Hip Replacement

The Sunday Times (Life!)
March 24, 2007

Hip replacement
By Tay Suan Chiang

IT MAY have had a $50,000 makeover to give its interior the sleek lines of contemporary living, but this 60-year-old flat at Tiong Bahru has retained its heart - in more ways than one.

Some original touches have been kept, such as the cabinet doors in the kitchen, which were sanded down and repainted.

There's also an original built-in mosaic window seat that runs along the length of the living room. The owners and friends enjoy watching the bustle of trendy Tiong Bahru from it.

The owners, a young working couple who declined to be named, faced quite a challenge when they bought the flat.

It wasn't fit to be lived in, they recall of the 925 sq ft flat bought 11/2 years ago

Indeed, the four flights of stairs leading up to it still look every one of their six decades in age.

But step inside, and shabby becomes chic.

While the facade is old, the owners, who moved in last month, said: 'We decided that retro wasn't us and we wouldn't be able to live with it in the long run.'

Major work had to be done, the first of which was the flooring. The flat's old tiles were removed and in their place is cement flooring. As well as giving an edgy, urban vibe, the owners say it is more affordable and easy to maintain.

Small but cosy

The flat also had two bedrooms at the front that have been converted into a bigger living area. A third bedroom nearer the entrance of the flat is now the couple's bedroom.

While the pair love the flat's convenient location, they say there is a downside to living there.

'Space is a real challenge; it is just right for two of us and our small dog,' he says.

So when it comes to buying items for the home, they have to think twice. 'Everything must be small and compact.'


SPACED OUT: To enlarge the living and dining areas, two bedrooms at the front of the house were knocked down. -- LIM WUI LIANG





DOUBLE DUTY: The home owners opted for a horizontal commercial fridge which could also act as a counter top. -- LIM WUI LIANG







AS GOOD AS NEW: An old-style calendar hangs from a restored door of a kitchen cabinet. -- LIM WUI LIANG






TREASURE: A mosaic-tiled seat by the living room window was retained in its original condition, offering visitors a bird's eye view of Tiong Bahru. -- LIM WUI LIANG



JUNK FIND: The grilles with heart-shaped patterns were taken from the home owner's former neighbour in Braddell who had thrown it out during his renovation works. -- LIM WUI LIANG








CLEAN LOOK: White is the predominant colour scheme in the house. -- LIM WUI LIANG

中峇鲁是公屋史重要起步

Click on the article for the enlarged version

How old are the Tiong Bahru Properties

The lease of most Tiong Bahru Pre-War Conserved flats start between 1st Jan 1965 to 1967.
(The Singapore Government started selling the units to the individual owners from 1965 onward)

As at 1st January 2005, the lease remaining for this area is less than 60 years.

Do take note of how this will impact your CPF withdrawal limits and your bank loans when making an offer for these properties.

YOUR AGE WILL ALSO DETERMINED THE CPF WITHDRAWAL LIMITS.

The lease for the HDB side starts from 1st Jan 1973.

The rule will affect those who will be using bank loans to finance their purchase from 1st Jan 2013 onwards.

Those who are eligible for the HDB loans are not affected by this ruling.

The New Tiong Bahru Market

Tiong Bahru Market
Seng Poh Road

This 50-year-old stalwart is home to some of the best (and cheapest) hawker food.You'll hear locals wax lyrical about the offerings here, as they travel from every corner of the island to indulge in Tiong Bahru's fine fare. Before its renovation, takeaways were the best way to enjoy Tiong Bahru's food without having to endure its torturous cramped and stuffy quarters.

After a SGD 16.8 mil face-lift, the new and improved Tiong Bahru market opened earlier this year and is almost unrecognisable compared to its old incarnation - a cramped and poorly ventilated one-storey premise. All 83 hawker stalls reside on the second storey of the three-storey centre (the first storey houses the wet market and retail stalls) and there are 1,440 seats, almost three times as many. And while finding a nearby parking spot used to be a nightmare, a roof-top car park now offers 120 lots on location. Old-timers can take comfort in the fact that not everything has changed; all the Tiong Bahru favourites, including chwee kuay, pig's organ soup, pau, fried kway teow and roasted meats, are still keeping the masses happy.


