Hougang: The Documentary | movie | 2024 | Official Trailer - video Dailymotion

The film showcases the voices of past and present Hougang residents, alongside commentary by historians, public intellec | dG1fWkxSVGNIeElMVmc

Transcript

00:00The history of the Teochews in Hougang really antedates the arrival of raffles.

00:21So then, of course, there were pig farms around this area and, you know, certain days or nights

00:27when the wind blows in the wrong direction, you'll be able to smell the pig farm.

00:32If you're a farmer who has tended that land and has been custodian for that land,

00:37it defines who you are to suddenly have it taken away by a state that is out there somewhere,

00:41not part of your daily lives, and then forced into relocation, into a new house, a new flat.

00:47That creates big problems of trust and I think that is the start of what happens.

00:52When you have these policies from the government that say, you know,

00:56emphasise less the dialects and emphasise more the mother tongue, which is Chinese,

01:01then you start to see this downplaying of the Teochew identity.

01:06And then comes Mr Lau speaking the rally in Teochew.

01:10It's just like, wow, you know, like it almost feels rebellious in a way, you know.

01:16When I was elected, they decided to discontinue.

01:22When the time comes, I will be left with no office, no staff to manage the town.

01:30Shutting down the market was a very emotional moment for me

01:35because the market is my lifeline. I love food, you know.

01:40The old market there was actually a gathering point for many people who lived around in Algonquia.

01:50So far, I don't know how many hawker centres or markets have they taken away from old estates.

01:54I mean, if you look at Redhill, the market is still there.

01:57Look at Henderson, still there.

01:59Chin Swee Road, still there.

02:01What's so different about Algonquia?

02:04Singaporeans can't be so easily bought off by bribing us about lift upgrading

02:09or by throwing this goodie or throwing that goodie.

02:12You know, there are other things like democratic values or discourse or debate

02:16or just wanting alternative opinions and views that we actually care about.

02:22You will learn that there is a lot of warmth in the Algonquian people

02:28who have been living here for a long time.

02:30They call it the Algonquian spirit.

02:32Actually, it's that kampong spirit that came with them when they were resettled in Algonquia.

02:38I guess Algonquian, if you want to win Algonquian, you must win with your heart.

02:42Not with your mind, not with goodies, not with, you know, promise of upgrading.

02:48You must win with your heart.

02:50So the Algonquian spirit is produced by shared memory, shared experiences and shared heritage

02:57coming out of a people within a specific historical context at a specific geographical location.

03:13Algonquian History

03:17www.algonquianhistory.org