Mount Pleasant Road -- Singapore's Most "Spooked" Road? ▶▷▶▷▶▷▶▷
Wednesday, October 31, 2007Text and Photography - Irwin Yeo
A Pleasant Surprise
Tucked right in the middle of the Thomson district, Mount Pleasant Road is distinctly tranquil, its serenity all the more remarkable amid the hustle and bustle of Singapore.
Source: StreetDirectory.com
A winding 2.4-kilometre (approx.) road which links Upper Thomson Road and the east-bound Pan Island Expressway (PIE), Mount Pleasant consists of a dozen colonial-styled terrace houses and two other organisations -- the Senior Police Officers' Mess and the Singapore Polo Club.
The Senior Police Officers' Mess (left) and Singapore Polo Club (right) are the only two organisations at Mount Pleasant Road.
Tales of the Third Kind
What's most intriguing about the road, though, is the somewhat eerie aura that it exudes upon nightfall. Flanked by lush vegetation on both sides, the single carriageway's only light sources at night are the dimly-lit streetlights, because the thick canopy of trees block out much illumination. This, coupled with the sparse number of buildings, houses and establishments there, make the place appear deserted and even spooky.
Without sufficient light and human activities (cars, people etc), the long, winding stretch of road does appears eerie.
Tales about ghostly encounters at Mount Pleasant Road has been aplenty. Because the area used to be a cemetery (called the Mount Pleasant Cemetery no less), sightings of wandering spirits and spectres have been reported.
Sales supervisor Lillian Goh, 37, recounted: "It was in the early 90s then. My friends and I were cruising down the road in a car when we saw a lady in white waving at us like she needed help. We stopped but the pale-looking woman refused to say anything. And then, in a split second, the lady started running off at lightning speed, and in a matter of seconds she disappeared. No one, not even professional athletes could run so fast."
Added Lillian: "We were all scared stiff!!"
Such ghostly tales have attracted the attention of interest groups like the Singapore Paranormal Investigators (SPI), who have organised many outings to the place, in an attempt to unravel the supernatural mysteries of the road. Results so far have not been conclusive but members do agree that the place has a "chill factor" which is different from other "haunted" spots in Singapore.
Morbid tales of how taxi drivers deliberately drive female passengers there and sexually assault them can also be heard every now and then.
We Love It Here Though
Residents of the area, mainly expatriates who hail from Western countries, however, said that they love the peace and tranquility that the place offers.
Houses at the area are all colonial-styled British-looking terrace houses. Not surprisingly, they are mostly occupied by expatriates from Western countries.
Said Angie Dane, a British expatriate who lived there for 3 years: "We do not think the place is haunted, it's all in the imagaination!"
However, the ghost talk seemed to have rubbed off the residents as this writer got wind that one of the households is organising a Halloween party for friends and fellow expats on Halloween Day itself (31 October, which happens to be the date of publish of this blogpost!). All in the name of good fun!
Writer Afterthoughts
The realm of the supernatural has always intrigued me since young. My favourite storybook when I was a kid was the Goosebumps and Bonechillers series. My favourite movies of all time are The Eye, Sixth Sense and The Ring (no prizes for guessing their co-relation). My favourite Hollywood drama serial? Ghost Whisperer.
So it comes as a surprise to none when I express interest in making a road trip down to Mount Pleasant Road. "But is it safe?" questioned my mother, who had heard enough about the road especially when she was in her teens.
I gave a non-commital shrug, thinking that I had to check the road out first before I gave an assessment of it.
My conclusion after visiting it? Many cars actually use the road as a shortcut to get to the east-bound expressway, so it sounds really far-fetched to say that it is "deserted" and "spooky". However, I do concur that when no cars are around, the place emanates a certain undescribable chill.
Perhaps it could be due to the lack of light and activity. Perhaps it could be due to the vegetation, which makes the surrounding area cooler. Perhaps it could indeed be the supernatural forces at work. We would never know for sure...
Related articles
True ghost stories at Mount Pleasant -- Stompers share their experiences!
SPI investigates -- Singapore's top paranormal investigation body checks out the area.. and tells us more about Mount Pleasant cemetery.
By singaporeroads at 9:00 AM