Article Extracted from www.visitsingapore.com

Tiong Bahru Market Opens this Saturday

NEA PRESS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE NO: 49/2006

DATE OF ISSUE: 13 NOV 2006

The iconic Tiong Bahru Market reopened for business on 1 June 2006 at its original location after undergoing upgrading works by the National Environment Agency’s Hawker Centres

Upgrading Programme (HUP) at the cost of $17m.

The 2-storey building which exudes an old world charm, has a roof top car park and consolidates three smaller buildings into one, namely the old Tiong Bahru Market, Blk 84 (a block of HDB shops) and 84A (HDB's hawker centre) Lim Liak Street. It is, to date, the largest market to be upgraded under HUP.

Located next to the Tiong Bahru conservation area, the design of the new Tiong Bahru Market draws its inspiration from the art deco-style architecture. The employment of concrete ledges, rounded corner treatment and circular columns all echo the characteristics of such architecture. The facade and massing treatment are also in line with the nearby SIT (Singapore Improvement Trust) flats built in the 1950s. Though the rebuilt market's height has been capped by URA so as to blend in with the flats, NEA still managed to provide a generous expanse of ceiling height in this centre that houses some of Singapore's tastiest hawker treats. Further evidence of the old world charm of this place are the two staircases in the internal courtyard, which had been carefully modeled after the designs found in the SIT flats.

The market layout offers easy access for pedestrians. The centre fronts Seng Poh Road and Lim Liak Street with multiple entry points. Additionally, a newly created pedestrian mall is carved out of the former Kim Cheng Street. A formal entrance foyer, which houses escalators and lifts to the food centre, marks the junction of Seng Poh Road and Lim Liak Street. An existing old tree has also been preserved at this junction.

around a central landscaped courtyard, market stalls are distributed on the 1st storey while cooked food stalls line the peripheries on the 2nd storey. There is easy access between the two levels via two escalators, two lifts and 8 staircases.

naturally ventilated, the market incorporates a new mechanical exhaust system for the cooked food stalls. Columns within the dining areas are expressed like “mushrooms” and the ceiling around them glows at night. Due to the large number of stalls, the dining areas are divided into 3 zones, each having a distinctive colour scheme. There is also an area for al fresco dining, which brings back memories of the old food centre.

rooftop carpark has a total of 119 parking lots and it has direct access to the market via lifts and staircase. The landscaping on the roof has been given a soft touch with plants and trellises. The market also offers conveniences such as ATMs and an AXS machine. Elderly and handicapped-friendly facilities such as escalators and lifts, and toilets are both elderly and disabled-friendly, in addition to having diaper-changing rooms.

revamped market will be declared open by Assoc Prof. Koo Tsai Kee, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC this Saturday morning. There will be a flea market and live performances at the market from 9am to 12pm to commemorate this special occasion.
~~ The End ~~

中峇鲁，拐个弯就是一道风景

没有到过中峇鲁，你很难想像繁忙的城市里还有这么一片清凉之地。

它范围不大，小小的住宅区里都是战前的旧式组屋，空气里弥散着一种悠闲的味道，偶尔会看到有人走过，但多数时候看到的只是趴在墙角的懒洋洋的猫。

一个地方的气质跟历史的厚度有关。

中峇鲁发展于1936年，是英殖民政府兴建的第一批公共住屋，经历了战火，仍然完整地保存下来。 2003年，政府宣布中峇鲁为保留区，它与众不同的建筑外观，它的一砖一瓦，将永久成为我们历史遗产的一部分。

