Remember Singapore

Singapore Campaigns of the 70s/80s

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Remember Singapore

With intensive usage of media, campaigns are launched to achieve certain particular goals, usually in a political, social or commercial sense. Sometimes, a campaign represents an era, and some of its posters go on to become iconic representations that are even remembered after decades. One of the examples is the United States’ “I Want You For U.S. Army” poster in 1917.

Campaigns are meant to have a long term impact. However, human errors, wrong judgement or a lack of foresight during the introduction of campaigns can sometimes lead to failures or even disasters to the country. In 1958, the new China launched the Four Pests Campaign in a bid to eliminate rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows. The sparrows were targeted because they ate the farmers’ grain seeds. In a short time, millions of Chinese were mobilised for the campaign. Sparrows, as well as other birds, were shot, with their nests and eggs destroyed. Soon, the Chinese government realised that, besides eating grains, sparrows were also natural predators to many insects. It was too late then. By 1960, rice farms in China were swarmed by locusts, leading to the Great Chinese Famine in which millions died of starvation.

Singapore had launched over 200 campaigns in the seventies and eighties. Many of these campaigns had positive effects, even till today, such as water-saving, anti-smoking and anti-littering. Below are some of the most memorable Singapore campaigns of the past.

National Courtesy Campaign (1979-2001)

Started by the Ministry of Culture (later Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and now Ministry of Communications and Information) in June 1979, the objective of the campaign was to promote a pleasant living environment filled with kind, considerate and polite Singaporeans.

The courtesy campaign was actually kicked off much earlier in the seventies, when Singapore was focusing in developing its tourism sector. Launched by the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (STPB) to encourage Singaporeans to be polite to the tourists, the successful campaign was “extended” to all aspects so that courtesy and thoughtfulness could be spontaneous characteristics in Singaporeans’ everyday life.

In 1982, the National Courtesy Campaign adopted Singa the Courtesy Lion as their official mascot to replace their Smilely logo. Singa went on to become one of Singapore’s most recognisable mascots in the eighties and nineties, and the designer even added a female companion and three little cubs for Singa in 1987.

Since its debut, the National Courtesy Campaign has introduced many catchy slogans. The first was “Courtesy is our way of life. Make courtesy our way of life.” in 1979, while other popular ones included “A little thought means so much. Bring on a smile. Say “Please/Thank You” (1985) and “Courtesy begins with me” (1989).

A song named “Make courtesy our way of life” was also composed in 1980 by De Souza J.J.

“Courtesy is for free,
Courtesy is for you and me.
It makes for gracious living and harmony.
Giving a friendly smile,
Helping out where we can.
Trying hard to be polite all the time.

Courtesy is for free,
Courtesy is for you and me.
It makes for gracious living and harmony.
Living could be a treat,
If people are awfully sweet.
Courtesy could be our way of life.

It is rude to be abusive,
Just to prove we’re right.
Instead we could be nice about it if we tried.

Courtesy is for free,
Courtesy is for you and me.
It makes for gracious living and harmony.
Living could be a treat,
If people are awfully sweet.
Courtesy could be our way of life.

Make courtesy our way of life!”

The music clip is available at http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/music/music/track/ebdd7595-bd86-4f7c-8b4d-f7f9c47e83b0.

In March 2001, the National Courtesy Campaign was officially replaced by the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM). Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong highlighted in the New Year of 1996 that Singapore aimed to become a gracious society by the 21st century.

Stop At Two (1970-1986)

The poster with two sisters sharing an apple under an umbrella was perhaps the most iconic media representing Singapore’s population control campaign of the seventies and eighties.

After the Second World War, Singapore experienced a post-war baby boom. Overcrowding became a social issue, leading to various problems in housing, education, medical and sanitation. After Singapore’s independence, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was concerned that the uncontrolled growing population would put stress on the economy of a developing Singapore. Thus, the National Family Programme was launched with the Family Planning and Population Board (FPPB) established in 1966.

The campaign reached its peak after 1970, when abortion and sterilisation were legalised. Women deemed low-educated with low incomes were urged to go for sterilisation after their second child, and a range of disincentives, such as lesser benefits in maternity leaves, housing allocations, tax deductions and children’s educations, was implemented for those had three or more. The campaign also aimed to discourage families to stop trying for a boy after having two girls.

It was perceived that the “Stop At Two” campaign was targeted at the uneducated batch of citizens who were deemed to contribute lesser to the economy. The introduction of the Graduate Mothers’ Scheme in 1984 provided further proof when the government encouraged the male Singaporeans to choose higher-educated wives and gave out more incentives for higher-educated mothers to have three or more children. Causing an uproar in the public and press, the scheme was eventually scrapped a year later.

The Graduate Mothers’ Scheme was the beginning of the reversal of the population control scheme. In 1986, the Family Planning and Population Board was abolished, and a new campaign “Have Three or More, if you can afford it” was launched. It was predicted that Singapore’s birth rate would recover by 1995. But it never did.

Some critics note that even without the population control campaigns, Singapore’s birth rate would still decline as the society became more developed. The rising number of higher-educated individuals who were less willing to start a family at an early age would be unavoidable. In any case, it was obvious that the campaign had lasting effects even till today. In recent years, the government relaxed its immigration policy in a bid to battle against an aging population and a shrinking workforce in Singapore, a move that proves to be hugely unpopular among the Singaporeans.

Speak Mandarin Campaign (since 1979)

The Speak Mandarin Campaign was officially started in September 1979 by former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Originally designed as a ten-year program, the campaign was headed by Dr Ow Chin Hock and was targeted at the Singaporean Chinese, which made up almost 3/4 of the country’s population.

The early Chinese immigrants in Singapore largely came from the southern provinces of China, and spoke mainly in dialects such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese and Hockchew. In the 19th century, different Chinese communities often clashed against each others over territories and businesses. One of the major conflicts was the Hokkien-Teochew Riots in 1854, which lasted 10 days and caused 500 casualties. The differences between the various dialect groups became less defined by the late 1930s, when the oversea Chinese united together to aid China financially against the invasion of Japan.

In the late seventies, English was determined as the mainstream for a bilingual education in Singapore, with “mother tongue” used as the second language. Mandarin was deemed as the mother tongue for all Singaporean Chinese. Slogans and posters were put up in public places, while civil servants were ordered not to use dialects during working hours. Parents were encouraged to use hanyu pinyin names for their children, instead of names in dialects. Dramas, movies and radio programs in dialects were gradually phased out, with only a few exceptions.

The classic theme song of the early Speak Mandarin Campaign “大家说华语” was definitely memorable for many Singaporeans growing up in the eighties. The song was composed in 1980 by Taiwanese composers Feng Qingxi (music) and Sun Yi (lyrics), and performed by Taiwanese songbird Tracy Huang Yingying.

国家要进步语言要沟通
就从今天起大家说华语
不分男和女不分老和少
不再用方言大家说华语
听一听记一记
开口说几句多亲切多便利
简单又容易

The government attempted to change the names of some places in Singapore to the standard Chinese hanyu pinyin format in the late eighties. The move was, however, backfired, when there were numerous complaints about the renaming of Nee Soon, Tekka and Bukit Panjang to Yishun, Zhujiao and Zhenghua respectively.

By the nineties, the Speak Mandarin Campaign had a change of objective. It was targeted at a growing number of working class and professionals who preferred to use English solely as their spoken language. The government became worried that this group of Singaporean Chinese, who had received the mainstream English education in their early days, were beginning to lose their roots in the Chinese heritage and culture. It also created a divided society, where the English-speaking population looked down on their fellow Chinese-educated and lower-income Singaporeans.

Chinese dialects, along with Malay and some local expressions, largely make up Singlish, the localised language that is easily identifiable among the Singaporeans themselves. In order to encourage Singaporeans to speak proper English, former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong launched the Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) in 2000. However, studies had shown that many Singaporeans are able to switch between standard English and localised English (Singlish) easily, and therefore Singlish, as an unofficial yet important ingredient of a unique Singapore identity, should not be suppressed or eliminated.

The Speak Mandarin Campaign has been a controversy since its introduction. Some critics view it as a propaganda tool to eliminate the Chinese dialects. It was a dilemma for the Singapore government in the seventies. While it was great foresight to predict the rise of China and the importance of Mandarin as a common language, the danger of Chinese-dominated institutes being used as breeding grounds for communist ideas meant that the authority was always quick to act.

Chinese dialects in Singapore has been in an awkward status for many years. While the likes of Cantonese operas and Teochew wayangs were not restricted in public places, mainstream media such as television and radio were banned, with few exceptions, from broadcasting programs in dialects since the early eighties. Hong Kong and Taiwanese dramas are not allowed to be shown on TVs in their original Cantonese and Taiwanese Hokkien (Minnan), and have to be dubbed in Mandarin. Such rules, however, are not applied on foreign-language dramas from Japan and Korea, which gave audiences an option in dual sounds. Likewise, J-pop and K-pop music are allowed to be aired on radio, but not Cantopop and Taiwanese Hokkien songs.

In just two decades between 1980 and 2000, the usage of Chinese dialects at home had dropped from 80% to 30%, resulting in the current situation where the majority of the new generation of Singaporeans having difficulties to engage in conversations with their grandparents.

Keep Singapore Clean Campaign (1968-1990)

Started as early as October 1968 by former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the Keep Singapore Clean Campaign was one of the first campaigns launched by the government. Various ministries and non-government organisations were involved, led by then Health Minister Chua Sian Chin, to instill the importance and awareness of environmental cleanliness to the public. The objective was to make Singapore the cleanest city in the region, in order to boost tourism and the attraction of foreign investment.

The Keep Singapore Clean Campaign had a positive impact throughout the years, tackling many issues such as mosquitoes, pollution, inconsiderate littering, street hawkers and sanitation. Posters and banners were displayed, while seminars and spot checks were carried out. Competitions such as the cleanest offices, toilets, buses and taxis were organised. On the other hand, the dirties places were also named in the media so as to apply social pressure to their owners.

A decade-long campaign was also launched between 1977 and 1987 to clean up the Singapore River and the Kallang Basin. By the mid-eighties, most tongkangs and twakows in the Singapore River were cleared, and garbage in the waters removed. The river was clean enough that a mass swim was organised in 1984.

The success of the campaign ensured its continuity till today. It was merged with the Garden City Campaign in 1990, and into the 2000s, it evolved to become the Clean and Green Singapore, which aims to inspire Singaporeans in caring and protecting the living environment.

Public Health Campaign (since 1969)

Public health was one of the top priorities in the government’s agendas after independence. It first covered areas such as dental, heart, disease control, anti-drug abuse, and later extended to anti-smoking, AIDS, mental, workplace health promotion and healthy lifestyle.

Dental Health

The Ministry of Health kicked off the Dental Health Programme in 1969. The standard of dental hygiene was poor in the sixties, with reports indicating that half of Singapore’s population was unaware of proper tooth-brushing, and half of the students did not own toothbrushes. Compulsory tooth-brushing was therefore carried out in all primary one across the country. Students were supplied with toothbrushes and mugs, while teachers were trained to teach proper techniques to their classes. The exercise was a success; in 1973, the programme was extended to all kindergartens in Singapore.

National Heart Week

With the establishment of the Singapore National Heart Association (present-day Singapore Heart Foundation) in 1970, the National Heart Week has been held annually till today. The aim was to promote the awareness of heart disease, its causes and the preventive measures. Deaths related to cardiovascular diseases had been one of the top killers in Singapore. The campaign touched on various aspects in anti-smoking, a balanced and healthy diet, exercises and effective stress management to help reduce the likelihood of high blood pressure and stroke.

Anti-Drugs

Drug abuse had been a major concern in the seventies. The Ministry of Health worked with the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association to launch a series of anti-drug abuse campaigns to emphasize the dangers and consequences of drugs. From the “Youth Anti-drug” (1971) and “Against Glue-Sniffing and Inhalant Abuse“(1985) to the annual National Anti-Drug Campaign (since 1995), the campaigns had invited showbiz celebrities such as Andy Lau, James Lye and Chen Hanwei to spread the message.

Wash Your Hands

By the seventies, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy and cholera were still plaguing the society. The Ministry of Health introduced “Wash Your Hands” campaign to promote self hygiene, disease control and the proper handling of food, especially after visiting the toilets. The relocation of street hawkers took place in the early seventies, with the first hawker centre built (1971) at Yung Sheng of Jurong.

By the eighties, most hawkers plying their trades on the streets were resettled at the new wet markets and hawker centres across the island. There was also significant improvement in the sanitation system. The nightsoil removal service was phased out in January 1987, with the bucket latrine becoming a thing of the past. The measures implemented by the Keep Singapore Clean and Public Health campaigns had greatly improved the cleanliness, hygiene and public health of Singapore.

As the standard of living in Singapore gradually improved in the eighties, the focus of public health shifted towards keeping fit, healthy diets, anti-smoking and the benefits of breastfeeding.

Anti-Smoking

One of the campaigns that had little impact since its introduction was the National Smoking Control Programme, started in December 1986 with an objective to make Singapore a nation without smokers. The sale of cigarettes rose dramatically in the seventies and eighties, reaching more than 4 million kg per year. The number of smoke-related deaths, caused by heart disease, lung and nose cancer, also jumped, prompting the Ministry of Health to act.

Other than the aggressive campaign of anti-smoking, the government also issued bans of smoking in certain public places, as well as tobacco advertisements on newspapers, magazines and television. In the later years, more measures continued to be carried out, such as the compulsory printing of graphic photos of the effects of smoking on cigarette boxes, higher taxes of tobacco and extensive banning of smoking in all public places.

Breastfeeding

In the seventies, breastfeeding by Singaporean mothers had fallen to an all-time low. Studies show that it was due to many women entering the working sector. In 1971, only 28% of high income mothers, and 51% of low income mothers, initiated breastfeeding to their babies, as compared to 85% and 90% in the fifties.

Thus a campaign to promote the benefits of breastfeeding was carried out, but with limited success. While the percentage of high income women who breastfed their babies had increased to 70% by 1980, the low income breastfeeding women dropped to less than 40%.

AIDS Control

While the infectious diseases in tuberculosis, leprosy and cholera were gradually taken under control, the rise of AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome) became a concern in the mid-eighties. AIDS was first discovered by the United States scientists in 1982. The first AIDS-positive case in Singapore was reported in 1985, and the number of such cases increased in a worrying trend. Soon after the first case, the Ministry of Health launched the National AIDS Control Programme to raise awareness of AIDS and HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus). Many activities were carried out, such as the lifting of the ban of condom advertisements, conducting of blood tests and training of medical and healthcare personnel.

Healthy Lifestyle

The Ministry of Health had consistently encouraged Singaporeans to adopt a healthy lifestyle by emphasizing in food nutrition and regular exercises. One of the first campaigns launched was the Better Food For Better Health Campaign in March 1975. Studies in the eighties show that Singaporeans’ increasing intake of fats had led to a rise in heart diseases and cancers. In 1989, Nutrition Week was introduced. Customers dining in hawker centres were encouraged to request for lesser oil and salt, while school canteens were asked to sell healthier food to students in a bid to battle against obesity.

A series of other health-related campaigns were also launched between the seventies and eighties, such as immunisation for babies, understanding leprosy, awareness against cancer, detection of mental illness and prevention of venereal diseases.

Other than the campaigns mentioned above, there were also dozens of campaigns in other aspects:

Road Safety Campaigns

1970 “Queue Up for Safety and Speed”
1971 “Pedestrian Safety”
1971 “Safe Cycling”
1972 “Road Courtesy”
1974 “Reduce Peak Hour Travel”
1974 “Keep Singapore Accident Free”
1977 “Road Safety For You”
1981 “Seat Belts Save Lives“

Environmental Campaigns

1970 “Tree Planting and Gardening”
1971 “Save Water”
1973 “Keep Our Water Clean”
1973 “National Save Energy”
1974 “Safe Water”
1977 “Energy Conservation”
1981 “Let’s Not Waste Precious Water”
1985 “Let’s Save Precious Water“

Social Campaigns

1970 “Crime Prevention”
1972 “Campaign Against Long Unkempt Hair Among Males”
1973 “Home Safety”
1974 “Police Week“
1974 “Keep Singapore Crime Free”
1983 “Home Accidents Cause Injuries“

Workplace Campaigns

1972 “Industrial Safety and Health”
1974 “Building Construction Safety and Health”
1977 “Safety Month for Metal Workers”
1981 “National Productivity Campaign”
1986 “Civil Service Productivity“

Other Campaigns

1974 “Anti-Profiteering Against Shopkeepers”
1974 “Go-Metric”
1978 “Eat Frozen Fish”
1983 “School’s Saving Campaign”
1983 “Blood Donation Campaign”
1985 “Prevent Unwanted Litters (Pet Sterilisation)”
1985 “Eat Frozen Pork”
1985 “Minimise Cash Transactions (ATM)”
1985 “Do Not Misuse Accident And Emergency Departments“

(Credit: All pictures from the National Archives of Singapore unless otherwise stated)

Published: 18 January 2013

Updated: 08 August 2020

Swimming in the Summer Sun of Singapore

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Remember Singapore

Most of the time, it is either rain or shine in Singapore. Swimming has always been a popular activity for Singaporeans, especially in the hot summer days between March and July, when temperatures sometimes hit as high as 35 degree Celsius.

Here we look at the list of swimming facilities in Singapore since the early 20th century.

The First Public Swimming Pool

The Thirties

The Mount Emily Swimming Complex was the first public pool in Singapore when it was opened in January 1931 by the President of the Municipal Commissioners R.J. Farrer (1873-1956)(See Farrer Park Swimming Complex below). It was converted from an old municipal reservoir built in the 1880s that provided fresh water to the town as well as the Kandang Kerbau (KK) Hospital.

