For subscribers
Study on life of ex-villagers on Southern Islands
Two-year project documents heritage and little-known stories from former islanders
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Melody Zaccheus
Follow topic:
Singapore's young islanders were such good swimmers, they would encourage people to visit the Southern Islands, to throw coins into its waters for them to retrieve.
Former St John's villager Muhamad Akim Giman, 69, said: "We had to dive in fast as the coins sank rapidly. We emerged with them in our hands or our mouths."

