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Cry me a river: Sungei Road's Final Goodbye​
MAKING WAY: The remaining stalls of the flea market are seen days before it closes for good. The size of the market was already halved in 2011 to make way for the construction of the Jalan Besar MRT station. On July 10, this famous sight at the intersection of Jalan Besar and Rochor Canal Road ceased to exist. PHOTO: Zachery Ryan Bala
HARMONIES OF DIFFERENT ERA: Vendors sell second-hand records. Records or vinyl have become rare in today’s technologically advanced world and Sungei Road was one of the few places to find second hand records in Singapore. PHOTO: Zachery Ryan Bala
DAILY ROUTINE: Hawkers come from various parts of Singapore to set up their makeshift stalls to sell their goods. The canvas sheets were to protect the sellers from the intense heat. PHOTO: Zachery Ryan Bala
LIFE GOES ON: After having hawked in Sungei Road for the past 40 years of his life, Mr Boey knows little of anything else. He said he planned to give or throw away his entire inventory and look for a job as a cleaner as he couldn’t afford to rent a shop to continue selling. PHOTO: Zachery Ryan Bala
This article was written for and published by The Republican Post, Republic Polytechnic's campus publication. To view the full article, click here !
NO GOOD IN GOODBYE: Auntie Tan and her husband have been vendors here since 1975 and will move to Chinatown once the Thieves Market ceases operations. The couple, who live across the street, were reluctant to leave the place as it held many memories. PHOTO: Salwa Nadhirah
A MARKET BY ANY OTHER NAME: The market had a few names - one uncommonly known name was Robinsons Petang. Petang translates to afternoon in Malay as they operated from 1PM to 6pm, and Robinsons was in reference to the department store as many things ranging from household items, books and vintage goods were sold there. PHOTO: Salwa Nadhirah
SIGN OF THE TIMES: Ms Zhi Hui, a volunteer from the Save Sungei Road Market community, goes around the area to get signatures for a petition to save a piece of Singapore history. She said she knew how the hawkers were feeling and wondered if someone would be compassionate enough to help if one day, she, too, became jobless. PHOTO: Salwa Nadhirah
TREASURE THIEF: Back in the day, contrabands and even stolen items were sold here. Hence, the birth of the name “Thieves Market”. Later on, people came here for their cheap, second-hand memorabilia that could be considered as rare treasures. PHOTO: Salwa Nadhirah
BACK TO HER KAMPUNG: Though Ms Helen Lai lives in Bishan, she would still take an hour’s trip down to Sungei Road to hawk as it brings her back to when she used to grow up there. She leaves her carts nearby and would push them every morning to her regular spot. PHOTO: Salwa Nadhirah
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