The majie and it dawned on me that these were FDWs of yesterday. Not unlike the FWDs of today, these single women in black and white samfu outfit with their hair tied in buns were from the Guangdong province. They worked here from the 1930s to the 1970s. These sturdy women were not called “maids” though they took vows of celibacy to dedicate themselves to their vocation.
The word majie is made up of the word ma (mother) and jie (elder sister), though some have suggested that amah may have originated from the Portuguese ama meaning "nurse". In Taiwan and China, the word amah refers to an older lady in general, As many were also nannies, it could well have come from the word nai ma (literally "milk mother" in Chinese). Variants such as amah-chieh or mahjie have also been used. Similar terms in the same context includes ah-yee, yee-yee or ah sum (aunt), or jie-jie (elder sister).
Again, not unlike the FDWs of today, the majie of yesterday worked very long hours. It was normal to be up at 5 am in the morning, and they worked to around 8 or 9 pm in the evening. But unlike the FDWs of today, they did not have families to return to. Many were treated as part of the family as they served their employers for a long time.
In fact, it was not all that uncommon for majie to have lived with their employers until they retired or passed on. Some, however, chose to retire in China (a traditional desire of the Chinese in the past), while others retired in jointly rented rooms in Chinatown as their living quarters called coolie fong. During their working lives, some majie also rented rooms in Chinatown as a collective and would return to their rooms daily or on their days off if they lived with their employers.
Some majie also got together and formed their own clans – such as the Seng Cheow Tong Clan, which was formed by 51 majie in 1963 and disbanded in 2004. Others chose to stay at chai tong (vegetarian houses) after they retired. These homes were organized by Buddhist associations to provide food and lodging for elderly unmarried women, or women who had no family or relations. They charged a nominal rent, if at all. In some cases, the aged residents worked for their keeps within the community.
Significantly, there was hardly any reported abuse of these majie ( According to 韩山元 [Han, S. Y.]. (2009, August 14). 自梳女 [Majie]. 联合早报 [Lianhe Zaobao]. Retrieved from Factiva). The relationship between the majie and the employers were such that a kinship relationship was developed over time.
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Majie
The majie were a group of women who worked as domestic helpers in Singapore between the 1930s and 1970s.1 They were easily identified by their plaited hair or hair bun and distinctive black and white samfu outfit.
Historical background - While all majie worked as domestic servants or amah, not all amah were majie. The term “majie” is used to refer to a distinct group of amah who came from Shun Tak (now known as Shunde District) in China’s Guangdong province. Unlike other amah, this group of women had taken a vow never to marry.2
During the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a group of women in Shun Tak who chose not to marry. They were known as zhishu nü, meaning “women who dressed their own hair”.3 These women would usually undergo a ceremony called sor hei (combing-up). The ceremony was a simple one which took place either at a temple, ancestral hall or at home. During the ceremony, the individual would have her hair combed up into a bun. She would then take a vow of celibacy before a deity on an altar, in front of a witness, to never marry.4
After the sor hei ceremony, these women were regarded as independent and could no longer live at home with their families.5 They thus organised themselves into sisterhoods. Some of these groups also set up homes, usually known as ku por uk (meaning “house of grandaunt” or “house of the spinster”), where their members could reside.6 Some of these women also chose to live in vegetarian halls.7
Not all zhishu nü became majie. Many of them were involved in the silk industry, which Shun Tak was famous for.8 When the industry began to decline in the 1930s, many of these women left Shun Tak for Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore as part of the larger female emigration from China to seek employment elsewhere.9 Many of these Shun Tak women became domestic servants.
The term “majie” is derived from a Shun Tak term (ma cheh) meaning “mother and sister”. It refers to these women’s work as servants who took care of children and also alludes to their spinsterhood.10 The majie had a distinctive “uniform” of black trousers and white tops known as samfu.11 Some of the younger majie wore their hair in a plait, while many also tied up their hair in a bun
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An Amah Says Farewell
While digging through old memories and newspaper articles at NewspaperSG, I chanced this report in The Singapore Free Press dated 5 May, 1951.
Bee Wickerson writes from England:
Standing on the deck of the trooper that was to take me away from Singapore and home to England, I stared across the waters of the Singapore roads to where the lights of the city winked rather solemnly at me. I wondered when next I should see it all.A steward appeared in front of me and presented a slip of paper. Curiously I looked at it, reading with growing astonishment, my own name and that of the ship. I looked up with the obvious question hovering, and I saw Ah Seon.
