Mandai Tekong Park (Part 1)

Mandai Tekong Park (Park 1)

The Mandai Tekong Park must count as one of Singapore's uniquely-named neighbourhood park.

Since I came to know about it, I have been wondering why someone pinned this name to this little park.

Photograph: Entrance to Mandai Tekong Park.

The sight of the gate at Mandai Tekong Park reminded me of my camp on Pulau Tekong during my Basic Military Training many years ago.

Am I late? Must I book-in by 2359 (one minute to midnight in military time)?

Do I have to show my 11B (military identity card) to the guard at the guardroom?

Do I have to swing my arms to march into the camp? Or can I drag my feet across the side gate with a heavy heart as I booked-in to camp on a Sunday night?

There I was, standing in front of Mandai Tekong Park on an afternoon in April 2009 and dreaming about my old BMT camp many years ago.

Situated at Woodlands Avenue 5, Mandai Tekong Park fits into a space between blocks 895C and 523. This public neighbourhood park is not fenced-up in a restricted military installation. Any member of the public can enter the park without a pass, for a visit and orientation.

I could only guess why a neighbourhood park was named as Mandai-Tekong Park.

Could this be an old park that was formed up on Pulau Tekong, then transfered to a holding area in Mandai, before a permanent location was found in Woodlands?

Could it be that a few commanders conducted reconnaisances on parks in Mandai and Pulau Tekong, before assembling a superior product to be built in Woodlands?

Or could it be that the one who named this park remembered his old National Service training days with such a high degree of fondness that he decided to name it after his two favourite NS training areas in Singapore?

Can you think of more reasons why they named it Mandai Tekong Park?

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