Do you remember the "Gate to Nowhere"? It was a famous landmark near the kampung that many navy boys used as a meeting point or a place to take photos. Also, do you recall the Navy Canteen at Woodlands?
Many veterans say the food there was better than anywhere else in Singapore!
The "Gate to Nowhere" is one of the most haunting and beautiful relics of the Sembawang coastline. For someone stationed at Woodlands in the early '80s, it would have been a familiar landmark—a strange, lonely structure standing amidst the tropical greenery near the village.
Here is the history behind that mysterious gate:
1. What was it?
The gate was the entrance to a grand, seaside bungalow that stood on the coast long before the area was cleared. While the village of Kampung Wak Hassan consisted mostly of humble wooden houses, this gate led to a much more opulent estate.
- The Owner: The bungalow belonged to Mr. Chua Boon Peng, who was the legendary chairman of Cycle & Carriage (the company that brought Mercedes-Benz to the region) from 1957 to 1985.
- The Style: It was a classic red-brick and stone gateway with a small tiled roof and wooden doors, designed to match the luxury of the seafront villa it protected.
2. Why is it "To Nowhere"?
By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the government acquired the land for redevelopment.
- The grand bungalow was demolished, along with the other nearby seaside villas.
- However, for reasons no one is quite sure of—perhaps an oversight by the demolition crew or a deliberate nod to history—the gate was left standing.
- For decades, if you walked through the gate, you wouldn't find a house; you would just find thick secondary forest and the sound of the waves.
3. Supernatural Lore
Because it stood alone in a quiet, "ulu" (remote) part of Singapore, it eventually gained a reputation among locals and National Servicemen:
- The "Bunian" Portal: Some local Malay legends whispered that the gate was a portal to the world of the Orang Bunian (supernatural forest beings).
- The "Curse": There were rumors that the displaced villagers had cursed the land, and the gate remained as a silent witness to the world that was lost.
4. Its Condition Today
If you were to visit today, the area has changed drastically. The Wak Hassan Estate now features modern, multi-million dollar landed homes.
- The gate has suffered over the years; it is heavily weathered, covered in vines, and some parts have crumbled.
- It still stands near the end of Jalan Selimang, close to the Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang (the kampung mosque I likely remember).
A Sailor's Perspective
In 1981/82, while I was onboard KD Ganas or KD Raja Jarom, stationed at Woodlands, Singapore, that gate would have still looked relatively "grand." It represented the old wealth of Singapore's northern coast, standing right next to the simple life of the kampung and the military discipline of your base.
For someone stationed at Woodlands, seeing this gate likely brings back memories of the quiet, slightly mysterious atmosphere of the Sembawang shoreline. It stood as a stark contrast to the military discipline of KD Malaya and the functional decks of KD Ganas and KD Raja Jarom. While your ships were focused on the horizon and the Straits, this gate was a silent reminder of the old seaside estates that once lined the northern coast before the modern developments took over.
While at KD Ganas or KD Raja Jarom, ships stationed at Woodlands, Singapore those days (1980's), while the ship was sailing the coastline of Sembawang those days wasn't the walls of condos it is today, it was a dark, jagged line of mangroves and zinc-roofed huts. The village had no high-rise building, the "Gate to Nowhere" looked like a silent sentry guarding the entrance to the village.
Seeing those domestic lights from the deck of a warship like KD Raja Jarom often gave sailors a sense of peace—it was a reminder of civilian life just a few hundred yards away from the military world of the Woodlands base.
From the sea, the gate looked even more mysterious. Because you couldn't see the road (Jalan Selimang) behind it, it literally looked like a door standing in the middle of the tide. Sailors often joked about it being a "secret entrance" or a haunted spot, especially during the quiet "middle watch" (midnight to 4 AM) when the mist would roll off the Straits.
Hj Zulheimy Maamor
ex Malaysian Navy Personnel
Stationed at Woodlands, Singapore (1980's)
30/12/2025: 11.38 p.m
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