The clerk that saved the prison's death register

There was once a gaol clerk who risked his life to secretly record and save the name list of those who are executed or died in Outram prison, and even let POWs copied the name list secretly on the pages of the Bible.<br /> <br /> Today we would like to pay tribute to this man and publish this name list of the 1470 deaths who are buried in mass trenches in Bukit Brown.<br /> <br /> -----------------------------<br /> <br /> On 12 Sep 1945,  not so long after the war ended,  The Australia Morning Bulletin published the prisoners' stories of Singapore Gaol Horrors, describing Outram Gaol as the Blackest Spot of All"<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFsTD60mFg8/Wu7GjjV8P7I/AAAAAAACif0/93G7xMpLVY8Gz0Oox9L8dRzEQPIBhuhrQCLcBGAs/s1600/Darkest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="888" height="614" id="id_8ead_d4f0_8079_a" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFsTD60mFg8/Wu7GjjV8P7I/AAAAAAACif0/93G7xMpLVY8Gz0Oox9L8dRzEQPIBhuhrQCLcBGAs/s640/Darkest.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 640px;" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> It was reported that Pte A. K. Mitchell, of Seymour (Victoria) and a British doctor copied death records on the pages of a Bible belonging to a friendly Chinese gaol records clerk.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8O4xi0ys3o/Wu-oNIg7zrI/AAAAAAACilc/Urzb_lqmQ1UMR1gd0cCZdNjVfJqdnTV3QCLcBGAs/s1600/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="782" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8O4xi0ys3o/Wu-oNIg7zrI/AAAAAAACilc/Urzb_lqmQ1UMR1gd0cCZdNjVfJqdnTV3QCLcBGAs/s640/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg" width="312" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> Pie Mitchell said that in the 15 months from May, 1944, up till July this year 1136 natives died<br /> of starvation and disease. In the two years up till July this year 142 Chinese were hanged.<br /> Pte Mitchell described the hanging of the Chinese as shocking.<br /> Their courage, he said, was amazing. Most of the Chinese were men and boys. Some were hanged for listening to Chungking broadcasts. One lad of 17 was hanged because he had donated 50<br /> cents to the British Spitfire fund before the Japanese invaded.<br /> <br /> <b>Who was this friendly Chinese gaol record clerk who let the POWs copy death records on the pages of his Bible at the risk of his life?</b><br /> <br /> <br /> On 23 Feb 1946,  there was an important article published in Straits Times.   It was a name list of 1470 prisoners who died in the Outram Road Gaol (Civilian) during the Japanese occupation.<br /> <br /> This list was secretly by two people employed in the gaol.  The list was kept in English and it is possible that some of the names differ slightly from their Chinese equivalents as there is a variety of ways in which Chinese names can be romanised.   As the Japanese did not let relatives or friends know the fate of those who are arrested, it is probable that most of the people in this list are among those posted as "missing, fate unknown"<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fr8ZSU6Sj7c/Wu7ARXcLCpI/AAAAAAACifc/1zJNPL7snp8b3l9-SN7tF6DvJdZUTrGrgCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="706" height="640" id="id_caa4_d258_1fa7_12e5" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fr8ZSU6Sj7c/Wu7ARXcLCpI/AAAAAAACifc/1zJNPL7snp8b3l9-SN7tF6DvJdZUTrGrgCLcBGAs/s640/NameList1.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 482px;" width="482" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Some time later during the war crimes trial for the Outram Road Civil Gaol Crimes, the name of the prison clerk who had saved the register of the prisoner with its grim record of 1,000 deaths was make known and complimented.  He was Mr Benjamin Cheah, Chief Records Clerk at Outram Road Gaol, before and during the occupation.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-72RL1EyLvPE/Wu7CJcAtwtI/AAAAAAACifo/wEAmPSPmWlA-dO6sBWaz6p_AJ4e_LgRoQCLcBGAs/s1600/twomancharged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1215" height="640" id="id_6d51_255b_e4a0_f867" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-72RL1EyLvPE/Wu7CJcAtwtI/AAAAAAACifo/wEAmPSPmWlA-dO6sBWaz6p_AJ4e_LgRoQCLcBGAs/s640/twomancharged.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 484px;" width="484" /></a></div> <br /> Who was this Benjamin Cheah who risked his life to secretly saved the name list of those who are executed or died in the prison, and even let POWs copied the death records on the pages of the Bible?<br /> <br /> -----------------------<br /> <br /> It was a Death Notice published on Straits Times. 22 Aug 1951.  