Situated at Upper Wilkie Road, the Mount Emily Swimming Complex, consisting of a large pool 50m long and 12m wide and a maximum depth of 2.3m, was extremely popular in the 1930s, serving almost 8,000 swimming enthusiasts per month. It used water supply from the second municipal reservoir nearby, which in turned used the recycled water for town cleansing and drain flushing.

The swimming pool was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War, who converted the pool into a seawater type. After the war, the public was still unable to access the pool as it was reserved solely for the British servicemen. In 1946, the Municipality took over and switched the pool back to the fresh water one, and upgraded it with full filtration and chlorination system. After three years of repair and a cost of $36,000, it was finally opened to a delighted public.

Other Early Swimming Pools

The Forties

The Haw-Par Swimming Pool, also known as Pasir Panjang Swimming Pool, was built in the late 1930s and officially opened in October 1940 by the Chinese Consul-General Kao Ling-Pai. Costing $50,000 in construction, the pool was considered a modern facility during that era. It had an electric pump to empty and refill the 36.6m by 12.2m pool within a few hours, thus allowing the pool to be fully utilised every day of the year.

The premises of the swimming pool included accommodation for the swimmers, shower baths and changing rooms, and a restaurant and bar to satisfy the visitors’ appetites after their swim. The admission charge to the swimming pool was 10c in its initial years of operation.

Built just before the Second World War at Deptford Road, the Sembawang Swimming Complex was used to serve the British, Australian and New Zealand servicemen and their families. It was later opened to the public but attendance declined sharply in the late eighties, even after its swimming facilities were upgraded in 1984. In 1990, the swimming complex with its other sports facilities were returned to the Singapore Land Authority (formerly Land Office), which in turn, leased it to the US Marines.

The Fifties

The Yan Kit Swimming Complex was the second swimming facility in Singapore opened to the public. Opened in December 1952, it was situated at Yan Kit Road at Tanjong Pagar, where its name was attributed to Look Yan Kit (1849-1931). A Cantonese dentist who first plied his trade in Hong Kong, Look Yan Kit later came to Singapore in 1877 and became a wealthy rubber plantation owner. He was also one of the founding fathers of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital built in 1910.

The site where Yan Kit Swimming Complex stood was formerly a stretch of the old railway line. It was a densely populated area, in which the swimming pool was surrounded by attap houses between the fifties and seventies. Yan Kit Swimming Complex had witnessed tremendous changes in its surrounding environment in its fifty-odd years’ history. The kampongs were replaced by flats and commercial buildings, while the swimming pool itself was shut down and abandoned after 2001.

The plans to give this aging swimming complex a new lease of life never materialised, as it would cost an estimated $4 million to upgrade the facilities and a further $400,000 for annual maintenance. In 2012, with no alternative plans from both the Singapore Sports Council and the private developers, Yan Kit Swimming Complex was demolished. The empty pools were filled up with concrete, while one of its buildings was preserved.

The Farrer Park Swimming Complex was built in 1957 by the Singapore City Council, a year after the completion of Farrer Park Athletic Centre (FPAC), which was the main training ground for the Singapore national track and field between the fifties and the seventies. Designed by British architect M.E. Crocker, the swimming complex produced one of Singapore’s swimming legends in Ang Peng Siong (see below). For many years, Farrer Park Swimming Complex was supervised by Ang Peng Siong’s father Ang Teck Bee, also an Olympian who had participated in judo in the 1964 Olympics Games.

Farrer Park was named after R.J. Farrer (1873-1956), the former President of the Municipal Commissioners. Farrer had came to Singapore in 1896 at an age of 24, and had held several important posts in other parts of Malaya such as Penang, Kelantan and Ipoh. During his tenure in Singapore, Farrer was in charge of many major projects, such as City Hall, Gunong Pulai waterworks, St. James Power Station and Elgin Bridge. He passed away in his home at St. John Islands in 1956 and was buried at Bidadari Cemetery.

Farrer Park Swimming Complex was shut down in June 2003 after low public utilisation. After its closure, the Singapore Sports Council put the premises up for lease for the private operators.

Due to few sports facilities opened to the public in the fifties, the Singapore City Council decided to building a swimming pool at the former King George V’s Park. It was designed by Crocker, also the designer of Farrer Park Swimming Complex, and was named River Valley Swimming Complex. Officially opened in August 1959, the swimming complex had an Olympic-sized pool and a wading pool, constructed at a cost of $520,000.

After the independence of Singapore, the National Sports Promotion Board and the Singapore Sports Council took over the swimming complex in 1971 and 1973 respectively. As more swimming facilities were built in the new towns in other parts of Singapore, River Valley Swimming Complex went into a decline. Its non-favourable location among commercial buildings and shopping malls meant that few residents would travel far to visit the pools. It was finally shut down in April 2003.

Swimming Pools in the Heartlands

When the Housing and Development Board (HDB) embarked on their projects of public housing estates in the seventies and eighties, swimming facilities, along with other public amenities such as libraries, hawker centres, wet markets and playgrounds, were constructed together with the flats to provide a pleasant and modern living environment for the people.

The Seventies

Almost each new town has its own swimming facilities. Opened in January 1970, the Queenstown Swimming Complex was the first public pool built in a housing estate in Singapore. Designed with a 4m-deep diving pool as well as an Olympic-sized competition pool, Queenstown Swimming Complex was the training ground of the famous water polo team in the seventies.

In 1971, legendary water polo coach Kenneth Kee gathered a group of neighbourhood boys, some of whom could not even swim. Under his strict disciplinary guidance and training regime, the boys emerged as some of Asia’s best water polo players. By the mid-seventies, many Queenstown water polo players represented Singapore in the national team and won many gold medals in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Soon, other swimming complexes also found their ways into other new towns of Singapore. The next to follow was Toa Payoh Swimming Complex, opened in September 1973. In 1978, the National Survival Swimming Award Scheme was introduced to raise Singaporeans’ proficiency in water survival skills, and students were encouraged to take up swimming lessons as their extra-curriculum activities.

The national mass swim was held at Toa Payoh Swimming Complex in 1978, attracting an impressive 3,561 participants. Singapore was the host of the 12th SEA Games held in 1983, and Toa Payoh Swimming Complex was chosen as the venue of the Games’ swimming events.

Opened in September 1975, Katong Swimming Complex is located along Mountbatten Road and serves the residents at Tanjong Katong and Dakota for more than thirty years. The aging swimming complex has a unique feature; there is a row of animal structures, in shapes of fish, duck and seal, spouting water into the pool.

The Buona Vista Swimming Complex at Holland Drive was opened in September 1976. Also known fondly as the Holland Drive Swimming Complex, it was then considered a modern facility fitted with bi-flow filter system in which the water was continuously drained off the surface and floor of the pool.

Geylang East Swimming Complex was opened in August 1978 at Aljunied Avenue 2. It was closed for several months in 2004 in a massive upgrading project, in which a children waterplay station was added.

Opened in November 1979 and August 1982 respectively, both Delta Swimming Complex and Bukit Merah Swimming Complex shared the responsibility of serving the vast residential region of Redhill, Hendersen, Tiong Bahru and Telok Blangah.

The decision of building the Delta Swimming Complex near Hendersen Road in 1978 caused a massive uproar as HDB planned the swimming complex at the site where an old Buddhist temple stood. Built in 1858, the temple, known as Tang Suahn Kiong San Soh Hoo Chu Buddhist Temple or Kuan Kong Temple, had a rich 120-year history and was extremely popular with its devotees.

The site acquisition notice was served to the temple in 1973, with a compensation amount of $184,000, but the trustees of the temple and its devotees felt that the sacred building should be preserved. In September 1978, three bulldozers were ordered to block the paths leading to the temple, leading to its isolation and much to the disgust of the public. Policemen were deployed as the bulldozers forced their way in. Eventually, the temple caretakers had to pack the place up and relocate.

The Eighties

The larger Bukit Merah Swimming Complex, located beside the Bukit Merah Bus Interchange and occupies a large 21,000 square metres site, consists of three pools and buildings with dome-shaped roofs.

At the start of the eighties, more public swimming facilities were built for the convenience of the residents living in the new housing estates. In a space of three years, six swimming complexes were constructed at some of the biggest upcoming new towns of Singapore, namely the Paya Lebar Swimming Complex (opened in September 1981), Bedok Swimming Complex (December 1981), Kallang Basin Swimming Complex (March 1982), Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex (May 1982), Bukit Merah Swimming Complex (August 1982) and Clementi Swimming Complex (August 1983).

Unlike many other swimming complexes, the Paya Lebar Swimming Complex was built by the Urban Renewal Authority for the Singapore Sports Council. It was officially opened in September 1981 by then MP for Paya Lebar Sia Kah Hui. Standing along the quiet Aroozoo Road at Upper Serangoon Road, the swimming facilities had less than average number of attendance. It also received negative feedback due to its cleanliness and security. Paya Lebar Swimming Complex was eventually shut down in the 2000s and put up for lease by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). The premises is now being used as a childcare center.

The design of the distinctive triangular roofs of the red-bricked Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex, located along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, had helped it won the Singapore Institute of Architects’ Architectural Design Award in 1986.

The Clementi Swimming Complex at Clementi Avenue 2 has three swimming pools; two rectangular and one palm-shaped pool. The swimming complex, surrounded by lush greenery, is designed in such a way that its three buildings stand parallel to each other in the southwestern direction.

As more new housing estates were being developed in the late eighties, HDB continued their plan of building swimming facilities in each of the new town centres. The addition of Yio Chu Kang Swimming Complex (opened in July 1986), Hougang Swimming Complex (May 1987), Yishun Swimming Complex (March 1988), Bukit Batok Swimming Complex (April 1988), Woodlands Swimming Complex (August 1989) and Tampines Swimming Complex (December 1989) had brought a total of 11 swimming complexes constructed in a single decade.

The Nineties

In the nineties, only Bishan Swimming Complex (opened in December 1991) and Serangoon Swimming Complex (March 1995) were built. This might be due to the property boom in Singapore in which dozens of condominiums with private swimming facilities mushroomed in many residential parts of Singapore. The property boom first began in the early nineties and reached its peak by 1996, before the bubble was ultimately burst by the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

The New Millennium

Jurong East Swimming Complex (opened in March 2000) became the first public swimming complex to be completed in the new millennium. It was then followed by Choa Chu Kang Swimming Complex (May 2001), Jalan Besar Swimming Complex (June 2003), Jurong West Swimming Complex (November 2006) and Sengkang Swimming Complex (August 2008). The latest is Pasir Ris Swimming Complex (July 2011), bringing the total of public swimming complexes managed by the Singapore Sports Council to 25.

Other Swimming Complexes

There was a swimming facility along Corporation Road in the early seventies known as Jurong Town Swimming Pool. It was managed by the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), which was responsible in building flats and amenities for its residents working at the developing Jurong industrial area. Also opened to the public for an admission charge of 40c, the swimming pool was renovated and repaired several times until it eventually shut down in the late eighties.

The former Nanyang University became the first tertiary institution in Singapore to have a complete sport complex when its $4.2 million facilities, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a 13.5m-deep diving pool, were completed in 1976. In the same year, the Raffles Institution had their own swimming complex officially opened by then Minister for Law & The Environment E.W. Barker.

The Swimming Clubs

Established in 1894, the Singapore Swimming Club was the first swimming club in Singapore. Originally known as the Swimming Club Singapore, it was formed by a group of young European men who had their occasional gatherings at the beach of Tanjong Rhu. An perfect location for swims, sandwiches and tea, the Europeans mooted the idea of having a permanent recreational facility built.

In 1893, the club was formed at an attap house rented from a Malay fisherman. A year later, a nearby bungalow was rented to serve as the clubhouse of about 20 members. Accessibility to the new swimming club was not easy as members had to travel via a sampan from Johnston’s Pier. The Swimming Club Singapore was officially opened in February 1894.

Membership of the club grew steadily, with its membership fee remained at $1 per month over the years. By 1900, there were more than 100 members. In 1931, the club changed its name to Singapore Swimming Club and added a pool to its club facilities. It was a sensational headline in the newspapers of Malaya and Singapore, and membership soon ballooned to 2,000. The prosperity and popularity of the club was, however, disrupted by the Second World War. It never really managed to recover since then, due to the instability of the society and the imminent withdrawal of the British soldiers and their families.

The club first accepted female members in the early 1920s, but it would remain a “white only” club for another 40 years until the independence of Singapore, when former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew ordered all British clubs in Singapore to discontinue their discriminative rules. All races were welcomed to join the club since 1963.

While the Europeans had their Singapore Swimming Club, the local Chinese enjoyed swimming at the Chinese Swimming Club, formed in 1909. First started as a weekly event during Sundays to swim and play water polo at the Tanjong Katong beach, the six local Peranakan baba (Straits Chinese) decided to form a club when other participants joined the water games.

Their clubhouse was first established at Chapel Road, before moving permanently to the current site of Amber Road. In 1939, a new three-storey clubhouse and a 25m concrete seawater-filled swimming pool were built. However, the club met its worst moment during the Second World War when it was occupied by the Japanese forces. The Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) used the clubhouse as an interrogation building and the platform of the swimming pool as a massacre site of the Chinese.

After the war, the clubhouse was in a derelict state. The turning point of the club was in 1947, when the offering of a life-time membership at $100 helped to attract more than 600 members. With enough funds raised, the club was able to build an Olympic-sized pool in 1951. Today, the Chinese Swimming Club has over 7,000 members and possesses a $27.4-million Sports Complex, completed in 2005.

Other early swimming clubs included the Tiger Swimming Club, Cantonese Swimming Union and the Oversea Chinese Swimming Club, which forms the Singapore Amateur Swimming Association (SASA) in 1939 together with the Singapore Swimming Club, Chinese Swimming Club and YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). SASA was renamed as the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) in 2002.

The Lagoons

The Katong Park Bathing Pagar became one of the locals’ favourite place of leisure when it was opened in December 1931 by W. Bartley, the President of the Municipal Commissioners. The 45m by 30m swimming area was Singapore’s first public swimming enclosure. Its facilities included 40 dressing rooms and a raised platform that extended into the sea. It was a common sight to see kids swimming in their floats, while others enjoyed tanning in the sun.

Another Katong landmark situated near to the bathing pagar was the old Seaview Hotel, built in the mid-1930s. Both the pagar and the hotel were demolished in the sixties due to the land reclamation.

Sentosa Swimming Lagoon was opened in August 1974 as part of the promotion efforts by the Sentosa Development Corporation, established since 1972 for the recreational development of the island.

In the mid-seventies, the Sentosa Development Corporation cooperated with the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) to develop Kusu Island and Pulau Hantu. Swimming lagoons, jetties and hawker centres were built. However, the plans to turn the islands into holiday resorts did not really went on well. Instead, Kusu Island remains better known as a religious pilgrimage for the devotees, while Pulau Hantu becomes a popular venue for nature lovers.

Constructed at a cost of $4 million, the East Coast Lagoon was opened in April 1976 to the delight of the Marine Parade residents. Formed using a barrier that separated the sea, the oval-shaped lagoon, equivalent to almost 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools, was able to accommodate as many as 6,000 swimmers at any time. The popularity of the lagoon declines in recent years, but the East Coast Lagoon Food Village, situated beside the lagoon, remains as one of the most popular hawker centres in Singapore. The lagoon is currently being used as a ski park.

The Water-Theme Parks

The Big Splash was probably the best known water-theme park in Singapore. Occupying a 2.8 hectare site at East Coast Park, the privately owned recreational centre was opened in 1976 at a cost of $6 million. Its iconic colourful 85m-long waterslides with five lanes of different heights soon became the unmistakable landmark of East Coast.

After more than two decades of operation, the water-theme park was shut down by the mid-2000s due to dwindling attendance and rising cost. In 2008, Big Splash made a comeback, without its already-demolished waterslides. The new Playground @Big Splash was revamped as a lifestyle hub, featuring bars, seafood restaurants and a indoor mini golf course.

While there was Big Splash in the east of Singapore, the western side had Mitsukoshi Garden. Designed with massive waterslides almost equivalent to Big Splash, Mitsukoshi Garden was, however, less well-known as compared to their rival at East Coast. The water-theme park was co-owned by Mitsukoshi Limited, the largest departmental store chain in Japan, Yamakuni Iron Co. Limited and a Singaporean by the name of Akiko Aw.

Located at Japanese Garden Road, Mitsukoshi Garden lasted less than five years. It was completed and opened in April 1979, but was sold to a Japanese restaurant chain West Overseas Co. Private Limited for $4.5 million in June 1983, which spent a further $3 million in the renovation and addition of restaurants, gymnasium and tennis and squash courts. The premises was later known as CN West Leisure Park.

Today, the youngsters are more familiar with the Wild Wild Wet at Downtown East.

Swimming Across the Singapore River

The Singapore River used to be the lifeline of the country, where different communities lived and work by the sides of the river. It was also the playground for the kids, who would jump and swim in the waters, as depicted by local sculptor Chong Fah Cheong’s masterpiece “First Generation”.

By the late seventies, the Singapore River, however, had gained a notorious reputation. It was filled with garbage, dead animals, tongkangs and twakows (bumboats). In 1977, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew launched a decade-long campaign (1977-1987) to clean up the Singapore River and the Kallang Basin.

Pig and poultry farms near the Kallang Basin were phased out, 5,000 street hawkers along the river were resettled at the markets and hawker centres elsewhere, and 800 bumboats were towed to Pasir Panjang.

By 1984, the water in the Singapore River was clean enough that a mass swim was organised in mid-May. Some 400 brave participants took the plunge for the first ever swim across the Singapore River.

It was a rainy day, but the participants, including former Parliamentary Secretary of Education Ho Kah Leong and former Minister of State (Culture) Fong Sip Chee, completed the memorable feat.

