Rose Chan
Encyclopedia
Rose Chan was a Chinese
-born controversial cabaret dancer turned "Queen of Striptease
" in her adopted homeland of Malaysia. Her brazen exploitation of her sexuality
garnered her considerable controversy.
parents, Chan was brought to Kuala Lumpur
in 1931, at the age of six, by her adoptive mother. She had no formal education, save for eight months of schooling at the age of 12. Even at that young age, she demonstrated her entrepreneur
ial spirit by taking photographs for classmates, charging them 15 cents, and earning 10 cents a shot. Late for school on a few occasions because she had to collect the photographs from the shop, her mother stopped her schooling after the school complained.
Still aged only 12 years, she started working in a button
-making shop, earning six gantangs of rice
and one loaf of cornbread
a month plus 12 cents per thousand buttons. In a day, she could churn out a few thousand buttons from coconut
shells with a machine. She next worked at making mosquito nets, where she was better paid, with eight gantangs of rice, six kati
s of sugar, two bottles of oil, and one loaf of cornbread a month.
In 1941, when Chan was 16, her mother arranged her to marry an elderly Chinese
Singapore
an harbor
contractor
to become his fourth wife, as her boyfriend could not afford the kind of dowry
that was expected. For her dowry, the contractor offered SGD$3,000, a pair of diamond
earring
s, a locket
, a chain, and a bracelet
, which were taken by her mother. Her marriage, however, broke up after a few months, when her husband got fed up with her mother’s constant request for SGD$1,000-$2,000 each time.
He sent her back to Kuala Lumpur and gave her SGD$600 a month, on condition that her mother got her a servant to do the housework. Her mother, however, pocketed the money. One day, when her husband dropped by the house on his way to the Penang
races
, he saw Chan doing housework. Angered, he not only stopped sending money, but stopped seeing her entirely.
in two national championships:
As a result of her success, she was in great demand, and started dancing at as many as five cabarets at a time .
In 1951, her entrepreneurial spirit began to surface again, and Chan opened her own show, touring the whole of then-Malaya
. The turning point of her career came unexpectedly the following year, and transformed her from a hotshot
cabaret girl to the "Queen of Striptease" at the age of 27. While performing at the Majestic Theatre in Ipoh
, her brassiere
snapped. The enthusiastic applause from the audience caught her by surprise, and set her thinking: "Here I dance all night and sweat so much, and nobody claps. My bra breaks and they clap".
Spotting a market for snapping-underwear, Chan shot to fame overnight with an act like no other in Malaya. The "Striptease Queen" was born. She was just as quick to earn the "Charity Queen" moniker. Even before her unexpected fame, she had started to do charitable work by dancing in aid of the Nanyang University
Fund. Chan brought her striptease act to Kuala Lumpur, Penang
, and Alor Star
, always donating part of her proceeds to charity, benefiting children and old folks' homes, institutions for the blind, and tuberculosis
patients.
In 1954, Chan upped the ante for revue
s by introducing circus
stunts that included:
Her daring stunts made her famous, and she took her act around the world, including Germany
, France
, Britain, Australia
, and Indonesia
.
In July 1957, Chan embraced Islam
when she married Indonesia
n Mohamed Nazier Kahar, and in accordance with Muslim
rites in Singapore, changed her name to Rosminah binti Abdullah. Her marriage lasted three years, and bore no offspring
. She subsequently married Chong Yew Meng, and had a son, but the marriage again failed. Her fourth marriage again yielded with a son and a parting of ways.
While her husbands may have come and gone, one man had remained a constant influence. Lee Kai Hong, a Chinese-newspaper journalist
-cum-property developer, was her long-time friend, and later, her manager. It was with Lee that Chan hatched up one of the most ingenious ideas to circumvent the colonial
British
decency
laws. In those days, there was a law that allowed for models
to pose nude for artist
s, so long as they kept absolutely still. As revolving stage
s were not invented yet, Chan and Lee improvised a little table on coaster
s, with ropes attached to each corner. The moment she was completed naked, Chan would jump on the table, and four guys would pull each rope, spinning her around so that everyone had a good view. Even though the letter of the law had been adhered to, the spirit of the law was obviously contravened.
