Author Archives: Remember Singapore

Kampong Spirit and Gotong Royong

The phrase “kampong spirit” has been mentioned frequently in recent years, especially in the media or used by the community leaders in their speech. Another phrase “gotong royong“, a term widely used in the sixties and seventies but relatively unknown … Continue reading

Posted in Nostalgic | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Searching for the Remnants of Ama Keng

Mention Lim Chu Kang, and the first impressions that come to our mind are probably ulu (secluded), countryside or cemetery. The name Ama Keng may be even more unfamiliar to many Singaporeans, who are unaware of the former existence of … Continue reading

Posted in Nostalgic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

Mata.Mata: History of The Singapore Police

The much-advertised English drama Mata.Mata has finally made its debut on Channel 5 last night. Mata refers to eye in Malay, but mata-mata generally means policeman (or watchman), where a patrolling policeman of the olden days was the “one on … Continue reading

Posted in Historic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

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

Posted in Historic | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

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

Posted in Historic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 67 Comments

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

Posted in General | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

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

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

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