Stress-free island life: St. John's and Kusu

Rachel Lin Straits Times 8 Aug 10;

The Southern Islands have not always been a destination for day-trippers seeking seaside tranquillity.

They were home to villagers until the 1970s and even formed a hotly contested constituency in the 1963 General Election.

Now, they are touted as eco-tourism destinations and only a handful of caretakers still live there.

They include Mr Supar Saman, 61, and Mr Seet Seng Huat, 62. These stalwarts do more than keep the place looking spruce - they are part of the Southern Islands' history.

Mr Supar's memories of St John's Island, where he now lives six days a week, date back to 1955 when he and his family moved there from Johor.

After he finished his studies at a Malay school on nearby Lazarus Island, taking a job on St John's at the Quarantine Station was a convenient option.

'Immigrants from China and India would come here for quarantine,' he recalls. 'There was also an opium treatment centre for addicts. The hills here were covered with living quarters. Many people were working here.'

When the running of the island was transferred to Sentosa Development Corporation in 1972, he was given the option of working in a hospital or staying on as a caretaker.

He chose to stay. 'There have been a lot of changes since 1955 but I like this island a lot. It's very quiet and there's lots of fresh air. You won't get sick here.'

Today, he keeps the place clean, monitors the craft arriving at the jetty, does minor repairs in the holiday bungalows, collects entry fees from private boats and reminds visitors when the ferry leaves.

In between, he fishes and lays traps for crabs. He says: 'I catch sea bass, mullet and sometimes golden snapper. After that, I can cook curry.'

Home is a pastel-coloured hut he shares with his cats and a mynah bird.

His wife Hawiyah, 64, and his 27-year- old daughter live on the mainland in Chai Chee. His wife visits him from Thursdays to Sundays. He awaits her arrival eagerly as she is a good cook.

His colleague on Kusu Island, Mr Seet, also has historic ties to this turf. He is a third-generation caretaker of the Da Bo Gong Temple, after his father and grandfather.

'I've been living in this temple for 20 years,' he says. 'When my father was working here, I came during the school holidays. I went swimming and fishing. I'm very familiar with the island.'

He is busiest during the ninth month of the lunar calendar (usually in October or November) when thousands of worshippers throng the Chinese temple to pray.

His wife Utumporn, 53, and their 12-year-old daughter live in Telok Blangah and visit him every weekend.

The late Mr Wee Kim Wee, Singapore's fourth president, used to visit the temple, Mr Seet recalls. 'Back when my mother was alive, we welcomed him as a family.'

Both caretakers are adamant that island life trumps being on the mainland.

'I go back maybe once or twice a month,' Mr Seet says. 'Then I go to the same places: Orchard Road and People's Park. I don't really miss anything, apart from the hawker food.'

Then there is the matter of saving on transport costs. Mr Supar adds: 'No need to keep topping up bus cards and all that.'