The Straits Times : Grave sparks quest to dig up ancestral connections

The Straits Times
By Melody Zaccheus
9th June 2014

Seah Eu Chin's descendant also seeks to save tomb from wrecking ball



Inscriptions on his father's urn led Mr Sean Seah (above) to the villa built by his ancestor Seah Eu Chin in Yuepu village in Shantou, China (Below). Mr Seah has filmed a video documenting his visit to the villa. -- PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SEAN SEAH; LIM SIN THAI



SOMBRE photos of Singaporean pioneer Seah Eu Chin used to hang on the walls of Mr Sean Seah’s family home.

Then there are the roads, such as Eu Chin Street in Tiong Bahru and Seah Street in the city.

But as a young boy, Sean had little inkling about just how influential his famous ancestor was.

The late Seah, for instance, was known as the “King of Gambier”, having built his fortune as the owner of gambier plantations in areas like Thomson. He was also one of the founders of the Ngee Ann Kongsi, a Teochew clan association that was set up in 1845.

It was only two years ago, however, when the younger Seah saw the large and newly discovered grave of his ancestor for the first time, that everything clicked.

Now, he is hoping to save the grave in Toa Payoh West, which is at risk of redevelopment due to its proximity to the upcoming North-South Expressway.

He approached the National Heritage Board last month and plans to put together a petition signed by descendants of Seah Eu Chin’s four sons to preserve the grave, which sits on land where the late Seah grew pepper and gambier.

Said Mr Seah, 38, a business development manager at a multinational corporation and a sixth generation Seah: “I felt a connection to him after seeing something so large and tangible.

“The grave is a living testament of his life and success, and very different from just reading off a list of his accolades or hearing stories from my grandfather about his achievements. For the first time, I felt that my lineage was truly special,” he said.

His visit to the grave alongside 40 other family members prompted Mr Seah to embark on a journey to rediscover his lineage.

Now, he is one of the more active Seahs on a mission to rediscover his roots and champion his family’s heritage.

For instance, Mr Seah spends most of his time outside of work combing through archives, looking for distant relatives and filming videos documenting his quest.

The grave where his ancestor was buried with his two wives in 1883 was discovered in 2012 by tombstone hunters, brothers Raymond and Charles Goh.

For decades, the Seah family, of which there are about 500 members scattered across the globe, had not known its location.

“I hope the Government can help us keep the grave so that we can show future generations a physical marker of their heritage,” said Mr Seah, who has two sons aged one and four.

Mr Charles Goh, 46, who took a year to hunt down the grave, agreed. “It is a rare find and a rare tomb of someone so illustrious. We should conserve what we can, especially at a time when we are looking back at our roots and hoping to better tell the Singapore story.”

Last month, Mr Seah also discovered that his ancestor had built a grand villa in Yuepu village in Shantou, China.

He found it after doing some research on the inscriptions on his father’s urn, with some help from the Seah clan in Singapore.

He filmed a video of his experience visiting the site – as the first descendant to return after 191 years – to share with other Seahs.

The villa, located within a 300 sq m compound – about the size of three five-room flats – even housed a school once.

Mr Seah said: “It showed that he had his hometown and family in mind even after achieving success in Singapore.”

He added that he was inspired by his ancestor’s tenacity and said he has plans to conduct heritage tours to Yuepu.

“I learnt about him during history lessons in school but questions still lingered, like why he had taken the treacherous two-month-long journey in 1823 to Singapore from China,” said Mr Seah. The trip helped answer some of these questions, he said. “I learnt that he was a fighter... someone who was willing to take risks for opportunities.”

Although he did not inherit any of his ancestor’s material possessions, Mr Seah feels that he inherited priceless values and traits. His desire to trace his genealogy and lineage stems from a belief that there is more to life than just chasing material success.

He said: “A person without knowledge of his roots is missing a part of his soul. Life starts as an empty page and it’s up to us to decide how to paint the colours of each page and chapter.”

