Mrs Seow Peck Leng - Spirit of Mountbatten

In 1959, the people of Mountbatten voted in a female opposition candidate. She successfully campaigned for change on a nationwide level and the result was the passing of the landmark Women’s Charter in 1961. Mountbatten voted and Singapore evolved.

The odds were stacked heavily against Seow Peck Leng. She took part in the 1959 General Election as an opposition candidate and faced four other opponents, including a PAP candidate. She emerged victorious.

Her underdog status did not end after elections. When Seow Peck Leng entered parliament, she was an opposition MP facing an overwhelming PAP majority. Furthermore, she was the only female opposition MP in a male-dominated Legislative Assembly during her term. Undeterred, Seow Peck Leng embarked on a nation-changing cause for women and again emerged victorious.

Seow Peck Leng dared to dream big. She envisioned a Singapore where women and men stood on equal footing. A future in which polygamy was abolished and wages were paid equally. Mountbatten believed in her ambitious vision and voted to allow her to represent the community. In return, Seow Peck Leng gave Mountbatten a noble cause to fight for and a new identity.

Mountbatten hitched its fortunes to Seow Peck Leng and she became the spirit of the community - a fiery, passionate, noble leader representing her community on a national stage. Both Mountbatten and Seow Peck Leng became synonymous in the fight for gender equality across Singaporean society.

Seow Peck Leng was more than a mere politician and Mountbatten saw that in her. She tackled a large problem in society and dared to envision a better Singapore. Mountbatten endorsed her and in doing so, backed her vision. Mountbatten voted for Seow Peck Leng to the Legislative Assembly and Singapore experienced genuine legislative progress.

Despite being an opposition Assemblyman, she successfully reached across the aisle and worked with the PAP to achieve a goal of national importance. She reminded the PAP of their pledge in their manifesto, and worked with them on constructive legislation. She could have spent her term opposing the PAP; but instead, she worked with them, and together they produced ground-breaking legislation that took provided national leadership and took into account the needs of all Singaporeans.

Mountbatten’s people were passionate, and voted in a passionate social activist. They were ambitious, and voted in an ambitious leader. They were courageous, and voted in a courageous woman. A marriage of such a community and a strong leader had a tremendous impact on Singapore society.

I believe that the story of Seow Peck Leng shows what a leader of a relatively small SMC can do for people all over the nation when given the opportunity. Seow Peck Leng gave Mountbatten a glimpse of an alternative Singaporean narrative in which both genders were equal in and out of the workplace. When Mountbatten endorsed her and gave her the platform as a Member of Parliament, she immediately set out to achieve a nationwide goal. Her parliamentary term brought about the passing of the Women's Charter, which paved the way for ground-breaking change in Singapore.

Seow Peck Leng was an inaugural member of Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.  As Singapore turns 50, it’s a good time for us to remember the contributions of a pioneer Singaporean and Honourable Member of Parliament for Mountbatten.

Seow Peck Leng has passed on, but her spirit remains in Mountbatten. She rose dauntless to meet the challenges of her day, vindicating her voters for having chosen her over others to be their voice in parliament.  

Today in Singapore, the tried and tested solutions are either becoming less and less effective, or not effective anymore.  As we grapple with the many national issues which hog our conversations, we will do well to recall the trailblazing, feisty spirit of Seow Peck Leong.  In those days, the people of Mountbatten boldly elected a bold lady, and the nation took a big step forward. 

Shall we repeat history?

Keep Dakota Crescent – a vital link to our past

Situated in Mountbatten SMC lies a cluster of unassuming old buildings known as Dakota Crescent. 

Named after the Douglas CD-3 Dakota aeroplanes that used to land at Kallang Airport, Singapore's first civilian airport, Dakota Crescent was built in 1959 by the Singapore Improvement Trust, the predecessor of HDB.  

For more than 50 years, Dakota Crescent has been providing homes to many pioneer generation Singaporeans.

Local residents and commentators have noted the estate’s highlights – ranging from its unique architecture, the iconic Dove Playground to its ties to Singapore’s aviation history.

Today, Dakota Crescent is slated for redevelopment.  The fate of the buildings which comprise the estate is uncertain. 

Certainly, Dakota Crescent must be conserved as a heritage for our future generation. We should not let it be demolished. 

Dakota Crescent is a key rung in the ladder of Singapore’s evolving social housing and community-building efforts. It was an experiment in public housing by the Lim Yew Hock Government (in office from 1956 to 1959) to address a housing crisis.  The estate is a physical reminder of a past struggle by the government to elevate its citizens from slums and squatter settlements into affordable public housing. 

Knowing our past challenges and how we overcame them are keys to build nationhood, enrich our identity as Singaporeans and inspire our way ahead.

It is important to make the effort to conserve Dakota Crescent because of its place in Singapore’s history of public housing and community building efforts.

Conserve Dakota Crescent for the Community

Singapore’s conservation efforts have often been found wanting – the Bukit Brown controversy is testament to that.  

Even when buildings are conserved, public icons have ended up becoming closed to the communities they once served. One prominent example is the Fullerton Building, which used to house the General Post Office from 1928 to 1996. The landmark building was the main communications hub in those days.  Businessmen and ordinary folk frequented its massive hall to mail out and pick up their letters.  However, after being gazetted as a conservation building in 1997, the Fullerton Building turned into 5-star luxury hotel.  Its purpose had turned from community to commercial.

Redevelopment is often necessary in Singapore but it would be a shame if after conservation, Dakota Crescent is reorganised into an up-market commercial purpose or private space that excludes ordinary Singaporeans.  Especially since Dakota Crescent was originally built to serve the community.

The redeveloped estate must allow the public access to walk around the estate and not be confined to view it from the outside. 

Future use of Dakota Crescent

The possibilities for redevelopment are many and they include arts/educational centres, and other social spaces for community use.

Dakota Crescent is situated around an MRT station, sports, recreational facilities, market and hawker centre, which makes it a natural centre for community to congregate. The locality has an established community of residents and amenity-suppliers who have been in the area for five decades.  A vibrant community of retirees, working adults and children offers opportunities to create symbiotic multi-functional facilities like childcare, elder care with retirees looking out for the young ones.

A hybrid development plan could be explored, allowing the developer the freedom to commercialise a certain portion of the area, while binding the developer to ensure that a certain portion of the area be allocated for community use. There could therefore be a win-win compromise between commercial and community purposes. 

Alternatively, an open competition to encourage ideas for the redevelopment of the estate could be a creative way to engage local voices and opinions. Singaporean architects, urban planners and other bright minds could enter the competition to discover creative ways to ensure that redevelopment does not compromise the preservation of history and heritage.

The Old National Theatre, Van Cleef Aquarium, Old National Library Building - they are gone.  Let’s ensure that Dakota Crescent remains, and not meet the same fate as those icons.   

If the estate is to be redeveloped, then let it be in a way that honours Dakota Crescent’s historical narrative of building the community.

Jeannette Chong- Aruldoss

Dakota Crescent resident, Mdm Kang. Aged 86, she has 10 children, 16 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.