My Clementi Heritage Tour

In 1975, the largest redevelopment project in Clementi had started: the construction of Clementi New Town. Most of the area currently occupied by the New Town was once a military installation called ‘Colombo Camp’ that stationed the Singapore Guard Regiment. When the regiment disbanded in November 1971, the camp was left to stand for a few more years before it was cleared and demolished in 1975. Once Colombo Camp had been demolished, Clementi New Town as we know it today began to take shape. From 1975 to 1979, the new town was built on the plot of land where the camp stood before. As Singapore’s eight New Town developed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), it was planned to become a self-sustaining residential town that could provide its residents with adequate amenities and services with job opportunities to meet various social and economic needs. To make place for the 408-hectare New Town with both private and public housing (mostly high-rise development) HDB uprooted and relocated around 800 affected villagers from surrounding kampongs. As the landscape was quite swampy, HDB also had to expand the useable area by taking earth from Clementi’s northern area and use that to fill in the terrains unevenness due to the sunken swamps. Today, Clementi New Town forms the main residential component in the Clementi planning area.

At the heart of the New Town is Clementi Town Centre. It is conveniently located near the Clementi Bus Interchange and the Clementi MRT Station (opened in March 1988), and easily accessible through the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and Commonwealth Avenue West. Serving the entire town population, the town centre, at its completion, offered a wide range of facilities such as hawker centres, a wet market, a library and two cinemas to provide convenience and recreation for its residents. Initially, all the HDB flats situated in the town centre are low-rise buildings not exceeding four storeys high; most of them include retail shops and kopitiams at the first levels. Besides this, it was also well-equipped with amenities such as the Clementi Swimming Complex, Clementi Sports Hall, HDB Branch, Clementi Polyclinic, West Coast Town Council, and schools to serve residents. In March 1980,

Emporium Holdings opened a total of ten large departmental stores and restaurants around Singapore at the same time. One of the Emporium branches was established at the Town Centre in Clementi. The success of Emporium would last until the late eighties.

By the mid-2000s, plans were made to redevelop the then aging town centre. Subsequently, blocks 444 (which housed the West Coast Town Council) and 445 were put on the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) list in 2005. Shortly after, the Clementi Bus Interchange, operating since November 1980, had long been deemed too small and cramped, and frequently flooded during rainy weather, was closed down and shifted to a temporary location along Commonwealth Avenue West for a period of five years, during which the old interchange was demolished to make way for the new air-conditioned integrated Public Transport Hub at Clementi MRT station, in 2011. As part of this, a new five-storey retail and entertainment complex was constructed there too that year, The Clementi Mall. This was the second mall to be built in the town centre. Adjacent to The Clementi Mall, the old 4-storey block 445 was demolished and on is place came a new 40-storey apartment flat (Clementi Towers), constructed in 2011.

The Clementi Mall was the second mall to have been built in the Town Centre. The first one was CityVibe (now called Grantral Mall), which opened in 2008, on the location of one of the two old and iconic cinemas: Commonwealth Theatre. This iconic pink cuboid-shaped building stood next to Clementi MRT Station, and in front of it was a huge stepped fountain, flowing its water between blocks 442 and 449. In place of the old fountain, a smaller one now serves as a tribute to the older fountain. The second iconic cinema in the Town Centre was Empress Cineplex. Opened in 1975, this cinema was operated by Eng Wah (now known as WE Cinemas). It closed down in July 2006 and was demolished in 2011. In 2015, in its place, came a new retail and cineplex complex managed by WE Cinemas, and called 321 Clementi, which became the third mall in Clementi.

Another iconic element of the Town Centre was the children’s playground, one of the last sand-based animal-themed playgrounds in Singapore designed by HDB prior to the 1990s. Different from other old sand-based playgrounds, the one in Clementi Town Centre was small and simple and its sparrow-shaped playground did not have fancy swings, seesaws or merry-go-rounds, due to the limited space when it was constructed. Opposite the playground was the Clementi Book Store, a popular place where residents used to buy a wide range of stationary and books. Both were demolished in 2014.

The Clementi Bus Interchange operated since November 1980, but had soon been deemed too small and cramped, and was frequently flooded during rainy weather. Around 2005, it was closed down and shifted to a temporary location along Commonwealth Avenue West for a period of five years, during which the old terminus was demolished to make way for the new air-conditioned bus interchange, integrated with the Public Transport Hub at Clementi MRT station, in 2011. The new Clementi Bus Interchange had a different system, serving passengers along multiple lanes dedicated to specific bus numbers to improve efficiency.Part of this integrated development, also saw the realisation of a new five-storey retail and entertainment complex, The Clementi Mall and a new 40-storey apartment flat (Clementi Towers), for which the old 4-storey block 445 had been demolished.

Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre is a single-storey hawker centre, built in 1980 as part of the Clementi New Town redevelopment to serve the growing residential community in the area, and is located in the heart of the Town Centre, between the Clementi Avenue 3 and Commonwealth Avenue West. At the time it was the third centre to be built in Clementi estate after two others had been built in June 1978 and November 1979. The construction of Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre came at a cost of $1 million. It housed a total of 156 stalls, of which 51 were designated as cooked food stalls, 15 lock-up stalls, and 90 market stalls. With this it offers a wide variety of cooked and uncooked food, and is up till today a popular place among residents.

Till today, Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre is a popular hawker center known for its diverse array of local food stalls. Among its renowned hawker stalls, some have been around since the market & food centre opened in 1980, such as Fong’s Dee Curry Puff, Kee Hock Beef Hor Fun, and Fried Carrot Cake.

Empress Cineplex opened in 1975. This movie theatre, or cinema, was operated by Eng Wah, who was a pioneer in Singapore’s film industry (now known as WE Cinemas). In 1993, the cinema was given a revamp, with the theatre being upgraded into three halls named Empress 1, 2 and 3. It housed a KFC outlet and an arcade known as Wywy Wonderspace. All of these closed down in July 2006, and was abandoned for several years. Demolition works started in the second half of 2011, and 321 Clementi, a new 6-storey multiplex cinema, with several restaurants, cafes and a rooftop playground, managed by WE Cinemas, was opened in 2015.

Clementi Stadium, opened in 1983, is a multi-purpose stadium in Clementi, Singapore, with a seating capacity of 4,000. It is managed by Sport Singapore. The stadium features a grass football pitch, an 8-lane running track, and partial athletic facilities. Joggers frequently use the track, as Sport Singapore allows public access.

Despite being one of the older facilities, Clementi Stadium has continued to evolve, introducing amateur boxing to engage working adults and rekindle interest in the sport. The stadium was once home to the Clementi Khalsa football club, which was formed to represent Singapore’s Sikh community, and joined the S.League, before the team merged with Balestier Central and left the stadium at the end of 2002.

Clementi Stadium will be redeveloped along with the vacant site of the former West Coast Recreation Centre, according to the Minister for National Development. Scheduled for completion by 2030, the new stadium will include softball and baseball fields, a running track, and other sports facilities, as well as opportunities for the public to learn various sports.

Block 328 Clementi Avenue 2 is a HDB block located in Clementi HDB Estate. Completed in 1978, it comprises a total of 54 units. This block has become famous for the many aquarium shops it holds. Besides aquariums such as That Aquarium, Arowana Avenue, Polyart Aquarium and LFS Aquarium, the Clementi Florist and Aquarium Shop, is a familiar place for aquarium hobbyists. The shop, also known colloquially as C328 or Clementi 328, has been around for three decades.

The history of this mosque dates back to 15 July 1979, when a meeting of several Clementi residents, led by the late Hj Ismail Rahmat, resulted in the formation of a special 21-member committee that mandated the construction of a new mosque in he neighbourhood. The name Darussalam, which in Arabic means House of Peace, was proposed by Hj Noordin Suhood, a member of the special committee, and eventually received the approval of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura). A Mosque Building Fund was granted to the special committee, and six years after the committee’s formation, the yet to be built mosque was allocated its site by the Government on a plot of land between Block 365 and 366 Clementi Avenue 2. Building construction began in September 1985, when the foundation stone was laid during a simple ground breaking ceremony officiated by Hj Abbas Abu Amin. In December 1988, Darussalam Mosque was officially opened and hosted its first Friday prayer, led by the then Mufti Syed Isa Semait. The overall building came at a cost of S$3.2 million, and throughout its construction period, another special committee that comprised of professionals in architecture, engineering, designing and auditing carefully executed the mosque’s design and architecture, resulting in tis unique flat cuboid-like structure. It can accommodate up to 3000 congregants.

The market centre at Clementi Avenue 2 holds quite a number of well-established TCM shops.

Pandan Valley is a condominium complex, situated on a hilly landscaped site along Ulu Pandan Road. It was a result of the government’s new housing policy introduced in 1972 to make more efficient use of land. The policy encouraged the development of high-density condominiums with shared amenities rather than the then common low-density housing like landed properties, and led to the development of high-rise private apartments that expanded from the city centre to Singapore’s rural suburbs.

