Clash of the clans: First the Teochews, now the Hainanese

Leaders of Hainanese community clash over control of association's assets

Hwee Kuan president Phua Kiah Mai (left) says he is willing to sit down and talk things out with THK chairman Foo Jong Peng. Above: The Beach Road building, long seen as a home for the Hainanese community in Singapore, now bears a sign that reads Khe
The Beach Road building, long seen as a home for the Hainanese community in Singapore, now bears a sign that reads Kheng Chiu Building instead of Hainan Hwee Kuan. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Hwee Kuan president Phua Kiah Mai (left) says he is willing to sit down and talk things out with THK chairman Foo Jong Peng. Above: The Beach Road building, long seen as a home for the Hainanese community in Singapore, now bears a sign that reads Khe
Hwee Kuan president Phua Kiah Mai (left) says he is willing to sit down and talk things out with THK chairman Foo Jong Peng. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI PHOTO: COURTESY OF PHUA KIAH MAI
and
Updated
Feb 01, 2021, 08:38 PM
Published
Sep 15, 2019, 05:00 AM
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

For three decades, the characters "Hainan Hwee Kuan" in elegant Chinese calligraphy adorned the facade of a building in Beach Road.

On a Friday evening two weeks ago, they were taken down.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

ST One Digital

 $9.90/month

No contract

ST app access on 1 mobile device

Subscribe now

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on September 15, 2019, with the headline Clash of the clans: First the Teochews, now the Hainanese. Subscribe

Available for
iPhones and iPads
Available in
Google Play

MCI (P) 066/10/2023. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2024 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.

Back to the top