Our Swimming Legends

Perhaps the most famous swimmer in Singapore, Ang Peng Siong‘s (born 1962) illustrious swimming career between 1977 and 1993 included being the world’s fastest 50m freestyle swimmer in 1982, won a total of 20 gold medals in the SEA Games and held national records of 50m free style (unbroken), 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly (both held for more than 30 years).

The three-time “Sportsman of the Year” (1982-1984) also clinched a gold medal in the 100m freestyle swimming competition at the 9th Asian Games in India, and represented Singapore in the Olympic Games held in the United States two years later.

“Golden Girl” Patricia Chan Li Yin (born 1954), also fondly known as Pat Chan, was the dominating female swimmer at the early SEA Games. The two-time Olympian won 8 golds at the 3rd SEA Games at an age of only 11. It was the year 1965, when Singapore had just became independent. The new nation was greatly excited by Pat Chan’s remarkable performance, and the national anthem touched many when it was first played at the medal-awarding ceremony.

Pat Chan went to win 29 more gold medals in the next four SEA Games, and a couple of silver and bronze Asian Games 1966 and 1970, before retiring from swimming in 1973. She was only 19 then.

13 year-old Junie Sng Poh Leng (born 1966) caused a stir at the Asian Games at Bangkok in 1978 when she shocked her Japanese opponents by winning two golds and breaking the records in the 400m and 800m freestyle. Three years later, Junie Sng went on to win seven golds in the SEA Games at Manila.

Pat Chan’s national record of 39 golds stood for 32 years until it was overtaken by another “golden girl” Joscelin Yeo Wei Ling (born 1979). Joscelin Yeo first competed in the SEA Games in 1991, winning two silvers and three bronzes. Two years later, she announced her arrival at the region’s swimming arena with a personal best of nine golds and one silver. In the next four SEA Games, Joscelin Yeo bagged a total of 40 golds, the only SEA GAmes athlete to do so.

Swimming Trivia

In 1983, the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) produced an eight-episode drama named The Flying Fish (小飞鱼). Dubbed as Singapore’s first idol drama, it catapulted actor Wang Yu Qing to national fame and inspired many youngsters to take up swimming.

A couple of years later, there were three more swimming-related dramas produced (Splash to Victory 绿水英姿 in 1989, The Champion 任我遨游 in 2004 and No Limits 泳闯琴关 2010) but none was as memorable as The Flying Fish.

In December 2010, a 18-year-old recruit serving his Basic Military Training (BMT) at Pulau Tekong tried the unthinkable by attempting to swim towards Singapore mainland. He was picked up by the Police Coast Guard in the waters near Pulau Tekong Kechil.

Published: 10 January 2013

Updated: 27 August 2018

Posted in Historic | Tagged Ang Peng Siong, Big Splash, Chinese Swimming Club, East Coast Park Lagoon, Farrer Park, Haw Par, HDB Estates, HDB New Towns, Joscelin Yeo, Junie Sng, Katong Park, Mitsukoshi Garden, Mount Emily, Patricia Chan, Public Swimming Pool, Queenstown, River Valley, Singapore River, Singapore Swimming Club, The Flying Fish, Yan Kit | 40 Comments

Ang Mo Kio, My Hometown of 25 years

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Remember Singapore

I guess every Singaporean has a story to tell in one way or another… of the place he or she was born and raised. Each story is a unique memory. I’m no exception. My hometown was Ang Mo Kio. If the life expectancy of a Singaporean male is around 79, I’d have spent almost one third of my life living in Ang Mo Kio.

Ang Mo Kio and My Family

My parents moved to Ang Mo Kio in 1979 when I was 3-plus. Previously, we lived in a rental flat at Toa Payoh. The successful balloting came as a delightful surprise as Ang Mo Kio was then an upcoming new town. Costing $13,000, our three-and-a-half room flat was located in a favourable location along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, where there were convenient amenities such as hawker centre, wet market and schools within short walking distance.

Most of my peers, including me, grew up living in HDB flats. Not for my parents though, who had lived in kampong during their younger days. My father grew in a humble Hakka village off Old Holland Road, while my mother was from Chia Keng, a Teochew kampong that was formerly located near the present-day Yio Chu Kang Stadium and was demolished in the mid-eighties. Imagine their delight when they moved into a new unit with ready supply of water, electricity and modern sanitation.

Ang Mo Kio… Tomato or Bridge?

For years, there were misconceptions that the name of Ang Mo Kio was derived from the Hokkien term for tomatoes. However, no tomato farms were ever grown in this vicinity.

Thus, the more likely origin of the name came from the bridge purportedly built by the British Government Surveyor John Turnbull Thomson (1821–1884) at the junction of Upper Thomson Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. Upper Thomson Road was also named after him. Another saying was that there were nine, instead of one, bridges in Ang Mo Kio. They were built by the British military, and therefore being termed “ang mo kio“, which means “Caucasian’s bridge” in Hokkien.

The final explanation was that there were actually two major bridges in the old swampy Ang Mo Kio. One was a wooden bridge and the other was made of concrete. The locals called the bridges as “pang kio” (“wooden bridge” in Hokkien) and “ang mo kio” (“ang mo” here refers to “ang mo huay“, which means “concrete” in Hokkien).

Whether it was one, two or nine bridges, they, along with the swamps, farmlands and villages, had long vanished in the development of Ang Mo Kio New Town.

Ang Mo Kio Districts and Avenues

The earliest plan to build a residential estate at Ang Mo Kio began in 1971. It was initially intended for the small car repair shop owners who had been relocated from the city area. By 1973, it was decided to develop Ang Mo Kio into a new town with self-sufficient facilities. It would be the seventh housing estate in Singapore built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

Ang Mo Kio was designed with six neighbourhoods with streets that run perpendicular to each other. As such, it was the first new town in Singapore to be designed in metric dimensions.

There is a total of ten main avenues in Ang Mo Kio. The avenues in odd numbers (Avenue 1, 3, 5 and 9) run from east to west in ascending order, whereas the even-numbered avenues (Avenue 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12) run from north to south.

However, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 7 is missing in the map, which logically should be parallel between Avenue 5 and 9. Did the town planners make a mistake last time? Ang Mo Kio Avenue 7 was mentioned in some history context but its exclusion remains a mystery till today. There is also no Ang Mo Kio Avenue 11 because Yio Chu Kang Road is already running parallel to the north of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9.

The smaller streets in Ang Mo Kio, on the other hand, are numbered according to the clusters of flats they lead to. Ang Mo Kio Street 52, for example, runs through the neigbourhood with the block numbers began with 500-plus, where Ang Mo Kio Street 44 leads to the 400-plus-numbered flats. This concept is also used in other new towns such as Bishan and Jurong East/West.

The six neighbourhoods in Ang Mo Kio are categorised as Kebun Baru/Mayflower (with blocks numbered 100- and 200-plus), Teck Ghee (block 300-plus), Chong Boon (block 400-plus), Cheng San (block 500-plus), Yio Chu Kang (block 600-plus) and Town Centre (block 700-plus).

Cheng San, in particular, was named after Kampong Cheng San, also known as Cheng Sua Lai (青山内, “Green Hills Interior” in Hokkien), a dominant village that existed in the area between the fifties and seventies. It was made up of many clusters of Hokkien and Teochew villages, as well as some Malay and Indian families. A long track known as Cheng San Road once cut through the vegetation and farmlands in old Ang Mo Kio to link between Upper Thomson Road and Serangoon Gardens.

Other villages included Jio Sua (石山, “Stone Hill”) and Kow Tiow Kio (九条桥, “Nine Bridges”). Jio Sua was an early Hokkien village existed from the late 19th century till the mid-seventies. It was located at present-day Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West and was likely to named after a red sandstone that was found in the vicinity. Farming and quarrying were the main activities then.

Named after the nine bridges built by the British to link Lorong Kinchir over the Kallang River, Kow Tiow Kio was a settlement along present-day Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 that housed mainly Hokkien, Teochew and Hainanese families. The villagers engaged in vegetable and fruit farming, pig rearing and rubber and coconut plantations. They were resettled in the seventies to Sin Ming, Toa Payoh and other parts of Ang Mo Kio.

There was another smaller village, known as Lak Xun (六巡), located between Track 14 and 16 (both were defunct today) of Yio Chu Kang Road.

Amoy Quee Camp is the only military camp based in Ang Mo Kio. Formerly a British army camp, its name was derived from Kampong Amoy Quee that once dominated this area. The name of the kampong itself arose from the nickname given to the British and Australian soldiers by the locals.

During the pre-independence days, the military personnel living at the Serangoon Gardens would drive through the kampong as a shortcut to the Seletar and Sembawang camps. Their reckless drivings sometimes killed the villagers’ chicken and other livestock. The angry locals thus nicknamed the Caucasians as “ang moh kwee” (“red-haired devils” in Hokkien).

There is also a small housing estate located along Yio Chu Kang Road, considered part of Ang Mo Kio New Town. It is the Teachers’ Housing Estate, completed in 1968 by the Singapore Teachers’ Union (STU). The project aimed to provide affordable housing for the teachers. More than 250 terrace houses were built and priced at around $24,000, which was still a large amount for the teachers then. Eventually only 70% of the houses were sold to teachers.

An interesting trivia about Teachers’ Estate is that all its roads are named after famous poets and philosophers.

Some examples are Li Po Avenue, Tu Fu Avenue, Tung Po Avenue (named after ancient Chinese poets Li Bai 李白, Du Fu 杜甫 and Su Dong Po 苏东坡), Iqbal Avenue (named after Muslim poet Muhammad Iqbal) and Omar Khayyam Avenue (named after Persian poet Omar Khayyam).

Ang Mo Kio and My Schools

My ten years of primary school and secondary school life were spent within Ang Mo Kio. Make it twelve if I included the kindergarten. Unlike today, there were few or no nurseries or pre-education classes in the early eighties. Kids spent most of their time playing with masak-masak (“cooking” in Malay but it generally means “playing with toys” in Singlish context) instead of learning violin, piano or ballet. The financial means of a middle class family then could hardly afford these courses anyway.

My primary school, Chong Li Primary School, used to stand side by side at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 44 with Chong Boon Primary School and Anderson Secondary School, which was also my secondary school.

Anderson Secondary School was formerly located at Steven Road, before moving to Ang Mo Kio in 1984. A decade later, it was shifted to another site at Ang Mo Kio Street 53. By 2000, Chong Boon Primary School was merged with Da Qiao Primary School, while my primary school also vanished after its 2003 merger with Teck Ghee Primary School. The large premises are now occupied by Chong Boon Secondary School.

Other primary schools in Ang Mo Kio that had also vanished were Li Hua Primary School (formerly Lee Hua Chinese School, 1970s-2000), Ang Mo Kio North Primary School (1981-2000), Chong De Primary School (1982-1998), Hong Dao Primary School (1982-2000), Chong Shan Primary School (1982-2001) and Kebun Baru Primary School (1983-2002). Meanwhile, Ai Tong Primary School was located at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 between 1981 and 1992.

The current primary schools in Ang Mo Kio include Da Qiao Primary School (formerly Tai Keou School, founded in 1936 at North Bridge Road. Relocated to Ang Mo Kio in 1982), Jing Shan Primary School (formerly Cheng San School, established in 1945 at Kampong Cheng San), Ang Mo Kio Primary School (since 1978), Mayflower Primary School (since 1979), Townsville Primary School (since 1982) and Anderson Primary School (since 2000).

The days of primary school had got to be the best moments in my life. Those were the happy memories in playing gor li (marbles) and hantam bola during recesses, exchanging Panini stickers with classmates, catching guppies in nearby longkang and doing projects in order to earn that Zoologist science badge. We also had school excursions at Sentosa (riding the monorail) and Haw Par Villa (which gave me nightmares for many nights).

Ang Mo Kio Town Centre

Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, or fondly known as Ang Mo Kio Central/Centre, is a bustling self-sufficient neighbourhood since its development in the late seventies. Also one of the largest town centres in Singapore, it was built on a low-lying location in-between small hillocks on the eastern and western flanks. The hilly parts of Ang Mo Kio are still visible today at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East and Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West.

In the eighties and early nineties, residents from the neighbouring Bishan, Yishun and Sembawang would flock to Ang Mo Kio to shop, dine and catch movies, because the shopping facilities in their respective housing estates were not fully developed yet.

Beautifully lit up at nights, the large fountain was perhaps the most famous landmark of Ang Mo Kio Town Centre in the eighties. Its water, however, was drained away sometime in the nineties, leaving the fountain emptied and unmaintained. Slowly forgotten over the years, it was eventually demolished.

The Oriental Emporium dominated the local retailer sector in the eighties. Being one of the largest and upcoming housing estates in Singapore, Ang Mo Kio was unsurprisingly chosen by the departmental giant for the location of one of its outlets. It had a grand opening at the town centre on the 28th March of 1980. Selling a large variety of products, Oriental Emporium became one of Singaporeans’ favourite shopping destination in the eighties.

Owned by the Emporium Holdings Group, the former Oriental Palace Restaurant was also a popular venue in Ang Mo Kio for the hosting of wedding and birthday celebration dinners. To enjoy yum cha (morning tea in Cantonese) at the restaurant on a Sunday morning was a treat then; something that I looked forward to if my parents had a lucky strike in 4D.

One of the my favourite places at the Ang Mo Kio Town Centre during my childhood was the children’s traffic garden. It was like a mini version of the Road Safety Park at East Coast. Beside small bicycles, there were the more popular battery-powered “motorbikes” and “cars” for kids. I could not remember the cost of each ride. It was probably 50c for a 10-minute ride.

After the traffic garden was demolished, the vendor still operated his business elsewhere at the town centre. The kids were then free to roam around in their miniature vehicles. Such vendors could still be seen today at other places such as the Bukit Merah Town Centre.

There used to be four cinemas at the Ang Mo Kio town centre. The earliest was the Ang Mo Kio Cinema, but it was gone by the mid-eighties and its premises was converted into the Big Mac Centre today.

The other three cinemas, Broadway, Jubilee and New Crown/New Town, had found their ways into Ang Mo Kio heartland in the eighties and nineties. Owned by Cathay, Eng Wah and other cinema operators, they provided cheap and convenient access to the popular Hong Kong and Hollywood movies for the residents and students.

I could not remember how many Stephen Chow and other Hong Kong movies I had watched at those cinemas. Broadway Cinema was located just opposite the Ang Mo Kio Central Market and Food Centre, which served delicious satay beehoon, carrot cake, Hokkien mee and other local delights.

There was also a popular second-hand book store beside the Ang Mo Kio Central Food Centre that had been around for some twenty years. However, it was shut down for good after the renovation of the hawker centre a few years back.

During my school days, I used to patronise the arcade game shop at the building which housed the New Crown/New Town cinema. The Korean buffet restaurant Seoul Gardens used to run its business at its premises too. After the cinema ceased its operation, the entire building was painted red and became known as the New Crown Building. It was then demolished in mid-2012.

Jubilee Cinema was the smallest of the trio in the nineties. Its building was easily identifiable with the large Pizza Hut logo. Located next to it was (and still is) the large S11 kopitiam, ensuring the late night movie-goers would not go home with hungry stomachs. The building is now a little shopping mall called Jubilee Square.

The Ang Mo Kio Public Library was officially opened in August 1985 after four years of planning and two years of construction. Formerly known as Ang Mo Kio Branch Library, it was the fifth branch library to be built in Singapore. Before the completion of Ang Mo Kio library, a small mobile library was temporarily set up at Block 528 for the residents. Otherwise, the residents had to travel to the Toa Payoh library for books and other materials.

Filled with many retail shops, the Ang Mo Kio Town Centre was the favourite destination for me to hang around after school. I could spend hours walking around hunting for cassettes (and music CDs in the later times), comics, shoes and “friendly” versions of PC games. Or playing Virtua Striker at the arcade. Or simply enjoying a frosted mug of root beer float at the A&W restaurant with friends.

Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange and MRT

Feeder bus service 261 that loops around my old home has got to be the most frequent bus service in Ang Mo Kio. However, in the eighties and early nineties, it was the only bus service within short walking distance from my flat. It was only many years later before they added Service 55 which linked up Hougang, Ang Mo Kio and Bishan.

The old Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange was opened in 1980 and expanded in 1983 to cater for the growing population in the new town. The feeder buses would stop before the traffic light (shown in the photo above) at the bus interchange for the commuters to alight. Lasted more than twenty years until 2002, the old interchange was then shifted to a temporary location near the Ang Mo Kio Public Library while the new Integrated PT (Public Transport) Hub was constructed. The new air-conditioned interchange was finally opened in April 2007.

An underpass link was constructed between the old bus interchange and the Ang Mo Kio MRT Station when the latter was opened in November 1987. The first section of the North-South Line consisted of only five stations (Toa Payoh to Yio Chu Kang) over six kilometers. In the following year, 15 more stations were opened, allowing the Ang Mo Kio residents to travel conveniently to Yishun, Orchard and City Hall.

HDB Flats in Ang Mo Kio

In 1973, the blocks, numbered 213-216, were the first ever flats to be completed in Ang Mo Kio. Three years later, the new town’s first market and hawker centre were added to Block 226. Soon, the first community centre, kindergarten, primary and secondary schools in Ang Mo Kio were also established in the same neighbourhood.

The design template of such classic HDB slab blocks and point blocks had been duplicated at new towns built in the late seventies and early eighties, including Ang Mo Kio, Bedok and Clementi.

The photos here show an en-bloc HDB flat along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. The blocks have been emptied since early 2012. The design were similar to my old Ang Mo Kio flat at Avenue 10, with its recognisable reinforced glass and aluminum window panes, small double-stepped doorway and symmetrical metal door grilles.

