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