Dreams of wealth and prosperity once danced in the heart of a young man named Chew Boon Lay. This is Boon Lay. This is a place named after a remarkable pioneer. His story echoes through the streets and buildings surrounding us.
Chew Boon Lay arrived in Singapore in the 1870s. He was an ambitious man from a humble background. Imagine him stepping off a junk ship ready to make his mark. He started a soap manufacturing business. Later he founded the Ho Ho Biscuit Factory in 1898. This biscuit business significantly contributed to his early fortune. The Gaw family from Indonesia loved his biscuits. They partnered with Chew to expand his business internationally. Chew became known as Singapore’s Biscuit King.
But Chew Boon Lay was more than just a biscuit maker. He saw value in land. He acquired acres of marshland and jungle in Jurong. He cleared them for gambier and pepper plantations. When the gambier industry declined he adapted. He turned to cultivating rubber. Rubber was in great demand.
Chew Boon Lay also established a brick-making factory on Pulau Tekong around 1912. But he sold it quickly due to the high mortality rate of his workers. He valued human life more than profit. In the late 1940s and 50s the colonial government acquired large portions of Chew’s land in Jurong. This led to the growth of Boon Lay village. By the early 1960s it had a population of 422 people.
One of Chew’s sons Chew Hock Seng requested to preserve his father’s name. So the government named the area Boon Lay in his honor. Today roads a Housing Board estate an MRT station and schools bear his name. A type of soil was even named after him. Chew Boon Lay was a family man. He married Ong Cheng Neo a Peranakan from Malacca. They had eight sons and four daughters. He spoke Amoy Hokkien to his children. He practiced Confucian rites and rituals.
Chew Boon Lay passed away on 2 June 1933. He was buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery. He left behind a large family. In 2002 his descendants published a book detailing his life and family tree. It included over 700 descendants.
Boon Lay estate began to take shape in 1969. The villages were cleared and new roads were built. By the mid-1970s the Housing and Development Board flats were ready for the workers at nearby industries. Public amenities were also added.
In the 1970s Boon Lay faced challenges. Residents complained about brownish salty water. This was due to corroded pipes. There were also issues with air pollution from nearby factories. The Anti-Pollution Unit stepped in to monitor emissions.
The Boon Lay Shopping Centre opened in 1978. It was Jurong’s first shopping and residential complex. In the early 1980s Boon Lay residents had their own cinema the Savoy Cinema. Several schools were established in Boon Lay estate during its development. Boon Lay Garden Primary School was set up in 1977. Boon Lay Secondary School was established in 1977 as well.
Today Boon Lay is a vibrant neighborhood. It honors the legacy of Chew Boon Lay. His entrepreneurial spirit and contributions to Singapore are remembered. As you explore Boon Lay remember the man behind the name. Remember his journey from a poor village in China to a successful pioneer in Singapore. His story is a testament to hard work perseverance and family values.