| Title | : | Squatters into Citizens: The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 9971696452 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9789971696450 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 330 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2013 |
Loh Kah Seng grew up in one-room rental flats in the HDB estate built after the fire. Drawing on oral history interviews, official records and media reports, he describes daily life in squatter communities and how people coped with the hazard posed by fires. His examination of the catastrophic events of 25 May 1961 and the steps taken by the new government of the People's Action Party in response to the disaster show the immediate consequences of the fire and how relocation to public housing changed the people's lives. Through a narrative that is both vivid and subtle, the book explores the nature of memory and probes beneath the hard surfaces of modern Singapore to understand the everyday life of the people who live in the city.
Squatters into Citizens: The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore Reviews
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Loh Kah Seng wrote an excellent book mapping the tensions between the people living in kampongs in Singapore and the state's attempts at rehousing them in "modern" housing, dispelling the official historical narrative that people accepted HDB flats readily in the name of progress. Rather than a readily acceptance, this acceptance was gradual process, and even then there were instances of resistance against the PAP for its attempt to rehouse the "squatters". Through this book, Loh Kah Seng manages to show a different side to public housing in Singapore, producing an alternative historical narrative that is worth considering against the historical dominant narrative.
Through analyzing how the colonial government attempted to rehouse "squatters" and connecting it to how PAP adapted the colonial government methods to its benefits, there is a clear picture of how public housing policy was rooted in colonial government practice and improved upon in specific historical context. That was how Bukit Ho Swee fire capitalized upon to push the public housing policy forward.
I enjoyed how Loh Kah Seng also utilized oral history to comment on the social memory of Singapore and how that represents the tension between the older generation Singaporeans with the state and its idea of modernity. He especially touched upon the rumors of arson to the kampongs and how that reflected the distrust of the people towards the state during the period of Kampong clearance. But more than that, the endurance of such rumors in conjunction with the belief of the good in public housing also reflects the "ambivalence" between citizens and state. This shows a much more complex story about the relationship between citizens and state, rather than citizens solely following the state. In other words, Loh Kah Seng fleshes out the autonomy of the people in this book, which is one of the highlight points in this historical work (there are also many other instances where he highlights this autonomy).
I especially liked the chapter where he details how even though there is a historical dominant narrative of progress regarding public housing and how it benefits Singaporeans overall, there are those who didn't benefit from it, who still remain in the rental one-room flats and struggle with the authorities for their daily lives. Loh Kah Seng really fleshes out these people and their lives, once again showing a more complicated story to the effect of public housing on the people of Singapore.
I'll leave a quote by Loh Kah Seng to show why this book, in my opinion, is really worth reading:
"As Howard Zinn wrote in his 'A People's History of the United States', local pasts may not exactly correspond with the claims of those preoccupied with the unity of the nation. Yet a nation is richer and more resilient if it can acknowledge events such as the Bukit Ho Swee fire that expose historical and continuing social fissures and tensions. Such a mature nation is reflective, self-aware and more inclusive."
Perhaps it is time to move beyond the idea of single, "right" narrative of history and acknowledge the different narrative experiences by different parties. Rather than dismissing contentious issues and conflicts as "sensitive" and potentially "divisive" for society, it is worth examining them for a better, more resilient nation. -
The Bukit Ho Swee fire has always been told as a key event in Singapore’s successful public housing story. Loh uncovers multiple narratives and histories to show a more nuanced picture. The imposition of modernity did not entirely erase the kampung culture of the past, as people eventually learned to adapt, but significant elements were lost. Self-help groups and local associations and organisations faced pushback and were eventually replaced by the state, thus contributing to the lack of “kampung spirit” bemoaned today.