By now Chan was well-known throughout Malaysia, including the conservative east coast. She would perform for two weeks in one town, and then move on to another. Chan also performed private shows where people who had the money could hire her to perform at their own place. The cultural climate that allowed her to thrive was one still steeped in colonial influences. British authorities and Australian forces
remained a constant presence in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Shows at BB Park in Kuala Lumpur were held on a stage normally used for Chinese wayang (Malay
: opera
stage show). The audience
sat on rows of wooden old cinema-style chairs. Tickets were priced at about RM10 to RM15, with those nearer the stage paying a premium. Publicity for these shows was made through advertisements in the Chinese newspapers. On Saturdays when the public worked half days, Chan and her troupe
would perform three shows: 2.00 pm, 7.30 pm, and 9.30 pm. For the afternoon shows, she would often perform extreme acts, starting 45 minutes earlier than the stipulated time to avoid being nabbed for contravening the indecency laws. After 2.00 pm, however, her show would mellow to comply with the regulations.
In 1967, Chan was ban
ned from performing in Kuala Lumpur, following a police raid at BB Park. When she took her act to Perth
in September 1970, she was arrested for performing indecently in public. She was, however, acquitted
. The following month, Chan was charged again in Perth, this time for prostituting
herself at a massage parlor
. She was convicted, and fined A$60.
By the 1970s, public sentiments had changed with the increasing pace of Islam
ization. Chan's shows received many complaints and in 1973, the government revoked her performing licence. Notwithstanding, she kept dancing until she retired for good in 1976, her last striptease show taking place in Kuala Lumpur. After her retirement, Chan kept herself busy with numerous ventures, all of which were failures. In Seremban, she managed a music band, opened a restaurant, and gave curative massage
. An American publishing firm offered her RM3 million for her autobiography, but the deal fell through when she insisted on US$3 million for it.
Around 1980, Chan was diagnosed with breast cancer
, and she chose to spend her final days in Penang, after being told by her doctors that she had only 18 months to live. That was when she hooked up again with her one-time manager, Lee Kai Hong, and together, they opened Galant, a one-stop entertainment
shop at Transfer Road. By late 1986, her health had deteriorated further, and it was then that she began to believe that her breast cancer was caused by her taxing act of balancing heavy objects on her chest during her performances. She also attributed the blood clots around her body to the python-coiling acts.
In the six years since she fell sick, her medical treatment had taken its toll on her finances, and she was apparently in dire straits. The Golden Maid lounge
at Burmah Road held a 5-night charity
show to raise funds for her treatment. The effort, however, proved too late.
Chan died at her home in Butterworth, Penang
on May 26, 1987, leaving behind her husband, a son and three daughters — her eldest son, from her first marriage, and an adopted daughter, having earlier disowned her. Her husband Low Kim Seng, son Chong Weng Thye, and daughter Irene were at her deathbed.
She was interred at the Beow Hong Lim Columbarium in Air Itam
, Penang
.
. Dancing slowly to the tune of Chinese music, typically cha-cha
and mambo rock, they strip naked the moment a voice booms "Hoi!" (Cantonese: open) over the microphone
. The opening striptease is followed by various sideshows — standup comedians, clown
s, and jugglers — which served to prolong the mounting anticipation for the star attraction.
When Chan comes on stage, she moves subtly, gently swaying in a slow dance, all by herself. As she removes one piece of clothing after another, the tempo
gradually picks up. When she reaches the point of removing her brassiere, she holds back. That is when her stagehands bring in the pythons, and she dances with the snakes wrapped all around her. Next, she removes her brassiere, and dances bare-breasted. After a while, the snakes are removed. She then approaches the people sitting nearest to the stage, who are normally the elderly big towkays (Hokkien
: business owner). She takes an old man's spectacles, rubs it against her private parts
, and then gives it back to him. Some of her acts are very crude. With her legs spread wide open, she peruses her most intimate parts to:
She then tells some jokes. Sometimes, she will ask a Caucasian
(because she knows they are more sporting than the shy, local guys) to go up on stage, and gets him to strip her or any of her performers. She slowly rolls down her panties, bit by bit, until the audience can have a peek at her pubic hair
. The crowd goes hysterical
, and eventually, she removes her panties, and dances and sways to the beat. The music then slows down, and she walks around, and then off she goes backstage.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
-born controversial cabaret dancer turned "Queen of Striptease
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
" in her adopted homeland of Malaysia. Her brazen exploitation of her sexuality
Human female sexuality
Human female sexuality encompasses a broad range of behaviors and processes, including female sexual identity and sexual behavior, the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, political, and spiritual or religious aspects of sex...
garnered her considerable controversy.