The slab block design typically consists of rows of two-room or three-room, three-and-a-half room and four-room units. The four-room units are usually located at both ends of the long common corridors. Before the upgrading scheme, the lifts of these flats do not stop at every level.

Void decks are multi-functional spaces for the residents living in the HDB flats, which can be used to hold Malay weddings or Chinese funeral wakes. For the kids, a void deck is also ideal for a game of football, despite the no-football sign. The mounted table tennis tables served as a free facility for ping-pong lovers; it also served as a “playground” when someone creatively invented the game of “crocodiles” using the table tennis table.

For approximately every ten slab blocks in each neighbourhood, there is a point block made up of five-room units.

In 1981, a circular block of flats was constructed by the HDB at the end of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. It was an experimental attempt to break through the design of the classic slab and point blocks. Nicknamed the “Four Leaf Clover Flat” due to its shape from the top view, it has 96 five-room units with interior curved walls. Even the water tanks at the rooftops are customised to suit the circular shapes.

When it was launched, each unit cost more than $110,000, significantly higher than other five-room flats during the early eighties. The reviews were mixed, as the residents found the curved designs impractical, having to spend more on renovations and customised furniture. The HDB stopped building such designs since then, thus making the “Four Leaf Clover Flat” the one and only circular flat in Singapore.

Ang Mo Kio Hawker Centres and Wet Markets

There is a total of nine hawker centres in Ang Mo Kio; the most in a new town in Singapore. The first hawker centre and market began at Block 226 along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. As the new town expanded with addition of housing districts, more hawker centres were built to cater for the growing population.

The nine hawker centres and wet markets within Ang Mo Kio are: Ang Mo Kio Central Market and Cooked Food Centre, Cheng San Market and Cooked Food Centre, Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, Kebun Baru Market and Food Centre, Mayflower Market and Food Centre, Teck Ghee Court Market and Food Centre, Teck Ghee Square Market and Hawker Centre and Yio Chu Kang View Market and Food Centre.

The Sembawang Hill Food Centre along Upper Thomson Road is also listed within the administration of Ang Mo Kio constituency.

There are many good food found in Ang Mo Kio. Many of the stallholders have been operating here for more than twenty years. The laksa, Teochew fish ball noodle (Chong Boon hawker centre), Hokkien mee (Teck Ghee Square and Cheng San hawker centres), bak chor mee (Ang Mo Kio central kopitiam), Penang prawn noodle (Ang Mo Kio central S11), satay beehoon (Ang Mo Kio Central hawker centre) and roti prata (Mayflower kopitiam) are some of my favourites.

Ang Mo Kio Places of Worship

Masjid Al-Muttaqin is the only mosque in Ang Mo Kio, and is the fifth mosque in Singapore to be completed under the Mosque Building Fund Scheme.

In the seventies, a place of worship was essential for the Malay Muslim residents who were resettled in Ang Mo Kio. Most of them were previously from the kampongs at Jalan Kayu, Buangkok and Tongkang Pecah (present-day Fernvale, Sengkang), who had to travel to Upper Serangoon and Thomson Road for their religious activities.

After two years of fund-raising by the devoted Muslims, it was decided that the new mosque was to be built at a 3,000 square meter site along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6. At a cost of $1.8 million, it was officially opened in September 1980 with an accommodation of 2,700 worshippers. It has since became a distinctive landmark at the Ang Mo Kio Town Centre.

There are many Chinese temples in Ang Mo Kio, one of which is the Potong Pasir Joint Temples Association. As its name suggests, the temple originates from Potong Pasir. It is made up of five Chinese temples that were formerly located at Kampong Potong Pasir. Due to the development of Potong Pasir in the seventies and eighties, the five temples decided to join as one. The association was established in 1982, and was shifted to Ang Mo Kio Street 44 five years later.

Another combined temple is Ang Mo Kio Joint Temple. It comprises three older Chinese temples that joined together as one in 1978. One of them was Kong Lim Kong Temple (檺林宫), who has its roots traced back to the late 19th century at Fujian province of China. The other two were Leng San Giam (龙山岩) and Kim Eang Tong (金英堂), established in the fifties and sixties at Cheng Sua Lai and Jio Sua respectively.

The third and fourth joint temple are Liuxun Sanhemiao Temple (六巡三合庙) and Chu Sheng Temple (聚圣庙) respectively. The former is made up of three kampong temples, Hong San Chin Huat Temple Association (凤山堂进法殿全盛宫), Sam Ann Fu (三安府) and The Longxuyan Jinshuiguan Temple (龙须岩金水馆), that once served the Lak Xun village. Chu Sheng Temple, completed in 1981, houses three old temples from Yio Chu Kang, namely Ji Fu Gong (集福宫), Hua Tang Fu (华堂府) and Long Quan Yan (龍泉岩).

The history of Swee Kok Guan Temple (水沟馆葛岸馆庙) went back to the early 20th century, when it was set up by the Chinese immigrants of the surname”Ang”. The temple began at Buona Vista, before moving to Holland Road and Choa Chu Kang. In the late sixties, there were three Swee Kok Guan temples in Singapore; the other two were located in Yio Chu Kang and Sembwang. In 1977, all three temples were combined to form one Swee Kok Guan Temple at Ang Mo Kio Street 61.

Chek Sian Tng (积善堂) at Ang Mo Kio Street 44 is a temple devoted to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (观音). Its history went back to the early 20th century, and was located at Kramat Road until the early eighties, before it found its home at Ang Mo Kio in 1984. Chek Sian Tng is also a temple specially for female devotees who wish to commit an ascetic life.

The services of Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church was originally held in 1976 in a rented house at Mayflower housing estate. As the number of its followers grew, it decided to build its own building together with two other Methodist conferences (Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church and Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference). The church was completed at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 in 1981, and was upgraded several times over the years.

The barren ground in front of the church shown in the photo has been developed into Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

Other churches in Ang Mo Kio are St. Thomas Orthodox Syrian Cathedral (built in 1983), Bethesda Hall at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 (1984) and First Evangelical Reformed Church at Yio Chu Kang Road (1994).

Catholic Church of Christ the King, the only Catholic Church in Ang Mo Kio, was opened in September 1982 at a cost of $3 million. In the seventies, the Catholics living in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio had to travel to Upper Thomson (Church of Holy Spirit) or Serangoon Gardens (Church of St Francis Xiavier) to call their parish.

In 1999, its old building was demolished and replaced by the current church.

Community Centres and the Swimming Complex

The first ever community centres in Singapore were the Serangoon and Siglap Community Centres, both opened in May 1953. The initial objectives were to encourage participation in grassroots activities and to promote grassroots leadership. Today, there are as many as 105 community centres or clubs in Singapore.

Ang Mo Kio has five community centres, namely Ang Mo Kio CC, Cheng San CC, Kebun Baru CC, Teck Ghee CC and Yio Chu Kang CC. The first community centre in Ang Mo Kio, however, began in the mid-seventies at a humble corner of Block 226B, along Ang Mo Kio Street 22.

Opened in December 1978, the original Teck Ghee CC was located at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. In 1991, the former Chong Boon CC at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 was renamed as Teck Ghee CC after Teck Ghee became part of Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

Chong Boon CC itself was originally housed in a small room at the void deck of Block 408 of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. A nearby venue was later chosen to build a new $3 million building with modern facilities such as basketball, tennis and squash courts, library and multi-purpose rooms. At its groundbreaking ceremony in September 1982, various religious leaders were invited to bless the project. The new community centre was officially opened in 1983.

An interesting trivia about Teck Ghee CC is that in 2008, actress Gong Li received her pink identity card (IC) at a citizenship ceremony held at the community centre.

Like Teck Ghee and Chong Boon CC, Ang Mo Kio CC and Kebun Baru CC were also built in the late seventies and early eighties respectively. Meanwhile, Yio Chu Kang CC and Cheng San CC have their histories traced back to the fifties and sixties.

I have forgotten how much time I had spent playing basketball at these community centres.

The construction of Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex by the HDB in 1982 was welcomed by the residents of Ang Mo Kio, who otherwise had to travel to Toa Payoh if they wanted to enjoy a dip in the water.

The prominent red-tiled swimming complex with triangular roofs, situated off Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, even won the Singapore Institute of Architects’ Architectural Design Award in 1986.

Ang Mo Kio’s Dragon and Merlions

One of four remaining dragon playgrounds in Singapore can be found standing at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Avenue 10, with its sand box refurbished with rubber mats and its metal body repainted.

There used to be many sand-based playgrounds scattered around Ang Mo Kio during the eighties. After 1993, these old playgrounds were slowly replaced by the newer and safer plastic playgrounds.

At the entrance of the carpark to the blocks of 216-222 stand a pair of Merlions. They were built by the Ang Mo Kio Residential Committee in 1998 at a cost of $13,000. The pair was almost forced to be removed because of the infringement of copyrights, due to the fact that the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) owns all intellectual properties of Merlion.

In the end, the Ang Mo Kio Merlions managed to stay on, and have become the iconic features along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

The Gardens of Ang Mo Kio

Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East is the new town’s first town garden. Built in the late seventies, it was formerly part of Kampong Cheng San. Rubber trees and nutmeg groves used be grown all over the small hill. Today, some old rubber trees still stand in Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East, witnessing the tremendous changes in its surrounding environment in the past few decades.

Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West, on the other hand, was developed in the eighties at the hillock on the other side of the town centre.

It was designed and developed by a Japanese contractor company at a cost of $2.7 million. The fascinating part about Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West is that it still contains the secondary forest and its original vegetation and terrains. Certain stretch of the former Cheng San Road was also incorporated into its current footpaths.

National Day Parade, Chingay and VIP Visit

Between 1975 and 1983, the National Day Parade was held in alternate years between centralised and decentralised locations. The centralised locations referred to the National Stadium and Padang, while the decentralised locations were the residential neighbourhoods such as Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Redhill and Queenstown.

The Ang Mo Kio residents were delighted when the National Day Parade in 1983 was chosen to be held at Ang Mo Kio. That was the last time the National Day Parade was held at a decentralised site. In the nineties, some of the mobile column of military trucks and tanks would drive past Ang Mo Kio as part of their routes through the heartlands.

Chingay was another annual parading event celebrated by Singaporeans. I remember as a kid, I waited enthusiastically by the roadside to watch the likes of lion and dragon dances, and beautifully decorated floats (mounted on top of those old trucks) drove past.

Chingay, literally means “art of masquerade” (妆艺) in Hokkien, was originally a street celebration of the Chinese New Year festivals with the addition of the celebrating the birthdays of Chinese Taoist deities. Its local history went back to the 19th century, but the annual event, deemed as financially extravagant and culturally backward, was abolished in 1906.

When the firecrackers were banned in Singapore in 1972, there was unhappiness among the local Chinese, as it dampened the festival mood of the Chinese New Year celebrations. As an alternative, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew proposed the revival of Chingay in Singapore. Hence, the first Chingay parade was held successfully in 1973, and subsequently it was organised annually at Toa Payoh (1974), Marine Parade (1978) and Ang Mo Kio (1984). In the late seventies, Chingay had evolved into a multicultural event with the participation of the Malay and Indian cultural performance groups.

Like Queenstown, Ang Mo Kio also has a VIP block. It is Block 710 at the Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, where foreign dignitaries visited during their tour to Singapore’s model housing estate in the eighties. In 1989, on her second visit to Singapore, Queen Elizabeth II was brought to Block 710 to enjoy a panoramic view of Ang Mo Kio.

In 2004, I moved to Sengkang after living in Ang Mo Kio for 25 years. I still returned there every now and then; for a haircut, a game of basketball, or simply enjoy a meal at the hawker centres or kopitiam I am familiar with.

Editor’s Note: This article is specially dedicated to all the current and former residents of Ang Mo Kio. 😉

Published: 12 December 2012

Updated: 28 December 2012

Posted in Nostalgic | Tagged Amoy Quee Camp, Ang Mo Kio, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 7, Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church, Ang Mo Kio MRT, Ang Mo Kio Public Library, Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex, Big Mac Centre, Broadway Cinema, Catholic Church of Christ the King, Chek Sian Tng, Cheng San, Chingay, Chong Boon, Chong Li, Community Centre, Dragon Playground, Feeder Service 261, Four Leaf Clover Flat, Hawker Centre, John Turnbull Thomson, Jubilee Cinema, Kampong Amoy Quee, Kebun Baru, Kong Lim Kong Temple, Masjid Al-Muttaqin, Mayflower, Merlion, National Day Parade, New Crown, Oriental Emporium, Potong Pasir Joint Temples Association, Queen Elizabeth II, Singapore 1980s, Teacher's Estate, Teck Ghee, Town Centre, Traffic Garden, Upper Thomson Road, Void Deck, Yio Chu Kang Road | 276 Comments

The Grandfather of Singapore Sculpture and his Joo Chiat Studio

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Remember Singapore

At the end of November 2012, the former home and studio of the late Ng Eng Teng (1934-2001), widely acclaimed as the grandfather of Singapore sculpture, will officially walk into the history.

Known as 106 Joo Chiat Place, the kampong-styled house was used by Ng Eng Teng since 1966 as a residence and an art studio where he created many of his iconic sculptural works. It was a traditional Sumatran house, one of the few left in Singapore. Designed with hipped-gable roofs and 1.5m-tall slits, the yellow rumah panggung (stage house) occupies a landsize of 876 square meters and has been standing along Joo Chiat Place for almost half a century.

Born in Singapore in 1934, a young Ng Eng Teng displayed significant talents in sculpturing when experimenting with plasticine. When he was in his early twenties, Ng Eng Teng studied at the British Council and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts to pursue his artist dream. Encounters with British sculptress Jean Bullock and well-known local oil painter Georgette Chen (1906-1993) helped to influence Ng Eng Teng to explore new sculpting methods and take up pottery designs.

Heeding the advices of Georgette Chen, Ng Eng Teng left Singapore in 1962 to study ceramics and sculpturing in England and Ireland. He was starting to make a name for himself through his works before he decided to come back home, due to family reasons as well as fulfilling his dream of setting up a workshop in Singapore to teach pottery-making.

After struggling financially for several years, Ng Eng Teng finally received recognition in 1970 when he successfully held his first sculpturing exhibition. An illustrious career followed, as Ng Eng Teng became a famous artist and sculptor in Asia and Australia, winning many awards and achievements. Many Singaporeans are familiar with some of his large-scaled works, such as the Mother and Child sculptures that used to grace Orchard Road in the eighties. One of the three pieces, used to be stored temporarily at 106 Joo Chiat Place, is now standing at Tampines Central Park.

Ng Eng Teng believed strongly in education and free creation. Thus, in the late nineties, he donated a huge bulk of his works to the National University of Singapore Museum. The total number of paintings, sculptures, machettes and ceramics he donated exceeded 1,000. In 2001, Ng Eng Teng passed away in his sleep at 106 Joo Chiat Place, after suffering from kidney disease for several years. It was a massive loss to the art scene in Singapore.

After the house was purchased by Kim Choo Holdings in 2008, there were efforts by the new owners to conserve the house. However, the plans did not materialise and the house will be demolished by the end of 2012. The land will be used for the construction of four new terrace houses.

Published: 29 November 2012

Posted in General | Tagged Georgette Chen, Joo Chiat Place, Mother And Child, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Ng Eng Teng, Sumatran House | 9 Comments

Memories of the Old Clementi Town Centre

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Remember Singapore

Bounded by Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Avenue 3, the Clementi Town Centre was built in 1980 with facilities such as clinics, cinemas, hawker centres, a wet market and a library to provide convenience for the residents. All the HDB flats within the town centre are low-rise buildings not more than four stories high; most of them include retail shops and kopitiams operating at the first levels.

As many as 2000 units of three- and four-room were put up for balloting in August 1979. It was a booming period of housing development for Singapore, and the flats at the Clementi Town Centre, formerly categorized under the Jurong Zone, was the 11th sale of flats under the Home Ownership Scheme in that year.

The year 1980 was also a significant moment for local departmental legend Lim Tow Yong (1925-2012). On 28th March 1980, the Emporium Holdings opened a total of 10 large departmental stores and restaurants around Singapore at the same time. One of the Emporium branches was established at Clementi Town Centre. The success of Emporium would last until the late eighties.

In the early eighties, many housewives living in the new Jurong East Estate, due to its lack of facilities, would travel to Clementi Town Centre to do their shopping and grocery-buying at the wet market.

By the mid-2000s, there were plans to redevelop the aging town centre. Two blocks of flats, Block 444 and 445, were put on the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) list in 2005.

The following year saw the old Clementi Bus Interchange, operating since November 1980, shut down and shifted to a temporary location along Commonwealth Avenue West for five years, until the completion of the new integrated PT (Public Transport) Hub in 2011.

The Clementi MRT Station was opened in March 1988 in front of the Clementi Town Centre, providing the necessary accessibility, along with the bus interchange, between the residents and other parts of Singapore.

Formerly known as West Coast-Ayer Rajah Town Council, the town council was renamed West Coast Town Council in 2006. Clementi is one of the six divisions within West Coast Town; the other five being Ayer Rajah, Boon Lay, Pioneer, Telok Blangah and West Coast.

The old Clementi Town Centre also possessed the last sand-based Sparrow Playground in Singapore. Unlike other old sand-based playgrounds, the small simple sparrow-shaped playground did not have fancy swings, see-saws or merry-go-rounds, probably due to the limited space when it was first constructed.

Opposite the playground was the popular Clementi Book Store, which used to sell a wide range of stationary, textbooks and past-year examination papers. And not forgetting that good old A&W restaurant with its root beer floats, curly fries and coney dogs.

Both the playground and the old book store were the familiar faces of the old town centre for three decades before they were demolished and shut down respectively.

After staying relatively unchanged for almost thirty years, the Clementi Town Centre has seen tremendous transformation especially in the recent few years.