There is also the joy of finding other members of the Seah clan. Family ties are easily verified by checking generation names – a Chinese practice where family members from the same generation use the same characters for their middle names. This was how he met his cousin, chef Elton Seah, 38,three years ago while doing national service in-camp training.

Then there is the thrill of saying that it is his grandfather’s road whenever he drives or walks by any of the four streets named after Seah Eu Chin and his two sons Peck Seah and Liang Seah.

Said Mr Seah: “I feel very proud to have come from his line. I hope our family can continue to produce good people who will contribute to society just like he did.”
melodyz@sph.com.sg

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BACKGROUND STORY

 

Singapore's 'King of Gambier' SEAH Eu Chin (1805-1883), who came to Singapore in 1823, started work here as an accountant and a clerk on trading ships.

 

Later, he began working as a middleman, supplying ships with goods.

 

Over time, his fortune grew and he bought huge parcels of land for gambier and pepper plantations.

 

At one point, he owned plantations that stretched from River Valley Road to Bukit Timah. Seah, who received an education in Chinese classics back home, was well respected by both the Chinese and European communities for his business acumen.

 

He is known for his role in founding Teochew association Ngee Ann Kongsi. He was also one of the few Chinese here to become a member of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce, a largely European-dominated body.

 

Descendants can join the Facebook group Seah Eu Chin Descendants. Seah's journey to Yuepu can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGrP7x5-j78

 

NATIONAL LIBRARY BOARD, MELODY ZACCHEUS

The Sunday Times : Tiong Bahru roast meat shop to close

The Sunday Times
Lifestyle
By Kezia Toh
27th April 2014

Eatery is latest casualty in rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood



Roast meat eatery owner Yip Kwok Ching is moving out after his landlord upped the rental for the shop unit from $8,000 to $12,000 a month -- ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

 
Popular Tiong Bahru roast meat eatery, Hong Kong Jin Tian, will shut its doors after this weekend - in the continuing exodus of old-timers from the now hipster estate.

The eatery's owners, a couple who moved from Hong Kong to Singapore in 1986, say they are moving after the landlord upped the rent for the 1,100 sq ft to 1,200 sq ft shop in Eng Hoon Street from about $8,000 to $12,000 a month.

Owner Yip Kwok Ching, 62, says he is still hunting for another location to continue his business. The nearby Redhill market is one possibility.

His wife, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Yip, says: "Of course, we are not happy about leaving because we have been here for many years."

The couple started their eatery at a Tiong Bahru market stall in 2000 before moving it to the coffee shop five years later. It has been there since.

Mrs Yip, 56, says: "Newcomers don't know the going rate for the place and spoil the market for us. It affects traditional food such as ours."

Jacking up prices will not help pay the rent, she adds. Jin Tian charges $3 for a plate of roast meat with rice. Add 20 cents to the cost and customers will not come, she says. "It's very strange because customers are willing to pay $6 for a slice of cake across the road," says Mrs Yip, gesturing to the nearby Tiong Bahru Bakery.

Jin Tian's is, by now, a familiar story in the now popular retro enclave with its pre- and post-war flats.

Housewife Ang Soo Leong, a longtime resident, hopes another hipster joint is not sprouting up in its place.

Mrs Ang, 84, moved to the area after she was displaced during the Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961. She says in Mandarin: "It is a pity that the old businesses are gone because they hold a slice of history. The new places charge such high prices, I dare not step inside."

The influx of new ventures began around 2010 when artisanal coffee joint 40 Hands opened in Yong Siak Street. Since then, chic boutiques, cafes and bookstores have sprouted.

Long-time business owners in the area are receiving sizeable offers.

Mr Rodney Goh, 59, of provision shop Pin Pin Piau Kay & Co in Seng Poh Road, says he gets offers to rent or buy his 1,500 sq ft space "every other day". Offers go as high as $2 million to buy or about $10,000 a month to rent.

Hardware shop-owner Michael Chan (above) and provision shop-owner Rodney Goh (below) say they have been offered up to $2 million to sell their space or $10,000 in monthly rent. -- ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG



Mr Michael Chan, 66, who owns hardware shop Hock Eng Hin in Seng Poh Road, says he has received six serious requests to buy or rent his 1,300 sq ft space in the past two years, with offers reaching up to $1 million.