Childhood
Born as Chan Wai Chang (陳惠珍) in Soochow, China in 1925 to acrobatAcrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
parents, Chan was brought to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
in 1931, at the age of six, by her adoptive mother. She had no formal education, save for eight months of schooling at the age of 12. Even at that young age, she demonstrated her entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
ial spirit by taking photographs for classmates, charging them 15 cents, and earning 10 cents a shot. Late for school on a few occasions because she had to collect the photographs from the shop, her mother stopped her schooling after the school complained.
Still aged only 12 years, she started working in a button
Button
In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is a small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of...
-making shop, earning six gantangs of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and one loaf of cornbread
Cornbread
Cornbread is a generic name for any number of quick breads containing cornmeal and leavened by baking powder.-History:Native Americans were using ground corn for food thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the New World...
a month plus 12 cents per thousand buttons. In a day, she could churn out a few thousand buttons from coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
shells with a machine. She next worked at making mosquito nets, where she was better paid, with eight gantangs of rice, six kati
Catty
The catty , symbol 斤, is a traditional Chinese unit of mass used across East and Southeast Asia, notably for weighing food and other groceries in some wet markets, street markets, and shops. Related units include the picul, equal to 100 catties, and the tael, which is of a catty. A stone is a...
s of sugar, two bottles of oil, and one loaf of cornbread a month.
In 1941, when Chan was 16, her mother arranged her to marry an elderly Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
to become his fourth wife, as her boyfriend could not afford the kind of dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
that was expected. For her dowry, the contractor offered SGD$3,000, a pair of diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
earring
Earring
Common locations for piercings, other than the earlobe, include the rook, tragus, and across the helix . The simple term "ear piercing" usually refers to an earlobe piercing, whereas piercings in the upper part of the external ear are often referred to as "cartilage piercings"...
s, a locket
Locket
A locket is a pendant that opens to reveal a space used for storing a photograph or other small item such as a curl of hair. Lockets are usually given to loved ones on holidays such as Valentine's Day and occasions such as Christenings, weddings and, most noticeably during the Victorian Age,...
, a chain, and a bracelet
Bracelet
A bracelet is an article of jewelry which is worn around the wrist. Bracelets can be manufactured from metal, leather, cloth, plastic or other materials and sometimes contain jewels, rocks, wood, and/or shells...
, which were taken by her mother. Her marriage, however, broke up after a few months, when her husband got fed up with her mother’s constant request for SGD$1,000-$2,000 each time.
He sent her back to Kuala Lumpur and gave her SGD$600 a month, on condition that her mother got her a servant to do the housework. Her mother, however, pocketed the money. One day, when her husband dropped by the house on his way to the Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
races
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, he saw Chan doing housework. Angered, he not only stopped sending money, but stopped seeing her entirely.
Career years
With her allowances cut, and her finances in dire straits, Chan sold her last gold bracelet for over RM$300, and took a train to Singapore the following year to meet her husband. Unfortunately, he refused to accept her. She stayed behind to become a cabaret dancer at the Happy World, her husband’s favorite haunt, in order to spite him. In the cabaret, she proved herself an accomplished dancer, and was runner-upRunner-up
Runner-up is a term used to denote a participant which finishes in second place in any of a variety of competitive endeavors, most notably sporting events and beauty pageants; in the latter instance, the term is applied to more than one of the highest-ranked non-winning contestants, the...
in two national championships:
- All-Women’s Ballroom Dancing Championships in Singapore in 1949;
- Miss Singapore beauty contestBeauty contestA beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
in 1950 .
As a result of her success, she was in great demand, and started dancing at as many as five cabarets at a time .
