Love@MyQueenstown is a social integration initiative that will commence tomorrow, 1 June 2010 at Tanglin Halt. It will cover over 130 blocks and 14000 households in Queenstown.
Poster of our English Pamphlet
Poster of Our English Pamphlet (Back)
This programme aims to fulfill 3 purposes in integrating residents and friends of Queenstown. Firstly, residents and friends of Queenstown will follow the MyQueenstown Team during the interview and understand the needs and queries raised by other residents of Queenstown so that they will get a better picture of what goes on in other districts. Secondly, this initiative enables MyQueenstown to propagate our services to low-income families who do not have access to internet presently. This ensures all families in Queenstown will have a social safety net where they can seek assistance or integrate with other residents in the community. Lastly, information collected by our team will be used to organise better activities or programmes that cater to the needs of the residents.
MyQueenstown Team welcomes all residents and friends of Queenstown to take part in this meaningful activity. We believe strongly that this initiative can go on to make our community more caring, self serving and vibrant! Leave us a note @ our facebook page or SMS 91769891 to indicate your interest in contributing to this initiative!
Poster of Our Chinese Pamphlet
Poster of Chinese Pamphlet (Back)
Mention the name "Leong Kok Meng" or "the Slasher" and many Mei Ling Street residents will recall the widespread existence of Chinese secret societies in the 1980s and 1990s. This man, as reported by the New Paper yesterday, was "put behind bars 12 years ago for slashing two men with a chopper in the Mei Ling Street Area" and uncannily, he was involved in a similar attack of killing a man after brutally "setting on two acquaintances with a hunting knife in a drunken rage. Before we get our noses poking around for more information about the state of secret societies in Queenstown, let us do a little summary on what's reported on the newspapers!
The Mei ling Slasher on Newpaper
On August 2008, Leow Kok Meng stabbed two men, Karunagaran and Balan Krishnan on multiple counts. The 3 men knew each other as they lived in Mei Ling Street/Stirling View.They would usually disturb Queenstown residents when drunk. There's a resident at Block 154 who complained that these "gangsters" had been harrassing her family and her Indonesian maid. On the fateful day, Leow Kok Meng was having breakfast at a coffeeshop at Block 154 while Karunagaran and Balan were drinking alcohol. It was mentioned that Leow had become angry after drinking a can of beer and a small bottle of whisky and became "angry" and "violent. After walking past a fountain where Balan and Karunagaran were seated, he went home (Blk 157) and took out a hunting knife and approached them before lunging at Balan with the knife repeatedly. Leow Kok Meng would then stabbed at Karunagaran repeatedly as well. Karunagaran was found lying in a pool of blood and Balan Krishnan suffered multiple injuries.
Karunagaran was found dead at the scene
Mr Balan escaped with multiple injuries
According the Mrs Loh, owner of Thong Hoe Drug Store, there were many secret societies and gangs setting up their bases in Mei Ling Street in the 1970-1990s. There were many plain clothes police patrolling the area because of numerous cases. She recalled there were occasions where the gangsters would barge into her shop and ask for "protection money" and threaten to burn her shop. They would carry stools at her medical store with one hand fiercely. During an operation carried out by the Police to wipe out drug offenders, one of the druggies (age around 20s) was handcuffed onto the metal grille of her back door! Frightened, shocked and disgusted was how she will describe these gangsters...
Leow Kok Meng was arrested
Many of the residents have already moved out of Blk 39A when we decide to kaypoh this place so as to dig out some more precious memories about the residents residing in this iconic structure in Queenstown. Blk 39A was built in 1969 together with the various amenities such as shophouses, the cinemas and cooked food centre. At the tallest level, you can have a breathtaking view of the city, the port and other districts of Queenstown. However, the bulldozer approach continues in Singapore as most of these iconic buildings and food centres will disappear next year.
Today, we are fortunate to meet Mdm Ng who has stayed in this block for more than 20 years and witnessed the rise and decline in fortunes about the estate.
