Daughter's Promise Keeps Singapore's Last Kampung Standing

Nestled in Buangkok, surrounded by Singapore’s towering HDB flats and bustling urban development, stands a remnant of history: the island’s last surviving kampung. Kampong Lorong Buangkok, once a common sight across the nation, is now an anomaly.

Once a common sight in the country, kampungs have all but disappeared due to the nation’s rapid urban development. However, this village remains, thanks to one woman’s vow to keep her father’s legacy alive.

In a video by TikTok user @/wanandzal, when asked why she does not want to sell her SGD 70 million property, Ms. Sng Mui Hong, owner of the kampung, simply replies, ‘Untuk bapak aku (for my father).’

She further mentioned to the TikTok duo that she could not break a promise to her father, regardless of how rich she could get by selling the land.

A Promise to Her Father

Kampong Lorong Buangkok has been in the care of the Sng family for decades. The kampung was originally purchased by the late Mr. Sng Teow Koon in 1956, at a time when the area was largely rural, and families lived simply in wooden homes.

Over the years, the family watched as Singapore transformed into a modern city, but Mr. Sng made a clear request before he passed away—he wanted the kampung to remain as it was, a sanctuary from urbanization.

His daughter, Sng Mui Hong, now in her 60s, continues to honor that promise. Despite repeated offers from developers eager to buy the land, Mui Hong refuses to sell. For her, the kampung is not just land; it is a symbol of her father’s values and Singapore’s heritage. She speaks of the strong connection she feels to the land, recounting a sense of community that flourished there.

A Rare Glimpse of the Past

Today, Kampong Lorong Buangkok is home to fewer than 30 families. The humble wooden houses, the sound of roosters crowing, and the green, open spaces are a rare sight in a city dominated by skyscrapers. For many visitors and locals, stepping into the kampung feels like traveling back in time, to a Singapore that most only know from stories.

The kampung stands as a powerful reminder of what the country once was, preserved by one woman’s devotion to her father’s wish. While urbanization continues around it, Kampong Lorong Buangkok stands firm—a living monument to a promise, a family’s legacy, and a chapter of Singapore’s history that refuses to be forgotten.

While the city continues to expand, Kampong Lorong Buangkok stands as a living reminder of Singapore’s history and a testimony to the power of preserving the past for future generations.

This kampung, preserved against the odds, speaks to the resilience of tradition in a rapidly changing city.

Watch the video here:

@wanandzal

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