Extend conservation to Seletar, Jalan Kayu area

Source : Straits Times - 8 Oct 2008

I REFER to last Saturday’s report ‘Twelve iconic structures’. It is good news to read that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is extending its conservation efforts beyond buildings to include structures, places and landmarks that are reminders of our past. It is hoped that other organisations will take its cue.

The National Heritage Board, as part of its plan to expend $8 million on heritage projects, should consider including the development of the former Seletar Airbase area and the adjacent Jalan Kayu precinct as one of its priorities.

The $60 million master plan of the Economic Development Board and JTC Corporation to upgrade Seletar Airport to an aerospace park will be completed by 2018. It will be the size of 100 football fields, home to aerospace companies.

The area currently has a tranquil country charm with abundant bird life, quaint black-and-white homes and a historical military past. The first Singapore British naval and air bases were in Seletar. Starting from 1927, mangrove swamps were filled in, rubber trees cut down and some hills removed. The work was completed in the early 1930s and the area became the first Royal Air Force base east of India and the first civilian airport in Singapore. It welcomed famous personalities like aviator Amy Johnson and British actor-director Noel Coward, and saw the development of the first commercial airmail and passenger services in Singapore and Malaya.

With such a proud history, it is hoped that this area will be designated a heritage site.

There is a guard house at the entrance to the airbase and an adjacent administration building which should be refurbished and preserved. The building with its colonial military fa?ade could be turned into a mini museum to house memorabilia of the airbase.

Nearby ‘village town’ Jalan Kayu, once noted for its papa and mama shops, eateries serving delicious fish and chips and other western cuisine, a few bars and its famed roti prata, was the favourite haunt of the hundreds of British families living in the airbase and in the surrounds of Seletar Hills. Pasar Malams were also a popular frequent event in Jalan Kayu.

The heritage of the airbase and Jalan Kayu must not be lost to future generations. By designating it a heritage site - and with further enrichment by the relevant authorities - its rich colourful history could be preserved for posterity.

George Pasqual