ABRIEF look at the house at the crossroads of Singapores Grange Road and Grange Garden reveals nothing unu-sual. The gate is always closed. Surrounded by an iron fence, the compound is secluded and silent. The building is ordinary, far from being posh and imposing. The large yard is neglected. On the terrace of one of the pavillions, used tires are stacked in disorder.

The occupants may not necessarily be ordinary, though. The land on which the c