Developed by DBS Realty, a medium-sized real estate organization and subsidiary of the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), Pandan Valley sought to provide private housing to middle-income families at prices comparable to those of public housing. Sales of units began in 1977 with prices ranging from S$85,000 for 113 square metres apartments to S$280,000 for 324 square metres penthouses. Upon completion in 1978, it was one of the first and largest condominium projects in Singapore.

In architectural terms, it was a highly ambitious project that would introduce Singaporeans to a brand-new way of living. Designed by the local architect Tan Cheng Siong from Archynamics Architects, the compound comprised of seven distinctively designed blocks organised into three block types: step, slab and tower, encompassing a total of 605 residential units. Since a key aspect of the condominium policy was the planning and design of open spaces and common facilities, the architect led himself be inspired by terrace houses, semi-detached houses and standalone bungalows, and aimed to design the residential units in such a way that they could invoke the feel of landed houses within a green environment. Since Pandan Valley was designed around the notion of communal living the architect sought to create a safe and pedestrian-friendly landscaped space, carefully planned around the site’s undulating topography, and by retaining the natural valley at the centre as a part of the landscape, would encourage interaction among residents. Around 12 out of the 20 acres of the site comprise of open green spaces, and the whole compound is free from traffic and provides a range of amenities, besides retail shops, eateries and educational centres, also include a swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, jogging tracks, and landscaped gardens with a lake.

In 1997, Pandan Valley underwent a large-scale S5 million renovation to improve the overall quality of the condominium. Among this was the transformation of the swimming pool into a resort-style 26-metres pool complex, complete with a large children’s pool. Jacuzzi, waterfall, entertainment area and pavilion. The renovation also included improvements to the lift interiors and lobbies, common areas, and the compound’s green landscapes to enhance the living experience of its residents.

Leading up to the Second World War Clementi area became heavily militarised. One major military camp was Mowbray Camp (currently KINS police camp), strategically situated at the intersection of Ulu Pandan Road and Clementi Road and located on a high slope overlooking a wide area. The camp formed part of the British Military infrastructure and railway transport system, and during the war Mowbray Camp was a gun detachment of the Buona Vista Gun Battery. This gun battery detachment was responsible for the defence of the western section of Singapore, until the Japanese finally captured it. The original camp terrains were much larger than today, covering about 11 hectares, that is the size of around 15 football fields. Part of the Clementi Road, once fell within the military compound before it was acquired for road widening in the 1950s. After the war, the 1950-1960s saw more military camps being established in the area to house units of the Gurkha Contingent and the 1st Singapore Infantry Regiment. Mowbray Camp in particular became the home of the British Army Guard Unit and the Gurkha Dog Company. From Mowbray Camp, armed guards and dogs were dispatched to various British Army camps and bases for duties. Between 1971 and 1974, Mowbray Camp was used by ANZUK, which was a tripartite force formed by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to defend the Asian Pacific region, after the British Military withdrew. After the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) took over in 1974, the camp became the homebase for the SAF Provost Unit (SAFPU). The SAF also shared the facility with the Singapore Police Force (Police Dog Unit) before it vacated the camp and moved to a new camp along Choa Chu Kang Way in the early 2000s. The name Mowbray Camp now refers to the new camp and the road along it is located. The old camp terrains along Ulu Pandan Road have since been used as training camp for the KINS Police, now housing the Protective Security Command (ProCom).

Opposite the camp, at the junction of Ulu Pandan Road and Clementi Road, was located the Ulu Pandan Bus Terminal between 1971 and 1987. It served for the bus lines 61 and 188. The terminal ceased its operation in the late eighties, after which it had been converted into a fish restaurant.

A Reformatory School for the reformation of youthful male offenders opened in February 1901. It fell under the control of the Inspector of School from the Straits Settlements, and was the only reformatory in Malaya. Given the increasing numbers in robbery, theft and petty crimes such as stealing of personal belongings, it was a useful and necessary institution. Throughout the first half of the 20^th century numerous youthful male offenders, mostly teenagers and even young boys, have been reportedly sent to the Reformatory to undergo their punishments. In 1901, the year of its establishment, 45 boys were committed to the place, and 50 more boys were received a year later. Even though the boys’ crimes were sometimes petty in nature, their punishments were quite harsh.

The purpose of the Reformatory is to reform boys’ conduct and provide them both with training in a variety of practical industries, and daily school programmes where they learn the ordinary elementary subjects. The various practical industries included vegetables gardening, grass cutting, carpentry, dhobi (washing and laundry), cooking, tin forging and tailoring. Boys were also sent to aid in the construction of new roads in Singapore. And there was also rubber tapping as an industry since the Reformatory had a rubber plantation of about ten acres.

