Han Clan Gets $7.5m Bid For Its Premises

Source : The Straits Times, Feb 11, 2008

THE Han Clan Association is on the cusp of selling its premises near the KK Hospital, after having received a bid of $7.5 million for its site.

A housing development could well come up at its Derbyshire Road location.

Encouraged by the property boom, the clan opened up its site to bids last November, and pulled in seven, with the lowest at $5.6 million.

‘The highest bid far exceeded our expectations,’ said clan chairman Han Pock Fong, 62.

But before the sale can go through, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has to give its approval to convert the land from one for community use to residential use.

Falling membership prompted the sale of the land, but the 108-year-old association has no plans to fade into history.

It is planning a new headquarters - perhaps one in Race Course Road or Joo Chiat Road - which is more accessible to public transport to make it more convenient for younger people who may not own a car.

The clan is now 300-strong, but nearly three quarters of its members are over 50 years old, said Mr Marcus Han, the clan’s 36-year-old vice-general secretary.

To attract younger members, the clan plans to organise attractive tour packages to heritage sites in Hainan Island, he said.

The clan was set up by Hainanese migrants to help new arrivals to Singapore settle in. Today, it also welcomes into its fold members of Hakka and Shanghainese origin.

Like most Chinese clans here, the clan educates its members about their ancestry and provides them with financial aid in the form of education bursaries.

The Han clan’s first headquarters was an attap house in the Thomson area. Over the years, it moved thrice before it settled in Derbyshire Road 32 years ago.

Mr Nicholas Mak, a director at property consultant Knight Frank, said the Derbyshire plot has the potential to become a fairly large prime residential development.