Our People, Our Ubin: WUJ National Day Message 2019

Hi all,

This post is dedicated to all Singaporeans as we unite together as one to not only just celebrate our nation's 54th birthday on August 9th, 2019, but also to celebrate Singapore's bicentennial year.

Photo courtesy of Majulah Community

What does it mean to be a patriotic Singaporean? 

Is it through the colourful displays of red and white in our neighbourhoods followed by the blasting of evergreen National Day songs? Is it through the need to work hard in our jobs so that Singapore continues to be the best in everything in the world? Well, both of those are actually quite correct as how many Singaporeans might say. But as for me, I believe being a patriotic Singaporean means to look out for one another as a strong closely-knit community.

Over the past year, anyone who have followed WUJ would have known that it has grown so far from just a personal blog filled with my reflections, findings and discoveries to a platform where everyone can contribute back to the community. I am very happy to see that through the initiatives that WUJ have created, we were really able to bring about a positive change and make a difference to the people of Pulau Ubin.

For example, ever since WUJ's first Kampong Clean-Up in January 2019, over 100 volunteers have dedicated their time, sweat and effort to assist over 15 residents in cleaning up 8 houses. We have also witnessed over 5 different organisations, including international schools and local youth volunteer organisations, partnering with WUJ to engage in community service right here on Ubin, too. Through the various clean-ups, we got to see how the burdens were alleviated from the residents' shoulders and how wide their smiles were knowing that there are still people out there who care for them, look out for them, and love them.

Photo courtesy of Majulah Community

Also through the community outreach, volunteers managed to engage with the residents and learned a whole lot more than what they would expect from any usual forest or coastal clean-up. The resident's nostalgic stories, interesting heritage and precious memories would be shared with our participants and volunteers would usually walk away with a renewed sense of pride for their own cultural and national identity as well. Furthermore, for them to actually be in an actual kampong setting, where most of their grandparents or great grandparents once lived in, it was the best way for them to really experience the lives that their forefathers have lived and would thus embed a very strong sense of connection between them and their family roots, too.

Apart from the monthly kampong clean-ups, WUJ also took on a massive community project alongside NParks and other stakeholders last June where we brought back over 350 former residents and reunited them on Pulau Ubin for the historic Hari Raya celebrations, "Pesta Raya@Ubin".

Photo courtesy of MJ Photography

What really first started as a crazy idea or ambition to see the kampong bustling with life, it took a whole lot of willpower and a big heart to make that dream into a reality - and I believe that is what the Singapore spirit also entails. Having to see an entire community of old friends and neighbours, whom had not seen each other for decades, reunited once more on the island where they had their most fondest memories growing up - really shows how closely-knit the people were and still are. 

We got to see how their own families have grown; my mom even pointed out that she last saw a friend when he was still in primary school at the Sekolah Melayu Pulau Ubin and now he was cradling his grandchildren in his arms! 

But of course most importantly, at the end of the day because of the people themselves - the Malay kampong sprung back to life! It was an extremely heartwarming celebration and the community ties of the people of Pulau Ubin, regardless if they were Malay or Chinese, emerged stronger, tighter and prouder.

Photo courtesy of NParks Pulau Ubin

In short, "Pesta Raya@Ubin" saw the rekindling of an authentic kampong spirit that we no longer get to enjoy in today's modern metropolis. We always fantasize a lot on our kampong spirit back in mainland Singapore, but honestly after months of interacting with the residents and really seeping in the kampong environment, culture and way of life - I feel that you can't have a genuine kampong spirit if there is no more kampong around.  

Furthermore, since it's the bicentennial year it seems more fitting for us to celebrate our kampongs, and how our society and community thrived for centuries even before the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles and the colonisation and eventual modernisation of Singapore. So that is why today more than ever, Pulau Ubin's kampongs - Singapore's final kampongs - need to be preserved, protected and celebrated; something that I had been consistent in advocating for since WUJ began in July 2018.

Additionally, having served as a community liaison officer for NParks on Pulau Ubin since April 2019, I see my role as a civil servant crucial in playing my part for Singapore. With better outreach to the government and its relevant agencies, we got to really reach out further to lend a helping hand to our residents, be it from as major as repairing their kampong houses, to even as simple as making someone's day by waving hello to them.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Cheng

However, my term as a community liaison officer is nearing its end and a new, more experienced community liaison team will take over starting from September onwards. I am confident that the new team will help to shape our island's future together with our residents for the better and I am happy to have been the first to strengthen trust and connection between the people and the government, in whatever capacity I could.

While I may no longer be a part of NParks, I will still continue to be an active member of the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN), not just as a stakeholder under the name of WUJ, but more as a true-blue descendant of the Pulau Ubin community through my grandparents, Sulong Yunos (Awang Minyak) and Jariah Salim, whom as I have highlighted in last year's National Day message - played a vital role in bringing life to what would have been a godforsaken plot of land on Pulau Ubin. I hope I may continue to pass on their legacy of community development and purpose in the years to come.

I am still continuously in the pursuit of finding out more about my family heritage on the island and will also keep the residents in mind as I plan more community outreach programmes and initiatives as a personal homage to thank the community for being a part of my family heritage.

Photo courtesy of Majulah Community

WUJ is currently embarking on possibly its biggest project yet which is the establishment of a community activity centre which we envision to contain a community gallery - where former and current residents of Kampong Sungei Durian may contribute their precious memorabilia and stories for visitors to learn - as well as a musollah where the Muslim residents and visitors may offer their prayers once again following the island's only surau's demolition back in the late 1990s. I hope that through the establishment of the above-mentioned, we get to celebrate our kampong way of life and bring more life back into the Malay kampong.

The written proposal had just been given over to NParks and discussions will soon follow in the months to come. God Willing, with proper planning, funding and support, we aim for "Kampong Sungei Durian Community Hub" to be up and running by 2021/22. I am confident that if our hearts are in the right place, we shall always be on the right track. 

I'm always excited to find out what lies ahead for our nation's future. But as we continue to progress, we should never allow our greed for modernisation to eradicate the need to preserve the very remnants of our humble beginnings. We pray and hope for Pulau Ubin to remain rustic for many generations to come so that we as Singaporeans may continue to stay rooted to our origins and use them as our guide into creating a more thriving, loving and caring people.

Happy 54th Birthday, Singapore!

Majulah Pulau Ubin, Majulah Singapura.

May Pulau Ubin thrive again, with its people in its heart.

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