Chek Jawa in Pulau Ubin was saved by environmentalists.

As a result of active lobbying by the Nature Society, the government scrapped its plan to reclaim 3,000 ha of land at Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong for military training use in 2001.

However, the National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan announced that Chek Jawa beach would remain intact for at least 10 years.

Pulau Ubin is the last kampung (village) in Singapore. Let's hope that it will remain intact forever. To achieve this, we need PEOPLE POWER. We need your support to save the nature reserve.

Posted by Cedric Chew

Pictures taken at Sibu Island, Malaysia.

Everyone was totally soaked in the rustic Malay kampong lifestyle at Sibu Island.

Posted by Cedric Chew

The Old Pulau Sakeng before land reclaimation

Above are some of the photos of my parents who visited the island in 1993 before the resettlement of the residents of Pulau Sakeng to the mainland. My mum said that there was no electricity or water on the island. Fresh water suppy had to be obtained from Pulau Bukom. Residents collected rainwater for washing and bathing. Also, few households had generators to power the electricity. Majority of the households used kerosene lamps.

Posted by Cedric Chew

My personal experience at Sibu Island, Malaysia

Two years ago, I chanced upon an oyster coral at low tide during my Boys' Brigade overseas excursion at Sibu Island in Malaysia. One of my tour members pried open the oyster shells with a screwdriver. Though the oysters were very tiny, they were very fresh.

When the tide came in, we went canoeing.

Some of us tasted the coconuts that were freshly plucked from the tree by one of the villagers. His tree climbing skill was amazing.

That trip was my first experience of staying in a kelong and I had learned valuable lessons about the lifestyles of a Malay kampong.

Posted by Cedric Chew

History of Pulau Semakau landfill

The landfill was formed by joining P.Semakau to P.Sakeng with rock bunds.Both islands used to be small Malay fishing villages.Most of the villagers were subsistence fishers who made their living off a reef flat. Their wooden houses ( Kelong ) were built on stilts.

One of the oldest residents at P.Semakau continued to live on the island even after the settlers were relocated to the mainland. He eventually moved out as the jetty fell into despair. This was like a modern day condominium enbloc sale episode whereby people were forced to move out of their familar habitats to make way for development. It is a pity that the two sea villages ( Kampong laut ) no longer exist today. We can draw comfort that the public can still have access to the island for birdwatching, fishing and intertidal walks.

Posted by Cedric Chew

Everyone has a part to play.

There is HOPE !

The POWER is YOURS !

Let's get together and save our reefs for the benefits of our future generations.

Posted by Cedric Chew

Individual efforts to save the reefs

(1) Do not litter. Dispose them appropriately on land.

(2) Avoid touching corals. Extensive long-term damage can be caused by landing, standing or kneeling on corals.

(3) Never chase the marine creatures or alter their daily habits by your presence.

(4) Do not feed the fish so as not to change their feeding habits or introduce disease into their habitat.

(5) Do not collect shells, corals or animals.

(6) Anchor your boat away from the coral reefs.

Posted by Cedric Chew