S'porean man abandons mainland to live on Pulau Ubin kelong for good

When you tire of the concrete jungle, you move into the real one.

Belmont Lay | December 20, 2017, 03:00 AM

Many Singaporeans dream of escaping the concrete jungle.

Well, one Singaporean man actually did it by moving to a fish farm, aka a kelong, on Pulau Ubin:

Idyllic kampung life

The idyllic kampung life is on full display in this video.

A dozen dogs, 360° view of the sea, a constant breeze, unadulterated freedom from the authorities and a lot of lovely neighbours who come to define camaraderie.

The man interviewed is Phillip Lim, 55, a well-known salty sea dog.

He is part of the Ubin "Sea Angel" community, made up of kampung fellows who carry out rescue and salvage operations on their own volition.

Having almost drowned in 2007 if not for the help of a fellow Ubin farmer, Phillip in turn, has logged 15 dives in this decade or so, utilising basic equipment to carry out his duties and paying it forward to help others.

Phillip's story

Phillip has an interesting story.

In the earlier July 2017 article about him, he is talked about as a "no-time-to-lose, let's-save-people" sort of a village chief.

There was no explanation as to how one guy in his mid-50s ended up on an island removed from civilisation and who just happens to devote the remainder of his life to doing good for others -- including taking care of his elderly neighbour who has dementia.

Other than the fact that it was previously revealed that he has a wife and a son and a daughter in their 20s back on the mainland, his backstory was left undisclosed.

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Was suicidal and depressed

In this current video, more has been revealed about Phillip.

He has been on Pulau Ubin for more than a decade, after the 1997 financial crisis ruined him and he was sued for bankruptcy.

He fell into depression and became suicidal.

And he appears to be estranged from his son.

"There's a big mistake I made in my life, until today, I very regret," he said in the video. "After that incident, I and my son, there's a gap. I can't forgive myself until today."

And left it as that.

He paints himself as persona non grata on mainland Singapore these days, as he talks about escaping the pressures of urban living and his past.

Therefore, the most intimate detail he revealed was when he talked about reconciling with his son -- a point that suddenly made his narrative more complete.

The video is titled, "Balik Kampong", which means "Going Home".

Spoiler alert: He doesn't.

At least, not by the end of this video.

All the best.