THE PRICE OF DEVELOPMENT: SUNGEI ROAD THIEVES MARKET

@dizzydaryl: Truly, change is the only constant. An ugly facade, hygiene issues and the inconvenient use of prime land space might all be valid concerns. Realistically, in a small, modern and ever-changing city like Singapore, it is never about resisting development. 
I only pray we can be more empathetic (a new repurposed space?) towards the community, the livelihood and dignity of our pioneers. A place can only survive 8 decades if it serves a purpose, and Sungei Road Thieves Market has clearly weathered the times to serve its people: vintage-bargain-hunters, returning customers-turned-old-friends, migrant workers and most poignantly, people who cannot afford to shop for clothes, fashion accessories, houseware and electronics at shopping centres.

Giving them &quot;lower-rent spaces&quot; at hawker centres, seems to me, a nicer and more politically correct way of closing the place down, once and for all. Do we really believe chapalang karang-guni goods have a place in wet markets split up across Singapore? 
We do this in the name of development, for a new MRT and other residential and commercial developments. I used to rejoice at the thought of more MRT stations! The idea of convenience (and less time under the blasting Singapore sun) always appealed to a lazy person like me. But there is a price to pay for development. 
With so many new stations sprouting up arnd the island in recent months, and Bugis and Rochor MRT stations merely a 3-5 min walk away from the soon-to-be Jalan Besar station at Sungei Rd, I'm starting to wonder: How many more MRT stops do we really need? So much for an active lifestyle.......
•
•
•
📷: @dizzydaryl (2017)
•
•
•
#extantremains