Mr Cheng Mook Boon, 65, who owns Cheng Delicacies, a 24-year-old Hainanese homestyle food coffee shop in Yong Siak Street, says he gets offers of between $6 million and $12 million for his 1,800 sq ft space.

The grapple for space seems fierce but there may be a sign of the market cooling down. The light purple doors of the coffee shop located opposite Jin Tian have been shuttered since January.

A previous tenant, Mr Loo Kia Chee, 55, who had been running his Hainanese curry rice stall since 1990 in the neighbourhood, says he left when the landlords asked him to rent the entire coffee shop for $20,000, up from $3,200 for a stall. He decided to move down the road, renting a stall for $3,000, while another tenant, a Teochew braised duck stall owner, has moved to Ubi.

Mr Loo says: "The coffee shop needs renovation. Taps are rusty and ventilation is poor, which would easily set me back by $10,000 to $20,000."

It has been nearly three months since the coffee shop closed and there is a "problem looking for tenants", says senior marketing director Jane Lee, in her late 30s, of property firm ERA Realty Network, who is marketing the space. The landlord wants a 50 per cent rise in rent, she says, jacking up the price to more than $20,000. The landlord declined to speak to SundayLife!.

Regular foot traffic in Tiong Bahru, unlike Housing Board estates such as Ang Mo Kio or Clementi, is also slower.

Ms Lee says: "It can be a dead town on weekdays. When the asking price is so high, it is difficult to find tenants."

This could be a signal of the softening of demand in the heated Tiong Bahru market. But it is more likely that the asking rent is "too high", says Associate Professor Sing Tien Foo of the National University of Singapore's department of real estate.

"The landlord might have made the call based on a high offer from someone before the current lease expired, but potential business owners may find the high rent is not sustainable," he says.

Older businesses in the neighbourhood may be taking a hammering in terms of rent and takings, but old-time stalwarts are unfazed.

Pin Pin Piau Kay provision shop's Mr Goh says residents still go to him for necessities such as rice and toilet rolls.

And Mr Chan of Hock Eng Hin has moved with the times, displaying vintage crockery outside his 21-year-old shop. "Very popular with young people these days", he says. He also stocks home-fix tools to cater to new expatriate residents who prefer to do up their homes themselves and go to Tiong Bahru to look for tools.

It would be interesting to see how the neighbourhood transforms when these old businesses fade away, says Assistant Professor Walter Edgar Theseira of the division of economics at Nanyang Technological University.

He says: "The charm of Tiong Bahru comes from the mix of old and new, so would people still value the area when the old businesses disappear?"
keziatoh@sph.com.sg

What do you think of the gentrifying Tiong Bahru enclave? Write to suntimes@sph.com.sg

The Straits Times : Serenading Tiong Bahru

The Straits Times
Life! Section
By Amanda See
25th April 2014

Eight artists have written original songs and poems to celebrate the enclave and will perform there at this year's Musicity

Poet Jennifer Anne Champion (second from left) and singer-songwriter Marcel Lee Pereira (far right) with members of Monster Cat (from left) Meta Cat, drummer; Psycho Cat, guitarist; and Hentai Cat, singer; at Bincho, a Japanese yakitori bar in Tiong Bahru, where they will be performing. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

While doing research for her poem based on the air raid shelter in Tiong Bahru, home-grown poet Jennifer Champion discovered a nugget of family history - her step-aunt was born in the shelter at 78 Moh Guan Terrace on the same day the step-aunt's father died in the bombings during World War II in 1942.

Champion, 26, is one of the eight artists taking part in Musicity Singapore 2014, which opens tonight at Tiong Bahru. It will feature a panel discussion and shows by home-grown band Seyra, Champion and another Singapore poet Marc Nair.

This is the second edition of the global music programme, which debuted here in 2012. Founded in London in 2011, it celebrates a city's music and urban design through music and architecture. The event has been held in cities such as Oslo and Tokyo.

