More than 2,000 people gathered at Hong Lim Park on Aug. 16 for a rally opposing development plans involving Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks, according to an estimate by organisers SG Climate Rally.
The Maju Rally featured speeches, performances and poetry, with attendees gathering to voice concerns over Singapore’s approach to land use, housing development and environmental conservation.
Organisers said the event centred on three main demands: stronger protection for nature areas, greater public participation in decisions affecting land use, and a broader definition of what constitutes progress in Singapore.
Rally calls for stronger protection of nature areas
Among the proposals put forward was a call for nature areas to be permanently protected instead of being viewed primarily as potential land reserves for future development.
SG Climate Rally also called for 10 areas considered important for biodiversity to be upgraded into nature parks. These include Clementi-Maju and Alexandra Woodlands, which were identified in the environmental report Our Wild Space 2.0 by LepakInSG.
The group also wants environmental impact assessments to become a legal requirement and to take place before development plans are formulated. It argued that environmental considerations should play a greater role in the planning process rather than being addressed only after major decisions have already been made.
More than 1,000 programme booklets had been distributed by around 5.15pm, according to the organisers. More than 250 postcards were also handed out to members of the public, who could write messages to their Members of Parliament. The organisers said the postcards would be digitally scanned before being sent to the MPs.
Politicians join members of the public
The rally also drew political figures from several opposition parties. Workers’ Party MPs Dennis Tan, Jamus Lim and Fadli Fawzi were among those who attended, while representatives from the Singapore Democratic Party and Progress Singapore Party were also present.
Former Nominated Member of Parliament Anthea Ong was among the other familiar political figures seen at the event.
Speaking at the rally, the Workers’ Party MPs expressed support for members of the public engaging with issues surrounding Singapore’s limited green spaces. They highlighted the importance of allowing residents, particularly younger Singaporeans, to participate in discussions concerning the country’s future.
The presence of people from different age groups was particularly noticeable, with families and young Singaporeans among those attending despite the hot weather.
Families say the issue is about Singapore’s future
One attendee, Holly Ngiam, 44, brought her three children, aged four, seven and 10, to the rally.
Ngiam said she viewed the debate as being about more than the future of two specific sites. In her view, it raises broader questions about how Singapore should balance housing needs, population growth and environmental conservation over the long term.
She also said Maju Forest had personal significance to her family, as her in-laws live in an HDB flat nearby and had chosen the location partly because of its view of the forest.
Ngiam, who is originally from the United States and has lived in Singapore for 16 years, said she disagreed with the idea that opposing the development plans was somehow inconsistent with being patriotic. Instead, she believed speaking up about the kind of environment future generations would inherit was itself an expression of concern for Singapore.
Young Singaporeans voice their concerns
Fourteen-year-old Ethan Wee was another attendee at the rally. He said his interest in nature motivated him to attend, although he had not yet personally explored Maju Forest.
Wee said videos of the forest online had given him an appreciation of the area and that he hoped its future could be reconsidered. He also said seeing other members of the public gather for the cause had encouraged him to attend.
The rally comes amid ongoing public discussion over the proposed use of land at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks. The sites have become a focal point in the wider debate over Singapore’s housing requirements, environmental protection and urban planning.
Government says more greenery will be retained
The government has previously said that more greenery will be retained at both sites and that feedback from the public will continue to be considered.
Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said several days before the rally that the authorities would retain greenery as part of the plans.
Under the current proposals, about 40 per cent of the Gillman Barracks site is expected to be retained, while approximately 35 per cent of Maju Forest will remain.
The debate is therefore likely to continue as Singapore weighs competing demands for housing and land development against calls for greater protection of its remaining natural spaces.
For those at Hong Lim Park, however, the rally was about more than a single development proposal. It represented a growing public conversation over how Singapore should define progress, and whether environmental considerations should carry greater weight in decisions that could shape the city-state for decades to come.