It reported the death of Benjamin Cheah Chun Hoi, age 60 years, who passed away at 24, Pearl's Hill Terrace, on the 20 Aug 1951, leaving his beloved wife, 4 sons and 4 daughters.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-choe7yVQJGE/Wu63_cj2kDI/AAAAAAACifI/nEXi7YWRl00Vr0LpEB7fTn2L68lz2ln4QCLcBGAs/s1600/Benjamindeath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1536" height="330" id="id_5e19_b55e_f6fe_5abf" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-choe7yVQJGE/Wu63_cj2kDI/AAAAAAACifI/nEXi7YWRl00Vr0LpEB7fTn2L68lz2ln4QCLcBGAs/s640/Benjamindeath.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 640px;" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Pearl's Hill Terrace used to house government servants.   Benjamin Cheah held the post of chief clerk of Outram Gaol and also acted as interpreter.<br /> <br /> Benjamin must have rose through the ranks.  On 1 Apr 1908, when he was just 17 years he joined as an Extra Clerk in the Chinese Protectorate.  At that time Ho Siak Kuan was the Chinese Translator and Interpreter.<br /> <br /> Benjamin first wife died in 1924, and he married again in 1931 to Ms Lee Ah Moi who taught in St Andrew's School from 1947 till her retirement in 1960.<br /> <br /> On 24 May 1990, Mrs Cheah, Benjamin wife,  passed away at age 88 and was survived by her sons Dick and Andrew and daughters.<br /> <br /> Dick Cheah (Benjamin's son), a nursing officer, married Kate in 1976, and together they have 2 sons.<br /> Mrs Kate Cheah is actually the daughter of the founder of Polar Cafe, Chan Hinky<br /> (Now Polar Puffs and Cakes).<br /> <br /> They have met each other as early as 1950/51 whereby the Chan family was staying temporarily in Pearl's Hill Terrace, where Kate eldest sister 's husband was working as an interpreter in Outram Gaol.<br /> <br /> According to Mrs Kate Cheah's book "Sweet Memories, Sweet Success",  Dick forefathers had been part of a minority Chinese exodus that went to British Guiana to seek a better life.   Benjamin, Dick's father was born there but came to Penang when he was still a teenager. He then came to Singapore to work.<br /> <br /> The Name List secretly recorded in English by Benjamin Cheah<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuI023MhYkY/Wu7JeqTRoSI/AAAAAAACigI/14jEDKuRwOoan7bMjVtHMeePE4EmeZtywCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="669" id="id_ca93_81c9_385_8e9d" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuI023MhYkY/Wu7JeqTRoSI/AAAAAAACigI/14jEDKuRwOoan7bMjVtHMeePE4EmeZtywCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList1.png" style="height: auto; width: 668px;" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> 2<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-II_xwaRBlfw/Wu7Jx4lAK5I/AAAAAAACigQ/r8RPA4uIZwI639JawS1msBsXvtr5JNdHgCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="621" id="id_e537_32d4_fabb_87ad" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-II_xwaRBlfw/Wu7Jx4lAK5I/AAAAAAACigQ/r8RPA4uIZwI639JawS1msBsXvtr5JNdHgCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList2.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 621px;" /></a></div> <br /> 3<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KHZ0CExebVY/Wu7KoGdSIdI/AAAAAAACigg/zqhVgK63qgogpxG39hhFygkK808ZWp-jwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="624" id="id_810_b242_d_f157" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KHZ0CExebVY/Wu7KoGdSIdI/AAAAAAACigg/zqhVgK63qgogpxG39hhFygkK808ZWp-jwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList3.png" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /></a></div> <br /> 4<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hM2lbuRbZgU/Wu7KujcSWyI/AAAAAAACigo/bHlCqxx6OuwWmiumDdDd_5n-qCAvXl_ZQCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="621" id="id_78b7_4734_2ba7_8371" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hM2lbuRbZgU/Wu7KujcSWyI/AAAAAAACigo/bHlCqxx6OuwWmiumDdDd_5n-qCAvXl_ZQCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList4.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 620px;" /></a></div> <br /> 5<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4EiRFukGQp0/Wu7LU61QNkI/AAAAAAACig0/9vrWZlolixES00sFswqGPhQaB2EfsSQ7gCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="754" id="id_bd6d_5ce7_d48d_bbd7" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4EiRFukGQp0/Wu7LU61QNkI/AAAAAAACig0/9vrWZlolixES00sFswqGPhQaB2EfsSQ7gCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList5.png" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /></a></div> <br /> 6<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0a5fPSobqE/Wu7MEpaUH8I/AAAAAAACig8/PKiSqIVlm0QBZpHmEVH_pp2r9SgRcxCVwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="655" id="id_e88b_a199_de9e_309b" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0a5fPSobqE/Wu7MEpaUH8I/AAAAAAACig8/PKiSqIVlm0QBZpHmEVH_pp2r9SgRcxCVwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList6.png" style="height: