Honour pioneers - by preserving Bukit Brown


My Paper
Feb 26, 2014

Honour pioneers - by preserving Bukit Brown

LUCY KOH

I REFER to the letter "Leadership needed to halt grave error" by Mr Chew Kheng Chuan  (MyPaper, Feb 24).

Mr Chew has put forth a well thought-out letter to support the view on why using a world monument to save a few minutes of driving, and to house an "invited" increased number of people, is a grave error indeed.

As a Singaporean who has experienced the rapid changes over the last 20 years, I am flabbergasted by how certain decisions by the authorities are made.

It gives me the impression that many of the decisions made are aimed at "solving" certain problems which have arisen from earlier mistakes, or in response to some self-created issues that will give rise to problems in the future.

For instance, if immigration is controlled properly, is there an urgent need to build 50,000 new homes in 15 to 20 years' time?

Thanks to Mr Chew, I now know that Bukit Brown is the largest Chinese cemetery outside China.

If the authorities are able to be visionary, they would see how this world monument may become a historical attraction like Stonehenge, maybe in 30 years' time.

It will serve to remind people of the human side of life, that life is not all about convenience and GDP numbers.

Preserving Bukit Brown would indeed show that the authorities are true to their word, that they appreciate pioneers, including those no longer in their bodies.

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