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Night jagas

Night jagas were watchmen or guards who stood vigil outside homes and important places to prevent thefts and damage to property. The position was first taken by Sikhs. In Malay, jaga refers to "watchman" or "caretaker".

History
The Sikhs originally came from Punjab, India, to Malaya as soldiers and policemen in the British service. Many served as policemen in the Sikh contingent of the local police which was disbanded after World War II. Seeking new employment, these trained Sikhs used their skills as night watchmen for their previous British employers and rich Chinese businessmen. The night jagas guarded homes, banks, go-downs, shops, factories and different properties after office hours and during the night time. They became status symbols of the rich. Just as the British did, Chinese businessmen began to use them for security purposes. Hotels, for example, liked to have a welcoming, handsomely-accoutred and smiling, bearded Sikh at their entrance. The jagas accepted their door-keeping authority with great loyalty. As a bodyguard, the jaga was seen as friend and confidante of both his employer and his company. Taoists even burned effigies of Sikh jagas when they set alight other offerings to their dead. The jaga as a security symbol was so indispensable that when rich Chinese merchants died, terra-cotta statues of their jagas were positioned in front of these towkays' tombs to continue the desired vigil.

Many Sikhs did not expect to remain in Singapore for long, often taking up the position of jaga to pay off for land they had invested in at home. Sometimes the task of keeping-watch became a family affair. For example, watchman duties at factories were often taken on by the Sikh's family members, as the jaga actually juggled several jobs at the same time.

Job Scope
A Sikh watchman was usually middle-aged or older. Their work started around 5:00 pm in the evening and ended at 8:00 am in the morning with no leave on Sundays or Bank Holidays. The Sikh jagas were popular security personnel because of their large size and burly looks. They exuded an aura of wholesome dependability and friendliness so people felt safe when they were around. They are often depicted having a turban, wearing a pyjama-kurta; a long, white cotton tunic with loose pyjamas, and having long beards although this may not be true today. Most jagas kept a long thick stick with them to chase away vandals and frighten thieves. The jaga also kept a small dagger-shaped knife called kirpan for his personal safety inside his clothing.

An important feature of the jaga was his charpayi, a wooden hammock-style bed which the jaga always kept with him. The charpayi was a simple bed, made up of a wooden frame with four legs and a base of ropes made of coarse jute. This bed was usually taken to the pavement outside the building's main door to sleep on, or to be used as a seat for his friends. The jaga ate and sometimes read his newspaper on his charpayi. When the employer moved house, the jaga easily carried the charpayi on his head. During the daytime the jaga rested or visited his friends. Sometimes the jagas used to live at the premises of their work. Such jagas were considered to be on watch 24-hrs a day.

Development
The traditional jaga is not commonly found today. With modern surveillance equipment their role has become increasingly irrelevant. But some Sikhs in Singapore continue to work as security personnel, either privately, in the police or in the Singapore Defence services.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References
The "Night Jagas". (1981). Goodwood Journal, 1st Qtr., 32.
(Call no.: RCLOS 052 GHCGJ)

Chan, K. S. (1999, August 7). Good old jagas missed in action. The Straits Times, Life!, p. 6.

Sikh guards at Chinese tombs "show there were strong links". (1993, January 12). The Straits Times, Home, p. 23.


Further Readings
Wee, L. (2000, March 16). Go take a stroll on the spooky side. The Straits Times, Life!, p. 3

Security Association of Singapore. (n.d.). History of SAS. Retrieved on December 16, 2002, from www.sas.org.sg/History.htm 

The information in this article is valid as at 2002 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Commerce and Industry>>Labour and Employment>>Vanishing Trades
Unskilled labor--Singapore
Watchmen--Singapore
Business, finance and industry>>Economics>>Labour economics
People and communities>>Social groups and communities



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