In Singapore, a rustic island haven faces an uncertain future

Bangkok Post Group

A 10-minute ferry ride from eastern Singapore lies the small, sparsely populated rustic island of Pulau Ubin - one of the last remaining havens of rural life in one of Asia's most prosperous and urbanized countries. - REUTERS

Transcript

00:00A 10-minute ferry ride from eastern Singapore takes you to the small, quiet island of Pulau

00:08Ubin.

00:09This little haven offers a rare glimpse of rural life in a country better known for its

00:15modern malls and skyscrapers.

00:18Pulau Ubin is a rural spot full of biodiversity.

00:22About 4,000 people once lived there, but after the main quarry closed in 1970, most moved

00:28to the city as it quickly modernized.

00:31Chu Yuk-chun is currently one of just 30 people still living on the four-square-mile island.

00:36While he enjoys the quiet life, the 79-year-old feels the community has little future.

00:41I think there will be fewer and fewer people on this island.

00:47To be honest, the old people have died off one by one, and the young ones are not suited

00:52for this kind of environment.

00:54It's up to the government to preserve it.

00:56The people here are aging and dying off, and the young people will not come back.

01:00They won't be back.

01:02Besides mail delays and the hassle of making trips to the city for groceries and gadgets,

01:08ferry rides can also be inconvenient for island residents.

01:12One 69-year-old Lim Sai Si runs a bicycle shop on Pulau Ubin, but moved to the mainland

01:1730 years ago due to quarry closures and his child's school commute.

01:25Very few people would stay on the island because transportation is too inconvenient.

01:29If you have a son who needs to go to school in the mornings, he might not be able to get

01:32a ferry.

01:33Then you have to pay for the whole boat.

01:36For many, Pulau Ubin serves as a relaxing getaway, offering hikes through lush greenery

01:41and lakes in old quarries, bike rides on car-free roads, and seafood dining by the water's edge.

01:48Every June for the last nine years, Singapore officials have held Ubin Day to celebrate

01:52the island's heritage and nature.

01:55In 2001, the government said it was safe from changes until required for development, but

02:01no one is now allowed to move there from the mainland, leaving the population to dwindle.

02:07With the island's youngest residents in their 50s, some wonder what future there is now

02:12for Pulau Ubin.

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