35M Jalan Greja - the home of Mdm Salmah and her family

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Our Bedok kampong was more than just the clusters of homes near the coastal front of Bedok Laut and the surrounding areas. It also stretched further along Bedok Road, encompassing the kampong homes whose addresses bore the name Jalan Greja. From Jalan Greja to Bedok Laut, and even across the river to Pandang Terbakar (later renamed Siak Kuan Road) and beyond, the homes were linked by a network of back-lane pathways, making it easy to move fluidly from one house to another.

One such home was that of Mdm Salmah and her family at 35M Jalan Greja. Some may remember them from an earlier post featuring a photograph by Mrs Jackie Munro. In a heartwarming way, both families were recently reunited - after nearly 60 years apart.

Those connections were no accident. They were made possible through the tireless and generous spirit of Mdm Salmah. As an amah working in neighbouring homes - including that of the Munros - she built friendships that stood the test of time. Yet, even with the weight of her work, she never set aside her role as a mother. She brought her children to Bedok Beach at low tide, where simple pleasures filled their days: collecting cockles, catching crabs, and gathering seaweed to make agar-agar.

Back at home, life was just as full. Together with her sister, both part of a bustling three-generation household, they would make Malay kueh to sell. At times, as many as 27 family members lived there. The house, and its surroundings, were always alive - with voices, laughter, and the rhythm of everyday kampong life.

Children ran freely through familiar paths, catching guppies in large drains (near the army camp), watching mudskippers at the Sungei Bedok river mouth, and plucking blue pea flowers for kueh-making. Just outside the house lay a stretch of white sandy ground, cool underfoot and accompanied by tall, whispering bamboo - where many childhood memories were made.

While the children filled their days with play, their father worked steadily as a lab technician at the Singapore General Hospital. In the quiet hours, he found solace in sampan fishing, his small boat resting along the shores of Bedok Beach.

This lively chapter at 35M Jalan Greja began when the family moved in, in 1960, and came to a close in 1986 with the kampong’s resettlement and redevelopment into today’s landed homes.  Families moved into various HDB estates, leaving behind wonderful memories of a close-knit community and a way of life that is still so cherished.

Our heartfelt thanks to Saadiah Ahmad for sharing this precious glimpse into her family’s story, and for sharing these photos with us. With both parents having passed on, these recollections allowed us to experience a home that once held so much life - and love.



Mdm Salmah standing at her home at 35M Jalan Greja, with the white sandy ground and shady
 bamboo

Jalan Greja off Bedok Road in this 1967 road map (thanks to Jackie Munro for sharing this, taken from the Singapore Guide and Street Directory 1967)


Mdm Salmah and guests inside her lovely home amidst the beautiful decor






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