DOWN MEMORY LANE: SUNGAI ROAD, SINGAPORE (1982)

In 1982, Sungei Road was at a major crossroads in its history. While it was still the heart of Singapore’s most famous flea market, the "Thieves' Market," the year marked the beginning of a significant decline and physical transformation due to urban renewal.

Situated between Serangoon Road and Jalan Besar and runs along the Rochor Canal. The are around the Sungei Road formerly housed affluent Europeans and Asians, and many ornately designed buildings were built there. 

The name "Sungai Road" is derived from the Malay word for "River" (Sungai), as the road runs along the banks of the Rochor River. 

Sungei Road left many memories for me when I was stationed in Woodlands, Singapore as a member of the Royal Malaysian Navy from 1981-1982.

In Malaysia, we have Petaling Streets in Kuala Lumpur, Sungei Road is more or less the same as Petaling Streets in KL.

Here is a look at what was happening in the Sungei Road area during 1982:

1. Partial Demolition and Displacement

August 1982 was a pivotal month for the area. The government began clearing parts of the site to make way for modernization.

• Rochor Market: A significant portion of the historic Rochor Market (a wet market built in 1872) was demolished in August 1982. Many stallholders were relocated, breaking up a community that had existed for over a century.
• The Flea Market: Because of these clearances, the popularity and physical footprint of the Sungei Road Thieves' Market began to wane. This was the first major "shrinkage" of the market before the more modern disruptions caused by the MRT construction decades later.

2. The Landscape in 1982

If you were standing on Sungei Road in 1982, you would have seen:

• The New Singapore Ice Works: This iconic building was still operational (it wasn't taken over by the HDB until 1984). It was known as Gek Sng Kio ("Frosted Bridge") because of the ice it produced.
• Shophouses: Rows of 1930s-era two- and three-storey shophouses still lined the street, though some were already showing signs of age and were being surveyed for future redevelopment.
• Sim Lim Tower: Completed just a few years earlier (around 1980), the modern Sim Lim Tower stood in stark contrast to the makeshift mats and second-hand goods spread across the pavement of the market.

3. The "Robinson Petang" Culture

In 1982, the market was still affectionately known as Robinson Petang ("Evening Robinsons"). It was the "poor man's department store" where you could find anything from:

• British Army Surplus: Old boots, uniforms, and mess tins left over from the British withdrawal.
• Household Goods: Used electronics, gramophones, and spare parts.
• Stolen Goods: The "Thieves' Market" nickname was still very much alive—it was an open secret that if your bicycle or car radio went missing, you might find it for sale there the next afternoon.

4. Transition to "Karung Guni" Success

The early 1980s was also a time when the "rag-and-bone" (karung guni) trade became more formalized. Some legendary vendors started with just $50 in capital at Sungei Road in the early '80s, eventually saving enough to buy freehold properties and transition into legitimate export businesses.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL

31/12/2025: 1.07 a.m