The Last People Of St John’s Island

It is hard to imagine that during the 1960s more than 400 Singaporeans resided on St John’s Island today. For Addynna and her family, there’s no other place they’d call home other than the island.

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[morough]

It's really sad that the islanders were forced off their land, and yet after all that, no new development has even taken place. What was the point of displacing an entire community if nothing was going to be done? It just feels like a senseless loss.

[recordevo]

We may have left the island, but the island has never left us. God bless you and your family Addynna!

[marcuskwek]

Thanks a bunch for doing this story, OGS. Damn. This story was particularly heartbreaking; I think it was the emotions of Addynna and her siblings. You can feel their grief. Having their childhood, the open seas & kampung life taken away, then putting them into stale, identical flats and not even demolishing the place properly. Colour me tilted. I guess, at least, on the flipside, the siblings have fond memories to look back on. I feel like growing up in HDBs and our concrete jungle is really a life quarter-lived.

[irenelim]

My siblings n I was born in SJI. We stayed in the island till 1971 after my grandfather died n moved to the mainland. We attended the SJI English Primary Sch n some of my English teachers are well known people such as Leslie Fong, Theresa Thumboo, Kirpal Singh. I still keep my Primary 6 Report book n birth cert. Island life is so quiet, peaceful, tranquil n we missed it all these years.

[dzangdzang]

It’s so sad to see them going back to where it used to be their home, and then feeling upset because the government didn’t do a proper job of demolishing and “redevelopment” 😭

[MsSmallzilla]

My mother, her siblings, and my maternal grandparents lived on St. John's Island. My mother sadly passed away in November 2020, and my grandfather passed around 2000 or 2001. My grandmother is still alive, aged 85 or 86 as of 2024. My family has many cherished memories of this place. My father worked for Sentosa until his retirement in late 2019 or early 2020. During school holidays, my large family would often visit the island, celebrating birthdays and going camping. My father had an office in a container somewhere on the island. I remember sitting on the back of his bicycle as he cycled around, showing me the mangrove areas and where the canteen was.

My mother used to tell me stories about the friends she made from Vietnam when they were there for quarantine or something similar. She absolutely loved the island and was a beach lover through and through—she adored the beach and the sea breeze. I also remember my family going fishing, catching crabs, and swimming with my cousins. We would usually rent a bungalow, large enough to host both my paternal and maternal sides of the family. We even still have a VCR tape of one of our trips to St. John's Island.

[Dita_Utomo]

To Rosalind, Addyna and Radzly: Please, please write a book about your life in St John's Island! Have it published, then your story will live forever!

[alvinal]

Excellent production again by OGS.

There is a beautiful chinese song about Pulau Tekong 岛的儿子，Son of an Island.

Loosely translated by google.

The sun sets and the sea breeze sends the sunset glow
Tekong Island is as beautiful as a picture
Playing Guitar under the attap house
Watching the waves on the sea

The sun sets and the sea breeze sends the sunset glow
Tekong Island is my home
The swaying coconut trees tell love stories
Listening to the sea is not noisy

I can't forget you The sea breeze blows gently
Sending the sunset glow Son of the island
I think of you, my island
My dreamland is full of colorful clouds

[Crayon_colours]

Wow... This is a Masterpiece... Many years down the road hopefully generations can check this video out.. Well done OGS..

[ww]

Great topic. Great video. One of the best uploads in recent months.

[Ophius]

No idea what they're doing now but it would be super cool to have them organise paid and guided day trips onto St John's. Essentially recreate the whole experience (swimming, agriculture, etc) of what it means to live there in the past. Such a shame the island has probably been zoned to do other things, otherwise would be interesting to experience the living part of the island as well.

[izadn]

My parents was also born there. I was the last grandchild that was raised there in my family. My grandmother was ones of the last resident to move out of St. John's Island. My paternal aunt and her husband was the last people to have lived there, along with our former neighbour, who unfortunately passed away in his home at St. John's Island. I will forever call it my home. Thank you for this video, from one of the last few people from St. John's Island.

[andrea]

the first time i visited st. john's island, i was so in awe of how serene it was as compared to city life and would loved to have that slow pace of life follow me back to mainland SG. it's unimaginable that there are singaporeans who've experienced that close intimacy to nature and are now forced into the hustle of an urban lifestyle, what a shame!

[Mspurpleangel]

My mom was from St John's Island too. Love this video.

[terenceHomieTanstan]

So beautiful and sad at the same time. My dad used to run the canteen there for quite some time, at the house on the hill facing the beach. I used to spend my weekends and also weekdays staying there during school holidays. I would roam around the island.. lots of beautiful memories on St John.

[duckseatingbread]

so interesting. nvr knew there was a school. loved the sensitive storytelling 🥰

[tagatote]

thank you for sharing your story. it's beautiful and full of heart and soul.

[NeesaAsyuraMahfuz]

wish the video was longer.. would like to know more about their life hehe

[Rahman_bmx]

Thank you for the story.. I have that experience before, it is so beautiful and lovely to see all the natural things around, and in Singapore We can’t get all this anymore is very very sad.😢❤

[pandulani]

I love this family and their story. Yeah I agree with others, they should write a picture book about their life in the island, it is a worthwhile story for Singapore