Object size: 34.3 x 27.9 cm (Mount),
Image size: 30.4 x 20.3
This is a photograph of Kalastree Suppiah in police uniform. Born in Singapore in 1923, Kalastree Suppiah was the second son of Ramasamy Suppiah and Kathai Ammal Chitty who were from the Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) community in Malacca and Singapore. Like his father, Kalastree Suppiah also served in the Singapore police force. He was a detective in the police force during the Japanese Occupation, and later worked as a hospital assistant, continuing as a police volunteer for almost 30 years until his retirement. Peranakan Indians (also known as Chitty Melaka or Chetti Melaka) are descendants of South Indian traders (particularly Tamils) who settled in Malacca during the 15th to 16th centuries and married local women of Malay and Chinese descent. They trace their roots to Kampung Chitty, in Gajah Berang, Malacca, and there is a small community numbering approximately 5,000 in Singapore.