auto; width: 655px;" /></a></div> <br /> 7<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hoRrxxyom-Y/Wu7MYd6FOsI/AAAAAAACihI/3ahc6ANSgNYxZRKuKUUsJaWic4tgztfUACLcBGAs/s1600/NameList7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="605" id="id_139c_461f_ece5_5a25" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hoRrxxyom-Y/Wu7MYd6FOsI/AAAAAAACihI/3ahc6ANSgNYxZRKuKUUsJaWic4tgztfUACLcBGAs/s1600/NameList7.png" style="height: auto; width: 604px;" /></a></div> <br /> 8<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aMry4PDh0JA/Wu7Ms38Rt3I/AAAAAAACihQ/vggHeM7UOL00XgS8U0J5kRm_rmpl2mYwwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="679" id="id_9349_e870_51d6_7ff0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aMry4PDh0JA/Wu7Ms38Rt3I/AAAAAAACihQ/vggHeM7UOL00XgS8U0J5kRm_rmpl2mYwwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList8.png" style="height: auto; width: 678px;" /></a></div> <br /> 9<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mCiQP21pW9Y/Wu7NIXeXQ-I/AAAAAAACihY/VvcTZeIGL9oisLwrUOW5aN1dOdwx0bk0wCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="614" id="id_69fb_4199_e533_9359" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mCiQP21pW9Y/Wu7NIXeXQ-I/AAAAAAACihY/VvcTZeIGL9oisLwrUOW5aN1dOdwx0bk0wCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList9.png" style="height: auto; width: 613px;" /></a></div> <br /> 10<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D7cWGUp0ryM/Wu7Nb2_9lrI/AAAAAAACihg/1CxNsGx7_NYH3BrJIn67XdoEnwj1pTi2ACLcBGAs/s1600/NameList10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="627" id="id_be0a_b9a1_abc9_d3a9" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D7cWGUp0ryM/Wu7Nb2_9lrI/AAAAAAACihg/1CxNsGx7_NYH3BrJIn67XdoEnwj1pTi2ACLcBGAs/s1600/NameList10.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 626px;" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> 11<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ufabq1dwt4/Wu7N0b1zlnI/AAAAAAACihs/gU97Ev0JMjwfhKElm0QhvdeVLn9HlCagQCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="598" id="id_1c3e_f2ae_98e1_6d56" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ufabq1dwt4/Wu7N0b1zlnI/AAAAAAACihs/gU97Ev0JMjwfhKElm0QhvdeVLn9HlCagQCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList11.png" style="height: auto; width: 598px;" /></a></div> <br /> 12<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fj7D46jTwK0/Wu7OL5fqNOI/AAAAAAACih0/Ve0J5zwMK-kawaoINzHL5nDFyRAZjj2wACLcBGAs/s1600/NameList12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="609" id="id_19f9_ec4_ee26_4" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fj7D46jTwK0/Wu7OL5fqNOI/AAAAAAACih0/Ve0J5zwMK-kawaoINzHL5nDFyRAZjj2wACLcBGAs/s1600/NameList12.png" style="height: auto; width: 608px;" /></a></div> <br /> 13<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEojvT-1Ois/Wu7OiVpH_HI/AAAAAAACiiA/x2WbV0-ihCIsdRJYWqe71KoJTo1tXH5LQCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1514" data-original-width="744" id="id_cb84_fd4_482d_eb0d" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEojvT-1Ois/Wu7OiVpH_HI/AAAAAAACiiA/x2WbV0-ihCIsdRJYWqe71KoJTo1tXH5LQCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList13.png" style="height: auto; width: 744px;" /></a></div> 14<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_w-mMxLTR5o/Wu7OzV_C9NI/AAAAAAACiiI/5L73GNkz7Ys1Akt3LEOuIvgbikkjOoCMwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="617" id="id_ca51_a982_c9f4_5381" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_w-mMxLTR5o/Wu7OzV_C9NI/AAAAAAACiiI/5L73GNkz7Ys1Akt3LEOuIvgbikkjOoCMwCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList14.png" style="height: auto; width: 616px;" /></a></div> <br /> 15<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1mcWhJIYR4/Wu7PGH4CAsI/AAAAAAACiiQ/gARD2daBe2kBAAXZOF7xIGKOpfd_CqY3wCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="627" id="id_1156_ffcc_99e0_ef86" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1mcWhJIYR4/Wu7PGH4CAsI/AAAAAAACiiQ/gARD2daBe2kBAAXZOF7xIGKOpfd_CqY3wCLcBGAs/s1600/NameList15.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 626px;" /></a></div> <br /> 16<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eXtD6iFGSY0/Wu7PlLtfrHI/AAAAAAACiiY/fYnM2Qf3pdol_1qiIf-rwpVQ7zBQPjpEgCEwYBhgL/s1600/NameList16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="758" height="640" id="id_11fb_ba61_a574_1fad" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eXtD6iFGSY0/Wu7PlLtfrHI/AAAAAAACiiY/fYnM2Qf3pdol_1qiIf-rwpVQ7zBQPjpEgCEwYBhgL/s640/NameList16.png" style="height: auto; width: 603px;" width="603" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> End of Name List