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Amah (occupation)
An amah or ayah (German: Amme, Medieval Latin: amma; or ayah Hindi: āyā or amma, Portuguese: aia, Latin: avia, Tagalog: yaya) is a girl or woman employed by a family to clean, look after children, and perform other domestic tasks.
It is a domestic servant role which combines functions of nursemaid, maid and nanny. The term, resembling the pronunciation for "mother", is considered polite and respectful in the Chinese language when it is used to refer to a maid. They may often be required by employers to wear a uniform.
The word amah may have originated from the Portuguese ama meaning "nurse". Some however argued that it is the English form of the Chinese word ah mah (ah is a common Chinese prefix, and mah means "little mother"), while others say that it originated as nai mah (wet nurse in Chinese, literally "milk mother"). This word is common in East Asia, South East Asia and India to denote a maidservant or nursemaid.
Variants such as Amah-chieh or mahjeh (chieh or jeh means elder sister in Chinese dialects) have also been used in some countries. In China, amah may even refer to any old lady in general. In Taiwan and southeastern China where the Minnan language is spoken, amah refers to the paternal grandmother. Similar terms in the same context includes ah-yee (Aunt), yee-yee (aunt), or jie-jie (elder sister). Since the mid-1990s, it has become more politically correct in some circles to call such a person a 'helper' rather than a maid or ayah.
In Tamil, an ancient Dravidian language of more than 3000 years of recorded history and one which is still spoken by more than 75 million people worldwide, 'Amma' means 'Mother', and it is used as a postfix as well to mean 'the person is a woman/ the woman is somewhat respectable like a mother'. The word 'Amma' is pronounced without stressing the 'm' too, like in 'Ama'. Similarly 'Ayah' means grandmother, and it also denotes a maidservant (especially midwives and wet-nurses) since much of such work used to be done by grandmothers, especially in rural households, which are the majority in Tamil country. The word 'Ayah' itself is derived from the old Tamil word 'Aayee', meaning a respectable lady, that is, 'mother'. In Tamil culture, Mother is the most respected, even placed about one's god. So, most respectable.
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A Book on “Ma Jie” from Canton 《广东妈姐》
A compelling story of Ma Jie (妈姐) who came from the Guangdong province of China in the early 20th century. They are a group of loyal, diligent and independent housekeepers who gradually disappeared from the local scene after 1980s.
The lives and characters of the Ma Jie are portrayed in the book through the story of Madam Ouyang Huanyan, a Ma Jie who had served the family of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew for forty years.
Published by Shun Tak Community Guild, each book costs S$20. The sale proceeds of the books will be donated to Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital.
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Heritage and History with 938: Majie
Yu Lin came to Singapore in the mid-1930s as a “Majie”, which literally means “mother” and “sister”.
“Majie” were a group of women from Guangdong, China who mainly worked as domestic helpers. Many of them took a vow of celibacy and pledged not to marry, but Yu Lin eventually had her own family.
In this episode of Heritage & History, Chew Wui Lynn speaks to Yu Lin’s granddaughter, Charmaine Leung, as well as Lee Kok Leong, the author of “Guangdong Majie” to learn more about these extraordinary women.
