Swee Aun: The Provision Shop at our Bedok Kampong

We remember those short walks from our Bedok kampong house to Swee Aun, the neighbourhood provision shop that once stood where Cold Storage now sits along Bedok Road, near today’s bus stop. To us, the most‑friendly owner was always Ah Yam - whom Mr Yeo Hong Eng, in The Little Red Cliff, identifies as his relative, Uncle Yam.

Mr Yeo paints a vivid picture of the shop in his book:

“Just like any provision shop of those days, Uncle Yam’s shop was stacked with rice, flour of different types, dried food products, canned food, bottled drinks, stationery and many other items. He usually wore striped pyjama pants and a singlet when conducting business.” - The Little Red Cliff, p. 47

That description matches our own memory of Ah Yam perfectly. He was a gentle, disarming man - almost always in his white singlet and drawstring pyjama trousers with vertical blue stripes - moving easily between the aisles of his shop, greeting neighbours with a smile that felt like part of the inventory.

From time to time, he would ride over to our house with purchases our mother and aunties had made — items too heavy for us to carry home. But he never simply dropped them off. A little chit‑chat about how each other’s families were doing would naturally unfold, whether at our house or at his shop. Such was the rhythm of kampong life - transactions softened by relationships, errands woven with conversation.

And then, out of the blue, came a gift: a delightful 1985 photograph of the Swee Aun shop, shared with us by Jayne Krishna. Outside the shop stands Ah Yam’s first wife, who came from China - a precious glimpse into a moment we thought had slipped away. Thank you, Jayne, for this treasure.

For those who wish to purchase a copy of The Little Red Cliff, Mr Yeo can be reached at yeohongeng@yahoo.com.sg. He tells us that only a few copies remain.