DOWN MEMORY LANE: BUKIT CANDU, SINGAPORE (1980'S).

In the 1980s, Bukit Chandu (Malay for "Opium Hill") was a quiet, transitional area in Singapore. Long before it became the polished heritage site we see today, it was a place where the echoes of World War II history lived alongside a vanishing kampong (village) lifestyle and colonial architecture.

Here is what Bukit Chandu was like during that decade:

1. The Living Landscape: "Cherry Tree Mosque" Kampong

In the 1980s, the area was not yet a manicured park. It was home to a small, close-knit community.

• The Kampong: A village known as the "Cherry Tree Mosque Kampong" (named after the mosque there) existed on the slopes of Bukit Candu (Opium Hill) at Pepys Road in Pasir Panjang area.
• Lifestyle: Residents lived in a mix of traditional and semi-permanent housing. Archival records from the 1980s show worshippers attending 5:00 AM prayers, reflecting a tranquil, spiritual atmosphere far removed from the city's rapid modernization.
• Demolition: By the late 1980s (specifically around 1987), many of the old structures, including two of the three original colonial bungalows on the hill, were demolished to make way for redevelopment and the expansion of Kent Ridge Park.

2. State of the "Black and White" Bungalows

The hill featured several colonial-era bungalows built at the turn of the 20th century for senior British officers.

• The Survivor: Only one major bungalow—31K Pepys Road—survived the 1987 demolitions. In the 80s, this building was mostly used for government housing or storage before it was eventually identified for heritage preservation.
• The Opium Connection: The name "Bukit Chandu" comes from the Opium Packing Plant that used to sit at the foot of the hill. By the 1980s, the factory was long gone, but the name remained a stark reminder of the area's industrial past.

3. A Site of Growing Historical Memory

While the official museum (Reflections at Bukit Chandu) didn't open until 2002, the 1980s marked the beginning of a shift in how Singapore remembered the war.

• Battlefield Relics: In the 1970s and 80s, it was still possible for hikers or residents to find war relics, such as .303 bullet casings from the 1942 Battle of Pasir Panjang, buried in the soil of the ridge.
• National Awareness: This decade saw a push for "National Education." Stories of Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and the Malay Regiment's "last stand" on the hill began to be more formally integrated into school textbooks and national narratives, transforming the hill from a local village site into a symbol of national bravery.

4. Integration into Kent Ridge Park

During the 1980s, the Singapore government was actively "greening" the Southern Ridges.

Transformation: The rugged terrain of Bukit Chandu was incorporated into the larger Kent Ridge Park, which was officially opened in 1954 but saw significant landscaping and trail improvements throughout the 80s to make it a recreational space for the public.

The End of the Kampung Era

• Demolition: Like many other villages in Singapore, the Cherry Tree Mosque Kampung was cleared for redevelopment in the late 1980s (around 1987).
• Redevelopment: The land was eventually integrated into the expansion of Kent Ridge Park and preserved as part of the heritage site surrounding the Battle of Pasir Panjang.
• Legacy: Today, the site where the village once stood is very close to the Reflections at Bukit Chandu museum. While the physical village is gone, it is remembered through the National Archives as one of the last places in Singapore where people lived a truly communal, nature-integrated lifestyle.

THE BATTLE OF BUKIT CANDU

The Battle of Bukit Chandu (February 14, 1942) is one of the most heroic and tragic chapters in Singapore's history. It was the site of the Malay Regiment’s last stand against the Imperial Japanese Army, just one day before the British surrendered.

1. The Battle of Bukit Chandu (1942)

Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) was a key strategic point on the Pasir Panjang Ridge. If the Japanese captured it, they would have a direct path to the Alexandra area, which held the British military hospital and critical ammunition depots.

• The Odds: Approximately 1,400 soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Malay Regiment faced an overwhelming force of 13,000 Japanese troops from the elite 18th Division.
• The Famous Ruse: On the afternoon of February 14, Japanese soldiers attempted to infiltrate the Malay Regiment's lines by disguising themselves as Punjabi soldiers of the British Indian Army (wearing turbans). 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi spotted the trick: he noticed the soldiers were marching in fours, whereas British-trained troops always marched in threes. He ordered his men to open fire, forcing the Japanese to retreat.
• The Last Stand: Infuriated, the Japanese launched an all-out "Banzai" charge with heavy artillery and tank support. The Malay soldiers fought until they ran out of ammunition, eventually engaging in hand-to-hand combat using bayonets and even their fists.
• The Fate of Lt. Adnan: When the hill was finally overrun, Lt. Adnan was captured. Because he had fought so stubbornly and refused to surrender, the Japanese treated him with extreme cruelty. He was tied to a cherry tree, hung upside down, and bayoneted to death. His courage is immortalized in the Malay proverb: “Biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata” (Better to die in battle than to live with tears of regret).

2. The Colonial Bungalows

The bungalows on the hill were not originally built for war, but for the colonial industry that gave the hill its name.

• The Opium Connection: The bungalows were built in the 1930s to house senior British staff working at the Opium Packing Plant located at the foot of the hill.
• Architectural Style: They were "Black and White" houses—a classic colonial style featuring whitewashed walls, dark timber beams, and high ceilings for ventilation. The surviving building at 31K Pepys Road specifically has "Mock Tudor" and Art Deco influences.
• During the Battle: During the 1942 conflict, these houses were used by the military to store food and ammunition supplies. Because they were located on high ground, they were caught directly in the line of fire during the Japanese bombardment.
• Preservation: In the 1980s, two of the three main bungalows were demolished. The remaining house (31K Pepys Road) was saved due to public interest in its historical significance. In 2002, it was converted into the museum Reflections at Bukit Chandu, which stands today as a memorial to the men who fought there.

Bukit Candu is now part of Kent Ridge Park and the Southern Ridges trail.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL
31/12/2025: 1.36 A.M