taking good care of her,’ said Dr Lee. ‘She remembers all the time with us and invited me to stay and visit.’
Having worked under two historical leaders, people are always interested in hearing about their stories from Madam Ouyang, noted the book.
But in her eyes, her employers were ordinary people. ‘The only difference is that they were very busy, working constantly with hardly any time to rest,’ she said.
She added that her encounters with the historical figures have made her life memorable.
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Life With the Lees
Ouyang Huanyan looked after MM Lee’s household from the 1940s.
Mavis Toh and Lim Ruey Yan 1 February 2009
In 1945, Madam Ouyang Huanyan found employment as a housekeeper with a Lee family.
Never did she expect the eldest son of the family to eventually become the Prime Minister of Singapore.
She also witnessed the wedding of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and Madam Kwa Geok Choo, his classmate from Cambridge University. It was a simple affair where relatives were invited to dinner.
This anecdote and others are published in a book titled Zishu Nu From Shunde, by China Women Publishing House in 2006.
It features the history and stories of Madam Ouyang and other women who left China to work as housekeepers and nannies in South-east Asia in the early 1900s. They all came from the Shunde district in Guangdong province.
The book came to the attention of National Neuroscience Institute chief Lee Wei Ling recently. Dr Lee, Mr. Lee’s daughter, told The Sunday Times that a friend had chanced upon the book while visiting a village in China.
In one of the chapters, Madam Ouyang, now 91 and still healthy (see box below), recounted her life in Singapore.
Born in 1918, she left her hometown in Cangmen at the age of 14 to join her sister in Singapore.
They were women - known variously as majie, zishu nu and amah - who took vows of celibacy so they could commit to serving their masters, and were a common sight then.
Her first employer was the famous Tan Kah Kee, a rubber magnate and Chinese community leader who gave money to start numerous schools. But she had no idea who he was. Her sister was already working in the household.
The Tans thought highly of the Ouyang sisters. When Japanese troops invaded Singapore in 1942, the Tan family had wanted to leave together with the sisters, but Madam Ouyang’s sister did not want Madam Ouyang to go to a faraway place as she was still young. The Tans left their youngest daughter in the care of the two women as they fled the country.
After the war, so grateful were they to the women for keeping the girl safe that Mrs. Tan asked the sisters to live with the family. Recalled Madam Ouyang in the book: ‘She said, ‘I’ve always treated you sisters like my daughters, please stay’.’
But by that time, Madam Ouyang was already working for the Tans’ neighbour - the Lee family.
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew returned home from his studies in Britain during her second year with the family. She witnessed his wedding - a simple affair where relatives were invited to a meal to celebrate the occasion.
Madam Ouyang recalled that although Mr. Lee’s home was big, it was furnished simply ‘and was in fact a little bit old’. She and the other workers felt at ease there because the family was friendly and warm.
She remembered how Mrs. Lee, a lawyer, was especially kind to the majie. She once told them: ‘We’re busy in the office and will arrive home late, so please have your meals first and do not go hungry. You can prepare the dishes after we get home from work. Everyone will not be inconvenienced this way. Is it all right?’
Hence, the practice in the household was for the workers to eat before the employers.
Most of the workers in the Lee household came from the Pearl River Delta because Mr. Lee felt that they were ‘well-disciplined, refined and hardworking’.
The family also welcomed other majie when Madam Ouyang invited them over for chats and visits. Mrs. Lee addressed them as ‘jie’ (sister) and Madam Ouyang would feel a sense of pride.
Even after Mr. Lee became prime minister, his style remained simple, she remembered.
She recalled that the maids used to address Wei Ling by her name. When Mr. Lee took office, Madam Ouyang started addressing her as ‘Da Xiao Jie’, a term used for the employer’s eldest daughter.
But the young girl told her sternly: ‘It’s my father who’s the prime minister, not me. So please address me by my name.’
The Lees often took her on their outings so she wouldn’t be cooped up at home. As she watched Mr. Lee hold the hands of his children, Madam Ouyang felt that the prime minister was more like a patient father and a friendly friend. ‘Someone you can trust and be at ease with.’
Mr. Lee also valued tradition. She recalled one Chinese New Year where he ordered a set of mandarin jackets for the children.
She added that he told his elder son Hsien Loong: ‘We are Chinese, so we should follow the traditional customs when celebrating the Spring Festival.’
In the late 1980s, Madam Ouyang returned home to Cangmen due to her poor health. She often received letters from Dr Lee inquiring about her health and asking her to return to Singapore.
Dr Lee, who still refers to Madam Ouyang as ‘Yan Jie’ today, had been raised by her since young. She told The Sunday Times that Madam Ouyang’s voice was strong when she phoned her last year.
‘She said her nieces and nephews were taking good care of her,’ said Dr Lee. ‘She remembers all the time with us and invited me to stay and visit.’
Having worked under two historical leaders, people are always interested in hearing about their stories from Madam Ouyang, noted the book.
But in her eyes, her employers were ordinary people. ‘The only difference is that they were very busy, working constantly with hardly any time to rest,’ she said.
She added that her encounters with the historical figures have made her life memorable.
‘I have not lived my life in vain,’ she said.
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