By Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia, 1 Sep 2013
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said the strong community spirit present in kampongs should still be maintained today for Singapore to do well.
Mr Lee made these comments at a book launch, specially held for former residents of Kampong Radin Mas.
Kampong Radin Mas is believed to be among the oldest villages in Singapore.
While it was the birth place to many Malay-Muslim institutions, Mr Lee said it also produced leaders who made important contributions in politics, as well as in arts and culture.
He asked: "How did Radin Mas produce so many talented people? Some people said it's because of the 'air pancur' - the spring water, which flowed from Mount Faber to the kampong. Others said maybe it was the ice ball kacang, or the kuti kuti and the kana. All the sights and sounds and colours and activities of the old kampong.
"But everybody agrees that the 'gotong royong' spirit had a lot to do with it, where people help one another, where everybody knew everyone else and each spurred the other to go on and do their best.
"Even today, when we are in HDB flats - much bigger towns, not a few hundred people, but hundred thousand people perhaps - it's still necessary for us to maintain that strong community spirit for us to do well."
The book "A Village Remembered: Kampong Radin Mas 1800s To 1973" documents life in Radin Mas village before it was demolished in 1973 to make way for a satellite town.
The book recounts the origins of the village, famous landmarks in Radin Mas and even has some ghost stories. It also gives some examples of how the community worked together.
Former Minister of Social Affairs Othman Wok said: "I remember this old man. He used to come to sell things in the kampong and one day after the rain, he slipped and fell down. All his things went all over the place. So the people laughed. They thought it was very funny. But not my mother - she came down and helped the hawker to take all his things, wash everything, and he was very grateful."
The government said one way the community spirit can be re-invented today is through common amenities.
Former Minister of Social Affairs Othman Wok said: "I remember this old man. He used to come to sell things in the kampong and one day after the rain, he slipped and fell down. All his things went all over the place. So the people laughed. They thought it was very funny. But not my mother - she came down and helped the hawker to take all his things, wash everything, and he was very grateful."
The government said one way the community spirit can be re-invented today is through common amenities.
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, said: "I think this is something for us to think about as we go forward, as we build the new Singapore.
"How do we build communities is an important point as we bring people together. I suppose HDB, our land agencies, would have to think about it very carefully. It is nice to build nice buildings, but I think it is also the facilities which are important, where people can come and congregate."
The book is based on historical documents and interviews with former and current residents.
Kampung Radin Mas comes alive in new book
By Kash Cheong, The Straits Times, 26 Aug 2013
During a Hari Raya gathering two years ago, former residents of Kampung Radin Mas who had not seen one another for 40 years met up and found something they thought had disappeared - the kampung spirit.
"It was an emotional gathering," said one of the ex-residents, 75-year-old Wan Hussin Zoohri. "Residents were greeting one another like it was on Friday and there was still a spirit of togetherness...
"It would be a waste if we did not capture the spirit and memories of this kampung."
The reunion inspired the former Aljunied GRC MP and three other ex-residents to produce a book to document life in the Radin Mas village at the foothills of Mount Faber.
On Friday, A Village Remembered: Kampong Radin Mas 1800s To 1973 was launched, giving readers a glimpse of life in the Malay kampung before it was demolished in 1973 to make way for a satellite town.
The 248-page book is based on historical documents and interviews with more than 80 former and current residents.
It is an "important document" for it provides today's youth with "a window into the past" where the kampung spirit comes alive, said Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob at the launch.
The book recounts the origins of the village, how it was like under Japanese and colonial rule, famous landmarks in Kampung Radin Mas and even ghost sightings.
Stories also illustrate the community spirit at work, for instance, how wealthier villagers stepped forward to donate money to mosques and madrasahs.
"A resident told me that houses in the kampung were further but people were closer. Now houses are closer, but people are further," said the book's editor Ibrahim Tahir.
The coffee-table book is available for $80 at all major bookstores including Kinokuniya. Kampung Radin Mas residents will hold another Hari Raya gathering for about 600 people on Sept 1, when the book will be shown to the community.
