Ramasamy Suppiah’s King’s Police Medal, and Kalastree Suppiah’s Pingat Pertahanan (The Defence Medal)

These medals are Ramasamy Suppiah’s King’s Police Medal, and Kalastree Suppiah’s Pingat Pertahanan (The Defence Medal). Ramasamy Suppiah was born in Malacca at the turn of the 20th century. In 1920, he and his wife, Kathai Ammal Chitty, moved to Singapore where he joined the police force, rising to the position of Detective Sergeant-Major. On 13 April 1932, he was awarded the King’s Police Medal for gallantry by Sir Cecil Clementi, then Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements. Born in Singapore in 1923, Kalastree Suppiah was the second son of Ramasamy Suppiah and Kathai Ammal Chitty. Like his father, Kalastree Suppiah 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.Both men were members of the Peranakan Indian community in Singapore. 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.