In 2008, the Clementi/Commonwealth Theatres (金文泰/联邦戏院) were demolished and replaced by a small shopping mall called CityVibe. The old Clementi Bus Interchange was upgraded to an air-conditioned Integrated PT (Public Transport) Hub in 2011, together with the opening of the Clementi Mall and a pair of eye-catching 40-storey residential blocks called the Clementi Towers.

The following year, Empress Cinema (华声戏院) was pulled down. The low-rise HDB blocks of 444 and 445 are the next to go, possibly to be replaced by new flats or condominiums.

Even the pronunciation of Clementi changes. Instead of familiar “claire-men-tee“, it is now pronounced as “clear-mon-tee“, rightfully so as it is the correct pronunciation of the name of Sir Cecil Clementi Smith (1840-1916), the Governor of the Straits Settlements between 1887 and 1893. The long Reformatory Road was renamed as Clementi Road in 1947 by the Singapore Rural Board. The name was extended to the new town when its development began in 1975.

The old Clementi Town Centre is likely to complete its transformation in the next couple of years. The new integrated town centre will continue to serve the Clementi residents well for another generation to remember.

Published: 24 November 2012

Updated: 27 November 2012

Posted in Nostalgic | Tagged A&W Restaurant, Cecil Clementi Smith, Clementi Book Store, Clementi Bus Interchange, Clementi Town Centre, Emporium Holdings, Empress Cinema, Home Ownership Scheme, Reformatory Road, Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme, Sparrow Playground, West Coast-Ayer Rajah Town Council | 33 Comments

A Forgotten Past – The Curious Case of Lim Yew Hock

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Remember Singapore

A controversial yet significant figure in the political history of modern Singapore, Lim Yew Hock (1914-1984) was the second Chief Minister of Singapore, succeeding David Saul Marshall (1908-1995) in 1956. Unlike his predecessor, Lim Yew Hock was a hardliner against labour unions, anti-colonist activists and pro-communist groups.

Early Life

Born in Singapore, Lim Yew Hock studied and graduated from the Raffles Institution in 1931. His early career involved administrative work and stenography at Cold Storage, before becoming the Secretary-General, and later the President, of the Singapore Clerical and Administrative Workers’ Union after the Second World War.

Labour movement was at its peak during the fifties, and Lim Yew Hock was a central figure in the public affairs, having formed the Progressive Party and Labour Party in 1947 and 1949 respectively. Appointed to represent the labour unions, he gained a good reputation of being the man of the common people.

Chief Minister

In 1956, David Marshall resigned from his Chief Minister post after failing in his negotiations with Britain to gain complete self-rule for Singapore. The colonial government did not believe an independent Singapore would cope with the rising communist influence and union protests.

Lim Yew Hock, the Minister for Labour and Welfare in David Marshall’s government, took over as the Second Chief Minister of Singapore. Standing close to the British government, he took aggressive actions in suppressing the increasing protests and riots.

In September 1956, a major social unrest later known as the Chinese Middle School Riots broke out after Lim Yew Hock ordered the expulsion of 142 students from Chinese High School and Chung Cheng High School on grounds of political subversion. Thousands of students and union leaders took on the streets. Supported by the police and British army, Lim Yew Hock’s government retaliated, resulting in 13 deaths and 123 injuries.

This “colonial oppression” won Lim Yew Hock praises from the British government but he lost the majority support of the Chinese community. It would ultimately lead to his political downfall against Lee Kuan Yew’s People’s Action Party (PAP).

Political Downfall

In the riots, Lim Yew Hock also ordered the detention of PAP’s pro-communist union leaders such as Lim Chin Siong (1933-1996) and Chia Ek Tian. He had hoped the purging would expose PAP’s vulnerability to communist influence, but the calculated move backfired. The British government, by then realising that Lim Yew Hock was losing much of his political ground, began to switch its support to Lee Kuan Yew in a constitutional conference in London in May 1958.

By the time the Singapore legislative assembly general election was held in May 1959, Lim Yew Hock’s Singapore People’s Alliance (SPA), formed just two years earlier in a bid to repair his tarnished reputation, suffered an utter defeat to PAP. PAP recorded a landslide victory in the election, with over 54% of the votes. Lee Kuan Yew became the Prime Minister of the new self-ruling government of Singapore.

There were also critics that Lim Yew Hock’s unpopularity was also partly due to the British transfer of Christmas Island to Australia in 1957. Although Lim Yew Hock was unlikely to have any influence over the decision, many criticised him for his inaction as a Chief Minister.

Malaysian Diplomat

Lim Yew Hock regrouped his SPA in 1961 to form the Singapore Alliance, which was backed by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the ruling party of a newly independent Federation of Malaya. But with Lim Yew Hock pulled out of the campaign, the Singapore Alliance suffered a big defeat with no seats won at the 1963 Singapore general election. Two years later, Singapore was separated from the Federation of Malaysia, and became independent.

At arguably his lowest point in life, Lim Yew Hock left politics altogether. He also suffered a serious injury in a road crash in the early sixties, but managed to recover well to be appointed as the Malaysian High Commissioner to Australia in 1964. Lim Yew Hock and his family then became Malaysian citizens after Singapore’s separation from the federation.

Disappearance Act

In June 1965, Lim Yew Hock mysteriously disappeared in the midst of his diplomatic role in Canberra. It was revealed that he had been previously under medical treatment for two months.

His alleged association with Sandra Nelson, a 19-year-old striptease dancer from Sydney, caused an uproar in the Malaysian parliament and the country itself. Both Lim Yew Hock, before his disappearance, and Sandra Nelson had denied any intimate relationship or possibility of security issues.

The Australian police mounted a nationwide search for the diplomat. Even the Interpol was activated. Ten days, he was taken to his Canberra home by a man named Vincent Laus, who had found him sick and wandering on the streets of Sydney. Lim Yew Hock was subsequently flown back to Kuala Lumpur.

Later Years

In 1968, Lim Yew Hock retired from Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and moved to Malacca. In his later years, he embraced Islam and changed his name to Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock. Settling at Jeddah of Saudi Arabia, he became a special assistant to the president of the World Islamic Development Bank.

In 30th November 1984, Lim Yew Hock died in his home at age 70, bringing to the end of an eventful, controversial and, in some way, mysterious life. He was buried in Mecca.

Published: 13 November 2012

Posted in Historic | Tagged Chief Minister of Singapore, Chinese Middle School Riots, Christmas Island, David Marshall, Labour Party, Lee Kuan Yew, Lim Chin Siong, Lim Yew Hock, Minister For Labour And Welfare, People's Action Party, Progressive Party, Singapore 1950s, Singapore People's Alliance | 5 Comments

Those Years When We Waited For Our Buses Together

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Remember Singapore

The bus interchange, as well as the bus terminal, is a busy transiting point for many of us to make our way to work, schools or home everyday.

Those were the days when many waited anxiously for their buses that did not come on time. Some ran after the departing buses. The rest were walking briskly as though time was never enough. Students lined up at the ticket offices to buy bus stamps for their concession passes.

And sometimes, one or two would board the wrong bus and end up at some ulu terminals.

The Bus Companies

Early Bus Services

Hundreds of individual bus operators used to ply their trades in Singapore before the Second World War. When they failed to form the Singapore Omnibus Services (SOS) to operate in the city, they moved their operations in small groups to the rural parts of the country. As many as 10 small Chinese companies provided bus services in places such as Punggol, Changi and Paya Lebar.

During the Japanese Occupation, all buses were seized resulting in almost a halt in bus services. After the war, the Chinese companies regained their possessions and continued operating in their respective districts. In 1951, two of the companies Soon Lee Bus Company and Ngo Hock Bus Company joined to form the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company Ltd (See Hock Lee Bus Strike of 1955). The fifties, however, were plagued by numerous strikes due to the poor wages and long working hours of bus drivers.

Another major player was the Singapore Traction Company (STC), which had a long history going back to the 1920s as the Singapore Electric Tramways Limited, which operated the electric trams. By the sixties, it was the biggest and oldest bus company in Singapore with a fleet of more than 400 buses that monopolised the routes in the city.

In April 1971, in order to standardise the bus fares, rationalise the routes and minimise the overlapping of operations, the 10 Chinese private bus companies were combined to form three large public bus companies, namely Amalgamated Bus Company (ABC) Ltd, Associated Bus Services Pte (ABS) Ltd and United Bus Company (UBC) Ltd. The three companies were identified by the colours of blue, red and yellow respectively for their fleets of buses, while STC buses were painted green. In operation wise, ABC ran in the western parts of Singapore, while ABS took charge of the east. UBC was given the northern routes whereas STC continued their operations in southern Singapore.

The Debate

In the late sixties, there were suggestions to construct a rail system in Singapore as the main transport system. Former Minister of Finance Dr Goh Keng Swee was concerned with the cost, estimated to be around $5 billion, an astronomical amount especially for a newly independent nation. He proposed an all-bus system instead, and even invited two professors from Harvard to conduct research.

It was not until May 1982, after more than a decade of extensive studies, that the decision of building a rail-based MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) system was approved.

The Big Merger

By late 1971, STC could not continue their operations due to massive losses, and had its business taken over by the other three bus companies. Hundreds of buses owned by STC were parked at the National Stadium waiting for collection by ABC, ABS and UBC. The three companies themselves, however, were pushed by the Singapore government for an eventual merger in November 1973 to form the Singapore Bus Services (SBS), which became the dominant bus operator in Singapore. SBS was renamed as SBS Transit in 2001 as it became a bi-modal bus and rail operator, responsible for the Punggol and Sengkang LRT (Light Rail System), the North East Line (NEL) and the upcoming Downtown Line.

Other Bus Services

In a bid to reduce traffic congestion in the city, the Singapore Shuttle Bus (SSB) Pte Ltd, which operated the City Shuttle Bus (CSS), was introduced in a “Park and Ride” scheme by the government in 1975.

The “Park and Ride” scheme of ferrying the commuters from the fringe carparks to the CBD (Central Business District) area, however, was not well received. A year later, CSS was extended to the housing estates, picking up the commuters from Bedok, St. Michael, Queenstown, Bukit Merah and Sin Ming. The service finally stopped in April 2007 due to low ridership.

To provide competition to the local public transport, the Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS), well-remembered for their yellow-and-orange buses, was introduced in 1982 and given the exclusive right to operate in Yishun, Woodlands and Sembawang (and later extended to Bukit Panjang, Jalan Kayu and Punggol). TIBS acquired the SSB in 1987, but they themselves became a subsidiary of SMRT Corporation in 2001. Three years later, TIBS officially walked into history after a rebranding exercise to SMRT Buses.

Other minor players in the public transport in the seventies and eighties included the Air-Conditioned Coach Service (ACCS), CBD Bus Service, Mini Air-Conditioned Service and Supplementary Public Transport Service. Most of these bus services, like the CSS, were launched to ease the traffic conditions in the city.

Started in June 1975, the Air-Conditioned Coach Service ran on every morning and evening to pick up commuters, at a dollar each, from large private estates to the CBD. The CBD Bus Service, on the other hand, was introduced in 1978. It charged a flat rate of 50c to ferry commuters from Orchard’s Tomlinson Road to the World Trade Centre. Since 1984, the Mini Air-Conditioned Service operated 26 buses in six bus routes travelling from the private and public housing estates to the CBD during peak hours. The cost per passenger varied between $1.20 and $2.00.

The Bus Terminals

Early Terminals and Depots

The early private bus companies used to have their own bus terminals and depots. Hoi How Road (now defunct) near Beach Road was the bus depot for the red and black buses of Tay Koh Yat Bus Company, while Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company used the South Canal Road Bus Terminal to park its fleet.

The Seventies

Smaller-scaled bus terminals were used as the final stop for buses before the building of bus interchanges. They were mostly built and managed by the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in the early seventies. The private bus companies would then rent these terminals for thousands of dollars per month.

The early bus terminals were bothered by many issues, such as illegal street hawkers plying their trades at the terminals, poor maintenance of buses that dirtied the roads and inefficiency of the bus operators. Also, due to space constraints, many bus terminals functioned without busparks or boarding/alighting bays. The buses had to park along the roads, resulting in traffic congestion on the busier roads. Most of these roadside terminals were later abolished, replaced by the larger regional bus interchanges.

Operation Facelift

By the late seventies, SBS operated almost 200 services with 2,300 buses everyday, at 60 bus terminals, depots and interchanges all over the country. In 1979, SBS kicked off a $2.5 million upgrading program to improve the facilities of the bus terminals that were likely to be used for long term due their strategic locations. Timekeeping offices, canteens, resting areas and toilets were built at these terminals.

The Bus Interchanges

As the new towns were developed in the seventies, the idea of regional bus interchanges taking over the roles of the bus terminals were mulled over in order to improve efficiency and reduce overlapping of bus services.

In 1978, the Jurong Bus Interchange became Singapore’s first bus interchange. The early bus interchanges were mainly shared by the SBS, TIBS, SSB and Scheme B bus operators. Until the completion of the Woodlands Bus Interchange in 1996 by the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC), all the early bus interchanges were designed and built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which was also the main architect of bus stops and other facilities for the public transport.

The Future

In the next 10 years, the LTA (Land Transport Authority) will be building integrated interchanges at Choa Chu Kang, Jurong East, Bedok, Joo Koon and Marina South. As of 2012, Ang Mo Kio, Boon Lay, Sengkang, Serangoon, Toa Payoh and Clementi have their Integrated PT (Public Transport) Hubs officially opened.

The List

The old and former bus interchanges and terminals are listed in an alphabetically order below. New bus interchanges such as the Sembawang Bus Interchange (opened in 2005) and Integrated PT Hubs are not included.

Admiralty Road West Bus Terminal (1980s-2005)

The Admiralty Road West Bus Terminal located at the junction of Admiralty Road West and Canberra Road, catering mainly for the workers at Sembawang Shipyard. It was shut down in 2005, with its bus services were relocated to the new Sembawang Bus Interchange.

Alexandra Bus Terminal (1970s-1980s)

The Alexandra Bus Terminal was formerly a roadside bus terminal that stood in front of the Alexandra Hospital.

Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange (Old) (1980-2002)

The old Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, located at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Avenue 8, was familiar to a generation of Singaporeans living in one of the country’s largest new towns during the eighties and nineties.

The building of the Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange was initially criticised by the Ang Mo Kio residents, as the limited-sized interchange could not keep up with the growing population of the new town and had to install a string of bus stops along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. The overnight parking of buses was also a concern to the nearby flats as a high volume of noise was generated when the bus drivers warmed up their engines in the early mornings.

Considering all factors, the Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange was given an expansion in 1982, just two years after its completion. An approval by HDB to make use of the extra land beside Block 710 saw its bus bays increased from 35 to 63, while 13 more trunk, feeder and ring services were added. Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot was built at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9 to cater for the overnight parking of buses. Years later, an underground passenger link was constructed to link the upcoming Ang Mo Kio MRT Station (opened in 1987) to the bus interchange.

The new interchange reopened in 1983, and continued for almost 20 years before it was shifted to a temporary location near the Ang Mo Kio Library in 2002. The former interchange used to have a fleet of feeder services (Service 26x) that went around the new town. Some services had been terminated, with only four remaining today.

The new Ang Mo Kio Interchange, the third air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore, is part of Ang Mo Kio Hub that is integrated with the MRT station. Standing at the original site of the old interchange, it currently has a total of 36 bus parking lots and nine berths for boarding and alighting.

Ang Mo Kio Bus Terminal (1970s-1980)

In early 1980, six trunk and feeder services such as 133, 136, 162, 260, 261 and 262 ceased their operations at the Ang Mo Kio Terminal, located along Avenue 6, and were all relocated to the new Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange.

The same name was used when another bus terminal opened beside Yio Chu Kang MRT Station in the late eighties, before it was changed to be known as Yio Chu Kang Bus Terminal by the early 2000s.

Bedok Bus Interchange (Old) (1979-2011)

Like other old towns such as Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Merah and Clementi, Bedok had its original bus interchange built as part of its town centre, along with other facilities such as hawker centres, libraries and town councils.

Just two years after it was opened in February 1979, the Bedok Bus Interchange was partially demolished to make way for a larger interchange to cope with the increased traffic. At a cost of $2.5 million, the expansion allowed the provided bus services to rise from 15 to 26. An extra 17 bus bays and a 180m-long passenger concourse were built in the additional 0.4 hectares of land given by HDB.

In 1989, the Bedok MRT Station was completed near the bus interchange, providing other alternatives for long-distance travelling commuters. The interchange remained a focal point of more than 30 trunk and feeder services.

In the mid-eighties, Bedok Bus Interchange was bothered by the issue of illegal fruit hawkers. The hawkers would set up makeshift stalls during peak hours, causing an obstruction of traffic. Some commuters also complained after being short-changed by the hawkers. HDB officers had to be deployed daily to curb the problem.

The old Bedok Bus Interchange, having served the residents of Bedok for some 32 years, had its operations finally ceased in November 2011. It is now replaced by a temporary facility. The new air-conditional bus interchange, scheduled to be completed in 2015, will be integrated with Bedok Residences and Bedok Mall. It will also be directly connected to Bedok MRT Station.

Bishan Bus Terminal (1985-1989) & Bus Interchange (1989-Present)

As early as 1983, SBS had planned bus routes to Bishan New Town, which was still in its early development stage. At the beginning, there was only one bus, Service 56, that travelled along Bishan Street 11 and 13 from Toa Payoh Bus Interchange before stopping at Bishan Bus Terminal, a temporary terminal set up since December 1985 at a location where Block 510 is standing today.

At the end of April 1989, Bishan Bus Interchange was finally completed. It was linked to the Bishan MRT Station which was opened two years earlier. Four trunk services were added to the modern bus interchange designed with sheltered passenger concourse, coin-changing machines, information boards and a canteen. With the Junction 8 opened in 1994, Bishan became of the most highly sought after new towns in Singapore.

