Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
Oral History
Comparison of Life in Kampung and Life in a HDB Estate
For my oral history project, I am privileged to have had the opportunity to interview Mr.
Moulasa Maricair, who had come down to Singapore as an immigrant and have been
living here as a citizen for over sixty years. Mr. Moulasa Maricair, who is in his late
seventies, is my paternal grandfather. As I was interviewing him, he was giving me his
recounts about the past in a ‘not so fluent’ English and in Tamil. His accounts of the past
made me see the history as if I was in a movie theatre. In my essay, I will be talking
about the living conditions in the past compared to the living conditions now according to
my interviewee:
“Built of indigenous materials which were considered impermanent because of
the need for periodic replacement, they were the first to be demolished in the
wake of the national public housing programme.” (1)
From the above quote, you can see that the squatters were one of the first settlements to
have been demolished to allow for new Housing Development Board (HDB) estates. I
will also be highlighting my interviewee’s thoughts and feelings when he moved from the
squatters to live in a HDB flat.
Background Information:
Mr. Moulasa Maricair, who was born in India, got married in his early twenties. He
decided to make a trip down to Singapore when his wife was expecting their first child to
see if he could earn a living. His trip was successful as he did find himself a government
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
job and decided to stay in Singapore to earn a living. He was also provided with a
government subsidized squatter where he could live. After working hard, he saved
enough money to bring his wife and son to live here in Singapore with him.
Living Conditions in Squatters:
From Mr. Moulasa Maricair’s accounts, I could clearly see that he loved living through
those days. His memories are still so fresh as if all the incidents he mentioned happened
just yesterday:
I would say it was some sort of luxury living in those days. As it was a
government subsidized squatters, we had free water and electricity. No blackouts.
There was no need for a refrigerator as people came door to door to sell groceries.
We would buy the groceries needed for the day and cook for that day. Which
means marketing was done every day from home.
I was really amused by the fact that during those days, they actually could use as much of
water and electricity and they did not get charged a single cent for it. This would
definitely been very helpful for the residents then as most families had only one person
working. The government also provided other forms of help:
“In 1963 standpipes were installed by the Government in outlying villages for
residents who had no running water in the houses.” (2)
Although it was free electricity, there were no blackouts. I remember when I lived with
my grandparents in their old HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio, there used to be quite a bit of
blackouts occurring now and then. We had to search for the candles and light them up so
as to see each other. In the attap houses during those days, they had better electricity. Not
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
only this, but they also had markets ‘coming’ to their homes. People came from door to
door to sell groceries. All the women had to do is buy everything from them and cook
their meals for that day. They did not require a refrigerator, as whatever they had bought
for the day would have all been used. Then they would buy their groceries needed for the
next day when the people come to sell. When asked about the facilities that were
available in the squatters, he said:
There was no washroom in every house. There was a common washroom that
everyone could use. There was a bathroom in every house but that was only
meant for bathing and nothing else. Everyone had to rush to the common
washroom in case of any urgency. Everything could be gotten easily. My children
would walk to school as their schools were nearby.
When he said this, he realized that I was a little disgusted as I irked at the mention
of it. Sharing a toilet to me was unpleasant but he told me that at the beginning it
was rather uncomfortable especially when you had to wait for the other person to
finish in case of urgency. However, after he got to know all his neighbours they
were very comfortable with each other that sharing a toilet did not really matter. I
then asked him if the neighbours then were much closer or was it better when he
moved to the HDB estate. He then replied:
We as neighbours were definitely closer then. The houses were all of one level
and were facing one another. There was a more open concept as doors were
always open and we got to see each other everyday. All the women will get
together to have a small chitchat before going to cook lunch for their families.
Children would all come together to play and parents do not have to be afraid of
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
their children getting lost. Most men would return home to have their lunches at
home.
I did not quite understand when he mentioned that there was an open concept in their
squatters. Then I realized that he was talking about their ‘freedom’ in the squatters. Men
had the opportunity to come home for their lunch even though they were not driving.
Although there were no playgrounds in the squatters the children still played together
happily making out their own playground. Women had all the time to talk as their
husbands were out at work and their children playing happily. As their houses were
facing each other, there was no need to move. They could just talk from where they were
seated:
“… while the houses lay in juxtaposition, a communal feeling and identity also
existed among the residents.” (3)
Living Conditions in HDB flats
I was then curious to find out the living conditions in the HDB estate then. Therefore, I
asked him about the living conditions in a HDB estate then and he recollected:
I would have to say that the living conditions were definitely very different. It was
exceptionally difficult to adapt to the current situation when we just moved in. We
had to be careful with our usage of water and electricity, as we had to pay for
them. That was a little difficult to adapt to during that time. It was very
uncomfortable to live in a HDB flat, as we were secluded into our flats. We lived
on the fourth floor and everyone’s door was usually closed. Our corridors were
usually empty except for the times when children are going to school or coming
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
back home. There was not much of communication within the neighbours. They
all kept to themselves. It was very different.
From his statements, I could somewhat picture how it would have been as it is still the
same in our HDB estates now. People are more secluded into their flats and do not really
communicate with their neighbours. When I asked him about living conditions, although
water and electricity bill did play a part, the most important thing for him was the
communication and the closeness of his neighbours, which he claimed, lacked in the
HDB estate:
“Everything seemed strange, the flats, the heights, the neighbours.” (4)
Despite knowing which one he would prefer, I still went on to ask him if he preferred to
live in the squatters or was it better living in the HDB estate:
Those days life went slower. Technology was not at all advanced. We did not
have a telephone line nor did we have our own television where we could choose
our preferred channels. But, it was definitely more comfortable living in the
squatters. It was livelier and there was a more open concept. It felt like every
individual were equal. We were like a one big happy family. Life was much more
simpler and easier in those days. I would definitely prefer living in the squatters.
