Author Archives: Remember Singapore

A Forgotten Past – ‘Prison on Fire’ at Pulau Senang

Many movie fans are familiar with Chow Yun-Fat’s blockbuster “Prison on Fire”, a 1987 Hong Kong classic that featured inmates rioting against the prison authorities. Few, however, are aware that a similar incident had happened in Singapore in the early … Continue reading

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A Journey into Singapore MRT’s Past

It seems like it was only yesterday when the grand opening ceremony of the North-South Line was held at the Toa Payoh station. A total of 26 years has since passed, as the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) system becomes an … Continue reading

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Last Breakfast at Tong Ah Kopitiam

It was a cooling Sunday morning, but I decided to wake up a little earlier to make a trip down to Tong Ah Eating House. It was the last day of operation for the 74-year-old iconic kopitiam located at the … Continue reading

Posted in Nostalgic | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Haze – A Burning Issue For Four Decades

Singapore is fortunate to be freed of most natural disasters, but we are not spared of occasional floods and haze. The records at the National Archives and Newspaper Archives of Singapore show that the haze issue has been affecting Singapore … Continue reading

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10 Common Misconceptions of the Names of Places in Singapore

Is Ang Mo Kio “ang mo kio” (tomato)? Or is Holland Village named after the Dutch community in Singapore? Are there any links between the new Chong Pang estate and the old Chong Pang Village? Let’s find out more… 1. … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Compassvale Ancilla and Mang Kah Kar

Recently, there was a rather amusing news regarding the chim (profound) names of the new housing estates at Sengkang and Punggol. Some joke that the job of a taxi driver will get tougher next time with the latest Build-To-Order (BTO) … Continue reading

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Once in Our Life, Two Years of Our Time

“Training to be soldiers To fight for our land Once in our life Two years of our time Have you ever wondered Why must we serve? Coz we love our land And we want it to be free, to be … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural, Historic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 103 Comments

Old Holland Road and The Hakka Clan

It is Qing Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) again. I make my annual trip to pay respects at Fung Yun Thai Association Columbarium near Old Holland Road, where my grandparents’ funeral urns are stored. Also commonly known as Hakka Clan … Continue reading

Posted in Exotic, Religious | Tagged , , , , | 41 Comments

60 Years of Community Centres

Community centres are commonly found in the West, especially the United States and the United Kingdom. Largely catering for the needs of the grassroots, some of their oldest community centres were built in the early 20th century. After the Second … Continue reading

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Printing and Minting: The Singapore Dollars and Coins

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has just announced that the new set of Singapore coins will be introduced in mid-2013. Belonging to the Third Series since independence, the designs of the new coins feature five of Singapore’s most iconic … Continue reading

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