Dear Nyonyas and Babas
One Tough Cookie
I remember clearly the year I first set my camera lens on her.
She had the most exquisitely coiffured head dress and was so resplendently styled that she seemed to float delicately in a sea of beautiful sarong kebayas.
This was back in November 2017 when the State Chinese Penang Association held the 30th Baba International Nyonya Convention. I was then THE PERANAKAN magazine photographer shooting for editor (and also my wife) Linda Chee’s story on the convention. I didn’t know who this nyonya was.
I became President of The Peranakan Association Singapore (TPAS) in May 2018. That year, in November, I saw her again at the 31st Baba Nyonya International Convention in Tangerang, Jakarta.
As fate would have it, one day during the convention, I ended up in the same coach as her. I sat next to her as Linda had already taken the only other empty seat near the front. We introduced ourselves.
By the end of the morning’s journey, I had learnt a few things about Nyonya Genevieve Peggy Jeffs.
She is a direct descendant of one of the foremost late 19th and early 20th century Peranakans in Medan, Indonesia – Tjong A Fie – a Kapitan Cina and a very wealthy planter and merchant in Dutch Indonesia. Her impeccable lineage included spirited grandmother Nyonya Queeny Chang who wrote the evocative memoir, Memories of a Nyonya.
Another nugget of information that I found out was that Peggy had been organising fund-raising events for charities since young. And that the charity events were large, averaging not less than 500 guests.
Midway through the conversation I was convinced that Peggy was the right person to helm TPAS’ organising committee for the Peranakan Dinner coming up in 2020 in conjunction with our 120th Anniversary.
I was then looking for someone to lead this dinner event. She ticked all the boxes. But I had to discuss it with the General Committee (GC). The GC supported my recommendation wholeheartedly.
To cut to the chase, in early 2019, Peggy agreed to help us and the dinner date was promptly set for 18 July 2020.
Peggy moved into the vacant position of First Vice-President of the GC. She was given a clear mandate to raise funds and extend our cultural reach to other communities through her extensive international network. In no time, Peggy formed an organising committee which ran like clockwork.
I had reservations about whether we would be able to achieve the minimum size of 500 guests required for the dinner to be held at Shangri-La Hotel’s cavernous Island Ballroom. Peggy was confident we could. By the Chinese New Year of January 2020, we had sold 520 seats – fully paid – despite TPAS not even being a charity with IPC status!
However, COVID-19 hit like a sledgehammer over the CNY festive period. Our team decided to postpone the July 2020 dinner to 15 May 2021. We had believed and hoped then that, like SARS, it would be well over by the end of 2020. Thankfully, despite our misgivings, only two tables withdrew from the dinner. We still had 500 guests.
The pandemic persisted. By the second half of 2020, we were psychologically prepared to call off the postponed dinner. The stress of trying to predict the unpredictable was taking its toll. The pandemic had gone from bad to worse. We decided to make a final decision in end-February 2021 whether to cancel the dinner altogether.
Throughout this time we saw the steel in this nyonya. Peggy persevered doggedly, “Why decide now when we still have time?”
We did have time, but we were already burdened by another postponement – the 33rd Baba Nyonya International Convention – from November 2020 to November 2021. This postponement was the first in its 33-year history. And we were still equally unsure whether we could pull through the convention given the planning uncertainties and constantly changing situation.
By the end of 2020, the TPAS team of volunteers and friends were mentally and emotionally wrestling with both the dinner and convention running head-to-head. It was a double whammy.
At the time, Peggy suggested postponing the May 2021 dinner yet again to September and to reformat it as a virtual Peranakan Dinner. But who would want to attend a virtual dinner? We had not done this before.
It was more tempting to cancel the dinner altogether. Doing so would give us breathing space to focus on the more important hybrid November convention that we had decided to push through, come rain or shine.
But Peggy was resolute. She gave her reasons to postpone the dinner a second time, from May to September, and not cancel it. It would be a much smaller virtual dinner at the homes of guests and this could appeal to many.
A novel virtual dinner was possible, she argued, even though this would be the first time she was doing it. First, many guests had indicated they would support TPAS even if the dinner was not held at the hotel. We should not disappoint them. More importantly, the dinner would be able to generate funds to help finance the convention and future GC activities, as was originally planned.
She won over the dinner team and GC with her grit and unwavering confidence. I remember telling someone appreciatively later: “She’s one tough cookie!”
As expected, a smaller number of dinner guests stayed on. But it was an unexpectedly decent 240 guests, almost half the total that had paid up for the in-person Peranakan Dinner at Shangri-La Hotel.
The virtual dinner-at-home, beautifully catered in tengkats by the hotel, was a resounding success. By God’s grace. I say this because in the evening of the eve of the dinner the government announced yet again the latest revisions to its Safe Management Measures. We missed the further tightening by two days! All the scenario planning, perseverance and hard work of many had paid off.
Succession
My sharing on Peggy dovetails the issue of succession planning nicely. In my past letters, I have mentioned my search for a suitable person to replace me. Peggy has agreed to take up the challenge of leading the next GC, if elected, with plenty of gusto. I will step down as President after four years at the helm, as I had planned.
I have assured Peggy and the GC that I will be an active advisor to TPAS if needed.
What speaks volumes about Peggy is that when the GC members heard her decision, most if not all volunteered to stay on as well. They had worked with her for two years in the GC and know her style. Foremost in their minds is ensuring that a committee of experienced members would at least be in place to continue steering the ship forward.
Peggy had explained her decision: “We must have that sense of responsibility to carry on. If there is not another team willing to take up the baton, we must be the team that does.”
Nyonya Genevieve Peggy Jeffs, taken in Nov 2017 at the 30th Baba Nyonya Convention in Penang (Note: the red line running across the picture is the reflection of the railing on the coach’s window)
As we go deep into preparing for the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), GC member Nyonya Yip Wai Kuan will swap places with Baba Philip Yeo who will step down as Hon General Secretary. I thank both Philip and Kuan for their continuing commitment to the cause. Philip has been a strong pillar pulling our PDPA protocols together, guiding the AGMs, managing the convention’s ticket sales, and always providing wise and practical if sometimes feisty counsel built around governance. And Kuan has been a capable, ever willing helper.
Baba Nyonya Literary Festival
In two weeks, probably the world’s smallest literary festival will take place in Singapore as a hybrid event.
The 2nd Baba Nyonya Literary Festival will be held in-person and virtually in the afternoons of 19 and 20 March 2022 at the National Library Board’s panoramic Pod.
Physical (In-Venue) tickets are selling fast and online (Livestream) tickets are still available through Peatix at https://babanyonyaliteraryfestival.peatix.com/. Festival in-person attendees are reminded to abide by the most current Safe Management Measures and must be fully vaccinated.
Restauranteur, chef and writer Nyonya Violet Oon will now be the event’s Guest-of-Honour as, regrettably, Baba General Winston Choo is unable to be present because of unforeseen personal commitments. We thank Violet mightily for readily agreeing and understanding. We would also like to thank General Choo for his enthusiastic support and wish the LORD’s blessings over him and his family.
Festival organiser Nyonya Ngiam May Ling enthuses, “For those who have signed up for the festival, the line-up of renowned writers and cultural champions promises to be a delicious Peranakan literary feast. Books featured will also be available for sale during the festival.”
Until you hear from us again, may your coming days and months be safe, healthy and happy.
Blessings
Colin Chee
President
Reimagine & Reinvent
28 Feb 2022