The clerk that saved the prison's death register

There was once a gaol clerk who risked his life to secretly record and save the name list of those who are executed or died in Outram prison...

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New Bukit Brown Cemetery self-guided trail takes visitors through 25 tombs

The Straits Times<br /> Nov 18, 2017<br />By Lester Hio<br /><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m-8bLvZNVJU/WuWz4h95PVI/AAAAAAACiPQ/GiMttEjlv40pPcVjO9ZOK58E4y5D8bNGwCLcBGAs/s1600/cementry18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m-8bLvZNVJU/WuWz4h95PVI/AAAAAAACiPQ/GiMttEjlv40pPcVjO9ZOK58E4y5D8bNGwCLcBGAs/s640/cementry18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br />The Singapore Heritage Society (SHS) launched the Bukit Brown Wayfinder trail on Nov 18, 2017. It provides detailed signs and write-ups of tombs along parts of the cemetery. ST PHOTO: RAKESH KUMAR<br /><br /> SINGAPORE - History buffs can now make their own way through a trail of 25 tombs at Bukit Brown Cemetery, as the first self-guided trail of the area opens to the public.<br /> <br /> The Singapore Heritage Society (SHS) launched the Bukit Brown Wayfinder trail on Saturday morning (Nov 18). It provides detailed signs and write-ups of tombs along parts of the cemetery.<br /> <br /> The tombs, located at Blocks 1 and 3 of Bukit Brown Cemetery, were specially chosen because they are easily accessed along well-worn paths and contain diverse bits of Singapore's history and heritage, said the society.<br /> <br /> <br /> These include the tomb of prominent businessman Ong Sam Leong and his family, which is the largest one, spanning 600 sq m - about the size of seven four-room HDB flats.<br /> <br /> Other tombs include that of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation founder Tan Ean Kiam, and a mysterious "cemented tomb" with a mound made of cement, the reason for which still eludes researchers.<br /> <br /> The trail can be accessed through Lorong Halwa, which lies at the portion of Bukit Brown Cemetery still unaffected by the construction of a major eight-lane road. The Land Transport Authority had razed parts of Bukit Brown to connect the MacRitchie Viaduct to Adam Flyover.<br /> <br /> Visitors can download a 115-page online booklet from the SHS website which details the story and history of each tombstone, as well as walking maps of the trail and recommended routes to take.<br /> <br /> The trail also contains information on the major rites and rituals still practised in Bukit Brown, as well as the flora and fauna that make up the cemetery's landscape.<br /> <br /> The Wayfinder trail is the result of a multi-agency work group chaired by the Ministry of National Development, along with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, National Parks Board and the Land Transport Authority, together with volunteer groups SHS and All Things Bukit Brown.<br /> <br /> Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee, who launched the trail, said the trail is another way for the public to access the history and heritage of Bukit Brown.<br /> <br /> "This Wayfinder trail supplements the very intense volunteering work by the volunteers, who continue to lead regular walks to introduce Bukit Brown to Singaporeans and visitors," said Mr Lee, who is also Second Minister for National Development.<br /> <br /> Said SHS president Jack Lee: "The Wayfinder brings to life - so to speak - the people resting in the cemetery." Added Dr Lee: "We are privileged and grateful that some of these people's descendants have shared with us precious family photographs and oral histories for the Wayfinder."<br /><br />Download the Wayfinder here:<br /><br />http://www.singaporeheritage.org/bukitbrownwayfinder/

New Bukit Brown Cemetery self-guided trail takes visitors through 25 tombs

The Straits Times Nov 18, 2017 By Lester Hio The Singapore Heritage Society (SHS) launched the Bukit Brown Wayfinder trail on Nov 18, 20...

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3,400 remains at Bukit Brown, Seh Ong unclaimed as of final deadline: LTA

Staff Writer, Singapore<br /> Editorial Team<br /> Yahoo News Singapore17 April 2018<br /> <div> <br /></div> UPDATE: There was one claim by next-of-kin for the human remains since 12 January 2018, the Land Transport Authority said.<br /> <br /> About 3,400 unclaimed human remains exhumed from the Bukit Brown and Seh Ong cemeteries will be scattered at sea next Thursday (26 April).<br /> <br /> “There were no claims by next-of-kin since 12 January 2018,” said a Land Transport Authority spokesperson (LTA) on Sunday in response to queries by Yahoo News Singapore.<br /> <br /> A brief religious ceremony to offer prayers before scattering the ashes at sea will be arranged by the LTA.<br /> <br /> In a series of final notices published on 12 January in The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, the LTA had called for descendants or next-of-kin to claim the remains by last Thursday (12 April).<br /> <br /> These remains were not claimed by descendants or next-of-kin at the time of exhumation and during the storage period of three years, according to the notices.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rU_kXr0LHgo/WuWtdHEEcgI/AAAAAAACiOs/_6GYPoBrSxot3Zcn6tp7DzL-fTTjqeU1QCLcBGAs/s1600/6c54f8b39822bd91f8ecf91f4a947602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="816" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rU_kXr0LHgo/WuWtdHEEcgI/AAAAAAACiOs/_6GYPoBrSxot3Zcn6tp7DzL-fTTjqeU1QCLcBGAs/s640/6c54f8b39822bd91f8ecf91f4a947602.jpg" width="544" /></a></div> <br /><br /> (A notice by the LTA published in Lianhe Zaobao on 12 January, 2018. Source: Raymond Goh/Facebook)<br /> <br />More About 4,700 graves were exhumed from both cemeteries between January and December 2014 to make way for the construction of Lornie Highway.<br /> <br /> The construction of the highway, which was announced in September 2011, was delayed twice due to various reasons, including financial difficulties faced by its main contractor and a public exhumation exercise that completed a year later than projected.<br /> <br /> First slated to be completed by 2016, and then end-2017, the development of the dual four-lane road also faced strong objections from heritage groups and members of the public.<br /> <br /> Set to connect MacRitchie Viaduct to Adam Flyover, it affected parts of the Bukit Brown and Seh Ong cemeteries, which had been closed off to burial since the early 1970s and were areas deemed to have rich heritage value.<br /> <br /> Lornie Highway will now be progressively opened from the third quarter of this year, starting with the southbound highway towards Adam Flyover, said the LTA in a press release issued in November last year.<br /> <br /> The northbound highway towards MacRitchie Viaduct will open in the first quarter of 2019

3,400 remains at Bukit Brown, Seh Ong unclaimed as of final deadline: LTA

Staff Writer, Singapore Editorial Team Yahoo News Singapore17 April 2018 UPDATE: There was one claim by next-of-kin for the human remai...

