“Kedai” Provision Shops

There were 3 provision shops mainly selling dry provisions within the kampong, one was “kedai Ah Chap”, the first shop you would see after a few houses just after “sungai terus”. The second was “kedai nonya”, nearby tok alet’s house and the third was “kedai cik tonggong” located at the deeper end of the kampong. Though the kampong’s population was mainly Malays, all three shops were owned and run by the Chinese.



“Kedai Cik tonggong” is a fair distance from the main kampong houses but not necessarily less patronise. It’s location being far end and by the sea makes it a favorite hangout for those beer drinkers to enjoy the secluded surrounding. The “orang sampan” or “orang seletar” whose homes are on the sampan itself occasionally visits his shop. He kept his business even after the kampong was resettled and to this very day his shop still exist in Yishun run by his son Ah Seng.



Amongst the three shops, “kedai nonya” was the smallest. I dislike going to her shop cos she has several fierce dogs guarding her premises, and they would bark like hell when you come near. We would almost always have to call out the old lady from afar so that she could calm her dogs down before we could enter her shop. Business was’nt so good for her plus her grown up children didn’t want to keep up the shop. Soon enough she closed.



“Kedai Ah Chap” was my favorite, visiting his shop was more at ease and also most of my kampong friends like to hang out at his shop. We would buy drinks and crackers or peanuts and just sat around chatting all day long. Ah Chap would place pinball machines in his shop, have carom and checked boards on foldable table in front of his shop for us to play. He does have dogs at his premises but his dogs are the lazy type who just like to lay down on the warm cement floor wiggling its tail and eyes shut. Even if it does gets up, the most it will do is just sniff at your feet and leave, no barking what so ever. I missed that place.

Kedai Ah Chap