Recalling how she stumbled upon the family connection while watching a Channel 5 news segment on the air-raid shelter on YouTube, Champion says: "I didn't recognise my step-aunt from the video because we hardly meet and I know her only by her nickname. My dad told me we were related."

She adds: "Finding out something like this gives a personal connection to the place. Before that, I was writing the poem, Let It Shine, as a member of the public. Knowing that there was family involved gave me a certain responsibility to convey the story sensitively."

While the first edition of Musicity Singapore was held in places such as the ArtScience Museum and Gardens by the Bay, the artists will perform in various locations around Tiong Bahru this year.

Ms Carolyn Oei, festival director and organiser of Musicity Singapore 2014, says: "Tiong Bahru as a festival location fits perfectly with the overall objective of Musicity. Tiong Bahru is rich in heritage and stories and, at the same time, is so contemporary."

The event challenges the idea of performance by selecting, she says, "atypical spaces while still retaining the essence of experiencing a show".

She adds: "The intimate and interesting venues invite the audience to go closer to the performers and take in both words and music at a deeper level."

The eight artists have written 12 original music and poetry tracks based on different locations in Tiong Bahru. These tracks can be streamed through a mobile app when the user is at the site the tracks are tagged to. Ms Oei says this is to encourage people to enjoy the spaces the city has to offer.

Besides connecting with her step-aunt, who is her father's step-cousin, Champion also made another surprise discovery while working on Musicity. She is related to fellow artist Marcel Lee Pereira, whose grandmother married Champion's granduncle after her husband died.

Champion and Pereira will perform on May 9 at Bincho, a modern Japanese yakitori open-concept bar in Moh Guan Terrace.

The track that Pereira has composed for the event, titled The Place Where We Met, is based on the Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre in Seng Poh Road. The song tells a love story in which a woman looks out to the sea every day as she awaits her lover's return.

Pereira, 33, a singer-songwriter who is also a sub-editor with The Straits Times' digital team, says: "I found out from my research that businessmen used to house their mistress in the flats in Tiong Bahru. It was likely that some of them would have been forgotten over the years, as a businessman would have to travel.

"I didn't want to write a song just about the food and vegetables in the market. I wanted to bring a human element to it, so I imagined who would be there at the market."

He will also perform in a fringe activity on May 4 with a busker who visits the food centre in his wheelchair on weekends singing Hokkien and Mandarin ballads.

Also performing with Champion at Bincho on May 2 are Monster Cat. The three-man band composed a track, The Rich Dream, for the event. The song was inspired by Qi Tian Gong Temple in Eng Hoon Street, which is dedicated to the monkey god.

The band's 28-year-old singer and co-songwriter, who goes by the name Hentai Cat, says: "This was a very interesting way to approach creation. I think all art is dependent on circumstances and location. It's surprising to me sometimes how much our songs are about Singapore and living here," he says.

Tiong Bahru resident Jane Teo welcomes the event. The 21-year old student says: "My neighbourhood would be more lively and I get to see these performances up close."
seemanda@sph.com.sg

__________________________________________

 

WHAT TO WATCH AT MUSICITY SINGAPORE 2014

Musicity Singapore 2014 will present 10 ticketed performances, including today's opening night hosted by presenting sponsor Keppel Land. The other shows pair a singer or band with a poet.

All the show venues, except for TBB Tiong Bahru Bar, do not usually host live performances.

Who: A panel discussion on the topic of sonic architecture, as well as performances by home-grown band Seyra and poets Marc Nair and Jennifer Champion.

