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\nPasir Panjang Terminal has a total of 57 berths, operated by PSA Singapore.
\nWhile home buyers may flock to places like Tampines, Siglap and Bishan, the comparably quiet estate of Pasir Panjang presents much potential for those seeking not just private homes, but also a level of privacy not found elsewhere.
\nby\u00a0Cheryl Marie Tay
\nSituated almost in the southern end of Singapore, Pasir Panjang is most commonly associated with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Science Park. There are also numerous parks and private residential neighbourhoods in the area.
\nDespite the presence of residential developments there, there are those who find Pasir Panjang inaccessible. Yet others will argue that it is this exact quality that makes the area attractive, as it is less crowded and more peaceful than most other estates in this small country.
\nWhatever one may think of Pasir Panjang, there is no denying that it has indeed come a long way.
\nBeaches and battles
\nNamed after the long, sandy beach along the coast in the area, Pasir Panjang was little more than a coastal town, not known for much apart from the state-owned opium factory on Bukit Chandu (Malay for \u201copium hill\u201d) in Kent Ridge, which was established after the government took over the opium industry in Singapore in 1910.
\nIn the 1920s, rich Chinese families began building bungalows and holiday homes along the coast. When Kallang Airport was being constructed in 1930, the community residing in Pasir Panjang began to diversify, in the form of Malay families from the Kallang River Basin area resettling there. In fact, until the early 1960s, there were several Malay fishing villages in the area.
\nThe relative peace of life in Pasir Panjang was disrupted in February 1942, thanks to the Japanese Occupation during World War II. The area now known as Kent Ridge Park witnessed a battle from 13 to 14 February, known as the Battle of Pasir Panjang.
\nThis battle was part of the final stage of Japan\u2019s invasion of Singapore, and commenced when elite Imperial Japanese Army forces (the Japanese 18th Division) began advancing on Pasir Panjang Ridge in an attempt to capture it from Allied troops.
\nThe British Second Loyals Regiment, Australian\u00a0Bren-Gun Carriers, 44th Indian\u00a0Brigade and 1st and 2nd Battalions of the\u00a0Malay Regiment defended the ridge, outnumbering the Japanese troops but ultimately failing to outgun them, as the latter had an abundance of both ammunition\u00a0and aggression.
\nWhen the Allied forces\u2019 ammunition eventually ran out, they had to resort to\u00a0hand-to-hand combat against the Japanese, fighting fiercely even until they were down to their last few men. The Allied soldiers defended the ridge even when the Japanese tried to coerce them into surrendering by starting a lethal\u00a0oil\u00a0fire in a\u00a0drain the soldiers had to cross to get past the ridge. Led by led by Second Lieutenant\u00a0Adnan bin Saidi\u00a0of the Malay Regiment, they knew it was better to die honourably than to surrender.
\nSecond Lieutenant Saidi, one of the last defenders of the ridge, was captured by the Japanese, who executed him by way of bayonet. On 14 February 1942, the Japanese won Pasir Panjang Ridge, and the British surrendered the next day.
\nTertiary education, terminals, and tech
\nAfter Singapore gained independence in 1965, Pasir Panjang began to gradually change. In 1993, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) \u2014 now\u00a0known as\u00a0PSA International \u2014 began building a new\u00a0container terminal, the Pasir Panjang Terminal. Today, there are five Pasir Panjang Terminals, with a total of 28 berths.
\nThe National University of Singapore (NUS), established in 1905, is situated on Lower Kent Ridge Road. It consists of 13 schools offering a variety of disciplines, and counts the late Lee Kuan Yew among its alumnae.
\nNot far from the university is the Singapore Science Park, a research, development and technology hub managed by Ascendas. It was established in 1980 to provide infrastructural support to R&D in Singapore. Science Park II began construction in 1993 and 10 years later, Science Park III was built.
\nAnd of course, we mustn\u2019t forget Haw Par Villa, the iconic theme park on Pasir Panjang Road that boasts over 1,000 statues and 150 impressively elaborate dioramas capturing scenes from Chinese folklore and history.
\nA place to call home
\nThough some may call it inaccessible. or even secluded, Pasir Panjang has its plus points. Its generally peaceful atmosphere, as well as its proximity to multiple parks, such as Pasir Panjang Park, Labrador Park and HortPark.
\nAn industry insider who declined to be named told PropertyGuru: \u201c(Pasir Panjang is a) low-density residential area: it basically has only private homes, including landed homes, cluster houses, condos and apartments.\u201d<\/p>\n