The coffee-table book is available for $80 at all major bookstores including Kinokuniya. Kampung Radin Mas residents will hold another Hari Raya gathering for about 600 people on Sept 1, when the book will be shown to the community.
Radin Mas: Legacy of a princess
Area is home to historical gems and trappings of modern life
By Audrey Tan And Rachel Au-yong, The Straits Times, 6 Sep 2013
Area is home to historical gems and trappings of modern life
By Audrey Tan And Rachel Au-yong, The Straits Times, 6 Sep 2013
HER story has passed through generations as the namesake of Radin Mas.
Yet a humble little hut is all that is left to commemorate Javanese princess Radin Mas Ayu.
Nestled at the foot of Mount Faber, her tomb is easy to miss. Only a small sign hanging at the entrance of the shrine tells the story of the filial 16th-century princess who sacrificed her life for her father's.
Even though she died in 1511, Radin Mas Ayu lives on in the constituency that bears her name.
"So many things in this neighbourhood are named after her - the primary school, community centre and the old Radin Mas kampung," said unofficial caretaker Zainol Atan, 60. "Till today, she is still our princess, and we must respect her."
The rich history of Radin Mas dates back to the 1800s. Spanning Redhill, Bukit Purmei and Tiong Bahru, it was once home to one of Singapore's oldest kampungs.
Today, it is a predominantly residential area infused with modern structures like Henderson Waves and an enclave of hip cafes in Yong Siak Street.
But there are also hidden treasures which offer a window into Singapore's past.
The black-and-white colonial bungalows along Mount Faber Road, for instance, have been gazetted as heritage buildings by the Urban Redevelopment Authority for their unique history and 1920s architecture.
True to its Malay-Muslim roots, Radin Mas is also the location of the Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim Mosque, which was built in 1890 and is managed by the Johor government.
Sitting on Telok Blangah Road, the mosque, with its whitewashed walls and green roofs, still attracts devotees from all over the island.
Building contractor Mohammed Hushim, 51, who lives in Bedok, said: "I like this mosque as it is less strict and we are allowed to rest in the prayer areas."
But the mosque is not the only age-old religious landmark in the area. Just down the road from it, the Church of St Teresa has occupied its Kampong Bahru spot since 1929.
The gleaming white structure is the only building in Singapore with Romano-Byzantine architecture. Inspired by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris, the church is "a place where many Catholic couples want to get married", said literacy intervention teacher Genevieve Liao, 24.
Former resident Lim Mei Ling, 48, has fond memories of another religious institution next to the Catholic church.
Tang Gek Beo, or the Eastern Hell Temple, has been around for over a century. It houses the rare Heartless Black and White Demons - hell guards said to escort souls for sentencing by the King of Hell.
Said Ms Lim, a senior buyer: "The high walls of Tang Gek Beo looked like a castle to us children then, and we would imagine what went on behind those walls."
According to temple caretaker Guo Xiu Ru, 63, the temple has seen three to four generations of devotees.
The long-time resident of Radin Mas said: "Previously, the temple was surrounded by trees and kampungs, but they have all been replaced by HDB flats. Now, only buildings like this temple and the church are left."
Slices of Radin Mas' history were recently preserved in a book titled A Village Remembered: Kampong Radin Mas 1800s To 1973. It was launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last Sunday.
The next chapter will see new facilities like Henderson Waves, Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge at 36m, take centrestage. The bridge, which connects Mount Faber to Telok Blangah Hill, is popular among families and joggers.
It is also a favourite among young lovers.
Student Adele Tan, 23, said: "I can tell my mother that I'm going to Henderson Waves with my boyfriend, and she won't raise her eyebrows as she would had I said Mount Faber (a hot spot for couples in parked cars)."
Financial planner Marilyn Quek, 30, who has been living in Radin Mas for 25 years, said the area has the perfect blend of old and new. "The modern facilities help the younger generations bond with their families and friends, while the old religious landmarks give them continuity with tradition," she added.
It is a sentiment that Mr Zainol shares. "Places of heritage like the (Radin Mas) shrine should be preserved to keep our multicultural tradition," he said.
"If not, Singapore would slowly lose her history."
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