Boon Lay Bus Interchange (Old) (1990-2006)

Incorporating some of the bus services from Jurong Bus Interchange, the original Boon Lay Bus Interchange was established in 1990 to cater for the rising industrial sectors at Tuas and Pioneer Road. It was also frequently used by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students.

The bus interchange was moved to a temporary site between 2006 and 2009 during the construction of the Jurong Point extension, after which a new air-conditioned interchange was opened as part of the Boon Lay Integrated Public Transport Hub.

Boon Lay Bus Terminal (1980s)

Located at the junction of Boon Lay Place and Boon Lay Drive, the former terminal used to provide bus services to the developing industrial estate of Pioneer in the eighties. Single-direction services such as 247A, 249A, 250A and 251A were routed to Jurong Pier Road, Lokyang Industrial Park and Refinery Road each morning and evening, for six days per week, excluding Sundays.

In the early eighties, the workers paid a flat rate of 40c to take the buses to their respective factories. Today, with the bus terminal no longer functioning, its premises have been converted into a large carpark.

Bukit Batok Bus Interchange (1988-Present)

In the mid-eighties, the bus interchange was moved to a temporary site but it received backlash from the public for being over-congested and having slow and irregular bus services.

Bukit Merah Bus Interchange (1981-Present)

The Bukit Merah Bus Interchange is one of the few bus interchanges in Singapore without a direct link to a MRT Station. It is located beside the Bukit Merah Swimming Complex and provides as many as 15 SBS and SMRT trunk and feeder services.

The bus interchange was officially opened on 14th February 1981 by then-Minister Without Portfolio Lim Chee Onn.

Bukit Panjang Bus Terminal (late 1980s-1999) & Bus Interchange (Old) (1999-2012)

The old Bukit Panjang Terminal was formerly located at the Bukit Panjang Circus, before the circus was replaced by a cross junction in 1982.

The “new” Bukit Panjang Terminal was later established in front of Block 118 along Petir Road in the late eighties. It was a common sight to see buses lined up on both sides of Petir Road every day. In December 1999, the Bukit Panjang residents received a seasonal present when the Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange was opened, replacing the bus terminal and solving the constant traffic jams at Petir Road with its large parking space for buses.

In December 2012, the 13-year-old Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange was shut down to be redeveloped into a fully air-conditioned bus interchange. The new facility is expected to be ready three years later.

Buona Vista Bus Terminal (late 1970s-Present)

It was an interesting scenario at the busy junction of the Commonwealth Avenue and North Buona Vista Road in the late eighties. Three bus terminals co-existed within a distance of 500m from each other, namely the Buona Vista Terminal, Commonwealth Avenue Terminal and Ghim Moh Terminal.

The Commonwealth Avenue Bus Terminal was abolished in the late eighties, while the Buona Vista and Ghim Moh bus terminals operate till today.

Chai Chee Bus Terminal (1975-1985)

The Chai Chee Bus Terminal, located at New Upper Changi Road, was a short term measure provided by the HDB for the residents of Bedok before the completion of the Bedok Bus Interchange in 1979.

There were requests by the Chai Chee residents to retain the bus terminal but it was denied due to Chai Chee Estate being a constituent part of Bedok New Town. Five of its bus services, 13, 20, 40, 158 and 401, were incorporated into Bedok Bus Interchange after its closure in September 1985. The remaining four, one trunk and three feeders, were withdrawn.

Changi Village Bus Terminal (1983-Present)

After the mid-seventies, the lands around Changi Village were cleared and redeveloped in phases due to the construction of the Changi Airport. The residents, shops and workshop operators were relocated to other estates.

The HDB started building low-rise flats at Changi Village after the land clearance, and Changi Village Bus Terminal was added in 1983. The terminal was constructed at the former site of the Changi Cinema.

Today, four bus services (2, 29, 59, 109) ply the routes to Changi Village Bus Terminal.

Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange (1989-Present)

The Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange, located at Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, has little upgrading since its opening in 1989. It is likely to be replaced by an Integrated PT Hub in near future.

Clementi Bus Interchange (Old) (1980-2006)

The Clementi Bus Interchange was officially opened on 16th November 1980 by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Environment) Chor Yeok Eng. The first bus service to leave the new interchange was Queenstown-bound Service 78.

At the start, the bus interchange was the subject of criticism as it was small, inefficient and often flooded during rainy days. It was also the interchange that served the upcoming Jurong East New Town in the early eighties, before the completion of the Jurong East Bus Interchange in 1985. One such bus service was 76, which could not meet the demands of the increasing population at Jurong East.

Things would slowly improve at the Clementi Bus Interchange, as more services, such as the introduction of feeder service 287 in 1982 to serve Clementi West, were added and more buses to meet the peak hour demand. Additional trunk services were also increased, adding to an initial seven that mainly linked to Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Merah, Shenton Way, Chinatown and Orchard Road.

In October 2006, the Clementi Bus Interchange was officially shut down, with its operations shifted to a temporary site at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Avenue 3. It took another five years of development before the new Integrated PT Hub of Clementi finally opened in 2011.

Commonwealth Avenue Bus Terminal (early 1970s-1982)

The Commonwealth Avenue Bus Terminal used to be located at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue and North Buona Vista Road.

In 1974, a canteen to serve the bus employees was set up at Commonwealth Avenue Bus Terminal. Run by the Singapore Industrial Labour Organisation, the bus terminal canteen, only the second in Singapore after the one at Toa Payoh Central Bus Terminal, offered soft drinks and light meals at affordable prices. The Singapore Industrial Labour Organisation was the union that represented the bus drivers in the seventies.

In 1976, a major project was launched to extend Commonwealth Avenue. The new road, later known as Commonwealth Avenue West, was catered for the increased traffic due to the rapid development of Clementi New Town, Singapore Polytechnic new campus, Ghim Moh Estate and Ayer Rajah district.

By the late eighties, the Commonwealth Avenue Bus Terminal was abolished and converted into an open carpark.

Crawford Street Bus Terminal (early 1970s-1998)

Crawford Street Bus Terminal used to stand along Crawford Street near the junction to North Bridge Road. When it was shut down at the end of 1998, its bus services were relocated to Geylang Lorong 1 Bus Terminal.

Delta (Circus) Bus Terminal (1979-early 1990s)

A large carpark now known as Delta Circus Fringe Car Park, the former Delta Bus Terminal (or Delta Circus Bus Terminal) was established in 1979 at the junction of Lower Delta Road and Alexandra Road to smoothen the traffic congestion caused by the unsuitable location of the nearby Havelock Road Bus Terminal. Delta Circus Fringe Car Park used to be occupied by the Singapore Steam Laundry in the early seventies.

The bus terminal and fringe carpark were named after Delta Circus, which existed before it was converted into a major cross junction to Alexandra Road, Ganges Avenue, Lower Delta Road, River Valley Road and Havelock Road.

The single-lane Havelock Road, near Beo Crescent, had a fleet of stationary buses parked there every morning since 1971, causing a bottleneck to the traffic. Both SBS and CSS bus services were affected by the shifting of the bus terminal, including Service 1, 5, 32, 51, 139, 192, 193 and 198.

Eunos Bus Terminal (1980s) & Bus Interchange (1989-Present)

Eunos Bus Terminal, along Sim Avenue, was upgraded to a bus interchange in 1989 to link up with the newly opened Eunos MRT Station.

Designed with traditional Malay flavours, the Eunos Bus Interchange provides seven bus services that reach Bedok, Boon Lay and Bukit Batok.

Geylang Lorong 1 Bus Terminal (1975-Present)

The fringe carpark sandwiched between Geylang Road and Kallang Road was orginally planned as a “Park and Ride” bus terminal in 1975, allowing the City Shuttle Service (CSS) buses to pick up motorists who parked their cars at the terminal. Providing regular peak hour services every day excluding Sundays at a rate of 50c, the CSS buses plied their routes to the city and downtown areas such as Shenton Way, Bras Basah Road and Orchard Road.

The timetables and schedules of the bus services were put up on the walls of the terminal offices for the commuters. However, like other CSS bus terminals with low ridership, the “Park and Ride” scheme did not really attract the commuters into participation at the Geylang Lorong 1 Bus Terminal.

In 1988, the bus terminal was handed over to SBS and TIBS.

Ghim Moh Bus Terminal (1970s-Present)

Built in the seventies, the Ghim Moh Bus Terminal is one of the remaining roadside bus terminals left in Singapore. By the early eighties, there were considerations by the SBS to phase out Ghim Moh Bus Terminal, due to the narrow roads and chaotic traffic. Providing dual bus services of 13 and 20, the bus bay in front of Block 9 was then chosen as a “temporary” terminal, which lasts till today, due to limited land space to build a permanent facility to serve the Ghim Moh residents.

In early 2012, six blocks of flats at Ghim Moh Estate were emptied due to the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). With the decrease in ridership, the operation of Ghim Moh Bus Terminal is likely to be ceased in near future, with the current bus services (92, 100, 111, 563) shifted to the nearby Buona Vista Bus Terminal.

Havelock Road Bus Terminal (1970s)

See Delta (Circus) Bus Terminal.

Hougang South Bus Interchange (1981-2004) & Hougang Central Bus Interchange (1994-Present)

Located at Hougang Street 21, the bus interchange was originally known as Hougang Bus Interchange. After losing its status as the main bus interchange in Hougang, it was renamed as Hougang South Bus Interchange.

The new Hougang Central Bus Interchange was opened in 1994, as the expansion of the new town caused the town centre to be relocated to a location further north along the Upper Serangoon Road. The bus services at the Hougang South Bus Interchange were gradually switched to other interchanges. By 2004, its operation was finally ceased, although it still continued to serve as a boarding and alighting point.

The Hougang South Bus Interchange was renamed again as Kovan Express Bus Terminal in recent years for Malaysian coaches travelling to and fro Genting and Kuala Lumpur.

The Hougang Central Bus Interchange was closed for a period of time in 1999 due to the construction of NEL (North-East Line), and some of its bus services were rerouted to a temporary Hougang Central Bus Terminal nearby.

Jalan Eunos Bus Terminal (1980s)

The Jalan Eunos Bus Terminal was located at the junction of Airport Road and Old Jalan Eunos in the eighties. Old Jalan Eunos was closed and demolished due to urban redevelopment of the area in 1987, leading to the abolition of the bus terminal by the end of the eighties.

The SBS bus services 50 and 51 that previously terminated at Jalan Eunos Bus Terminal were relocated to Eunos Bus Terminal and withdrawn respectively. Service 51 was later reinstated, running between Hougang and Jurong East.

A feeder bus service, 385, was added to cater for the workers at Kaki Bukit.

Jalan Kayu Bus Terminal (early 1980s-2004)

Situated at a convenient location surrounded by the Piccadilly Circus, the Seletar Camp gates, Jalan Kayu village and the Seletar West Farmways, the Jalan Kayu Bus Terminal was able to serve the residents as well as the army personnel.

The bus terminal continued to operate after TPE (Tampines Expressway) was constructed to cut across the roads in 1996. By 2004, with the gates of the Seletar Camp were opened to public access, the bus terminal was abolished and the site converted into a carpark.

The carpark itself was demolished in the late 2000s as the roads were realigned due to the development of the Seletar Aerospace Park.

Jurong Bus Interchange (1978-1990)

Located at the junction of Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim and Jurong Port Rd, the former Jurong Bus Interchange was officially opened in mid-1978 at a construction cost of $1.2 million. The new interchange catered for the residents of Jurong initially received criticism due to its slow feeder services, which took around an hour in their interval timings.

On 1st July 1990, the Jurong Bus Interchange ended its operation and was relocated to Boon Lay Bus Interchange. More than 20 of its trunk and feeder services, such as Service 10, 30, 184, 199, 852 and 951, were re-routed to other interchanges. A number of bus services (188, 206, 241, 450) had their operations ceased.

Before the mid-eighties, the Jurong Railway used to run at the back of the Jurong Bus Interchange.

Jurong East Bus Interchange (Old) (1985-2011)

When it was opened at the end of June 1985, the Jurong East Bus Interchange was the largest bus interchange in Singapore. An estimated 10,000 commuters, armed with information leaflets, used the airy and spacious interchange’s facilities on the day of its debut.

Catering mainly for the residents of the growing Jurong East New Town, workers, university students as well as the Malaysian travellers via Tuas checkpoint, the new bus interchange took over the bus services from Teban Gardens Bus Terminal and absorbed some from the old Jurong Bus Interchange at Jurong Port Road.

In 2011, the original Jurong East Bus Interchange ceased its operations, after it was planned to be converted into a new Integrated PT Hub cum shopping mall known as Westgate. A temporary bus interchange has since been set up beside the original site.

Kent Ridge Bus Terminal (1981-Present)

Kent Ridge Bus Terminal was built in 1981 to replace the former bus terminal at Pasir Panjang Road, which was located 200m away at the junction of Pasir Panjang Road and Clementi Road in the seventies.

Lim Chu Kang Road End Bus Terminal (1980s-2005)

Functioned like the Punggol End Bus Terminal (below), this roadside bus terminal was formerly situated at the end of the long Lim Chu Kang Road, just outside the Police Coast Guard Lim Chu Kang Base (previously known as Marine Police Boat Base) and a short distance away from the Lim Chu Kang Jetty.

After the terminal was abolished, the sole bus service, 975, now makes a loop service instead of stopping over.

Mandai Road Bus Terminal/Sembawang Road Bus Terminal (1970s-1980s)

The old Mandai Road Bus Terminal was previously located along the road in front of the Nee Soon Post Office. It was shifted to a location 200m away after Sembawang Road was widened and aligned.

Known as the Sembawang Road Bus Terminal, it was located near the mosque of Masjid Ahmad Ibrahim at the junction of Sembawang Road and Jalan Ulu Seletar and provided convenience to the residents of the nearby Nee Soon Village. It used to cater Service 171 to the Queen Street Bus Terminal.

Marine Parade Bus Terminal (1981-2003)

Built in 1981 to replace the roadside bus terminal at Marine Terrace, the Marine Parade Bus Terminal was located at the junction of Marine Parade Road and Siglap Road, providing bus services of 15, 16 and 211.

Marsiling Bus Terminal (1980s-1996)

In the early eighties, Marsiling was a small estate co-existed with the old Woodlands Town Centre near the Causeway. The development and expansion of Woodlands New Town saw the rising need to build a regional bus interchange in this northern part of Singapore to replace the bus terminals at the old Woodlands Town Centre as well as Marsiling, which by then became an integrated part of Woodlands.

All trunk and feeder services from the Marsiling Bus Terminal, located beside Block 201 along Admiralty Road, were shifted to the new $34-million Woodlands Bus Interchange after its completion in 1996.

New Bridge Road Bus Terminal (1970s-Present)

The New Bridge Road Bus Terminal was started in the seventies in front of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) along Eu Tong Sen Street. Trunk bus service of 166 used to depart from the bus terminal, with its last bus leaving at 11:35pm, ferrying the night shift hospital workers home to Ang Mo Kio New Town.

In 1987, ten bus services (11, 28, 81, 83, 101, 134, 173, 174, 179 and 183) were added to the boarding point of bus terminal. The boarding facilities, however, are absent today. The commuters can only alight at the New Bridge Road Bus Terminal, and board the bus at the bus stop outside the terminal.

Old Upper Thomson Bus Terminal (1979-1980s)

The SBS terminal at Yio Chu Kang Road was shifted to the junction of Nemesu Avenue and Old Upper Thomson Road in 1979 to cater for the residents of the Thomson Hills Estate and Sembawang Hills Estate. SBS Blue Arrow Bus Service 305 was amended so that it would travel from Mayflower Gardens to Shenton Way in the morning, and then returned from the CBD in its evening route.

The former roadside terminal is a carpark today.

Pasir Ris Bus Interchange (1989-Present)

The Pasir Ris Bus Interchange was opened in 1989 to provide bus services within Pasir Ris New Town as well as the Loyang Industrial Estate. The operations were later extended to Tampines and other new towns. It also serves as the boarding and alighting points for the NS personnel’s trip to Pulau Tekong via the SAF Ferry Terminal.

In the early nineties, special shuttle bus services such as AA92 and AA94 were added to the Pasir Ris Bus Interchange to take the ticket-holders to the Asian Aerospace at the Changi International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Prince Edward Bus Terminal (1971-mid 2000s)/Shenton Way Bus Terminal (mid 2000s-Present)

Prince Edward Bus Terminal began as early as 1971 with at least 30 bus services calling at the terminal. In the early days, it once received complaints about its poor lighting conditions and safety. It was first located along Shenton Way before shifting to a location beside the former Singapore Polytechnic campus (now Bestway Building) at the end of Palmer Road.

The terminal was renamed as Shenton Way Bus Terminal in the nineties, which was later relocated again to a nearby site at the junction of Shenton Way and Keppel Road in the mid-2000s.

Princess Elizabeth Bus Terminal (1953-1990)

The Princess Elizabeth Bus Terminal was located at the junction of Elizabeth Drive, Lorong Kemunchup (now Jalan Kemunchup) and Jalan Zamrud. The roads are still around today, but the Princess Elizabeth Park Estate, including the bus terminal, was demolished in the nineties.

The bus terminal was first used by the UBC buses, before taken over by SBS. Service 173 used to call at the Princess Elizabeth Bus Terminal. It still plies its route around the vanished estate today.

Punggol End Bus Terminal (1980s-2003)

With several popular landmarks such as the Punggol Jetty, Punggol Village, seafood restaurants and boatels, the Punggol End was a bustling place in the eighties and the nineties. A bus terminal also existed between Track 24 and Track 26 (now defunct).

During the weekends, it was common to see dozens of cars jamming up the place with the buses lining up along the road. After the abolition of the bus terminal in 2003, the buses that plied this route made loop services instead of stopping. Today, only one bus service, 84, operates to Punggol Road End.