In 1951, her entrepreneurial spirit began to surface again, and Chan opened her own show, touring the whole of then-Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
. The turning point of her career came unexpectedly the following year, and transformed her from a hotshot
Hotshot
Hotshot may refer to:* Hotshot , a type of character personality in works of fiction* Hotshot, a fast, non-stop train given priority on a railroad track; see glossary of rail terminology...
cabaret girl to the "Queen of Striptease" at the age of 27. While performing at the Majestic Theatre in Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
, her brassiere
Brassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
snapped. The enthusiastic applause from the audience caught her by surprise, and set her thinking: "Here I dance all night and sweat so much, and nobody claps. My bra breaks and they clap".
Spotting a market for snapping-underwear, Chan shot to fame overnight with an act like no other in Malaya. The "Striptease Queen" was born. She was just as quick to earn the "Charity Queen" moniker. Even before her unexpected fame, she had started to do charitable work by dancing in aid of the Nanyang University
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore with the biggest campus in Singapore and the world's largest engineering college. Its lush 200-hectare Yunnan Garden campus was the Youth Olympic Village of the world's first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in...
Fund. Chan brought her striptease act to Kuala Lumpur, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, and Alor Star
Alor Star
Alor Setar, known as Alor Star between 2004 and 2008, is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia, and Kota Setar District's Administrative Centre. It is also a distribution center for manufacturing and agricultural products such as paddy, and the royal seat of the Kedah state since the establishment...
, always donating part of her proceeds to charity, benefiting children and old folks' homes, institutions for the blind, and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
patients.
In 1954, Chan upped the ante for revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
s by introducing circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
stunts that included:
- her famous python-wrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
act; - bending iron rods, stuck to the base of her throatThroatIn vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...
; - carrying a man on her shoulders;
- placing planks across her body, and having motorcycles ride over her.
Her daring stunts made her famous, and she took her act around the world, including Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Britain, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
In July 1957, Chan embraced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
when she married Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n Mohamed Nazier Kahar, and in accordance with Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
rites in Singapore, changed her name to Rosminah binti Abdullah. Her marriage lasted three years, and bore no offspring
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
. She subsequently married Chong Yew Meng, and had a son, but the marriage again failed. Her fourth marriage again yielded with a son and a parting of ways.
While her husbands may have come and gone, one man had remained a constant influence. Lee Kai Hong, a Chinese-newspaper journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
-cum-property developer, was her long-time friend, and later, her manager. It was with Lee that Chan hatched up one of the most ingenious ideas to circumvent the colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
decency
Decency
Decency is the quality or state of conforming to social or moral standards of taste and propriety.-See also:*Taste *Communications Decency Act*Public indecency*Indecent exposure*Sodomy law*Norm *Grotesque body...
laws. In those days, there was a law that allowed for models
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
to pose nude for artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s, so long as they kept absolutely still. As revolving stage
Revolving stage
A revolving stage is a mechanically controlled platform within a theatre that can be rotated in order to speed up the changing of a scene within a show...
s were not invented yet, Chan and Lee improvised a little table on coaster
Coaster
Coaster or Coasters may refer to:* A beverage coaster on which to rest glasses of beverage* A Furniture coaster Which stops wheeled furniture moving* Coaster , a regional rail service in San Diego County, California...
s, with ropes attached to each corner. The moment she was completed naked, Chan would jump on the table, and four guys would pull each rope, spinning her around so that everyone had a good view. Even though the letter of the law had been adhered to, the spirit of the law was obviously contravened.
By now Chan was well-known throughout Malaysia, including the conservative east coast. She would perform for two weeks in one town, and then move on to another. Chan also performed private shows where people who had the money could hire her to perform at their own place. The cultural climate that allowed her to thrive was one still steeped in colonial influences. British authorities and Australian forces
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
remained a constant presence in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Shows at BB Park in Kuala Lumpur were held on a stage normally used for Chinese wayang (Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
: opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
stage show). The audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
sat on rows of wooden old cinema-style chairs. Tickets were priced at about RM10 to RM15, with those nearer the stage paying a premium. Publicity for these shows was made through advertisements in the Chinese newspapers. On Saturdays when the public worked half days, Chan and her troupe
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
would perform three shows: 2.00 pm, 7.30 pm, and 9.30 pm. For the afternoon shows, she would often perform extreme acts, starting 45 minutes earlier than the stipulated time to avoid being nabbed for contravening the indecency laws. After 2.00 pm, however, her show would mellow to comply with the regulations.