Mdm Ng and her grandson
When Tah Chung Emporium was demolished in 2000, she felt uneasy. She recalled the days where there were rows of shops beneath and opposite her block. They were shops selling shirts, spectacles and clinics! Then, it was so convenient because she could get whatever she need in the shortest possible time. There were 4 schools opposite her flat, namely Strathmore Primary, Queenstown Primary, Huayi Primary and Margaret Drive Primary when she moved into her house. She would bring her children to the school and get the groceries after that. The canal linear park was not yet covered and it was a linear drain that leads to the Singapore river, she mentioned. She would return to Strathmore periodically to see her former flat at Blk 56!
Like most of the residents in Blk 39A, Blk 6C and Blk 27A, she would be receiving her keys to her Dawson apartment in the coming weeks. Though, she had to leave a familiar environment for a new and unexpected one, she felt she was lucky to be still in Queenstown. "All the memories and all the happiness," she commented, "cannot be erased with time." Living in Queenstown was a choice that she made in the past and a choice that she will never regret because Queenstown is in her heart and in her soul...
The Corridor where she planted bonsais
Blk 39A
The "demand" for more privacy in the late 1960s have led to the construction of Singapore's very first point block flats at Mei Ling Street. The structure of the housing apartments was constructed in a way where occupants need to walk less than 5 steps and they could use the lifts. It enhances convenience greatly. So how does it feel like to live in an environment of enhanced privacy and convenience?
Mr and Mrs Zheng
Mr and Mrs Zheng was having dinner when we disturbed them in the evening! They would then gladly bring their photo albums along and and describe to us their experiences of living in the beautiful point block flats. A father of a son and 3 daughters, and a grandfather of 11, Mr and Mrs Zheng used to live in the hazardous and unhygienic squatters of Chinatown where 8 or more residents would live in small corners. He explained that communal living can be cleaner and more conducive for living if the occupants take note of their personal hygiene and bother to clean their small corners on a regular basis.
In 1969, he understood from his friends that the authorities have decided to build more districts in Queenstown, including the 2 point block flats at Mei Ling Street. Mrs Zheng and him applied for them, hoping to live in a brand new environment and provide a better living environment for their young children. Queenstown was pretty lively then, with young kids playing at the slope (the present Car Park) and hawkers selling their farm produce before the construction of the Mei Ling Market. It was a very different situation today, although he prefers the serene and quiet environment today that is very suitable "for his age" to relax. Every morning, Mr and Mrs Zheng would climb to the top of the multi storey carpark, where the sky garden is located and do "taichi" with a group of friends. Occasionally, he would visit places in China such as Beijing and Shanghai for holidays.
Blk 160 where Mr Zheng and his family live for 41 years.
The Sky Garden where Mr and Mrs Zheng exercise every morning
Our coverage on the Stirling Road murder in 2007 and subsequent legal proceedings in 2009 has evoke impressions of the Blk 181 in Stirling Road as a "suicide" or "haunted" block. Residents have responded to our threads in the Facebook last month that many suicide cases have occurred there. Being the No.1 Kaypoh group of residents and friends in the district, MyQueenstown has decided to explore this block of flats to discover first hand why Blk 181 is termed as such. We managed to approach Mr Lim, a bachelor, who has lived in Queenstown for over thirty years.
'Suicide' Block 181
Hi Mr Lim, it's nice to meet you. How long have you stayed in Queenstown?
I have stayed in Queenstown for almost 40 years. I stayed in Forfar House in Strathmore Avenue before moving to this current flat after it was announced that Forfar will be demolished and make way for new developments. Previously, I live in attap houses in Zion during the 1960s.
We have heard about Block 181 as a "suicide" and "murder" block where there are many instances in the past where many lives are "taken" because of this place is haunted. Are there any truths about the rumours?
Absolutely not! There's only one suicide case that I've known. It is about an old man who have several medical issues and become blind. He feels useless for being a burden to his family and become very depressed. So he has decided to end his life. With regards to the murder in 2007, the murderer and the victim resides in Block 182. If the stories about voodoo is true, those "evil spirits" should reside there, not Block 181!
Are you at home when the tragic murder took place?
No, I'm not at home. I am working night shift at that time! When I returned home the following morning, the police has cordoned off the entire lift lobby.