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妈姐：顺德冰玉堂 - 漂洋过海的红登记 Majie, Amah
（欧阳焕燕（左）在李家打工时，跟李玮玲、另一位妈姐和李显扬的合照。图片首次刊登于《联合早报》，2009年2月1日。）
40岁那年，欧阳焕燕选择走上自梳女这条路，一生由姐妹相伴。后来亲生姐姐的身体不适，两姐妹决定回返故里，告别在新加坡五十余载的岁月。
我们的访员冯玉珊先后跟欧阳焕燕会面两次，最近的一次是2014年10月份。欧阳焕燕已经恢复中国国籍，目前由侄儿和保姆负责照顾她的日常生活。欧阳焕燕喜欢喝南洋咖啡，还记得当年在新加坡码头上岸以及新加坡的风景线。
新加坡的巴刹到处都是手提着菜篮的妈姐的身影，巴刹就像联合国，混合着各种语言，广东话、潮州话、福建话、红毛话等，看似鸡同鸭讲，到头来却通行无阻，是典型的南洋风情。战前两三分钱吃一碗云吞面，一个月的生活费只需三块钱左右，她打工的五六元工资已经绰绰有余，还可以将余钱寄回家乡。
欧阳焕燕只是在珠三角南来的芸芸妈姐中的一份子，由于她曾经在陈嘉庚和李光耀家中当女佣，带大他们的孩子，欧阳焕燕的名字就这样多添一层灿烂的色彩。如果我们希望从欧阳焕燕或者其他妈姐身上找到斑斓缠绵的故事，那肯定会大失所望。
对在新加坡出现过的许多妈姐而言，生活就是这样一天一天过。她们坚贞自爱，独身一辈子后，年老了也不想拖累他人，所表现的是日常生活中自然散发的魅力，是一段又一段值得回味，值得咀嚼，值得领悟的人生。
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少艾變白頭 媽姐無悔獨終老
張閫端（左）年輕時穿起唐裝衫褲在大戶人家當「媽姐」。
回憶往日，羅婆婆侃侃而談，說自己年輕時惹來不少狂蜂浪蝶，追求者中不乏有家底的少爺：「好多少爺仔、林黛表弟都請我去睇戲，又跟住我去買菜搭車，有啲會跟到上事頭屋企！」追求者雖多，但羅婆婆認為自己職業卑微，配不上他們，加上有相士稱她沒夫福，致她毅然「梳起唔嫁」。勞碌一生的羅婆婆雖無兒無女，但對她來說，當年穿起唐裝衫褲的歲月最值得回味。
九十二歲張閫端及八十六歲韋葵同樣年輕時入行當「媽姐」，窮一生青春服侍主人。有電台電視部拍攝一部取材自「媽姐」行業的節目，訪問十二位「媽姐」
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轉名手續問題 無法脫手8媽姐屋將成遺跡
槟城4日讯）在槟城最后一名“妈姐”于去年年尾辞世后，槟城妈姐虽然已成为历史，然而妈姐从60年代开始以集资方式购置的至少8间战前老屋产业，却因为转名手续及银行借贷问题以致不可能转手下，产业相信将成为妈姐在槟城的永久遗迹。
很多人不知在乔治市世遗区的包括义福街、南华医院，至少8间战前建筑是终生不嫁的妈姐，在60年代开始以集资合股方式逐一购置的产业。其中，相信是首间所购置的产业在80年代尾，在拖延5年后才成功脱手给商人拿督李永光，然而其他的产业却因为一些妈姐去世后，以及脱手时没办好转名手续，以致产业没有律师肯接手办理转卖，银行也不放贷。
也是顺德会馆署理主席的拿督李永光与妈姐缘分深远流长，除了其夫人是妈姐陈赛球的养女外，李永光在10多岁时，即已开始为这些妈姐代笔写信寄信回中国老乡。他不记得为多少妈姐捎过信，但知道她们多数来自中国顺德，其中一些来自南海、番禺及东芫。
那时，这些妈姐已在槟城约30年光景，而在1957年后已再没有妈姐来槟城。“她们其中一些最年长的已约70岁，最年轻的约40出头。那时妈姐很擅长下厨，所以那些有钱人将妈姐当成宝般，让她们在家中烧饭烹煮。”
他说，其夫人黄玉珍来自怡保，小时因为家中人口多所以才交给妈姐陈赛珍养育至21岁出嫁，当时与妈姐栖身在义福街60A。
妈姐在槟城首间购置的产业是南华医院门牌29号，堂号为侨居；第2间为南华医院街21号的华联；第3间是义福德46号的联居；第4间是义福街52号；第5间是义福街56号的群愉等。其中在南华医院街相信共有5间，义福街则有4间，分别是46号、52号、56号及60号。
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The Samsui women who built a city 三水妇女or 三水婆 or 紅頭巾
Samsui women were the heroines S’pore needed, but their struggles were real
Many of us might have never seen a samsui woman in the flesh, but these ladies were once the backbone of our developing infrastructure, just like the transient workers who build our country today.
The first wave of Chinese immigrants who arrived in Singapore in search of a new life were largely male.
Over the years, the sex ratio in Singapore became overwhelmingly skewed towards males, such that by 1928, the colonial government introduced immigration controls to limit the number of male Chinese immigrants into Singapore.
