THE CONSERVATION OF TANJONG PAGAR : PUBLIC ATTITUDES AND STATE POLICIES

Abstract

This study examines the degree of convergence and divergence in the perceptions of the state vis-a-vis the public with regard to the conservation of \ Tanjong Pagar, an urban area within the broader Chinatown Historic District. It also explores the various strands of meaning invested in the conserved Tanjong Pagar landscape demonstrating the view that "lantdscape" can he "read" for a multiplicity of meanings. Once a working district typified by shophouse development which allowed the co-existence of residential and working space, Tanjong Pagar has undergone major economic, social and cultural changes. In particular, urban redevelopment in the 1960s and 1970s removed many of the traditional activities and shophouses, leaving only a remnant of the original landscape intact. This became the target of government conservation efforts and in 1986, the area was gazetted for urban conservation. By 1987, 32 units of shophouses were restored, making yet another new phase in its history and development. The study was largely based on a questionnaire survey as well as in-depth interviews. Three different groups of respondents reflecting varying experiences of Tanjong Pagar were surveyed and interviewed. The first group were people who have close and intimate experience of the place and comprised of residents from Tanjong Pagar. The second group made up of people working within the area and had a more recent experience of the place. The third group comprises people who were neither living nor working in Tanjong Pagar and are drawn from an outlying housing estate in Serangoon. The experience of this group would be varied but likely to be less intimate than those of the first two groups. Findings of the survey revealed that there is widespread convergence of views between the public and the state in general on the importance of urban conservation and the various state objectives for conservation such as the use of conservation for building a national identity, the creation of a sense of historical continuity and the creation of cohesion among Singaporeans. There is, however, a disparity of views between the state and the public especially in relation to the degree of success with which various state objectives for conservation in Tanjong Pagar have been realised. More than half of the respondents felt that the conserved Tanjong Pagar landscape was not reflective of Singapore's past while over 60% felt that the introduction of new economic activities into Tanjong Pagar has made the place more commercialised. Over 60% of respondents also felt that with conservation. there has been a decline in traditional lifestyles and culture in Tanjong Pagar. 60% of respondents also hold that conservation in Tanjong Pagar has been directed mainly at tourists rather than at Singaporeans. This lack of consensus arises primarily because different people invest different meanings in the landscape. These meanings are in turn a result of the disparate experiences of the place. For example, people living within Tanjong Pagar tended to associate the place with personal experiences while those who had little contact with the place tended to view it in an idealised manner. Consequently, the state has been unable to effectively satisfy different segments of the populace who hold diverse strands of meanings and ideals. The landscape is thus often imbued with multiple meanings which are not those imposed by the state but also composes of the everyday experiences of ordinary people. As such, although the state has tried to manipulate and use the landscape for various purposes and goals, there is no complete hegemonic control and as demonstrated by the study, there is often non-acceptance of state objectives and critical questioning of the degree which these objectives have been realised in the Tanjong Pagar landscape.