Where: 1 Kim Tian Road

When: Today, 7.30 to 10pm

Admission: $40 (sales have ended)

Marc Nair

 

Who: Marcel Lee Pereira and Marc Nair

Where: The French Bookshop, 55 Tiong Bahru Road

When: Tomorrow, 7.30 to 8.30pm

Admission: $20

Home-grown indie-folk music group Seyra (above) and poets Gideon + Allee, comprising Gideon Goh and Allee Koh. -- PHOTO: MARC NAIR

Who: Seyra and Nabilah Husna

Where: The Fab Lab (73 Eng Watt Street at 8.45pm)

When: Tomorrow, 9 to 10pm

Admission: $25

Who: Monster Cat and Jennifer Champion

Where: Bincho, 78 Moh Guan Terrace

When: May 2, 6.30 to 7.30pm

Admission: $30

Home-grown indie band The Sam Willows will also be performing. -- PHOTO: MARC NAIR

Who: The Sam Willows and Gideon + Allee

Where: Tiong Bahru Community Centre Music Room 2, 67A Eu Chin Street

When: May 2, 6.30 to 7.30pm

Admission: $20

Nabilah Husna

Who: The Sam Willows and Nabilah Husna

Where: The French Bookshop, 55 Tiong Bahru Road

When: May 3, 6.30 to 7.30pm

Admission: $20

Home-grown indie-folk music group Seyra and poets Gideon + Allee, comprising Gideon Goh and Allee Koh (above). -- PHOTO: MARC NAIR

Who: Seyra and Gideon + Allee

Where: Tiong Bahru Community Centre Music Room 2, 67A Eu Chin Street

When: May 3, 9 to 10pm

Admission: $20

Who: Marcel Lee Pereira and Jennifer Champion

Where: Bincho, 78 Moh Guan Terrace

When: May 9, 6.30 to 7.30pm

Admission: $30

Who: Monster Cat and Marc Nair

Where: The Fab Lab (73 Eng Watt Street at 7.45pm)

When: May 9, 8 to 9pm

Admission: $25 (sales have ended)

Who: The Sam Willows, Gideon + Allee and Nabilah Husna

Where: TBB Tiong Bahru Bar, 3 Seng Poh Road

When: May 10, 7.30 to 10pm

Admission: $20

To book tickets, go to eventnook.com/event/musicitysingapore2014/home. For more information, go to sin.musicity.info.
 

The Straits Times : Insight into heritage of Tiong Bahru

The Straits Times
By Amelia Teng
20th April 2014
 

Volunteer guide Choo Lip Sin, 43, taking people on a guided tour of Tiong Bahru estate as part of the Tiong Bahru Heritage Fiesta 2014, which runs until May 7. -- ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

Cafe owner Jason Soon has lived in Tiong Bahru for 14 years and in that time he has noticed more cafes and eateries "popping up" and more flats being built.

But it was only yesterday that he got an insight into the area's past. The 34-year-old was one of 34 participants who explored the 78-year-old estate, one of Singapore's oldest, as part of the second Tiong Bahru Heritage Fiesta. The trail - spanning 2.5km and 10 stops - was launched a year ago by the National Heritage Board.

But this time, the entire event, which runs until May 7, was organised by volunteers from Tiong Bahru Youth Executive Committee, Seng Poh Residents' Committee and the Tiong Bahru Heritage Volunteers, among others.

Mr Kelvin Ang, chairman of Seng Poh RC, said: "We hope to make this an annual and sustainable event."

As part of this year's event, volunteers will lead the tours over three weekends. There will also be air-raid shelter visits and an open-air movie night at Seng Poh Garden later this month.

Among the things to look out for are five animal murals on the estate's walls - of common pets in the past like a chicken, and goldfish - by photographer and visual artist Ernest Goh.

"Every street in the estate is named after prominent businessmen and people," said Mr Soon, regarding the historical nuggets he picked up yesterday. "The architecture of the pre-war flats is very interesting - their design was so detailed, down to even the colour scheme and the window grilles."

The Straits Times : Your grandfather's road? Not in Tiong Bahru

The Straits Times
By Melody Zaccheus
6th January 2014

Campaign urges motorists to use the 700 public parking spaces in estate

The leaflet also lists alternative parking spaces around the estate. -- ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

THE traffic snarl-ups that have plagued the narrow streets of the Tiong Bahru conservation estate for the past five years could soon become a thing of the past.

A new campaign - "Is this your grandfather's road?" - was launched yesterday as part of the Seng Poh Residents' Committee's kindness movement. It will encourage motorists to use the 700 public parking spaces across the estate instead of parking illegally.