Queen Street Bus Terminal (1980s-Present)

Standing beside The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes at the junction of Rochor Canal Road and Ban San Street is an old bus terminal that provides the former sole public bus service (170) to Johor Bahru’s Larkin Bus Terminal.

The Queen Street Bus Terminal, also known as Ban San Bus Terminal, has been in existence before the Rochor flats were painted into bright colours of green, blue, red and yellow. The bus terminal also possesses one of the longest bus stops in Singapore.

Rumah Tinggi Bus Terminal (1980s-early 2000s)

Situated in front of Block 37 of Jalan Rumah Tinggi, the bus terminal was abolished in the early 2000s after the bus route of Service 63 was combined with Service 382 to make a looping point at Jalan Rumah Tinggi.

The premises have since been converted into an open carpark, although the location still retains its former name as Rumah Tinggi Terminal.

Sembawang Road End Bus Terminal (1980s-2005)

The Sembawang Road End Bus Terminal, like the ones at the end of Lim Chu Kang Road and Punggol Road, brought bus services to a stop at the northern end of the long Sembawang Road.

It was situated at where Sembawang Park is today.

Serangoon Bus Interchange (Old) (1988-2011)

By the mid-eighties, the need of a bus interchange was imminent at the relatively new Serangoon New Town, which had another 17,000 units of HDB flats built. In early March 1988, the Serangoon Bus Interchange finally opened at the Serangoon Central, taking over the services at the congested Serangoon Garden Bus Terminal and the temporary terminal at Serangoon Avenue 3.

A network of bus services, including 72, 100, 101, 104, 106 and 107, was relocated to the new bus interchange, which had a spacious compound of 22 bays and 26 berths. During its opening, a three-day exhibition was held for the Serangoon residents. Bus guides and operation schedules were given out to the benefits of some 80,000 HDB residents as well as other private estate residents at the Serangoon Gardens.

The Serangoon Bus Interchange provided trunk services to other housing estates such as Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Bishan, Clementi and Toa Payoh. It also provided feeder services to Serangoon Gardens, Lorong Chuan and Serangoon South.

There is a set of old traffic lights, the last functioning GEC traffic lights in Singapore, just outside the bus interchange.

Serangoon Garden Bus Terminal (1960-1988)

Serangoon Garden Bus Terminal was an early public transport project undertaken by the Singapore Rural Board. In 1960, the Board spent $25,000 to construct the facilities at the Serangoon Garden Estate, including a bus terminal with five bays, bus shelters and a taxi stand.

In 1985, the residents of the private estate, commonly known as ang sar lee, complained about the congestion of the bus terminal after the Ang Mo Kio residents crossed over to Serangoon Gardens to take buses.

The Serangoon Garden Bus Terminal was abolished after the completion of the Serangoon Bus Interchange in 1988. Only a bus stop was retained for the bus services of 73 and 136 then.

Sims Place Bus Terminal (early 1980s-Present)

Located near Sims Place near Aljunied Road, the Sims Place Bus Terminal has been in existence for more than 30 years. Bus services of 94 and 198 used to call at this terminal, one of the few surviving roadside bus terminals in Singapore, but it is left with only Service 64 today.

Sin Ming Bus Terminal (1980s-2004)

Sin Ming Bus Terminal had provided convenience in the early eighties with its Service 353 to and fro Bishan Street 31, allowing the early Bishan residents to catch their trunk services to Ang Mo Kio, Thomson Road, Balestier Road, North Bridge Road and Shenton Way.

The bus terminal used to function in front of Block 22 of Sin Ming Road. After the terminal was abolished in the early nineties, a multi-storey carpark (Block 22A) was built in its place.

Somapah Bus Terminal & Bus Interchange (1981-1989)

Opened in 1981, Somapah Bus Interchange was used to provide bus services at the east side of Singapore. It was located near the junction of Upper Changi Road and Upper Changi Road East, which is the present-day carpark of Singapore Expo. A number of services, such as 10, 11, 12, 14 and 155, used to stop at the interchange.

In 1981, the Singapore Shuttle Bus Company (SSB) submitted a proposal to the government to build a bus interchange near Changi Airport. But the plan was shelved as the main SBS fleets for the airport (Services 392 and 393) looped around the areas and utilised the Somapah and Bedok bus interchanges.

Somapah Bus Interchange was converted to Somapah Bus Terminal in 1983 after the airport services were withdrawn, replaced by the new SBS Changi Airport Bus Plan. Another trunk service 10 was terminated in 1986, leaving the bus terminal with only four services. By 1989, Somapah Bus Terminal was officially shut down. Service 11 was stopped while the remaining three bus services (12, 14, 155) were relocated to Pasir Ris, Changi Village and Marine Parade respectively.

South Canal Bus Terminal (1970s-early 1990s)

The South Canal Road Bus Terminal was once the stopover for the buses of Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company. Situated along the short South Canal Road in front of OCBC Centre, the bus terminal was abolished in the early nineties.

St. Michael’s Bus Terminal (1981-Present)

St. Michael’s Bus Terminal is actually located along Whampoa Road instead of St. Michael’s Road, which is about 1km away. The small bus terminal used to have two City Shuttle Services (CSS) until 2003, after which it was taken over by SBS Transit.

The fleet of bus services of 12x (120, 122-126) used to call at St. Michael’s Bus Terminal in the eighties, but only Services 124 and 125 remains today.

Tampines Bus Terminal (1983-1987) & Bus Interchange (1987-Present)

Built at a cost of $5 million and officially opened on 29th November 1987, the Tampines Bus Interchange kicked off in two phases, separated by a six-month period. Catering for the residents of a upcoming Tampines New Town, the interchange occupied a landsize of three football fields with 85 bus bays.

An initial seven trunk and five feeder services were provided by the bus interchange when it was first opened. It also took over the bus services of Tampines Bus Terminal that was formerly operating along Tampines Avenue 5, in front of present-day Block 938.

Tampines Road Bus Terminal (1970s-1980s)

Located at the junction of Upper Changi Rd North and Old Tampines Rd (known as Tampines Road until the late eighties), this bus terminal was used by the Associated Bus Service (ABS) and later the SBS.

Tampines Way Bus Terminal (1970s-1980s)

The old Tampines Way was the particular stretch of present-day Hougang Avenue 3 between Upper Serangoon Road and Tampines Road.

In June 1977, Singapore’s first double-decker bus service, Service 86, was launched by then Senior Minister of State for Communications Ong Teng Cheong. The buses, initially rejected by the public for fear of toppling, ran from Tampines Way Terminal to Shenton Way.

Tanjong Pagar Bus Terminal (1971-1985)

The buses of ABS, UBC and STC used to call at the Tanjong Pagar Bus Terminal in the early seventies.

In 1985, due to the development of the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), eight SBS bus services that called at the bus terminal (130, 131, 186, 193 and Blue Arrow Services of 301, 303, 305, 306) were all rerouted to Prince Edward Bus Terminal.

Teban Gardens Bus Terminal (1981-2004)

Formerly known as the Penjuru (Jurong) Depot, the SBS facilites were later converted into a bus terminal called Teban Gardens Bus Terminal. It was located opposite Block 24 along Penjuru Road. In 1981, the route of Service 143 was amended to call at Teban Gardens Terminal instead of Jurong Road Terminal, so that the residents of Teban Gardens and Pandan Estate could have a direct bus to Chinatown and Orchard Road.

Toa Payoh Bus Interchange (Old) (1983-1999)

Officially opened on 26th December 1983, the old Toa Payoh Bus Interchange cost a total of $2.17 million in the construction and a further $250,000 in publicity. Around 100,000 residents living in Toa Payoh were given a special bus guide, which also touched on the interchange’s new facilities, such as the coin-changing machines and information counters.

Toa Payoh Bus Interchange was demolished in 1999 to make way for the HDB Hub. The operations were shifted to a temporary location opposite its original site for several years, before the new interchange was completed in 2002. Integrated with the HDB Hub, the new Toa Payoh Bus Interchange was the first fully air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore.

Toa Payoh Central Bus Terminal (1971-1980s)

Before the construction of Toa Payoh Central Bus Terminal, the buses would park at the temporary bus terminal along Toa Payoh Lorong 1. Sometimes, as many as 30 buses lined up the road, causing severe traffic jams. Some of the old buses also spilled excessive diesel onto the roads, which posed a danger to pedestrians and other vehicles.

In 1971, after much appeals, the HDB finally proceeded with the construction of a new bus terminal at a site bounded by Toa Payoh Lorong 2, Lorong 4, Lorong 6 and Toa Payoh Central. Opened in August 1971, the Toa Payoh Central Bus Terminal, otherwise also known as Toa Payoh Town Centre Bus Terminal, was able to accommodate 130 buses.

A Safety and Courtesy Campaign was launched for the bus workers to improve the bus services in 1972.

Tuas Bus Terminal (Old) (1970s-1980s)/Tuas Bus Terminal (New) (1998-Present)

There was an old bus terminal at the end of the Upper Jurong Road in the seventies, leading to the Tuas Fishing Village beside the sea. When the Tuas area was developed into an industrial estate in the early eighties, a long road called Pioneer Road was built across the region, and part of Upper Jurong Road became Tuas Road.

The buses at Tuas Terminal would pick up the residents of the village as well as the army personnel from the old SAFTI (Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute). Its operation was ceased when the old Boon Lay Bus Interchange opened in 1990. Tuas Fishing Village was also demolished after that, replaced by rows of industrial buildings.

In 1998, a bus terminal was opened at the junction of Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim and Tua West Drive. Also known as the Tuas Bus Terminal, it is the westernmost bus terminal in Singapore.

Ulu Pandan Bus Terminal (1971-1987)

Ulu Pandan Bus Terminal was located at the junction of Ulu Pandan Road and Clementi Road. It used to have a long bus bay which is still visible today. The terminal ceased its operation in the late eighties.

Upper Bukit Timah Bus Terminal (1980s-mid 1990s)

As it was located at the junction of Upper Bukit Timah Road and Chun Tin Road, the Upper Bukit Timah Bus Terminal was a convenient stop for commuters going to Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and Beauty World Plaza.

In 1989, a bus interchange was proposed to replace the Upper Bukit Timah Bus Terminal, so as to provide accessibility to the less populated and rural areas in the northern and western parts of Singapore.

However, the plans were scrapped after considerations that the residents were better served by bus interchanges in nearby new towns, such as Bukit Panjang, Jurong East, Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Batok, instead of a regional one.

Upper East Coast Bus Terminal (2002-Present)

The Upper East Coast Terminal is a relatively new bus terminal, situated beside Bedok Camp along Upper East Coast Road.

Upper Serangoon Bus Terminal (1980s-1994)

Also known as Kangkar Bus Terminal, the Upper Serangoon Bus Terminal was a bus terminal located between Lorong Loyak and Lorong Sepat (now defunct) at the northern end of Upper Serangoon Road, which was not yet connected to Sengkang New Town before the mid-nineties.

A number of bus services such as 74, 84, 136, 147 and 153 used to terminate at the Upper Serangoon Bus Terminal, before they were shifted to Hougang Central Bus Interchange in 1994.

Woodlands Bus Interchange (Old) (1970s-2004)

The old Woodlands Bus Interchange was located at the former town centre of Woodlands, just a short distance from the Causeway. In the late eighties, the aging bus interchange was criticised heavily by commuters for a series of problems, such as a leaking ceiling during rainy days, poor indication of departing buses, chaotic queues and lack of supervision by bus inspectors during peak hours.

Its operation was later shifted to the new $34-million Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange, which was the first bus interchange to be built by the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC). Underground and beneath the Woodlands MRT Station, the new interchange started its operations in early February 1996.

The site of the old Woodlands Bus Interchange is now a large carpark to provide a temporary stopover for buses and cars travelling between Singapore and Malaysia.

World Trade Centre Bus Terminal (1985-Present)

There were plans to build a bus terminal near World Trade Centre since 1979, but the feasible plan only kicked off in 1983.

In January 1985, the World Trade Centre Bus Terminal was finally opened at the junction of Telok Blangah Road and Seah Im Road. The operation started with five bus services, CBD 1, 84, 93, 100 and 163, to provide convenience for commuters with direct links from Upper Serangoon, Serangoon Gardens, Jalan Kayu, Yio Chu Kang, Paya Lebar, Aljunied, Farrer, Queensway and Orchard Road.

The former bus terminal is now known as HarbourFront Bus Interchange, which is linked to the HarbourFront MRT Station since 2003.

Yio Chu Kang Bus Terminal (1990s-Present)

See Ang Mo Kio Bus Terminal.

Yishun Bus Interchange (Old) (1987-2015)

Before the construction of the Yishun Bus Interchange, the residents were served by two bus terminals at Yishun; one at Yishun Avenue 5 and the other at Yishun Central. The former had bus services 800 and 801, while 850 and 851 called at the Yishun Central Terminal. Both bus terminals were abolished and replaced by the new bus interchange in 1987.

The Yishun Bus Interchange was the first bus interchange built by the HDB for the TIBS (Trans-Island Bus Service), although this was the second bus interchange under their management. Operating bus services mainly in the north such as Woodlands, Yishun and Sembawang, TIBS took over the Woodlands Bus Interchange from SBS in 1983. Since the early eighties, HDB had designed and built eight bus interchanges for the SBS.

Located along Yishun Avenue 2, the Yishun Bus Interchange was built at a cost of $2 million and was officially opened in late August 1987. At its start, a total of five trunk services and four feeder services were provided for the Yishun New Town residents, estimated to be around 176,000. It had 33 disembarking and boarding berths, and was painted purple to blend in with the shops and flats at Yishun town centre.

In March 2015, the old Yishun Bus Interchange was officially closed. It would be demolished and replaced by an air-conditioned Integrated Transport Hub that consists of private residences and shopping mall. The new Yishun transport hub is expected to be ready in 2019.

Others: Fringe Carparks as Bus Terminals

In the seventies, a total of 15 fringe carparks around Singapore, such as the one at the National Stadium, was used to function as bus terminals for the “Park and Ride” scheme in a bid to ease traffic congestion. The motorists could park their cars and take the CSS buses into the city. However, the scheme was not met with positive response from the motorists.

Other examples of fringe carparks that once functioned as bus terminals were the Holland Road Bus Terminal, Old Upper Thomson Bus Terminal, Delta Bus Terminal and the still-functioning Geylang Lorong 1 Bus Terminal.

There were another dozens of bus terminals scattered around Singapore that had been demolished and forgotten over time. These terminals include:

Anson Road Bus Terminal
Balestier Road Bus Terminal
Corporation Road Bus Terminal
Elias Road Bus Terminal
Holland Drive Bus Terminal
Holland Road Bus Terminal
International Road Bus Terminal
Jurong Road Bus Terminal
Labrador Bus Terminal
Lower Delta Road Bus Terminal
MacPherson Bus Terminal
Maxwell Road Bus Terminal
Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) Bus Terminal
Pasir Panjang Road Bus Terminal
Potong Pasir Bus Terminal
Redhill Close Bus Terminal
Shipyard Road Bus Terminal
Singapore Zoological Gardens Bus Terminal
Tanjong Berlayer Bus Terminal
Tanjong Rhu Bus Terminal
Teck Whye Bus Terminal

The Legend of a German Deity at Ubin

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Remember Singapore

There are as many as eleven shrines and nine temples on the island of Pulau Ubin, but none catches the imagination as much as the German Girl Shrine, which is located near Ketam Quarry at the western side of island.

The Mystery

How did the shrine come about? And how did a German girl become a deity on the island? The story began in the 1910s, just before the First World War (1914-1918) broke out.

There was a German family living on Pulau Ubin at the turn of the 20th century, owning a coffee plantation on the northeastern island of Singapore. According to research, the plot of land used to belong to two German families, Daniel Brandt and Hermann Muhlingan, but the identity of the German girl remains unknown.

On 4th August 1914, the United Kingdom declared war on the German Empire, and the colonial government in Singapore started seizing German ships, businesses and properties.

On Pulau Ubin, the British military rounded up the German plantation owner and his family. His frightened daughter, around 18 years of age (said to be born in 1896), escaped into the woods. The rest of her family was sent to a detention barrack on mainland Singapore.

A few days later, the girl’s body was found covered with ants by the Malay plantation workers. It was assumed she had lost her way and fell to her death from a cliff.

The Legend

After the war, the Germany family returned to Pulau Ubin, looking for the remains of their precious daughter, but could not locate her tombstone. Bitterly, they left Singapore and never returned. The exhumed remains of the dead German girl, however, were said to have kept in a Chinese Taoist temple on a hill together with an iron cross and some coins.

In 1974, a granite quarry company took over the hill for development. A new temple was erected to house the porcelain urn that contained the remains. Soon, the temple became popular with worshippers who prayed for good luck in gambling. The hardcore gamblers attributed their winning streaks to the spirit of the German girl, now regarded as a deity. Offerings of fruits, flowers, cosmetics and perfumes filled up the altar.

The Temple

The German deity was also known as Lady Datuk by the local Chinese. A few years back, a former Ubin resident who had migrated to Australia dreamed of the deity for three consecutive days. To pay his respect, he bought a Barbie doll and sent it to Pulau Ubin. The doll had since become the symbolic idol of the shrine.

There are rumours that the porcelain urn is now empty, and the remains of the German girl were lost decades ago. Her identity and family remain untraceable today. But on an optimistic point of view, it might be a blessing for the spirit of the German girl, who has become part of Pulau Ubin’s history and is still remembered by the islanders after almost a century.

Published: 13 October 2012

Posted in Exotic, Religious | Tagged Berlin Heiligtum, First World War, German Girl Shrine, Ketam Quarry, Lady Datuk, Pulau Ubin | 10 Comments

A Tale of Jetties and Piers

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Remember Singapore

As an island surrounded by waters, Singapore used to have numerous old jetties and piers located around it, which were once used for boat trips to Malaya or between the islands.