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Unclaimed cremated remains from Bukit Brown, Seh Ong to be scattered at sea in April

Yahoo News Singapore<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>by Wong Casandra<br /> Senior Reporter<br /> 19 January 2018<br /> <div> <br /></div> <br />Unclaimed cremated remains from parts of the Bukit Brown and Seh Ong cemeteries will be scattered at sea on April 26 this year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) wrote in a series of final notices posted on national broadsheets.<br /> <br /> As of 12 January, remains from about 3,400 out of 4,700 graves – exhumed from both cemeteries between January and December 2014 to make way for the construction of Lornie Highway – have not been claimed, said an LTA spokesman on Wednesday (17 January) in response to queries by Yahoo News Singapore.<br /> <br /> These remains were not claimed by descendants or next-of-kin at the time of exhumation and during the storage period of three years, according to the notice published last Friday in The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbeDBvJSEaA/WuW1gkQmKzI/AAAAAAACiPg/PIs8OXIC-REd-pLB7IvvdyUNK1H39ti2QCLcBGAs/s1600/notice1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="816" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbeDBvJSEaA/WuW1gkQmKzI/AAAAAAACiPg/PIs8OXIC-REd-pLB7IvvdyUNK1H39ti2QCLcBGAs/s640/notice1.jpg" width="544" /></a></div> <br /> (A notice by the LTA published in Lianhe Zaobao on 12 January, 2018. SOURCE: Raymond Goh/Facebook)<br /> <br /> Those who wish to claim the cremated remains of their ancestors have been asked to submit their claims by 12 April. They can contact the LTA at 63962500 or feedback@lta.gov.sg for details on the submission of claims.<br /> <br /> The LTA said it will arrange for a brief religious ceremony to offer prayers before scattering the ashes at sea.<br /> <br /> Groups and individuals have called for alternative measures, such as building a memorial that houses the unclaimed cremated remains.<br /> <br /> Chua Ai Lin, vice president of non-profit Singapore Heritage Society, called the suggestion “timely”, and one that the group, together with members of the public and the Bukit Brown community, had proposed “a few years back”.<br /> <br /> As “some of the earliest graves exhumed to make way for the highway date back to as early as the 1830s, less than 20 years after the founding of Singapore by Raffles”, a memorial would allow “current and future generations to pay their respects and remember the contributions of what remains of the earliest pioneer generation”, explained Chua.<br /> <br /> A memorial would play a big role in allowing the closure of a “chapter in (one’s) family history”, said Catherine Lim, a volunteer with All Things Bukit Brown, a community group that conducts regular guided walks for the public in the Bukit Brown area.<br /> <br /> “The possibility that descendants may still come forth should not be discounted,” added Lim.<br /> <br /> Dr Terence Heng, lecturer in sociology at the University of Liverpool, who was part of a research team that documented the Bukit Brown cemetery, noted that building a memorial “would be an excellent gesture on the part of LTA”.<br /> <br /> “The memorial for Bukit Brown could be simple, placed near the recently relocated gates, listing the individuals who had ‘given up’ their space for the living,” he added.<br /> <br /> Plagued by delays<br /> <br /> The construction of Lornie Highway, which was announced in September 2011, was delayed twice due to various reasons, including financial difficulties faced by its main contractor and a public exhumation exercise that completed a year later than projected.<br /> <br /> First slated to be completed by 2016, and then end-2017, the development of the dual four-lane road also faced strong objections from heritage groups and members of the public.<br /> <br /> Set to connect MacRitchie Viaduct to Adam Flyover, it affected parts of the Bukit Brown and Seh Ong cemeteries, which had been closed off to burial since the early 1970s and were areas deemed to have rich heritage value.<br /> <br /> Lornie Highway will now be progressively opened from the third quarter of this year, starting with the southbound highway towards Adam Flyover, said the LTA in a press release issued in November last year.<br /> <br /> The northbound highway towards MacRitchie Viaduct will open in the first quarter of 2019.<br /> <br /> The road is expected to alleviate congestion along Lornie Road and the Pan-Island Expressway during peak hours.<br /> <br /> Back in 2011, LTA said that “traffic demand along Lornie Road is expected to increase between 20 per cent and 30 per cent by 2020 and well beyond what the current Lornie Road will be able to handle”.

Unclaimed cremated remains from Bukit Brown, Seh Ong to be scattered at sea in April

Yahoo News Singapore by Wong Casandra Senior Reporter 19 January 2018 Unclaimed cremated remains from parts of the Bukit Brown and Seh...

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Commentary: Cemeteries should be more than where the dead reside