During the Japanese Occupation the school buildings were used as an internment camp for Allied prisoners of war. On 21 June 1947, the school was returned to its original reformatory purpose. However, now under the control of the government’s Social Welfare Department, it was gazetted as an approved school and came to function less as a penitentiary in which the boys were treated as prisoners, and more as a boarding school with a more constructive system of correction where boys are no longer being caned and where they receive payment for their labour. With this change, it was emphasised by the Youth Welfare Section of the Social Welfare Department that all reference to reformatory will be wiped out in the school: ‘’We want to eradicate the prison atmosphere of the whole place.’’ Subsequently the school was renamed into Bukit Timah Boys’ Home.

In 1952 the Bukit Timah Boys’ Home was again renamed, now into Gimson School For Boys, after then Governor of Singapore, Sir Franklin Charles Gimson (1890-1975). The reason behind this renaming was that there was a certain amount of confusion between Boys’ Town on Bukit Timah Road and the Bukit Timah Boys’ School on Clementi Road. In 1971, an additional section was built, called the Singapore Boys’ Home B for younger offenders who committed less serious offences. A year later both sections were renamed the Singapore Boys’ Home. The home was relocated to a new complex in Jurong in 1999.

The Van Kleef Aquatic Science Centre is a water research facility situated along the embankment of the Sungei Ulu Pandan. This facility, home to the NUS Aquatic Science Centre, is managed by a Singapore-Dutch water alliance. The roof design needed to be visually appealing due to its high visibility and highly functional for rainwater harvesting. Therefore the roof sheets have been shaped to channel rainwater and to guide the water into underground storage tanks. The roof’s geometry also helps disperse trapped heat, making it more efficient.

The centre received its name in 2013, when Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, along with the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima, visited the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance (SDWA) and NUSDeltares on 25 January during her first state visit to Singapore. During this visit, the National University of Singapore renamed its water research facility the ‘Van Kleef Centre’ to honour Dutch benefactor Karel Willem Benjamin van Kleef, a businessman who lived in Singapore from the late 19^th to the early 20^th century. He was a broker, commission agent, and an expert in mine drilling. When he passed away in 1930, he left the net proceeds of his estates, valued at around $160,000, to the municipal government of Singapore for the improvement and development of the city. Part of this was used for the construction of the Van Kleef Aquarium, which was Singapore’s first public aquarium. Located at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, the aquarium was opened in 1955. When the aquarium closed in 1996 and the building structure demolished in 1998, there was no memorial anymore to Mr Van Kleef’s generous gift to the people of Singapore. The renaming of the Van Kleef Aquatic Science Centre was thus done in tribute to Mr Karel Willem Benjamin van Kleef.

An iconic landmark in Clementi is the steel truss railway bridge crossing the Ulu Pandan river. It was once part of the Jurong KTMB Railway Line, of which construction of the railway began in 1963, with the first train running in 1966. The Jurong section of the railway stretched a total of 12 miles (19 km) from Bukit Timah Railway Station to the Jurong industrial estate, and was constructed to facilitate the transportation of manufactured products from Jurong to Malaysia, and raw materials from Malaysia to Jurong. The line consisted of a 9 miles (14 km) main line and three branches. The line’s utility was limited by Singapore’s separation from Malaysia in 1965, and after having been in use for around four decades the line eventually closed in the early 1990s.

The railway tunnel under Clementi Road. This tunnel, together with another tunnel under the Teban Flyover, were two of three tunnels built as part of the industrial railway line in the early 1960s.

Sunset Way Neighbourhood Centre, located at the junction of Clementi Road and Sunset Way, is a quiet, family-oriented neighbourhood known for its relaxed and uncommercialised atmosphere. While it has seen some changes, like the introduction of new cafes and eateries, it remains a place where long-standing businesses and residents appreciate its peaceful, green environment. Despite efforts to turn it into a bustling dining spot, Sunset Way retains its laid-back charm, attracting mainly locals and those who enjoy its serene setting. The area has minimal traffic and maintains a close-knit community feel, with residents valuing its tranquility and the friendly, familiar vibe.

One of old places is Balmoral Bakery, which was founded in 1965 as a streetside stall in Chip Bee Gardens. In 1985, in line with Singapore’s clean-up of its streets, Balmoral Bakery relocated to Sunset Way in Clementi, and up till today still creates the long-time traditional Eurasian pastries.