新加坡传统华人社团的转型 ：义安公司案例研究 = The transformation of traditional Chinese social organisations in Singapore : a case study on the Ngee Ann Kongsi

传统华人社团在 19 世纪初的新加坡已奠定了基础，数目及势力日益增加。在多种社团当中，宗乡会馆脱颖而出，构成了新加坡文化重要的一部分。约二战后移民社会渐渐消失，国家现代化和西方文化的传入使会馆失去了原有的功能，它们之前能给予华侨的物质，精神和政治需求从今往后由新政府来替代。这个危机难免也影响了传统潮社义安公司，但程度相比之下显然比资金薄弱的小会馆低得多。义安公司遭受更大的威胁并不是外在的，而是内部纷争。在重组过程中出现了新的八邑会馆，全权由潮州人经营。义安公司则被新加坡法律鉴定为“慈善机构”，但始终还含有浓郁的会馆性质。公司在高度现代化的新加坡持有新的经营策略，从房地产投资扩展到其他高利润业务，得到的金额将慷慨地捐赠，主要进入教育和文化两大方位。总之，今日的华人社团与政府共享良好关系，再也不像以前那么孤立无助，可说是现代发展的一大现象和肯定了转型的必要性。 Traditional Chinese social organisations have existed since the early nineteenth century in Singapore. Their numbers grew exponentially while the bigger ones started to amass great social powers to a point where it became a cause for concern to the early British Colonial government. Among the varied types of organisations, clan associations such as those bounded by dialect and kinship ties should be held with esteem because they apparently have the highest social value, serving the material, spiritual, and political needs of the early migrants. Unfortunately, circumstances changed through the twentieth century with increasing modernisation and the influx of western values. The aforementioned provisions had since been pledged by a new local government, thus rendering traditional associations redundant. Ngee Ann Kongsi, unlike other small clan associations, bore softer impacts. Their problems however, came from internal factors, which eventually led to the establishment of a sister organisation, the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan. The Ngee Ann Kongsi had since been classified as a “Charitable Organisation” while still bearing the intrinsic characteristics of a traditional Huay Kuan. Nevertheless, the Kongsi has proceeded to its new calling in the private investments sector, raking in substantial sums and ultimately disburse to the local educational and cultural scenes. Today, Traditional Chinese social organisations are working closely with the government more than ever before. This, is a sign of modernity and a result of necessary transformation.Bachelor of Art