Channel News Asia<br />14 Jan 2018<br />by Terence Heng<br /><br /> In land-scarce Singapore where taller columbaria have replaced cemeteries that used to take up large tracts of land, the University of Liverpool’s Terence Heng discusses if we’ve lost something in the process.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZWVVHx_2ZQ/WuW27HHObTI/AAAAAAACiPs/AfZMHOZzxOsOL_Em9qakywl7-ibcsxF1ACLcBGAs/s1600/-sl--cemetaries-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZWVVHx_2ZQ/WuW27HHObTI/AAAAAAACiPs/AfZMHOZzxOsOL_Em9qakywl7-ibcsxF1ACLcBGAs/s640/-sl--cemetaries-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> The filial come back every year to do their duty. (Photo: Terence Heng)<br /> <br /> SINGAPORE: When I tell people that part of my research involves photographing exhumations in cemeteries and their accompanying rituals, the inevitable question I get is: “Have you seen or felt anything?”<br /> <br /> To be honest, I have not.<br /> <br /> However, I once thought I heard a child crying outside my bedroom. Thinking that something had finally followed me home, I jumped out of bed to confront the spectre.<br /> <br /> It turned out to be my foster cat, throwing up under the dining table. I almost wished it had been a ghost.<br /> <br /> Aside from ghostly-feline shenanigans, the time I spent in Bukit Brown Cemetery between 2011 and 2014 has shown me just how alive cemeteries can be.<br /> <br /> As part of the team documenting the social and cultural life of the cemetery, I was witness to a multitude of rituals, festivals, events, memories and emotions.<br /> <br /> Many of these memories and emotions were personified in the determination of the people I met along the way.<br /> <br /> Take for example Qing Ming Jie – the Chinese version of All Saints Day, when families gather to pay respects to their ancestors.<br /> <br /> I once photographed a man who went by Mr Taijuddin, who now mostly resides in Indonesia. At the age of 73, he still climbed the slippery, moss-covered slopes in business shoes and a long-sleeved shirt to do his filial duty.<br /> <br /> BEING PHYSICALLY CLOSE TO A LOVED ONE’S GRAVE<br /> <br /> The ability to be physically close to a grave is one advantage that cemeteries have over columbaria. Even if you paid for a niche at eye-level, there is nothing quite like having your own space to say a few words or conduct religious rites.<br /> <br /> Cemeteries also provide a more personal way of interacting with loved ones.<br /><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BbbDHlykJ_Y/WuW3GvWEc8I/AAAAAAACiPw/nMUglER-wC4AKmEsuum3CGZpEgUlTwz-ACLcBGAs/s1600/-sl--cemeteries---2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BbbDHlykJ_Y/WuW3GvWEc8I/AAAAAAACiPw/nMUglER-wC4AKmEsuum3CGZpEgUlTwz-ACLcBGAs/s640/-sl--cemeteries---2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br /> Cemeteries afford a certain kind of personal space for families to gather and remember. (Photo: Terence Heng)<br /> <br /> One friend commented that when visiting his grandmother’s niche, he was never sure if she could “receive” his offerings on the ground since her ashes placed were far above eye-level. Waving his hands, he mimicked pushing the spiritual essence of offerings up, saying “we hope ah ma gets these lah”.<br /> <br /> The destruction of cemeteries has become a contentious issue in Singapore. What was once a norm to see entire swathes of graves cleared for malls, MRT depots and housing estates can be a fiercely contentious issue, especially for those that have significant cultural and historical value, like Bukit Brown Cemetery.<br /> <br /> More recent exercises like the Government’s plans to clear 80,000 graves to make way for Tengah Air Base’s expansion have been met with a range of reactions, from a mere shrug to disappointment that national development is coming at a cost to the dead.<br /> <br /> Many argue that cemeteries are impractical – there is no way to leave that much space for the dead when the living are already squeezed into ever smaller pigeon holes.<br /> <br /> We are told that we cannot be sentimental, that we must be pragmatic.<br /> <br /> In place of cemeteries we have ever-more intensifying columbaria, designed to accommodate the most number of remains using the least amount of space. The recent announcement of a funeral complex in Bidadari to replace the columbarium complex at Mount Vernon is an example of this.<br /> <br /> Such arguments and actions are less about cemeteries, and more about what constitutes a “useful” and “efficient” space – planners are always looking for ways to make spaces more livable, effective and beneficial to the population. Dead bodies and remains don’t seem to figure in this equation.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7kerkZ6lyzQ/WuW3VANGNaI/AAAAAAACiP4/poUWoK9Zra4P7lTj8IKu2vDncqeboFVWwCEwYBhgL/s1600/-sl--cemeteries---3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7kerkZ6lyzQ/WuW3VANGNaI/AAAAAAACiP4/poUWoK9Zra4P7lTj8IKu2vDncqeboFVWwCEwYBhgL/s640/-sl--cemeteries---3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> Maybe all people need are simple places to sit and reflect. (Photo: Terence Heng)<br /> <br /> The other side of the argument is that cemeteries are alive with memories, rituals and personal stories, that they are an important connection to our past in ways that single memorials or buildings could never act as.<br /> <br /> Again, these are less about cemeteries and more about what makes a space meaningful, and what kinds of spaces can anchor us to our social, cultural and national identities.<br /> <br /> Both sides of the argument make good points. We have limited land but to eliminate seemingly inefficiently used spaces that are material anchors leaves us empty and undefined. What then do we do?<br /> <br /> NOT A “DIRTY” SPACE<br /> <br /> We can begin by not seeing cemeteries (or indeed any space that houses the dead) as places that are spiritually off-limits or set-aside for most of the year.<br /> <br /> Colloquially speaking, they cannot be framed as “dirty”, "inefficient" or "useless" spaces.<br /> <br /> Intensifying a columbaria suggests that we see no use for such spaces other than a repository and somewhere to visit once or twice a year.<br /> <br /> To do this, it means we need to collectively think of and talk about death more candidly. As long as death is taboo, so too will be the spaces associated with death.<br /> <br /> Death needs to, in millennial-speak, be disrupted in ways that allow us to more fully engage with it as a process of life.<br /> <br /> If we go ahead and clear all cemeteries, the alternative needs to be more imaginative than simply stacking us one on top of the other in the easiest and most cost-effective way possible. By this I do not mean fancy air-conditioned country-club style designs with lasers.<br /> <br /> Rather, constructing spaces that encourage contemplation and give a sense of refuge would be a good start. Somewhere we can think about what life really means to us, far away from the hustle and bustle of life, as we take time to visit those who have gone before us.<br /> <br /> <br /> Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-cemeteries-should-be-more-than-where-the-dead-reside-9834742

Commentary: Cemeteries should be more than where the dead reside

Channel News Asia 14 Jan 2018 by Terence Heng In land-scarce Singapore where taller columbaria have replaced cemeteries that used to take u...

