Pulau Sudong given a face-lift
Sunday, 30th August 1959
Five hundred volunteers today braved rain and a choppy sea to give Pulau Sudong a face-lift. It was part of the Ministry of National Development’s project to improve living conditions on the Southern Islands. The Minister for National Development, Mr Ong Eng Guan, led the volunteers who were from the National Cohesiveness Corps and oil companies from the neighbouring islands. Fallen tree trunks and rubbish heaps in the small kampongs were carried off to a dumping ground. The graveyard was fenced off, buildings were painted and a derelict hut, used as a medical clinic, was renovated. Pulau Sudong was originally filled with mangrove trees and swamp. It made the headlines when geologists raised the alarm that the island was sinking. The islanders, however, were unwilling to move to nearby Pulau Pawai but they did not heed his warning and stayed firm on Pulau Sudong.