So what are the differences between a jetty, a pier, a quay and a wharf? According to Oxford dictionary, a jetty is defined as a landing stage at which boats can be docked, or a breakwater to protect or defend a harbour, coastline or riverbank. A pier is a larger version of a jetty.

Quays and wharves are platforms projecting into the water for loading and unloading ships. In Singapore, there are the Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Collyer Quay and Robertson Quay, while the harbours and dockyards at Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Panjang and Sembawang are named as wharves.

The Jetties

In the early 20th century, seaside houses and jetties were commonly found along the coastlines of Tanjong Katong. Built either for leisure or fishing purposes, many of these outhouses were destroyed during the Second World War, while the remaining ones had to make way for the land reclamation in the seventies.

Punggol Jetty (1930s-Present)

Punggol Jetty and Punggol Point were well-known in the eighties and nineties for their seafood restaurants which served delicious crabs, cooked in chilli or tung-hoon styles, and mee goreng. A walk along the coast or on the jetty after a sumptuous dinner was a treat for many. In the past, there were also boatels providing services and equipments for activities such as boating, water-skiing and diving.

The history of Punggol Jetty goes back to the 1930s, when it was built for the Malay fishermen, as well as the trading and wholesaling activities by the Chinese settlers. It might also be used for the loading and unloading of goods for the early Punggol Zoos. A bad memory of Punggol Point was the massacre of 400 Chinese civilians by the invading Japanese forces at the nearby beach in 1942.

In 2011, Punggol Point, along with the jetty, was developed as part of the Punggol Promenade project. The new Punggol Jetty Park, furbished with board walks and cycling tracks, serves as the gateway to the other parts of the waterfront.

Lim Chu Kang Jetty (undetermined-Present)

Popular among photography enthusiasts, Lim Chu Kang Jetty represents a rural and remote side of Singapore that has been largely undisturbed in the north-western part of the island. Located at the end of the long quiet Lim Chu Kang Road, the jetty is made up of wooden planks and pillars that stretched 100m into the waters.

On any clear sunny days, there are busy loading and unloading of fish and other seafood via this jetty, while the police coast guards stationed beside the jetty keep a close eye on any illegal immigrants or trespassers.

The whole stretch of coastline from Gelang Patah to Sri Gelam of Johor Bahru can be captured in a panoramic view, while one can also notice the dozens of kelongs that line up along Johor Straits. The Lim Chu Kang Pier-House (mentioned below) is also easily visible from the jetty.

Plastic containers, tied together in rows, are used to support its platform. On stormy days, the flimsy jetty tends to sway in the strong waves and winds.

Sembawang (or Mata) Jetty (1940s-Present)

The Sembawang Jetty began in the 1940s as a simple wooden jetty. It was probably first used by the British, who had their Commander-In-Chief of the China Station for Britain, Admiral Geoffrey Layton (1884-1964), staying at Beaulieu House. The grand seaside bungalow, built in 1910 by a plantation owner, stands on a slope overlooking the jetty.

The jetty was also known as Mata Jetty, named after the nearby Mata Road. Before the nineties, there was a network of roads, namely Mata Road, Beaulieu Road and Kelopak Road, that led to the jetty. They were later demolished to make way for the full development of Sembawang Park.

The stone walkway leading to the jetty was never completed by the British; its construction was disrupted by the Second World War. It was actually completed by the Japanese, who had captured and occupied the nearby Sembawang Naval Base. Another pier at Sembawang, named Seletar Pier, was heavily damaged during the Japanese invasion (mentioned below).

Located at the end of Sembawang Road, the isolated jetty was also formerly a venue for fishing and crabbing by the villagers from the now-defunct Kampong Wak Hassan. In 1975, Sembawang Jetty caught the attention of the media when a man named Lim Back Yong plunged his borrowed car off the jetty in an attempted suicide. His wife Neo Yoke Kua drowned, while Lim Back Yong escaped and survived the ordeal. He was later imprisoned for 10 years for culpable homicide.

The jetty is currently a popular spot for fishing enthusiasts.

Labrador Jetty (1962-2010)

For more than 30 years, between 1962 and 1997, the Labrador Jetty, or Labrador Park Jetty, was originally used to ship liquid petroleum to and fro an oil refinery at Tanjong Berlayer.

The 12-hectare and S$25-million petroleum refinery was first established and operated by Maruzen & Toyo Oil Refinery. It was officially opened by then-Minister for Finance, Goh Keng Swee on 21 March 1962. Two years later, its operations were taken over by the British Petroleum (BP) Refinery Singapore Private Limited, which distributed finished products to other Asian countries.

When the refinery ceased operation in 1997, the site and jetty were returned to the Singapore government. With public funds and some sponsorship from BP Amoco, the jetty was refurbished and opened to the public in 1999. Labrador Jetty became popular with fishing and photography enthusiasts.

The gate to the jetty was closed by the park ranger every night to discourage night fishing, but in 2010, the National Parks closed the entrance to the jetty and its rocky shore permanently, citing public safety.

Bedok Jetty (1966-Present)

Measured a total of 250m, Bedok Jetty was formerly Singapore’s longest public jetty before the opening of the new Woodlands Waterfront Jetty. Despite its name, it is located at the popular East Coast Park.

The jetty started in 1966 as a private jetty for local businessman Yap Swee Hong, who built it at a cost of S$1.5 million. The Vietnam War (1955-1975) had been ongoing for a decade, prompting Yap to invest in the lucrative business of importing scrap metal from the Americans.

Bedok Jetty was later taken over by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) as a military base for conducting regular military exercises as well as international humanitarian missions, including the Operation Thunderstorm of 1975.

The concrete jetty was later opened to the public, although it has maintained its status of a Mindef military base till today. Since then, it has been a popular venue for anglers, joggers, cyclists and couples taking strolls after a sumptuous dinner at the nearby East Coast Lagoon Food Village.

Former Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Jetty (1966-1981, 2010-Present)

In the guerrilla battle against the communists during the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), the Malayan Naval Force was reactivated by the British and based in Woodlands of Singapore. The navy was bestowed with the title of “Royal Malayan Navy” by Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Following Malaysia’s independence in 1958, the navy was transferred to the newly-formed Federation, and was renamed as Royal Malaysian Navy five years later.

Located within the restricted compounds of the former naval base, the RMN Jetty was opened in 1966. It was 400m long, including an outer arm of 735 feet (approximately 224m) in length. Also known as Malaysian Base Jetty, it was used regularly by the RMN, including events such as commissioning of new ships. Following the shifting of RMN to Johor in 1981, the naval base and its jetty was left vacated until 1997, when the Malaysian government agreed to transfer the properties to Singapore.

Since then, the site of the former naval base was redeveloped but the L-shaped jetty remained restricted and out of bound to the public. It was not until 2008 when the Urban Redevelopment of Singapore (URA) unveiled the proposal of the Woodlands Waterfront, a coastal promenade and park in the northern part of Singapore.

The jetty is refurbished with concrete pathway, replacing the old wooden planks, and has rows of new street lamps installed. A Halal seafood restaurant is also set up in the middle of the jetty.

Another restricted jetty, the Shell-owned T-shaped 175m-long Woodlands Jetty, is located about 250m beside the former RMN Jetty.

The longest restricted jetty, at more than 1km long, is located in the Changi Naval Base, where it stretches into the southeastern part of Singapore.

Commando Jetty and Others

Many male Singaporeans would not be unfamiliar with the Commando Jetty located at one end of Hendon Camp. That was formerly the venue where countless of recruits boarded the RPL (ramp-powered lighter) on their trips to Pulau Tekong, which marked the start of a strenuous eight-week BMT (Basic Military Training).

That dreaded feelings of having to book-in on Sunday evenings were demonstrated on almost every NS personnel’s face, as they waited patiently at Commando Jetty. The slow RPL seemed to take forever to reach the Ladang Jetty of Pulau Tekong. The reversal occurred on Friday evenings, when the NS personnel made their trips back to the main island of Singapore in high morale.

Most of the outlying islands of Singapore have jetties of their own. Before the eighties, kampongs had largely existed on these islands, and the main transport for the villagers between the Singapore mainland and the islands was by boats.

The Pulau Ubin Jetty had a grand opening in 1965, a couple of months after Singapore achieved independence. Built for the convenience to the islanders, the wooden jetty was later replaced by a concrete version.

Before the pedestrian bridge and the vehicular causeway to Sentosa were built in 1978 and 1992 respectively, the trips to the island, known as Pulau Blakang Mati before 1972, were by boats via a wooden jetty.

The Piers

Dalhousie Pier (1850-1900s)

Dalhousie Pier was named after the visit of Singapore by the Marquis of Dalhousie, Lord James Andrew, in 1850. The Marquis, who was also the Governor-General of India between 1848 and 1856, was welcomed by the locals who anticipated an improvement in the government’s administration of the colony.

Located near the mouth of the Singapore River, the area around Dalhousie Pier was also named as Dalhousie Ghaut. The Dalhousie Obelisk, donated by the prosperous merchant community, was also erected in the honour of the Marquis. However, their hopes of improved public works, amenities and the settlement’s administration did not materialise in the end.

Johnston’s Pier (1856-1933)

One of the earliest piers in Singapore, Johnston’s Pier was built by the Municipal Commissioners in 1856 to assist in the shipping development along the shoreline at the southern part of the Singapore River.

Upon completion, the pier was named Johnston’s after Alexander Laurie Johnston (undetermined-1850), a Scottish merchant and shipowner who arrived at Singapore in 1820. During his 22-year stay in Singapore, Johnston was appointed as Singapore’s first Magistrate and Justice of Peace, and helped extensively in establishing the Singapore Chamber of Commerce. Before he left Singapore in 1841, the well-respected Johnston was honoured in his farewell gatherings by the Chinese and Arab merchants.

The pier, constructed with iron and wood, had welcomed countless of important guests and delegates who landed at Collyer Quay, including Prince Alfred Ernest Albert (the Duke of Edinburgh), King Chulalongkorn of Siam, Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales, King David Kelakaua of Hawaiian Islands and Prince Henry of Prussia.

Johnston’s Pier was torn down in the early 1930s, with its role replaced by the newly-constructed Clifford Pier.

Clifford Pier (1933-2006)

Perhaps better known by its localised name Red Lamp Pier 红灯码头 or lampu merah (A red oil lamp was used to guide the ships that entered the harbour. Johnston’s Pier was also formerly known as Red Lamp Pier), Clifford Pier was constructed in 1933 to take over the role of Johnston’s Pier. Designed by the Public Works Department (PWD), it was named after Sir Hugh Charles Clifford (1866-1941), the Governor of the Straits Settlements between 1927 and 1929.

A little trivia about Clifford Pier happened on its opening day in June 1933, when the event was boycotted by the merchants who wanted the new pier to be named after Alexander Laurie Johnston too.

In its 70-plus years of operation, Clifford Pier had witnessed tremendous changes of the busy Collyer Quay. It continued to be one of the landing points for oversea guests and delegates, as well as foreign immigrants and workers. In 1942, Japanese warships waited in the open seas to sink the ships that left Clifford Pier carrying the refugees.

In the sixties, the pier’s carpark spiced up the night life of downtown Singapore as it was converted into a popular makan place, served by the street hawkers when night fell, similar to that of the famous Orchard Road Carpark Hawker Centre. Things would change in the seventies, as the Red Lamp Pier gradually became a red-light district roamed by prostitutes.

In 2006, Clifford Pier ceased its operations and replaced by the new double-storey Marina South Pier. The pier, along with the former Customs Harbour Branch building (built in late 1960s) and Change Alley Aerial Plaza (built in 1971), was conserved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2007.

Lim Chu Kang Pier-House (1930s-Present)

The Lim Chu Kang Pier-House, or simply “The Pier”, was formerly a splendid weekend chalet owned by the famous Irish Cashin family, who also possessed other properties in Singapore such as the Matilda House (Punggol) and the “Butterfly House” (Amber Road).

It was rumoured that in the 1930s, the Sultan of Johor often visited Singapore via “The Pier”. When the Japanese forces invaded Singapore in 1942, “The Pier” was captured and used as a leisure resort for the senior Japanese officers. After the war, the Cashin family re-claimed their property, and had been using the house, well-equipped with electricity, modern toilets and barbeque pits, until 2009.

“The Pier” is currently under the charge of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

Seletar Pier (1920s-1970s)

Built in the 1920s, the Seletar Pier provided accessibility for the British military to travel via the waters during their surveying of the lands around present-day Sembawang. The surveying was carried out for the planning of Sembawang Naval Base, which began its construction in 1928 and completed only a decade later. The naval base, dubbed by then Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the “Gibraltar of the East”, was to act as a deterrent to an increasingly ambitious Japanese Empire.

The pier was given the name of Seletar as it was standing at the end of a muddy track known as Seletar Road. The road was later developed and renamed as Sembawang Road.

In February 1942, the Japanese deceived the British into an impression that their invading forces were landing at Changi, where in fact, the enemies would be coming from the north-western part of Singapore. From Johor Bahru, the Japanese pounded the areas around Mandai, Sembawang Airbase and Tengah Airbase with heavy artillery. One of the raids inflicted considerable damages on the Seletar Pier.

The pier was never given full repair after the war. By the 1960s, it had become derelict and abandoned. Today, remains of the pier can still be found at Sembawang Park.

Published: 01 October 2012

Updated: 25 October 2012

Posted in General, Historic | Tagged Bedok Jetty, Chek Jawa Jetty, Clifford Pier, Commando Jetty, Dalhousie Pier, Former Royal Malaysian Navy Jetty, Johnston’s Pier, Labrador Jetty, Lim Chu Kang Jetty, Pulau Ubin, Punggol Jetty, Sembawang Jetty | 12 Comments

The Remaining Farmways at Seletar-Punggol

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Remember Singapore

When the construction of the new extension of Seletar Road started in early 2012, many landmarks and buildings near Seletar West Farmway had to make way, such as the former Jalan Kayu Post Office, The Hiding Place, Sinflora and several fish farms.

Scheduled to be completed by next year, the new Seletar Road extension, running parallel to the busy Jalan Kayu and cutting through Seletar West Farmway, will provide a faster route to the Aerospace Park via Yio Chu Kang Road.

In the past, the vast pieces of lands stretching from Jalan Kayu to Punggol and Buangkok were dominated by farms, hence the roads that led to the farming areas were known as farmways.

The Seletar West Farmways are the only network of roads that still exist in the northern part of Singapore today. The others, such as Seletar East Farmways, Punggol Farmways, Cheng Lim Farmways and Buangkok North and South Farmways, were all lost in the development of Punggol and Sengkang during the past 15 years.

Named after Goh Cheng Lim 吴振林 (early local Chinese businessman, ship owner and founding director of Kim Hock Hoe Ltd), Cheng Lim Farmway 1 to 6 belonged to a small network of roads off Punggol Road until the early 2000s. The location is now occupied by highrise flats of Punggol New Town.

The roads of Seletar East Farmways (1 to 5) had also made way for the development of Fernvale of Sengkang New Town, while Buangkok North and South Farmways had became part of Compassvale neighbourhood.

To reflect the history of the area, one of the Sengkang LRT (Light Rail Transit) stations is named Farmway. Elsewhere in Singapore, only Pasir Ris Farmway and Murai Farmway of Lim Chu Kang remain.

The roads at Seletar West Farmway were once dirt roads without street lights. It was not until the early eighties before they were replaced by asphalt roads. The farmways ranged from 1 to 10, where Seletar West Farmway 1 to 3 housed more than a dozen fish farms, while Seletar West Farmway 4 to 9 are now home to licensed orchid farms, mushroom farms, an animal lodge, an old folks home and a nursery.

Seletar West Farmway 10 used to exist at the other side of TPE (Tampines Expressway), but it became defunct in the early 2000s due to the development of Seletar.

Seletar West Farmway still largely retains its rural outlook despite the rapid development of Sengkang, which has stretched its boundary to Jalan Kayu. Over here, old street signs stand forgotten for decades at the junctions of the farmways while antique street lamps with overhanging cables line up along the quiet roads.

Today, the vegetable farmlands at Seletar West Farmway no longer exist, being replaced by the likes of Animal Lodge, mushroom cultivation farm and orchid farms that manage to continue retaining the rustic feel about this place.

But things may change in the future, as the land of Seletar West Farmway may be affected by the development of the Seletar Aerospace Park or, like the other former farmways, be incorporated into Sengkang New Town.

Located at Seletar West Farmway 6, Man Kok Sua Chong Yee Temple (万国山忠义庙) was one of the last kampong temples left in Singapore. Worshipping Guan Gong, the Chinese deity of honour, loyalty and righteousness, the temple started off as a wooden hut in the fifties. With the support of the farmers and villagers at Seletar-Punggol, the temple was rebuilt in 1964 in its concrete state.

The popular temple continued to be visited by its devotees even though the farmlands around it had vanished. It lasted until 2011, when it had to make way for the planned construction of the new Seletar Road. The statues of the deities were then shifted to Ubin Thai Buddhist Temple at the nearby Sengkang West Avenue.

Seletar West Farmway is also home to the former Seletar Flats, otherwise known as Jalan Kayu Rural Centre. Built in the seventies, the clusters of the low-rise flats were HDB’s (Housing Development Board) projects that were launched in the rural parts of Singapore, so as to accommodate the villagers of the nearby farmlands. The flats, accompanied by shops, wet market and hawker centre, continued the close-knit neighbourhood spirit enjoyed by the residents.

Such similar types of low-rise housing were also built elsewhere, such as the Neo Tiew Estate (or Lim Chu Kang Rural Centre) and the old Punggol Flats which were already demolished.