Chinese coolies

Chinese coolies formed the early backbone of Singapore's labour force, engaged mainly in hard physical labour. Coolie comes from the Chinese word ku-li meaning hard labour. Ku also means bitter. The coolie was thus, a picture of the hard and bitter life in early Singapore. They were mainly impoverished Chinese immigrants who came to Singapore in the later half of the 19th century, seeking their fortune but serving instead as indentured, unskilled labourers. Coolies were employed in almost every sector of work including construction work, plantation work, in ports and mines and as rickshaw pullers.

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