Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last remaining kampong on mainland Singapore, is the only one of its kind on our cosmopolitan city-state filled with modern high-rises, super cars and futuristic buildings.
Currently, about 26 families live on the land, and each pay a monthly rent that ranges from $6 to $30. According to TODAY, the area is home to a Malay community who “live harmoniously” with their Chinese neighbors.
If you’ve never set eyes on the kampong, take a look below.
On Monday, Ang Mo Kio Member of Parliament Intan Azura Mokhtar called for the government to preserve the kampong not just for sentimental value, but as a conservation site or heritage education site. (The area is located in Intan’s Jalan Kayu ward.) Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee replied that Kampong Lorong Buangkok would likely be redeveloped only “several decades later”.
Under 2014 Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Master Plan, the 1.22 hectare plot of land is slated to make way for a major road to Seletar, as well as two schools and a neighborhood park.
But Lee said that “there is no intention to implement these developments in the near future”, adding that the government would engage residents when the time comes.
“Some may not want to move away from the kampung, but they may also not want their community to be turned into an educational or heritage attraction drawing crowds of curious visitors,” he explained. “We cannot simply develop the surrounding areas around the kampong, isolating it from the rest of the community.”
The Straits Times noted that Intan also suggested for the kampong to be integrated within the two schools that are being planned, and proposed that the People’s Association or the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth could consider taking over ownership of the kampong after its residents have passed on.
Singapore’s other traditional kampong is located on offshore island Pulau Ubin, where a multi-year initiative to restore and repair empty kampong houses debuted in July.
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