Complaints from residents about inconsiderate drivers and congestion have been on the rise since cafes and eateries started setting up shop in the neighbourhood. Common black spots include the area around the Tiong Bahru market and Seng Poh Road.

"It now takes me six minutes to drive out of the estate via Tiong Poh Road on a weekend instead of the usual two minutes," said resident Choa Haw King, 37, a financial entrepreneur.

A group of 20 residents and volunteers took to the streets with Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Indranee Rajah yesterday morning to distribute pamphlets, detailing the locations of these parking spaces, and placing them on windscreens of illegally parked cars. The parking spaces include the freshly repaved open-air carpark at Block 78 and another in Seng Poh Lane.

Ms Indranee and volunteers giving out leaflets encouraging drivers to park at designated carpark spaces. -- ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

"Now that I know there are parking spaces for us, I will make the effort to park there," said lorry driver Raymond Oh, 43, who frequents the Qi Tian Gong temple and had parked illegally in Eng Hoon Street.

The initiative is part of a slew of measures rolled out by a seven- member task force set up by Ms Indranee last February to address "disamenities" caused by the rise in commercial activities in the residential estate.

Comprising residents' committee members and residents, it works with agencies such as the Land Transport Authority and the National Environment Agency.

Task force co-chairman Chris Hooi told The Straits Times: "The agencies used to act independently. The task force helps to coordinate and gel everyone together so that matters can be addressed quicker."

Over the past few months, the team has worked on adding 50 public parking spaces in Eng Hoon and Eng Watt streets and has improved walkways, lighting and landscaping on the streets of the 77-year-old estate. It has also addressed hygiene concerns such as rat infestations and littering.

The task force is monitoring the number and types of food and beverage outlets setting up shop there and helping to curb illegal sub-letting, alterations and additions to conservation buildings.

Ms Indranee said these will continue. Efforts will also be made this year to foster a stronger sense of identity among the estate's stakeholders. There are plans, for instance, to include facilities such as a chill-out area for youth.

"There are residents who have lived here for a long time and those who are new to the area," she said. "Both groups have a sense of pride and affinity to the neighbourhood. We want to build on that."

melodyz@sph.com.sg

_________________________________________


Seriously speaking, were any of the streets named after your ancestor?

AS WELL as encouraging motorists to park considerately, organisers of the "Is this your grandfather's road?" campaign are seeking out the descendants of the 17 pioneers whom the streets of Tiong Bahru are named after.

"Their contributions will add to the body of knowledge about Singapore's very own pioneers and generate awareness among residents, their descendants and Singaporeans today about the impact they made on the community," said Mr Kelvin Ang, chairman of Seng Poh Residents' Committee. He hopes to erect storyboards in the estate bearing snippets of their biographies and accounts from family members.

The following pioneers are three of the personalities whom the streets are named after:

Tan Kim Ching (1829-1892); Kim Cheng Street

The eldest son of philanthropist Tan Tock Seng was one of Singapore's leading Chinese merchants of his time. He was also a member of the Royal Court of Siam.

Seah Eu Chin (1805-1883); Eu Chin Street

Seah was a wealthy Teochew merchant who made his fortune from the cultivation of pepper and gambier. He was also the founder of social welfare organisation Ngee Ann Kongsi.

Low Kim Pong (1837-1909); Kim Pong Road

The businessman and devout Buddhist is famous for his contributions to the building of the Siong Lim Temple in Kim Keat Road in 1902. He was also a founding member of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

MELODY ZACCHEUS

The Straits Times : Newfound hip factor comes at a price

The Straits Times
By Melody Zaccheus
15th November 2013

Yong Siak St's rent rise ousts old businesses as chic ones move in

The owner of Books Actually, one of the newer establishments in Yong Siak Street, may move his shop as the rent is becoming too high. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

THE last few veteran shopkeepers in Yong Siak Street, including noodle and beverage suppliers, a coffee shop, and a blinds and curtains manufacturer, find themselves out of place at Tiong Bahru's hippest stretch.