中峇鲁是繁忙市区的一片清凉之地，空气弥散着一种悠闲的味道。

看到、听到、嗅到生活
老区的房子，连一楼都住满了一户户的人家，黄昏时分从他们的门前走过，生活，可以看到、听到、嗅到。

中峇鲁从很久以前就是一个令人垂涎的地方，咖啡店、菜馆、餐厅、煮炒店，加起来超过15家，镇中心的巴刹与熟食中心远近驰名，翻新以后，很不幸的变得格格不入，反而成了区内最煞风景的地方。

每一条街都是一部人物史
中峇鲁一带都是蜿蜒的小路，转一个弯就是一道风景。

从中峇鲁路转进忠坡路（Tiong Poh Road），包括英云街（Eng Hoon Street）、林烈街（Lim Liak Street）、成保路（Seng Poh Road）、成保巷（Seng Poh Lane）、永发街（Eng Watt Street）、齐贤街（Chay Yan Street）、永锡街（Yong Siak Street）、茂源台（Moh Guan Terrace）、源全街（Guan Chuan Street）、有进街（Eu Chin Street）、金榜路（Kim Pong Road），都构成中峇鲁的命脉。

根据《南洋年鉴》和《南洋历史》记载，这些路名都是为纪念19世纪华社名人而取的。如金榜路是为纪念大慈善家刘金榜，有进街是为纪念义安公司的主要创始人佘有进，忠坡路是为纪念福建籍富商邱忠坡，齐贤街则是纪念陈笃生的孙子陈齐贤。他是新马橡胶业的开路先锋，最早把树胶作为园丘式经营。每一条街都是一部人物史。

在中峇鲁，还有百年老庙、古早的咖啡店、50年不变的杂货店和当铺、伤痕累累的防空壕，以及郁达夫在《星洲日报》担任副刊编辑时，曾经住过的房子。

今年底，中峇鲁第53和第54座组屋将改建成酒店，届时，可以想见，这个老区将有另一番风景。


找到中峇鲁的字典
写中峇鲁的故事，最大收获是认识了吴玉桂老先生。

吴玉桂肖猴，今年76岁，是齐天宫的顾问，庙里理事说：“他是第一百零一个老中峇鲁，其他的搬的搬、走的走（故世），现在只剩他一个了，中峇鲁的历史你问他吧，他最清楚。”

吴老先生为人风趣，学养很好，问起我的父母亲，都用令尊令堂。他老当益壮，但不认老，开一辆马赛地轿车，每天还到自己的公司上班。开头我叫他老伯，他作恼怒状，于是我赶紧改口叫他大叔。哈哈。

看着一栋栋房子建起来又看着它们拆除
吴大叔在中峇鲁出世、长大，父亲是齐天宫的乩童，一家人就住在齐天宫楼上。他指着英云路上的老房子说：“我看着它们一栋栋建起来，现在又看着它们一栋栋的拆除重建。”

吴大叔一直住在中峇鲁，间中有段时间搬到乌节一带，不久又搬回老地方，现住在金殿路，跟我算是街坊。

大叔是中峇鲁的“地方领袖”，担任中峇鲁联络所主席有30年之久，现在还是联络所的顾问。

他看尽中峇鲁的变迁，在情感上，一辈子与中峇鲁有着千丝万缕的关系。他说：“中峇鲁以前都是有钱人住的地方，生活起码要在中等以上才有资格住进来。这里住了很多文人，也有很多人在这里包二奶。”

齐天宫斜对面是忠坡路，吴大叔说：“郁达夫当年就住在忠坡路的一个单位。”后来我回报馆查资料，发现记载的是第65座组屋三楼24号。大叔还说，中国大画家刘海粟也住过中峇鲁。

访问第二天早上，约了吴大叔拍照，他知道我想到防空壕看看，慷慨的充当我的车夫，用他的马赛地把我载到茂源台。

茂源台的老房子俗称五层楼，建成一个马蹄形，楼房后面是停车场，废弃已久的防空壕就在楼房后面的底层，面对停车场，大门深锁，并不是我原先所以为的什么秘密通道。要不是吴大叔带路，我恐怕找上一天都找不到。

