‘You offer her S$70M or S$700M also, she still won't sell her father's land!' — S'poreans say about 70+ y/o woman who stands her ground for SG's last kampung

Independent Singapore

2 days ago

In a land obsessed with square footage, condo launches, and en bloc fever dreams, Mdm Sng is one woman who's giving Singapore's property market the most politely defiant decline you've ever seen.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
At 72, she is the unofficial mayor of Kampong Lorong Buangkok, Singapore's last surviving kampung, and she's been holding off property developers armed with mountains of cash and persuasive charm. How big are the offers? Oh, just a casual S$70 million for the land her father bought in 1956.
But as one commenter on Facebook wrote, 'Even if you offer her S$700 million, she won't sell [the land].'
A promise made, a legacy kept
The story starts nearly 70 years ago when her father, Sng Teow Koon, a humble traditional Chinese medicine seller, bought the swampy land, now worth more than a yacht club full of Ferraris.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
'He wanted me to keep this land for his children and grandchildren,' Mdm Sng said in an interview with Singaporean realtors Wan and Zal. 'Selling it would be wrong.'
@wanandzal
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♬ Funk It Up – John Etkin-Bell
Today, the land — about the size of three football fields — is home to more or less 20 families, still living in wooden houses with zinc roofs, surrounded by chickens, mango trees, nature, and other animals, creating an atmosphere so calm it could be bottled as an anti-stress remedy.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
Even the house rent is only between S$6.50 and S$30 a month. Yes, you read that right. That's not a typo.
The million-dollar question: Why does she not cash out?
Here's the math of what Mdm Sng can do if she sells the land (as suggested by Facebook commenters):
S$70 million / 20 households = S$3.5 million per family.
That's 20 landed properties in prime districts.
Or one really fancy yacht and a lifetime supply of her favourite foods.
But for Mdm Sng, 'Money will be finished eventually,' so she lives a simple life, tending to her chickens, and among others, chatting with her mango trees when she's feeling down, such as asking it, 'Why haven't you borne any fruits? I've taken care of you for so long…'
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
She has no kids, no modest savings. Even her MediSave account isn't fat enough to cover big medical bills. But as she says, 'As long as I have enough to live, that's already fine. No need to be greedy.'
A village in a time capsule
Walking into the kampung is like flipping back to 1950s Singapore.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
Overhead phone lines, wooden porches, neighbours chit-chatting across open doorways — it's all still there.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
The residents, both Malay and Chinese, live in harmony and humility, connected not by high-speed Wi-Fi but by trust and tradition.
Developers want it. The government waits. She keeps smiling…
The Urban Redevelopment Authority has eyed the land for future schools, expressways, and housing. But as Wan and Zal explain, this is freehold land, and the government can't touch it — not unless Mdm Sng agrees to sell. Which, in case it wasn't obvious by now, she won't.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
'[No need to] think so far ahead,' she told CNA journalist Eunice Sng. 'The more you think, the worse it is for your brain. Just be more open-minded, [and] then you'll have no problems in life.'
If that's not kampung zen, we don't know what is.
But who will be the kampung torchbearers after her?
Mdm Sng's plan is simple. When she's gone, the land goes to her nieces and nephews. They've promised not to sell either.
'They know my personality. They won't be greedy,' she assured.
One of them even suggested handing it to a charity organisation — the ultimate plot twist in a saga already defying logic in the world's most expensive city.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
But until then, Mdm Sng — spotted regularly in her chequered shirt and straw hat — continues to reign as Singapore's last kampung queen, preserving not just a piece of land, but a way of life that's all but disappeared under concrete and commerce if she had let it go of her hands to someone who doesn't understand.
Netizens react: From jaw-drops to standing ovations
As the story went viral, Singaporeans and Malaysians alike flooded the comment sections with a mix of admiration and disbelief:
'RESPEK! Not even S$700M can change her [mind],' one wrote. 'Dayum! If it were me… $70 million can make me forget my parents' names and even my name!' wrote another.
Others pointed out what Mdm Sng has that no one else can buy: PEACE!
'She can eat and sleep peacefully. Why does she need the money? $70M will bring trouble,' one warned. 'If she sells [the land] for $70 mil, suddenly she'll have many relatives appear in front of her. She wouldn't have any more peace,' another added to that warning.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
Another explained that 'she is used to such a lifestyle, like in the good old days, she can cycle and [sing loudly] and do whatever freely in her own vast land. Not even the richest in Singapore can do that. And to forgo that with a mere $70m?'
Neither her village nor her principles are for sale
In a world where everything seems for sale — from naming rights to nostalgia — Mdm Sng Mui Hong's quiet defiance is louder than any skyscraper.
She reminds us that wealth isn't just measured in dollars, but in dignity, devotion, and the priceless peace of knowing you've honoured your word.
Photo: YT CNA screengrab/channelnewsasia
So the next time someone asks if you'd sell your principles for S$70 million, remember: there's a kampung aunty who wouldn't even sell her mango tree for that.
To experience the full charm of Kampong Lorong Buangkok and hear directly from Mdm Sng Mui Hong, catch the full story on CNA's video feature below. It's a heartfelt tribute to heritage, resilience, and one woman's promise that money can't buy:
In other news, a 35-year-old Singaporean man, husband and father of three, poured his heart out after getting completely burnt out with SG, and now he hears KL is calling out his name…
He says, 'I'm done with S'pore! I wanna move to M'sia…' — S'porean man earning S$100K/year feels 'jaded with life in SG; KL feels sweet place to be,' but perhaps before he leaves SG for good, he can visit our kampung aunty in Buangkok for a little chat, take a short break, and a deep breath, and then reconsider his options.