I could really feel that Mr. Moulasa Maricair really felt a strong sense of
belonging to his squatter rather than his HDB estate. Despite living in a HDB
estate all his life, he still recalls back his past and still misses those times that
were spent in the squatters. As I had mentioned earlier, the most important thing
for him was the bond that was built amongst his neighbours.
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
Conclusion
I am impressed by my interviewee’s strong sense of belonging to the squatter that he
lived in so many years ago. I was glad that by interviewing him I had actually educated
myself on things that should not be taken for granted and that we should always
remember our past as we move on in our lives.
Endnotes:
1. Chua Beng Huat, “Past Times” Erased Tropical Heritage: Residential Architecture
and Environment (Times Media Private Limited, 2003) Page 100.
2. Lisa Lim and Ng Yoke Lin (eds), Geylang Serai: Down Memory Lane (National
Archives, Singapore, 1986) Page 26
3. Lisa Lim and Ng Yoke Lin (eds), Geylang Serai: Down Memory Lane (National
Archives, Singapore, 1986) Page 38
4. Tan, “Chai Chee Revisited” Through the Years (Chong Moh Offset Printing Private
Limited, 1993) Page 44
Reference:
1. Chan Kwok Bun and Tong Chee Kiong (eds), Past Times: A Social History of
Singapore, (Times Media Private Limited, 2003)
2. Lisa Lim and Ng Yoke Lin (eds), Geylang Serai: Down Memory Lane (National
Archives, Singapore, 1986)
3. Tan Soo Khoon, Chai Chee Revisited (Chong Moh Offset Printing Private Limited,
1993)
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
Appendix
Profile of the Interviewee
Name of interviewee: Mr. Moulasa Maricair
Occupation:
Government Servant
Language:
Tamil and English
Transcript
1)
Interviewer: Where were you living during your early days?
Interviewee: During the early 60’s, I lived in a government subsidized
squatters, which was situated in Geylang Serai.
2)
Interviewer: How were the living conditions like in the quarters?
Interviewee: I would say it was some sort of luxury living in those days. As it was a
government subsidized squatters, we had free water and electricity. No blackouts.
There was no need for a refrigerator as people came door to door to sell groceries.
We would buy the groceries needed for the day and cook for that day. Which
means marketing was done every day from home.
3)
Interviewer: Can you tell me more about the facilities that were
available inside and outside your home?
Interviewee: There was no washroom in every house. There was a common
washroom that everyone could use. There was a bathroom in every house
but that was only meant for bathing and nothing else. Everyone had to rush
to the common washroom in case of any urgency. Everything could be
gotten easily. We had to walk a distance to take a bus to school or
elsewhere.
4)
Interviewer: Were you and your neighbours closer then or was it
better when you moved to the HDB estate?
Interviewee: We as neighbours were definitely closer then. The houses
were all of one level and were facing one another. There was a more open
concept as doors were always open and we got to see each other everyday.
All the women will get together to have a small chitchat before going to
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
cook lunch for their families. Children would all come together to play and
parents do not have to be afraid of their children getting lost. Most men
would return home to have their lunches at home.
5)
Interviewer: Was it comfortable living in the squatters? Why?
Interviewee: It was definitely very comfortable living there. The area was
very spacious. There was no need to wait on lifts or climb staircases. We
were able to rear our own chickens and grow our own trees in our
backyards. We had more freedom to live the way we wanted. There were
no rules to follow. Therefore, we felt a sense of belonging when we lived in
the squatters.
6)
Interviewer: So then how were the living conditions like when you
moved to the HDB estate in Ang Mo Kio?
Interviewee: I would have to say that the living conditions were definitely
very different. It was exceptionally difficult to adapt to the current situation
when we just moved in. We had to be careful with our usage of water and
electricity, as we had to pay for them. That was a little difficult to adapt to
during that time. It was very uncomfortable to live in a HDB flat, as we
were secluded into our flats. We lived on the fourth floor and everyone’s
door was usually closed. Our corridors were usually empty except for the
times when children are going to school or coming back home. There was
not much of communication within the neighbours. They all kept to
themselves. It was really different.
7)
Interviewer: How were the facilities in the HDB flat? Was it better?
Why?
Interviewee: We did have attached bathrooms in our flats, not one but two.
No one came around selling food or groceries anymore. We had to do
marketing everyday and we had to go down to the shops if we wanted to
get anything. However, the markets and shops were nearer. We could just
walk to the market. We had our own television and refrigerator. We also
had our own telephone line. We could communicate with our previous
neighbours through the phone calls. It was two different kinds of living.
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Hairuneesa d/o Mohamed Yusoff
ETL201: Oral History Assignment
Dr Kevin Blackburn
8)
Interviewer: Final question. Do you prefer living in the squatters or
was living in the HDB estate better?
Interviewee: Those days life went slower. Technology was not at all
advanced. We did not have a telephone line nor did we have our own
television where we could choose our preferred channels. But, it was
definitely more comfortable living in the squatters. It was livelier and there
was a more open concept. It felt like every individual were equal. We were
like a one big happy family. Life was much more simpler and easier in
those days. I would definitely prefer living in the squatters.
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