So may I ask if it's safe here in Blk 181?
Of course! We lived directly opposite the MRT Station! If there are crimes going on in this block, the commuters at the MRT Station will be able to see it. No thief or robber will be so stupid to commit crime under a broad daylight! However, there are some cases of sicko stealing female undergarments at night in the past.
Phew!
Mr Lim declined to be photographed
In 1980, Queenstown's oldest flats constructed by SIT were already 30 years old. Sparse and offering scant niceties that were incomparable to gigantic malls sprouted in other parts of the island, they "were mirroring the greying of their original occupants." The younger generation of residents who were born in Queenstown had moved to newer estates that offer bigger housing facilities, leaving behind their parents who preferred the comforts of familiarity.
Queens' Crescent is one of them. Then, it was bustling with activity with the food centres, the shopping mall (still there) and the markets. Today, we got a wonderful opportunity to speak to Mr Ali who lives in Blk 21, Queens' Close for almost 20 years and 20 years in Stirling Road prior to that.
Mr Ali at Blk 21
"It has been almost 20 years since the 4 storey SIT flats and the markets at Queens' Crescent were demolished. I would alternate between the Mei Ling and Queens' Crescent market to shop for my groceries. Some of the houses were still there when I moved here! Then, I would walk to the wet market to buy my provisions and get some fresh food, passing by those 4 storey flats. Because the flats are located close to each other, everybody seems to know each other and the entire Queens' Crescent seems to be another kampong. It feels so cozy getting together with friends. Some of the residents living in the SIT flats would even rear chickens and ducks. It is just like the past!"
"Now, everything has changed. After the demolishment of the Queens' Close market, we will visit the Mei Chin, Tanglin or ABC Market to shop for our groceries. The 7-11 near our flat was indeed convenient but they have limited items."
Like many Queenstown residents who chose to remain in this familiar environment, he felt that the estate was convenient, serene and beautiful! Kudos Queenstown! Kudos, our beautiful estate!
The opening of Queens' Crescent Market in 1964
Swings outside his apartment flat
Modern lift lobby and garbage collection point
Every morning on Thursdays and Saturdays, there will be a group of bird enthusiasts gathering at the void deck of Blk 39A with half dozen to a dozen cages of birds. Watching the birds dance and listening to their crisp and clear whistling, many Queenston residents found friends and soul mates here. It is believed that the low ceiling and many pillars around Blk 39A provide a conducive environment for birds to sing a melody gleefully. And many residents are captivated by the unique attraction at the void deck and join the group. Mr Lee Cheng Aik, 55, is one of them
Mr Lee and his prized asset
Mr Lee resides in Blk 90, Commonwealth Drive for the past 20 years. He is married with a son who serves the national service and another who studies in a polytechnic. Initially, his family members was apprehensive of his unusual hobby but adapt to it. He used to live in a kampung at Bukit Merah before shifting to Queenstown. Occasionally, he would visit Tiong Bahru during the weekends during his younger days to the bird shop with his friends. He found these birds cute and interesting and grew a liking for them. Now, he will bring his prized assets to a neighbourhood town garden in Ang Mo Kio for Birds Competition.
"I buy my bird food at Clementi. There is also one gigantic shop that sells all kinds of bird food and bird species at Serangoon. Once in a while, I will stock get there for some special food for my birds. A packet of birds can last for 3 weeks for my 6 birds."
Having birds can be a 'hazard' to the family or the neighbours but Mr Lee explained that these birds are inactive at night unless a slight disturbance that will make them "hyper" again! All these years, his neighbours did not complain about his hobby because he keep his birds inside his home instead of hanging along the corridor because that is unhygienic. He makes it a point to clean the cages every night.
"Listening to the birds can help me relieve stress and provide a source of get away from all my problems in life. I share a special relationship with these birds. They give me joy, give me inspiration and it's a pity I can't share this joy with my friends any longer once the building is demolished. I wonder if there's a possibility of setting up a bird garden nearby. There are certain aspects of Queenstown that makes this place unique. And Bird Watching is a part of this heritage."
The stretch of corridor where the bird watching takes place
Blk 39A
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