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Tan Soo Bin's family album at Panglima Prang

<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Tan Soo Bin's family album at Panglima Prang</span></span><br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vI7nd6xDB5E/WhZ5WCW9QqI/AAAAAAACST4/SOBv4lMJ1EYtwD2w8cz3WRv33tS6Y-dCQCLcBGAs/s1600/TanJiakKimfamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vI7nd6xDB5E/WhZ5WCW9QqI/AAAAAAACST4/SOBv4lMJ1EYtwD2w8cz3WRv33tS6Y-dCQCLcBGAs/s640/TanJiakKimfamily.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">1920s </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">LEE BROTHERS STUDIO (Picture from National Archives</span><br /> <br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Back row standing left to right: Lim Kian Beng (husband of Tan Sun Neo), Tan Eng Wan, Tan Eng Chiang, Tan Soo Bin </span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span> <span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Front row left to right : Tan Yew Neo, Tan Cheok Neo, Lim Geok Neo, Tan Sun Neo, Tan Peng Neo (Soo Bin's sister), Tan Eng Ann (baby), Ang Geok Lan (Mrs Tan Jiak Kim), Yeo Yam Neo, Yeo Lim Neo, Tan Kee Neo (will updated corrections if necessary).</span></span><br /> <span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span> <span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Tan Sun Neo and Lim Kian Beng was married on 24 Jul 1917 at Panglima Prang. Lim Geok Neo would be their first daughter standing besides her mother.</span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"></span></span><br /> <span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Thanks to Anthony Sng, Matt Tan and Tan Koon Siang for assistance.</span></span><br /> <div> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vg2PG37k_s4/WhZ_IOA_oHI/AAAAAAACSUY/3W_6x4H9AskScpRFYFAoYwUhhtEpt-DbQCEwYBhgL/s1600/tumblr_inline_mwk83tEo6d1rh2fba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="313" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vg2PG37k_s4/WhZ_IOA_oHI/AAAAAAACSUY/3W_6x4H9AskScpRFYFAoYwUhhtEpt-DbQCEwYBhgL/s1600/tumblr_inline_mwk83tEo6d1rh2fba.jpg" /></a><br /></div> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Tan Jiak Kim third wife Geok Lan (also daughter of Ang Kim Tee) and 2 grandsons Eng Wan and Eng Chiang (pic from G.R. Lambert & Co)</span><br /><br /></span>

Tan Soo Bin's family album at Panglima Prang

Tan Soo Bin's family album at Panglima Prang 1920s  LEE BROTHERS STUDIO (Picture from National Archives Back row standing left to ...

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Tan Kim Seng's descendants buried in Singapore

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Link to tombs :</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCu3tG5QJBA/WhZ4X-jIR-I/AAAAAAACSTs/BaQNzhgi2ic0HUoSfrUI8DNbcdSZykeNQCLcBGAs/s320/DSCF9383.JPG" width="320" /></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/bukitbrown/ck626P">https://www.flickr.com/gp/bukitbrown/ck626P</a><br /> <br /> <br /> Link to spreadsheet<br /> <br /> <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-eC1zdqMnBUNCQXfJM3jS6HektWf-nJR1to-5YP7T58/edit?usp=sharing">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-eC1zdqMnBUNCQXfJM3jS6HektWf-nJR1to-5YP7T58/edit?usp=sharing</a>

Tan Kim Seng's descendants buried in Singapore

Link to tombs : https://www.flickr.com/gp/bukitbrown/ck626P Link to spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-eC1zd...

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New Bukit Brown Cemetery self-guided trail takes visitors through 25 tombs