In 1967, Chan was ban
Ban (law)
A ban is, generally, any decree that prohibits something.Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some see this as a negative act and others see it as maintaining the "status quo"...
ned from performing in Kuala Lumpur, following a police raid at BB Park. When she took her act to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in September 1970, she was arrested for performing indecently in public. She was, however, acquitted
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
. The following month, Chan was charged again in Perth, this time for prostituting
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
herself at a massage parlor
Massage parlor
A massage parlor is a business where customers can receive a massage. Sometimes the term is synonymous with brothel as the term "massage" may be used as a euphemism for paid sexual favours....
. She was convicted, and fined A$60.
By the 1970s, public sentiments had changed with the increasing pace of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ization. Chan's shows received many complaints and in 1973, the government revoked her performing licence. Notwithstanding, she kept dancing until she retired for good in 1976, her last striptease show taking place in Kuala Lumpur. After her retirement, Chan kept herself busy with numerous ventures, all of which were failures. In Seremban, she managed a music band, opened a restaurant, and gave curative massage
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
. An American publishing firm offered her RM3 million for her autobiography, but the deal fell through when she insisted on US$3 million for it.
Around 1980, Chan was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, and she chose to spend her final days in Penang, after being told by her doctors that she had only 18 months to live. That was when she hooked up again with her one-time manager, Lee Kai Hong, and together, they opened Galant, a one-stop entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
shop at Transfer Road. By late 1986, her health had deteriorated further, and it was then that she began to believe that her breast cancer was caused by her taxing act of balancing heavy objects on her chest during her performances. She also attributed the blood clots around her body to the python-coiling acts.
In the six years since she fell sick, her medical treatment had taken its toll on her finances, and she was apparently in dire straits. The Golden Maid lounge
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
at Burmah Road held a 5-night charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
show to raise funds for her treatment. The effort, however, proved too late.
Chan died at her home in Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
on May 26, 1987, leaving behind her husband, a son and three daughters — her eldest son, from her first marriage, and an adopted daughter, having earlier disowned her. Her husband Low Kim Seng, son Chong Weng Thye, and daughter Irene were at her deathbed.
She was interred at the Beow Hong Lim Columbarium in Air Itam
Air Itam
Air Itam is a town in Penang, Malaysia. The famous Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill are situated there. A famous Chinese secondary school, named Chung Ling High School, is located in Jalan Air Itam. The State Mosque, or Masjid Negeri, is also located there...
, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
.
A Rose Chan show
Once the music starts, the troupe emerges from behind the curtains, and parade on stage, clad only in panties, and a star covering each nippleNipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
. Dancing slowly to the tune of Chinese music, typically cha-cha
Cha-cha-cha (music)
The Cha-cha-chá is a style of Cuban music. It is popular dance music which developed from the danzón in the early 1950s.- Origin :As a dance music genre, cha-cha-chá is unusual in that its creation can be attributed to a single composer, Enrique Jorrín, then violinist and songwriter with the...
and mambo rock, they strip naked the moment a voice booms "Hoi!" (Cantonese: open) over the microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
. The opening striptease is followed by various sideshows — standup comedians, clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
s, and jugglers — which served to prolong the mounting anticipation for the star attraction.
When Chan comes on stage, she moves subtly, gently swaying in a slow dance, all by herself. As she removes one piece of clothing after another, the tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
gradually picks up. When she reaches the point of removing her brassiere, she holds back. That is when her stagehands bring in the pythons, and she dances with the snakes wrapped all around her. Next, she removes her brassiere, and dances bare-breasted. After a while, the snakes are removed. She then approaches the people sitting nearest to the stage, who are normally the elderly big towkays (Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
: business owner). She takes an old man's spectacles, rubs it against her private parts
Private Parts
Private Parts may refer to:*Intimate parts, such as the human sex organs*Private Parts , a 1993 autobiography by radio personality Howard Stern*Private Parts , a 1997 film based on Howard Stern's autobiography of the same name...
