Jalan Ampas, Singapore's very own Hollywood

Jalan Ampas, Singapore’s very own Hollywood

45 years ago, Singapore had her own Hollywood, Jalan Ampas. It housed the illustrious careers of prominent actors such as the late P.Ramlee.  Rubihati Mahmoed, 62, remembered how she enjoyed the films when she was a child.

“Of course I enjoyed the movies. Seeing P.Ramlee, Aziz Sattar and S.Samsuddin’s comedic acts made me forget the hardship that I experienced when I was young,” the mother of 3 recalled.

Jalan Ampas Studio was closed in 1967 after Shaw Brothers, its parent company; saw a huge decline in the popularity of Malay films as a result of the emergence of Indonesian and Fillipino films.

“I was extremely sad when the studio closed down because  the actors had to move to the one in Malaysia,” said  Rubihati.

A former backstage singer at Jalan Ampas, Zainab Huri, 63 stated that it was regretful to see the studio closed down. The grandmother of 7 said,” It is certainly sad to see a place that was once home to actors and actresses making their living, gone”.

The studio is now defunct, a stark contrast to itself in the 1950s.

“They should erect a memorial for Jalan Ampas,” said Zainab Huri , ending her interview with Story Of Jalan Ampas.Jalan Ampas.