Over the past three years, the narrow street has shed its laidback past and transformed itself into a hipster hot spot, as chic joints such as cafe 40 Hands and independent bookstore Books Actually set up shop.

Their entry in 2010 and 2011 hastened the street's gentrification - several creative agencies, a boutique and restaurant-bars such as SocialHaus and Ikyu have since joined the influx. About 15 of the 25 or so shop spaces there belong to these businesses today.

"It used to be a quiet place and rental was reasonable, but it (the rent) has since quadrupled to $8,000 as compared to six years ago," said Mr O.H. Lee, 45, co-owner of a family-run beverage supplier, who is considering moving out.

At general supplies store Hock Leong Hin Teck Kee, Mr Lee Hon Fay (left), 75, and store owner Lee Sui Tiong, 65, load supplies for a client. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Xing Zhi Language Centre owner Tan Mei Huan, 50, cited rising rents as the main reason for the upcoming move of her Chinese tuition centre to Jalan Bukit Merah.

Said Mr Tony Neo, 40, the second-generation owner of Sin Yick Seng Bamboo Chick Centre, a blinds and curtains maker, who has fond memories growing up there: "While the (newer) shops have brought life to the neighbourhood, their clientele does not match ours and we don't get much benefit from their presence."

He plans to move and rent out the 1,500 sq ft shop that his father handed down to him.

Seamstress Lu Mei Cui, 37, working on a set of curtains at her boss' shop, Sin Yick Seng Bamboo Chick Centre, a blinds and curtains maker.

Rental rates per month in Yong Siak Street have more than doubled from $2.70 per sq ft (psf) in mid-2011 to $6.20 psf in the same period this year, said Mr Nicholas Mak, SLP International's head of research and consultancy.

"With new condominiums springing up in the vicinity and nearby estates such as Redhill, rents are soaring and landlords will try to take advantage of the growing interest in Tiong Bahru," he said.

The rising rates might ironically drive out some of the first wave of newer establishments such as Books Actually. Its co-owner Kenny Leck, 35, said the store, which pays $8,000 in rent, will not stay if the landlord goes ahead with his plan to jack it up by another $6,000 or so once the rental contract is up in early 2015.

"It will be hard to sustain a bookshop at that new rental. It will be a pity because we have become friends with many of the residents here," he said.

On the part of the authorities, there is an urgency to better manage the mix of businesses in the 77-year-old conservation estate which attracts Singaporeans and expatriates from all corners of the island, as well as tourists.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority, which manages the private shophouses in Yong Siak Street and other nearby areas, and the HDB, which takes care of 64 commercial properties in the area, are keeping a tighter lid on eateries hoping to set up shop there because of concerns raised by residents.

This year alone, four applications to turn shop premises into eateries were rejected.

This comes after residents complained about loud music from some of the establishments and the rowdy - and often drunk - patrons who would spill over to other streets and leave a messy trail of cigarettes and alcohol bottles on weekends.

The situation has improved somewhat after some Yong Siak Street residents banded together to give feedback to the authorities.

Still, residents have different opinions about the recent transformation of the street from its sleepy past.

Housewife G. Devaki, 47, said she misses the old Yong Siak Street, where it used to be "very conducive for children to study and was just a regular residential neighbourhood".

But retired hairstylist Annie Cho, 65, who lives at Block 78, said that while the occasional rowdy groups are a source of annoyance for the residents, she believes the changes are for the better. "I like how some of the nice book shops and cafes create a pleasant atmosphere in the neighbourhood.

"It's very different from the past when it used to be a very ugly street and nobody wanted to live here - just the elderly," she said in Mandarin, adding that many Yong Siak apartments used to be occupied by bar girls and prostitutes.

Some of the shops there are also aware of their responsibility to residents. "We remind all our customers that they are dining in a residential area whenever we sit them outside the cafe. We also close shop at 10pm instead of midnight as our licence permits," said Ms Michelle Lingo, 27, supervisor of PoTeaTo.

Mrs Vanessa Kenchington, 29, the chef-owner of Plain Vanilla Bakery, said businesses have the responsibility to bond with their community, not "merely take advantage of the area's hip and cool quality".

