Old names, new hopes: Heritage brands look to fresh support from new scheme

Straits Times

27-06-2025

(From right) Mr Goh Yong Chiang, his son Goh Seng Ngee and his wife Choong Chua Tee in their antique store Chan Ngee, which was set up in 1969. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Old names, new hopes: Heritage brands look to fresh support from new scheme
SINGAPORE - A treasure trove of antiques dating back to the Ming Dynasty – from teapots to snuff bottles – greets visitors to Chan Ngee in South Bridge Road.
The antique store was set up in 1969 as a ceramics and crafts wholesaler by Mr Goh Yong Chiang. Today, the 88-year-old runs the heritage business with his son, Mr Goh Seng Ngee, who joined him in the 1990s.
The store is one of more than 80 applicants for the SG Heritage Business Scheme, launched by the National Heritage Board (NHB) in March. To qualify, businesses must have operated in Singapore for at least 30 years and be located within the central area, among other conditions.
Those selected for the scheme will get help with branding, marketing and consultancy services. They can also use a specially designed SG Heritage Business mark on their marketing channels. Awardees will be announced in the third quarter of 2025.
Mr Goh Seng Ngee, 50, hopes Chan Ngee will be able to tap the scheme to attract younger customers. For now, his clientele is mostly regular collectors and tourists, especially ones from China.
'Traditional businesses like ours face challenges of high business operating costs, have limited exposure and may not be able to keep up with technology,' he said. 'We need to strike a balance between preserving our heritage and history, and evolving with the times to stay relevant.'
Mr Keerthi Rajendran, 39, and Mr Karthigayan Venkatesan, 40, who are co-owners of Gandhi Restaurant in Little India, have similar hopes of the scheme.
Mr Keerthi Rajendran (left) and Mr Karthigayan Venkatesan, who are co-owners of Gandhi Restaurant in Little India, have hopes of the SG Heritage Business Scheme.
ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
Their restaurant, which has been around for 54 years, still uses traditional cooking methods. For example, its signature onion chicken requires a full day of preparation, while its thosai and vadai flour and chutneys are blended in-house manually for better taste.
'I hope the scheme will help us improve our marketing and branding strategies to bring ourselves from a simple, next-door-neighbour kind of restaurant to an upscale one, and yet retain the heritage cooking and serving methods,' said Mr Keerthi.
While all businesses face manpower shortages, heritage businesses like his require even more hands, but struggle to attract younger people into the industry, he added.
'How are we going to survive if in the future, everyone is going to be an office-based worker or boss?' Mr Keethi said. 'What will happen to our traditional trades?'
Heritage brands also typically face challenges with technology and social media, said Mr Tong Kok Wing, director of Chop Wah On medicated oils and balms in Upper Cross Street.
'While heritage brands' experience and wisdom could be put to good use, they could be supplemented by input of youthful vigour and energy to drive their growth and innovation,' he said.
He, too, hopes the business, founded in 1916 by his grandfather, will secure official recognition as a Singapore heritage brand.
Mr Tong Kok Wing, director of Chop Wah On medicated oils and balms, hopes the business, founded in 1916 by his grandfather, will secure official recognition as a Singapore heritage brand.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Another hopeful is Mr Haffidz Abdul Hamid, general manager of Halijah Travels. The travel agency was incorporated with the Singapore Tourism Board in 1991 by his late sister, who had been providing haj services since 1981.
When she died in 1997, Mr Haffidz and his brother left their full-time jobs to continue their sister's legacy.
'It is imperative to remind ourselves that the haj pilgrimage is a legacy business that will have to evolve, but nonetheless remain anchored as faith-based travel,' said the 64-year-old.
'We are also passionate about promoting the legacy of Kampong Glam as Singapore's historical role as the heart of haj travels in the past.'
Halijah Travels is located in a restored shophouse in Kampong Glam, adjacent to the Sultan Mosque and the Malay Heritage Centre. The heritage precinct was the heart of haj travels before the 1970s, when Singapore served as a major hub for pilgrims travelling from South-east Asia to Mecca by sea.
Boosting the profile of heritage businesses
The SG Heritage Business Scheme will significantly enhance the visibility and legitimacy of heritage businesses, said Dr David Ocon, assistant professor (practice) at Singapore Management University.
Having an official SG Heritage Business mark would allow locals and tourists to easily identify and support such businesses, reinforcing their cultural value, he added.
Being featured in national events and heritage platforms would help these businesses gain marketing exposure, while consultancy support can help them adapt to changing consumer trends and digital demands, he said.
Associate Professor Dianna Chang from the Singapore University of Social Sciences' School of Business said targeted subsidies could help selected heritage businesses ease rental costs.
She added that many young people are reluctant to take up jobs in the heritage sector, often favouring positions in larger organisations due to better job security and career advancement opportunities.
To address this, the Government can support individuals who are passionate about heritage businesses by equipping them with stronger marketing and management capabilities, she suggested.
Businesses that face technological challenges could also get subsidised technical assistance and consulting services, such as help to upgrade payment systems, she said.
She added: 'Supporting heritage brands is meaningful not only in terms of promoting local enterprises, but also in preserving Singapore's cultural legacy and offering opportunities for people to connect with the nation's history and identity, and with one another.'
Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times covering topics such as community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.
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