大叔说，这是英国人设计的老房子，建得铜墙铁壁，坚硬非常，钉子钉不进，大战期间炸弹下来，也只是打穿一个小洞，底层拿来做防空壕最合适不过。

大叔曾经带电视台的摄影队到里面拍摄，被蚊子叮得全身又红又肿，他问：“你想进去吗？可以跟市镇会申请，让他们给你开门。”我想到他的惨痛经历，当然不敢轻举妄动。

<联合早报>（编辑：陈颖佳）

Unesco site? Dirty Tiong Bahru's not ready for that

The Electric New Paper :
Unesco site? Dirty Tiong Bahru's not ready for that

LAST Saturday's edition of The New Paper had a two-page spread that delighted an old Tiong Bahru resident like me. The headline was: 'He wants to put Tiong Bahru on world map'.07 September 2006

LAST Saturday's edition of The New Paper had a two-page spread that delighted an old Tiong Bahru resident like me. The headline was: 'He wants to put Tiong Bahru on world map'.

'He' is Dr Kelvin Tan, president of the Singapore Heritage Society. He wants pre-war Tiong Bahru to be declared a Unesco World Heritage Site alongside the likes of the Great Wall of China and India's Taj Mahal.

Wow! That proposition took my breath away when TNP reporter Ng Tze Yong telephoned me on Friday for my view.

Singapore was, but is no longer, a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. But the expectation is that Singapore will rejoin Unesco. Even if our nation does rejoin, I do not think we should try to get pre-war Tiong Bahru on Unesco's World Heritage list. But if what Dr Tan wishes for does come true, I would be happy - and absolutely astonished!

In Tiong Bahru, there is a pre-war section as well as a post-war section that we oldies of the neighbourhood call the Lim Yew Hock flats. Mr Lim Yew Hock was pre-independence Singapore's second chief minister after Mr David Marshall. The low-rise blocks of flats in the pre-war section, some with street-level shophouses, have a lot of undeniable old-world charm. The architecture is art deco - the 1930s style of rounded outlines and bold colours. The Lim Yew Hock section also has walk-up flats, but these blocks are angular and the shapes standardised.

The pre-war flats have many different configurations. Even long-time residents like me, who moved in before the Japanese occupation of the early 1940s, can be pleasantly surprised when visiting a neighbour, amazed by a very different interior layout.
I live on Tiong Poh Road, in a third-storey three-bedroom flat of 97 sq m. My father bought it in 1967 under the Government's pilot Home Ownership Scheme. The price: $20,250 (repeat: $20,250).

Before we bought it, we paid monthly rent of just over $30.
The 99-year lease will run out in 60 years' time. I will be 128 years old then, assuming I am still alive.

Last Saturday's article in The New Paper quoted me as saying that I would be too ashamed to take a foreign visitor to pre-war Tiong Bahru, charming though its architecture may be.
Some of the streets, Tiong Poh Road included, are messy, there is litter and we see vermin often.

The cleaners work very hard. But obviously, there are not enough litterbins that are big enough.

Some among a transient population do not use the bins, leaving plastic bags of wet and dry rubbish on the sides of streets, even on staircase landings.

People who scavenge for a living take bags out of the bins, open them up, take what they want and leave the rest on the ground.

Cars are parked where they should not be, for instance, near popular eateries in the neighbourhood. The drivers seem to get away scot-free most of the time.

The littering and inconsiderate parking, regretfully, are disturbing signs of declining social values as well as inadequate estate management.

Post-war Tiong Bahru is much cleaner. Pre-war Tiong Bahru, recently declared a conservation area, is trying to tell Singapore: Hey, watch it, we're slipping in some areas when we should not.

The writer is a former editor-in-chief of SPH's English and Malay newspapers division. For feedback, e-mail tnp@sph.com.sg