"We are here to grow with the neighbourhood and build relationships. As business owners, we have to be aware of the environment around us - we are the guests and we don't want to be a nuisance," she said.

Designer Ella Zheng, 27, who works in the area, believes this balance of needs between the two groups can be achieved. She said some shop owners carefully curate their space to cater to the growing number of Singaporeans interested in "style, design and culture".

Cultural geographer Lily Kong from the National University of Singapore said some of the new tenants appreciate the historical and economic value of the vicinity.

Although the commercialisation of Yong Siak Street may be viewed by some as "adulterating the authentic", Professor Kong said these new establishments help keep the memories of its past alive, as elderly residents pass on and older businesses pull down their shutters.

"Some of the new tenants along Yong Siak Street are actually very interested in history and heritage, both as a source of identity and distinctiveness, and as a commercial opportunity."
 melodyz@sph.com.sg

The Straits Times : Govt keeps lid on eateries in Tiong Bahru

The Straits Times
By Melody Zaccheus
12th November 2013

4 applications to turn shop area to eateries rejected in 2013

A TIGHT lid is being kept on eateries hoping to set up shop at the 77-year-old Tiong Bahru conservation estate, after residents complained about noise, traffic and fewer shopping options.

The Housing Board (HDB) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) told The Straits Times that this year alone they have rejected four applications to turn shop premises there into eateries.

The Dough and Grains bakery, which set up a tapas bar and restaurant at the back of the shop in July after getting a snack bar licence from the National Environment Agency, was one of those whose requests to change the use of their premises was rejected.

The owners have been given a grace period to change HDB's mind.

Mr Khoo Chee Wee (above), 40, a co-owner of Dough and Grains, which is among those whose requests to turn their shop premises into eateries were rejected. -- ST PHOTOS: LIM SIN THAI, KUA CHEE SIONG

An e-mail from the HDB in May explaining its decision said residents had given feedback on the "noise, smell, nuisance and traffic congestion" already caused by existing eateries, and that there was "no shortage of eating establishments in the vicinity".

The HDB told The Straits Times that it takes into account residents' feedback and needs when evaluating whether to grant such change-of-use requests.

This will help ensure a better mix of shops and services for residents of the pre-war estate, with mom-and-pop businesses such as hair salons, textile shops, coffee shops and medical halls having made way for 13 new cafes, bakeries and eateries in the past three years.

The estate is now left with a sundry store, two convenience stores, a tailor, two hardware shops, a Chinese medical shop, two clinics, an optical shop and 10 coffee shops.

Residents said that the changes have come too fast, leaving them with fewer amenities within walking distance.

Retiree Alex Lee, who has lived in the estate since the 1950s, said it is unfortunate that just one provision shop - as opposed to the 10 that used to line the estate in the 1960s - is left.

"As we age, it is harder to venture farther out and take a bus to get the provisions we need," said the 72-year-old.

Bounded by Seng Poh Road, Outram Road and Tiong Poh Road, the estate has 64 HDB commercial properties, out of which 48 have been sold and the rest rented out.

The URA oversees the private shophouses located along Yong Siak Street, the southern part of Eng Hoon Street and Tiong Bahru Road.

A seven-member residential task force, set up by MP Indranee Rajah in February to address problems such as illegal parking and noise pollution, told The Straits Times that it has also received some complaints of bar patrons smoking and laughing loudly along Yong Siak Street.
 

Residents said changes in Tiong Bahru estate (above) have come too fast, leaving them with fewer amenities within walking distance. -- ST PHOTOS: LIM SIN THAI, KUA CHEE SIONG

The task force is therefore working to encourage businesses to be more "community-minded to create a cohesive environment in the estate", said its chairman Chris Hooi. It helps too that the authorities have been very strict about giving out licences, he added.

Ms Indranee said the other objective is to help the estate retain its charm.

"We allow establishments to come in if they provide something unique to the neighbourhood but there's no one-size-fits-all solution."

melodyz@sph.com.sg