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Squatters into Citizens : The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore

Squatters into Citizens : The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore - Thryft
Squatters into Citizens : The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore - Thryft

From squatters to modern Singapore: A defining transition.

This book provides an insightful exploration of the Bukit Ho Swee fire, a pivotal event in Singapore's history that led to the development of public housing. Through the use of oral history interviews and official records, the author paints a vivid picture of daily life in squatter communities and how the fire impacted the lives of those who lived there. The book also delves into the nature of memory and provides a deeper understanding of the city-state's everyday life. Highly recommended for those interested in Singapore's history and urban development.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Squatters into Citizens : The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9789971696450

Description

The crowded, bustling, 'squatter' kampongs so familiar across Southeast Asia have long since disappeared from Singapore, leaving few visible traces of their historical influence on the life in the city-state. In one such settlement, located in an area known as Bukit Ho Swee, a great fire in 1961 destroyed the kampong and left 16,000 people homeless, creating a national emergency that led to the first big public housing project of the new Housing and Development Board (HDB). HDB flats now house more than four-fifths of the Singapore population, making the aftermath of the Bukit Ho Swee fire a seminal event in modern Singapore.

Loh Kah Seng grew up in one-room rental flats in the HDB estate built after the fire. Drawing on oral history interviews, official records and media reports, he describes daily life in squatter communities and how people coped with the hazard posed by fires. His examination of the catastrophic events of 25 May 1961 and the steps taken by the new government of the People's Action Party in response to the disaster show the immediate consequences of the fire and how relocation to public housing changed the people's lives. Through a narrative that is both vivid and subtle, the book explores the nature of memory and probes beneath the hard surfaces of modern Singapore to understand the everyday life of the people who live in the city.

Shortlisted for the European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EuroSEAS) Humanities Book Prize 2015.


Author: Loh Kah Seng
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 330
Publisher: NUS Press
Publication Date: 30 Dec 2013
 

From squatters to modern Singapore: A defining transition.

This book provides an insightful exploration of the Bukit Ho Swee fire, a pivotal event in Singapore's history that led to the development of public housing. Through the use of oral history interviews and official records, the author paints a vivid picture of daily life in squatter communities and how the fire impacted the lives of those who lived there. The book also delves into the nature of memory and provides a deeper understanding of the city-state's everyday life. Highly recommended for those interested in Singapore's history and urban development.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.