, and then gives it back to him. Some of her acts are very crude. With her legs spread wide open, she peruses her most intimate parts to:
- stuff a bananaBananaBanana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
inside; - open the cap of a Coca Cola bottle;
- pull out a string of razor bladeRazor bladeRazor blade may refer to* A razor* The Razor Blade, a 1920s racing car* Razor blade steel, a type of steel originally designed specifically for razor blades...
s that was inserted in one by one; - shoot a dartDart (missile)Darts are missile weapons, designed to fly such that a sharp, often weighted point will strike first. They can be distinguished from javelins by fletching and a shaft that is shorter and/or more flexible, and from arrows by the fact that they are not of the right length to use with a normal...
at a balloon high up.
She then tells some jokes. Sometimes, she will ask a Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
(because she knows they are more sporting than the shy, local guys) to go up on stage, and gets him to strip her or any of her performers. She slowly rolls down her panties, bit by bit, until the audience can have a peek at her pubic hair
Pubic hair
Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region....
. The crowd goes hysterical
Hysteria
Hysteria, in its colloquial use, describes unmanageable emotional excesses. People who are "hysterical" often lose self-control due to an overwhelming fear that may be caused by multiple events in one's past that involved some sort of severe conflict; the fear can be centered on a body part, or,...
, and eventually, she removes her panties, and dances and sways to the beat. The music then slows down, and she walks around, and then off she goes backstage.
Timeline
- 1925: Born Chan Wai Chang in Soochow.
- c. 1931 (aged 6): Brought from Soochow to Kuala Lumpur by her adoptive mother.
- 1937 (aged 12): Enrolled for school for eight months, after which she worked for a button-making shop; shop makes buttons out of coconut shells.
- c. 1938 (aged ~13): Worked for a mosquito-net cottage industry.
- 1941 (aged 16): Married a Chinese Singaporean harbor contractor to become his fourth wife.
- 1942 (aged 17): Became a cabaret dancer at the Happy World cabaret, after her husband rejected her.
- 1949 (aged 24): Runner-up at All-Women's Ballroom Dancing Championship in Singapore.
- 1950 (aged 25): Runner-up in the Miss Singapore beauty contest.
- 1951 (aged 26): Opened her own show, touring the whole of Malaya.
- 1952 (aged 27): Turning point of her career when she transformed herself to the "Queen of Striptease".
- 1954 (aged 29): Introduced her famous python wresting act, and other circus stunts.
- July 1957 (aged 32): Embraced Islam and married second husband, Indonesian Mohamed Nazier Kahar, changing her name to Rosminah binti Abdullah.
- 1960 (aged 35): Divorced with Mohamed Nazier Kahar.
- [unknown]: Married her third husband, Chong Yew Meng.
- [unknown]: Married fourth husband (name and date of marriage, unknown).
- 1967 (aged 42): Banned from performing in KL, following a police raid on her revue at BB Park.
- September 1970 (aged 45): Arrested in Perth for performing indecently in public, but was acquitted; charged again in Perth for prostitution at a massage parlor and fined A$60.
- 1970s: Received many public complaints for her shows.
- 1973 (aged 48): Lodged a corruptionPolitical corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
report in July to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against a cultural officer in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; Malaysian authorities took away her performing licence in the same year. - 1976 (aged 51): Retired for good, her last striptease taking place in Kuala Lumpur.
- 1976-1979 (aged 51–54): Managed a music band opened a restaurant, and gave curative massage in Seremban, all ending in failure; received a RM3 million offer from an American publishing firm for her autobiography, but the deal fell through when she insisted on USD$3 million.
- c. 1980 (aged 55): Diagnosed with breast cancer, and given about 18 months to live.
- 1980s: Opened Galant, a one-stop entertainment shop at Transfer Road, with one-time manager, Lee Kai Hong.
- 1987 (aged 62):
- April: Bed-ridden by cancer at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital.
- May 20–24: Golden Maid lounge at Burmah Road organized a 5-night charity show to raise funds for Chan’s medical expenses. Patrons were charged RM10 per head during each of the two daily shows, in which daughter Irene performed.
- May 26: Died at her home in Butterworth.