The Straits Times<br /> <br /> Nov 18, 2017<br /> by Lester Hio<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dp3-ThTLGws/WuWyOJ7YvDI/AAAAAAACiPE/m2gYXfYfWT00ZG6tRYq6ibel0flDi6kSQCLcBGAs/s1600/cementry18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dp3-ThTLGws/WuWyOJ7YvDI/AAAAAAACiPE/m2gYXfYfWT00ZG6tRYq6ibel0flDi6kSQCLcBGAs/s640/cementry18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <span class="caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "curator" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-right: 3px;">The Singapore Heritage Society (SHS) launched the Bukit Brown Wayfinder trail on Nov 18, 2017. It provides detailed signs and write-ups of tombs along parts of the cemetery.</span><span class="caption-credit" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "curator" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> ST PHOTO: RAKESH KUMAR</span><br /> <br /> SINGAPORE - History buffs can now make their own way through a trail of 25 tombs at Bukit Brown Cemetery, as the first self-guided trail of the area opens to the public.<br /> <br /> The Singapore Heritage Society (SHS) launched the Bukit Brown Wayfinder trail on Saturday morning (Nov 18). It provides detailed signs and write-ups of tombs along parts of the cemetery.<br /> <br /> The tombs, located at Blocks 1 and 3 of Bukit Brown Cemetery, were specially chosen because they are easily accessed along well-worn paths and contain diverse bits of Singapore's history and heritage, said the society.<br /> <br /> <br /> These include the tomb of prominent businessman Ong Sam Leong and his family, which is the largest one, spanning 600 sq m - about the size of seven four-room HDB flats.<br /> <br /> Other tombs include that of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation founder Tan Ean Kiam, and a mysterious "cemented tomb" with a mound made of cement, the reason for which still eludes researchers.<br /> <br /> The trail can be accessed through Lorong Halwa, which lies at the portion of Bukit Brown Cemetery still unaffected by the construction of a major eight-lane road. The Land Transport Authority had razed parts of Bukit Brown to connect the MacRitchie Viaduct to Adam Flyover.<br /> <br /> Visitors can download a 115-page online booklet from the SHS website which details the story and history of each tombstone, as well as walking maps of the trail and recommended routes to take.<br /> <br /> The trail also contains information on the major rites and rituals still practised in Bukit Brown, as well as the flora and fauna that make up the cemetery's landscape.<br /> <br /> The Wayfinder trail is the result of a multi-agency work group chaired by the Ministry of National Development, along with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, National Parks Board and the Land Transport Authority, together with volunteer groups SHS and All Things Bukit Brown.<br /> <br /> Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee, who launched the trail, said the trail is another way for the public to access the history and heritage of Bukit Brown.<br /> <br /> "This Wayfinder trail supplements the very intense volunteering work by the volunteers, who continue to lead regular walks to introduce Bukit Brown to Singaporeans and visitors," said Mr Lee, who is also Second Minister for National Development.<br /> <br /> Said SHS president Jack Lee: "The Wayfinder brings to life - so to speak - the people resting in the cemetery." Added Dr Lee: "We are privileged and grateful that some of these people's descendants have shared with us precious family photographs and oral histories for the Wayfinder."<br /> <br /> Download the Wayfinder here :<br /> <br /> http://www.singaporeheritage.org/bukitbrownwayfinder/

New Bukit Brown Cemetery self-guided trail takes visitors through 25 tombs

The Straits Times Nov 18, 2017 by Lester Hio The Singapore Heritage Society (SHS) launched the Bukit Brown Wayfinder trail on Nov 18...

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Bukit Brown road project hit by another delay

The Straits Times<br />Nov 13, 2017<br />by Christopher Tan<br /><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zfa58YllKi8/WuW0tSAEzsI/AAAAAAACiPY/U7cOE3CTgEoI51LZXMwsGzTV6Q-33VX9gCLcBGAs/s1600/bukitbrown14_2x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zfa58YllKi8/WuW0tSAEzsI/AAAAAAACiPY/U7cOE3CTgEoI51LZXMwsGzTV6Q-33VX9gCLcBGAs/s640/bukitbrown14_2x.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> The 2km road has been delayed because the main contractor is facing financial difficulties.ST PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER TAN<br /> <br /> SINGAPORE - The Bukit Brown road project, which has been fraught with issues from the start, has been delayed yet again.<br /> <br /> This is the second delay since the project was announced in 2011. It was first slated to be completed by mid-2016, and then end-2017.<br /> <br /> The 2km road, which cuts a swathe through a 95-year-old cemetery deemed by many to have heritage value, has been delayed because the main contractor is facing financial difficulties.<br /> <br /> <br /> Singapore-listed civil engineering group Swee Hong was awarded a $134.7 million contract to build the dual four-lane road in August 2013 but faced cashflow problems soon after.<br /> <br /> In February 2015, it filed an application in the High Court to propose a debt restructuring plan for its creditors.<br /> <br /> Last year (2016), it raised up to $8 million by issuing new shares and warrants to Readymade Steel Singapore, a company owned by Indian infrastructural group Kridhan Infra. Readymade's subsidiary, KH Foges, is a sub-contractor of Swee Hong.<br /> <br /> In July this year (2017), Swee Hong announced it had repaid its debts.<br /> <br /> But its financial woes had already caused a slowdown in the Bukit Brown road project.<br /> <br /> When The Straits Times checked on Monday (Nov13), the works looked nowhere near completion, even if part of a raised portion was taking shape.<br /> <br /> Construction work going on at Bukit Brown Road Project<br /> <br /> Diversion works in Lornie Road - believed to be for an underpass section of the new road - remained in place after several months.<br /> <br /> A resident interviewed said those living in Sime Road had been told by authoritiesthat it would now only be completed late 2018.<br /> <br /> "I'm not even sure it can be done by then," said the retiree who is in his 70s, who declined to be named. "It's causing us a lot of inconvenience already."<br /> <br /> Besides the noise and dust, he said cracks had formed in a number of houses.<br /> <br /> "My house now leaks when it rains," he added.<br /> <br /> Swee Hong would not comment when asked when the project would be completed, and redirected the query to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).<br /> <br /> The LTA has not responded to queries sent a week ago.<br /> <br /> Besides Swee Hong's problems, the project was also held up by exhumation of graves which took longer than anticipated.<br /> <br /> The new road links the MacRitchie viaduct to Adam Road via the Bukit Brown cemetery. The LTA said the road was necessary to cater to future traffic, which is expected to increase by 20 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020.<br /> <br /> Heritage groups, however, said the cemetery should be preserved in its entirety, while green lobbyists said the road would damage the biodiversity of the forested area.<br /> <br /> The delay to the Bukit Brown road project comes just months after another long-delayed project was completed.<br /> <br /> The new Braddell Flyover opened in June after four years and repeated delays.

Bukit Brown road project hit by another delay

The Straits Times Nov 13, 2017 by Christopher Tan The 2km road has been delayed because the main contractor is facing financial difficult...

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