The Early Documents on the Predecessor Institutions of NUS – the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School

By Wong Kah Wei and Herman Felani Md Yunos

 

The National University of Singapore (NUS) traces its origins back to 1905, when the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School was officially launched on 28 September, 1905 (Lee & Tan, 1996). This institution was later renamed King Edward VII Medical School in 1913 and achieved the status of a medical college in 1921, becoming known as King Edward VII College of Medicine (NUS, n.d.-a). In 1928, Raffles College was founded to provide tertiary education in the arts and sciences, complementing the medical school (NUS, n.d.-b). By 1949, these two institutions merged to form the University of Malaya. In 1955, Nanyang University opened its doors to students. The Singapore campus of the University of Malaya was officially designated as the University of Singapore in 1962 (NUS, n.d.-b). Finally, in 1980, NUS was established through the merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University.

To trace the roots of NUS to the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, we dig into NUS Libraries’ collections. What is the story of Singapore’s first medical school as revealed through publications, documents, and other materials in these collections?

The earliest-dated document in our collections pertaining to the medical school is Memorandum as to the foundation of a Medical School for the Straits Settlements in Singapore submitted on 16 September 1889. The Memorandum was written by Dr Max F. Simon, Acting Principal Medical Officer of the Straits Settlements. Dr Simon proposed how the medical school could be founded, the necessity for medical qualifications to be recognized, the medical subjects, student fees and stipends. The Memorandum was published in the Proceedings of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements for 1889 which is available as a hard copy in the Rare Book collection as well as accessible online as part of our collection of the Straits Settlements Sessional Papers, 1855-1940 (CO 275).

However, Simon’s proposal had its naysayers. In the Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the System of English Education dated 16 June 1902 (PDF Page 278, page C121), the President of the Medical Association and some medical doctors opposed the establishment of a medical school citing the prohibitive cost of such a venture. There were just too few students and also there was a lack of materials. The recommendation was, thus, to continue sending local students to medical schools in India.

The turning point came in 8 September 1904, when Tan Jiak Kim, a member of the Legislative Council and a well-respected leader of the Chinese community, submitted a petition on behalf of the Chinese community to the Governor, John Anderson. In the petition, Tan prayed that the Governor would consider establishing a medical school in Singapore giving reasons such as the importance of “a general comprehension of proper sanitary conditions and habits” which could be achieved with “a proper supply of trained medical men who are in racial sympathy with those whom they attend.”

Responding, Fred G. Penney, Acting Colonial Secretary wrote to Tan on 4 October 1904. Again, cost was cited. Expenditure was required for buildings and equipment, staff, maintenance, scholarships and allowances for students. However, the Governor suggested that if the Chinese community could raise $71,000, the Governor would “invite the Legislative Council… to provide for the payment of the necessary staff and maintenance charges… at $13,200 per annum and also provide scholarships for ten students annually”. 

The leaders of the Chinese community met and agreed to accept the Governor’s challenge and prepared to raise funds among the community. The result was astounding. Over $87,000 was collected with Tan Jiak Kim himself giving $12,000 (Lee & Tan, 1996).

By 10 January 1905, the Governor wrote to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, supporting the establishment of the medical school. The response from the Secretary, Alfred Lyttelton came in a telegram, approving the proposal.

The flow of events from Tan’s petition to Lyttleton’s approval are diligently recorded in Proceedings of the Legislative Council of the Straits for 1905 (PDF Page 189-190,  Page C37-C39).

With Lyttelton’s approval, the bill was introduced, and by 14 July 1905, the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School Ordinance 1905 was enacted. Regulations stipulated the appointment and remuneration of lecturers, qualifications of student applicants, courses and examinations, maintenance of discipline, scholarships and fees and so on.

The big day came and the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School was officially opened on 28 September 1905. This was duly reported at length in the Singapore Free Press. After the welcome speeches, the Principal of the medical school, Gerald Dudley Freer gave a short report on enrollment numbers and students’ marks. A full report of the first session of the medical school from 3 July to 23 December 1905 was published in Annual Departmental Reports of the Straits Settlements for the year 1905 (PDF Page 35-37, Page 35-38) giving information on the lecturers, buildings and laboratories, exam marks and student academic performance.

All the primary sources mentioned above are cited in medical historian, Dr Lee Yong Kiat’s journal articles published in 1980 and 2005. The Part 1 and Part 2 of The founding of the medical school in Singapore published in Singapore Medical Journal give a detailed and comprehensive story of the beginnings of the medical school which include full-text of and references to various primary sources and newspaper articles.

One of the eight elemental characteristics of public administration, with the British Colonial Civil Service serving as a sterling example, is what Max Weber (1952) referred to as “continuity through rules and records”. This result in a treasure trove today of primary materials meticulously documenting the activities, decision and thought processes as well as interactions of administrators with the population they are governing from the past. This allows us to access the information necessary to understand the evolution of our current institutions and policies. In contrast, secondary sources synthesize this information, connecting various facts to offer deeper insights.

The collections of government documents housed at NUS Libraries, which date back to the 19th century, have developed significantly over time, establishing a robust foundation for research, enhancing our understanding of Singapore’s history and governance. NUS Libraries’ collections underscores the library’s vital role in supporting scholarly exploration and preserving the nation’s historical narrative.

 

References

Lee, E. & Tan, T. Y. (1996). Beyond degrees: the making of the National University of Singapore. Singapore University Press

Lee, Y.K. (1980a). The Founding of the medical school in Singapore (Part I). Singapore Medical Journal, 21(3), 544-555.

Lee, Y.K. (1980b). The Founding of the medical school in Singapore (Part II). Singapore Medical Journal, 21(4), 666-676.

Lee, Y.K. (2005). The Founding of the medical school in Singapore in 1905. Annals of the Academiy of Medicine, 34(6), 4C-13C.

Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements (1855). Straits Settlements sessional papers, 1855-1940: CO 275. The National Archives.

Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements (1876). Proceedings of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements (with appendices) for... Government Printing Office.

National University of Singapore (n.d.-a). Founded by the community for the community.

National University of Singapore. (n.d.-b). Evolution of the NUS identity.

Weber, M. (1952). The essentials of bureaucratic organization: An ideal-type construction. In R.K. Merton, A.P. Gray & B. Hockey (Eds.), Reader in bureaucracy (pp. 19-21). Free Press.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *