[Singapore Islands] Pedra Branca

Pedra Branca: The Book (Amazon)

In the past, Pedra Branca was every sailor's nightmare. But in 1979, Malaysia and Singapore clambered over this rocky outcrop, together with two other outcrop called Middle Rocks and South Ledge. The deliberations and discussions as to who owns Pedra Branca and the other outcrop spanned more than a decade. The two governments then agreed to allow the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine who has the sovereignty over these outcrop. (Jeyakumar and Koh, 2009)

The book - Pedra Branca - published in 2009 had also prove to be a very good read.

As of February 3, 2017, Malaysia has lodged an appeal to the ICJ to revise the previous ruling made. The Malaysian government has said that they have discovered three new documents from the United Kingdom National Archive. (Naidu, Feb 2017)

The three documents are:-

1. An internal correspondence of the Singapore colonial authorities in 1958
2. an incident report filed in 1958 by a British naval officer and
3. an annotated map of naval operations from the 1960s

[Update: 12 Aug 2017]: Malaysia has even built a base on the Middle Rocks to stake their sovereignty over the rock outcrop.

 

So why is this situation so important to both countries? Well, the first reason is about sovereignty. In a very basic playground talk, "If it's mine, it's mine". Also, though Pedra Branca may be just a small outcrop, occupying it will mean having control of the maritime movement in and out of the Straits of Singapore.


3 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PEDRA BRANCA

1.  Most Easterly Island of Singapore

Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh as it is known in Malaysia or the former Coney Island) is the eastern most point of Singapore. It's situated at approximately 24 nautical miles to the east of Singapore. The island is actually closer to Indonesia's Bintan Island than to Singapore. (ibid)

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2. It's all about rocks and stones

The British erected a lighthouse on Pedra Branca in 1850 and named it after the late Captain James Horsburgh, a navigator and hydrographer. (Koh and Chew) Pedra Branca itself is an uninhabited "reef of white stone-rocks of granite". (Cornelius-Takahama)  The granite stones used to build the lighthouse came from the granite quarry of Pulau Ubin. (Koh and Chew)

Aerial View of Pedra Branca. Source: China Post

3. Invited and Uninvited Dignitaries

When the foundation stone was laid on May 24, 1850 to commemorate the Queen's birthday. British dignitaries including government officials, naval personnel, foreign consuls and merchants graced the launch. (The Straits Times)

Fast forward to 1998. Relation between Malaysia and Singapore were going through a rough patch as both countries were fighting over who had the sovereign rights over Pedra Branca. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir tried to get close to the outcrop but was then warned by the Singapore Navy to stay away, in which he did to prevent any potential skirmishes. (Hussein, 2009)

A litograph by J. T. Turnbull and T. Picken produced in 1850. (Horsburgh Lighthouse)

References

Amazon.com. Accessed on January 30, 2016. Retrieved from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MmRK6EOTL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Cornelius-Takahama, V. Pedra Branca. Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_722_2005-01-20.html

Foo, Y. C. May 24, 2008. World Court rules Singapore owns strategic isle. China Post.
 http://www.chinapost.com.tw/photos/default.asp?ID=157824&GRP=C

Horsburgh Lighthouse. University of Otago. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://s3.amazonaws.com/ourheritagemedia%2Foriginal%2F2fbf089ced8216bf4b953abebf366cd7.jpg

Hussein, Z. December 20, 2008. Pedra Branca: Behind the scenes. The Straits Times. P26.

Jayakumar, S. & Koh, T. (2009). Pedra Branca. The road to the world court. NUS Press: Singapore. P 161.

ibid. P162

Koh, Q. R. V and Chew, V. Horsburgh Lighthouse. Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_107_2005-01-20.html

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accessed on January 30, 2016. http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/dam/mfa/images/media_center/special_events/pedra_branca/RevisedmapshowinglocationofPedraBranca%28SingaporeMemorial%29.jpg

Naidu, S. (February 4, 2017). 3 UK documents cited for Malaysia's application to revise Pedra Branca decision. Channel News Asia. Accssed on February 4, 2017.  http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/3-uk-documents-cited-for-malaysia-s-application-to-revise-pedra/3492172.html

The Horsburgh Lighthouse. May 28, 1850. The Straits Times. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes18500528-1.2.10.aspx

[Organisation] Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Source: The Straits Times

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) - saviours of animals for over 100 years. Prior to their move to their new premises at 50 Sungei Tengah Road, they were housed along Orchard Road in the 1950s and in 1984, moved to 31, Mount Vernon Road. (SPCA Singapore)


History

The confluence of an agricultural island that needed oxens to till the land in the 1800s, to the aristocratic horses that pulled along their carriages and how they were treated must have moved the hearts of residents in Singapore to set up the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). (Tay)

The earliest record of SPCA was found in an archived copy of The Straits Times dated March 4, 1876. (Cruelty to animals) A Second Police Magistrate and a Malay language scholar D. F. A. Hervey was the first person to ask for SPCA to be set up. (The late D. F. A. Hervey) He was appalled by how animals were treated in Singapore. (Cruelty to animals)

Two weeks later, the society was established and a merchant by the name of Sir William Adamson was appointed to lead the society. (Straits Observer)

The first step taken by the society was to "issue notices in English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil" of illegal actions that constituted to cruelty to animals. (Singapore Chamber of Commerce)

One of the first punishments meted out in Singapore was called upon by SPCA against a prisoner who wounded an animal. The prisoner was fined $1. (Straits Times Overland Journal)

SPCA had also brought to court 22 cases of cruelty to hack ponies and bullock. I'm pretty sure the local community would have find this rather amusing during that time especially when bullocks were used for work.  (Untitled, June 1, 1878)



References

Cruelty to animals. March 4, 1876. The Straits Times.  P2.

Singapore Chamber of Commerce. May 27, 1876. Straits Times Overland Journal. P8.

SPCA Singapore. About us. Retrieved on January 17, 2016. http://www.spca.org.sg/about.asp 

Straits Observer (Singapore). March 28, 1876. P2.

Straits Times Overland Journal. June 9, 1877. P 14.

Tay, T. F.  January 16, 2016. SPCA moves to Sungei Tengah next Monday. The Straits Times. Singapore

The late D. F. A. Hervey. July 4, 1911. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P10.

Untitled. The Straits Times. June 1, 1878. P3.

[Singapore Islands] History of Singapore's Coney Island

Welcome to Coney Island

1930s

The island was bought over by the Haw Par brothers - Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, who built a beach villa on the island.  (22) "The 600 sq m building is the only known villa remaining from the Aw family. It has a central hall and an open verandah that surrounds the house. A separate single-storey 100 sq m house was a service block. Its architect was likely to be Ho Kwong Yew, a leading architect of the Modern Movement in Singapore during the 1930s."(23)

1937
A tender was published in the newspaper seeking for companies to bid for the erection of a bangalow on Haw Par Island (Pulo Serangoon). (29) 

1947
The villa fell into disrepair during the Japanese Occupation and a auction notice was placed in the newspaper for the sale of the island and its building. (22) (25) (30)

1950
Previously named Haw Par Island, Indian businessman Ghulam Mahmood bought over the island from Mr Aw Boon Haw and called it "Singapore's Coney Island". He had planned to spend $100,000 to turn it into a resort. The resort would include a dance hall, bar and restaurant. (24) (25)

1951

Advertisement in the newspaper (27)

The owner did try to get the resort off the ground. There was a launch every 1/2 hour and arriving on the island, visitors would be entertained by singers and also, the Coney Island Band. (26) (27)


1955
"Pleasure isle for sale" - headlined a 1955 The Straits Times article. It was said that the owner, Mr Tarlok Singh, had intended to sell this 32-acre island (12.8 hectares) located off Punggol. At that point of sale, there was "a building with a dance floor and several seaside cabins." The island also had its own electric power plant. (1) By then, the island was already deserted. (28) Though Singaporeans would head to the island for picnics, the idea of having a Coney Island similar to what was in New York failed to take off.


1971
In 1971, it was said that a Thai owner of Coney island was looking to sell off the freehold island for S$1 million. By then, the island was already a hot spot for swimming and water-skiing. Visitors could visit the island by taking a 30-minute boat ride via the Punggol Jetty. The article had also mentioned that there were remains of old army barracks. Hmm, so who built those army barracks? (2)

In the same year, there were talks about damming the sea to build a mega reservoir so as to meet Singapore's growing water needs. (3) The damming of the sea did not happen, but a more palatable damming of the river - Sungei Serangoon was completed in 2011 - 40 years after the idea of such a reservoir was first discussed. (4) Sungei Serangoon has an entire history on its own which I plan to cover in another post.

1972
Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) then purchased the island in 1972 and laid out its plan of wanting to develop the island into a recreational resort. The statutory board had also hoped to expand the island through a S$14.5 million reclamation work that started in March 1974. (5) With this reclamation, the plan was to increase the size of the island to 154 acres (54 hectares). (6) (7) It is said that the island would be linked by a bridge to the mainland. (8)

1976
Alas, it was not all about white sandy beaches. In 1976, the island had faced with issues such as pollution from the pig farms in Punggol that had afflicted the island till the late 80s. (9) (10) Oil-slick waters was also a perennial issue. (9) 

1982
In 1982, the complaint was about a pack of mongrels that were left on the island by owners to fend for themselves. (11)

1987
In 1987, PSA released the rights of the island to Singapore Housing Development Board. The plan was to reclaim the Punggol foreshore and with that, the island will be joined to the mainland. (12)

1994
In 1994, boatman Lu Song Fa opined that Coney Island has remained pretty much the same as it was decades ago. He was the only boatman operating the service to Coney Island. At one time, there were as many as 14 boats that took visitors to the island. These were beach goers and anglers. (14) The water off the island was also good for water-skiing.

1995
More concrete plans for the island came about in 1995 when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) talked about land reclamation of the island. The plan was similar to the previous suggestion of land reclamation. However, there would be a river that separates Punggol and Coney Island. There were further plans of building either private or public housing on both banks. (13)

2008
Work on the island started in earnest in 2008. The decision was to build a coastal promenade and also a rustic park. (15)

2012
The final decision, lauded as a victory for nature lovers, was made by NParks to turn into Singapore's ninth nature park. (16) Nature lovers have been calling for the island to be preserved in its natural state as migratory birds such as the blue-throated bee-eater and jerdon's baza would usually make this little island their temporary home. (18) However, this is only the immediate plans as suggested by NParks. In the future, it is said that there will also be other developments, other than it just being a nature park. This will include a housing estate on the island itself. (17) (19)

2015
The 50ha island was officially opened by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Khaw Boon Wan on October 10, 2015. There are five beaches and two bridges that are linked to the eastern and western ends of Punggol Promenade and Pasir Ris Coast Industrial Park 6. The park is opened from 7am to 7pm. (20)

The park cost S$3million and took a total of 15 months to complete. There's a 2km stretch of shoreline and 2.4km path that stretches from the eastern to western bridge. Interestingly, there is no electricity or piped water on the island. So in comes solar power and harvested rain water. (22)


References:

1. Pleasure isle for sale. September 8, 1955. The Straits Times. P5.
2. It's yours if you have a million to spare. August 31, 1971. New Nation. P1.
3. Water. August 31, 1971. New Nation. P1.
4. PUB. Local Catchment Water. Accessed on November 11, 2015.  http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/Pages/LocalCatchment.aspx
5. Reclamation of foreshore. March 9, 1974. The Straits Times. P22.
6. Pulau Coney di-beli oleh pehak PSA. November 21, 1972. Berita Harian. P10.
7. Big Coney Isle Plan. January 4, 1974. New Nation. P3.
8. Beach of the future. September 11, 1974. New Nation. P3.
9. PSA plan for resort islands hit by pollution. December 25, 1976. The Straits Times. P6.
10. De Silva, G. July 29, 1989. Keep Pulau Seletar as it is - a 'hideaway' island. The Straits Times.
11. Unwanted dogs left to starve on the island. November 10, 1982. The Straits Times. P12.
12. Coney Island to be swallowed up. April 16, 1987. The Straits Times. P13.
13. Low, M. November 8, 1995. URA to sell Changi land for resort use, reclaim 110ha off Punggol. The Straits Times.
14. Tan, W. June 23, 1998. A last look at Coney Island. The Straits Times.
15. Development plan takes shape in Punggol. May 17, 2008. Channel News Asia.
16.Toh, K. February 19, 2012. Coney island set to become nature park. The Straits Times.
17. Nature park amid various projects. February 26, 2012. The Straits Times. 
18. Rustic nature park for Coney Island. November 20, 2012. The Straits Times.
19. Wild greenery makes S'pore a global eco-city. May 1, 2013. The Straits Times.
20. Coney Island Park, Singapore's new nature destination, now open. October 10, 2015. The Straits Times.
21. New nature park opens on Coney Island. October 10, 2015. Channel News Asia.
22. Coney Island Park opens to the public. October 11, 2015. The Straits Times.   
23. Coney Island: A walk on the wild side. October 17, 2015. The Straits Times.
24. 'Coney Island' ready by the end of this year. August 11, 1950. The Singapore Free Press. P5.
25. Coney Island for S'pore. April 4, 1950. The Straits Times. P7.
26. Advertisement. April 26, 1951. The Singapore Free Press. P11.
27. Advertisement. March 21, 1951. The Singapore Free Press. P7.
28. She saved marooned monkey. February 20, 1955. The Straits Times. P5.
29. Advertisement. February 1, 1937. The Straits Times. P2.
30. Advertisements. July 9, 1947. The Straits Times. P2.

[Singapore Parks] Mount Emily Park

Signboard of Mount Emily Park

There are more than 300 parks and 4 nature reserves that come under the charge of Singapore's Statutory Board, NParks. Indeed, some parks are less well frequented than others. This can be due to their locality, its facilities or the variety of activities that are organised within the park.

Mount Emily Park is pretty much a quiet old dame of a park that offers nothing more than serenity. Surrounded by private housing, St. Margaret Primary School and the Istana grounds, the park sits on an elevation far beyond the noise of any vehicular movements. Even though the park itself is within the Central Business District.

Behind its quiet facade, the park grounds hold rich history of Singapore's past. Mount Emily was previously known as Bukit Rawa. 

Closer look at the Coat-of-Arms

One of the first structures that you will see at the park is this entrance shelter. Sited in the rock wall of this structure is an emblem of yesteryear. This emblem is a coat of arms granted to the Municipal Commission by the College of Heralds in April 1948. (1)  The colours featured on the coat-of-arms are largely intact and it's such a throwback to see this in person.

Singapore's Coat-of-Arms

It is said that this was the entrance to the former Mt. Emily Swimming Pool. This is where the part about it having a rich history begins.



Reservoir and Mount Emily Swimming Pool

Mt. Emily Reservoir (2)

Mt. Emily once held two service reservoirs that were constructed in the 1880s. But by the late 1920s, the service reservoir was no longer required. It's redundancy was brought upon by the building of the Fort Canning Service Reservoir, which the press claimed to be the largest enclosed reservoir in the East. (3)   

1954 Map from OneMap (4)

The reservoir was then converted into a swimming pool and it was officially opened by Mr R. J. Farrer, President of the Municipal Commissioners on January 10, 1931. (5) The total cost of converting the reservoir into a public swimming pool came up to $30,000. (6) To find out more about Mount Emily Swimming Pool, click here. (7)


Mount Emily Park

Panoramic view of the park

In the early 1900s, Mount Emily Park was seen as a popular retreat of those staying close by. There was a band that played in the afternoon. Parents and children would also spend time playing together. (6)  

Some of the oldest trees seen in the park

The girth of some of the trees there stood as testament of its glorious days. The age of these trees must have been more than 100 years old.

With such a rich history to this park, surely it must be made into a place of interest for local Singaporeans.



Last updated: August 19, 2015


References


1. Lim, J. November 7, 2014. A crestfallen ghost of the past. The Long and Winding Road. Accessed on August 16, 2015. https://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/tag/singapore-municipal-commission/ 

2. National Archive of Singapore. Accessed on August 16, 2015.  http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/ae41408a-1161-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad

3. The Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser. September 17, 1929. New Emily Park. P9.

4. OneMap. Accessed on August 16, 2015. http://www.onemap.sg/index.html

5. The Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser. January 1, 1931. Mount Emily. P20.

6. The Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser. January 12, 1931. A Big Splash. P20.

7. Mount Emily Swimming Pool. December 20, 2012. Accessed on August 16, 2015. http://rememberingsingapore.blogspot.sg/2012/12/mount-emily-swimming-pool.html

[Singapore Parks] Punggol Point: Watching the Sunrise

A Refurbished Punggol Point

Sunrise at 7:08am

Sunrise at 7:11am

Punngol Point Jetty

Interesting rock formation found along the beach

Puggol Beach taken from the look-out

The Look-Out Point

Fish Ponds Along the Promenade

Playground for the Kids

[Singapore Parks] Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park: A Walk in the Park

During the 1970s and earlier, a mention of Kallang River or of any rivers in Singapore would have brought a frown to people's faces. Such rivers or "longkangs" are truly filth pits. Foul-smelling water; filth consisting of everyday rubbish to bloated animal carcasses.

So to even think of getting close to the water was out of the question. Prior to 2011, the river was nothing more than just a canal. It was a straight concrete-based canal that was a reflection of what Singapore was like in the 70s and 80s - effective but not exciting. Much of this mimicked what Singapore was like then too. Nothing but concrete structures.

From a silty, dirty canal, this part of Kallang River along Bishan was transformed into peaceful oasis with a meandering river. Completed in 2011 and launched on 17 March 2012 by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the waters are now teeming with fishes and kudos must be given to our water agencies who were able to not only keep the water clean, but to start the entire process of transforming the boring concrete canal into such a lovely site and sight.

The focus of this park is not only about the transformed canals, but also about the other facilities on offer. The cycling and running track along the parameters of the park; the nice, cosy restaurants and a spa tucked within the lush leafy garden; inline skating rink, and a dog park (There was not even enough money for people to feed themselves, what's more or dog, or even a dog park) for dog owners and their friend to have a bit of exercise.

With this success, the government has announced the next canal beautification project along the Bishan and Braddell Road. This 1.8km stretch of canal will be redone to include elevated viewing decks and a meandering river. The construction will be completed in 2018. 

Visiting the Istana

Singapore crest at the gates of the Istana

Panoramic view of the lake

Sri Temasek

The frontage of the Istana

Entrance to the Istana

Well developed trees lined the road to the Istana

Standing Guard

[Singapore Islands] Pulau Semakau: An Island in the Sun?

Marine Transfer Station

The Singapore government recently launched the Phase II development of Pulau Semakau on July 11, 2015. This increases Singapore's capacity to "meet waste disposal needs" for the next 20 years. (1) Refuse was previously dumped at Lorong Halus just off Old Tampines Road till 1999. (2)

Visiting Pulau Semakau

I visited Pulau Semakau in 2013 as part of an organised trip. By then, the island was already a landfill. The guide shared much about the biodiversity in and around the island, but nothing about the island's history. It was a talk by Anthropologists Dr Vivienne Wee, Dr Geoffrey Benjamin, and Ms Normala Manap that opened my eyes to the value of these southern islands.

Pre-Raffles? 

The island was believed to be rich in history. In 1991, a group of explorers found pottery that were probably more than 200 years old. Dr John Maksic opined that part of a clay jar found could have even been from the 12th century.  (3) 

Resettlement

In 1977, more than 600 villagers were ordered to move to mainland Singapore. From thereon, the island laid uninhabited, though not totally. When Dr John Maksic visited Pulau Semakau in 1991, a Malay couple - Mr Rani bin Omar and Mdm Minah bte Gap was seen living on the deserted island. (4)

They shared that:-

a. The villagers of Pulau Semakau and Pulau Seking were closely related. They attended each others' weddings
b. They collect fresh water from the larger island of Pulau Bukom

In a more recent article, Mdm Minah shared about how both she and her husband fought off Indonesian interlopers when they were staying on the island alone. Mdm Minah's son shared his pain of losing the island. He thought that the new government led by the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew would continue to allow them to live peacefully on the island. The late Mr Lee had also visited the Pulau Semakau and had promised the islanders modern facilities such as "police post, community clinic and Malay school". Instead by the 1970s, the islanders lost their entire island when they were asked to move. (5)

Interestingly, Former Senior Minister of State Mr Sidek Saniff had previously taught in the Island's school in 1958. (6) There was only one school - the Pulau Semakau Malay School and it was said that the school had been in existence since before World War 2. (26) 

Here're some highlights of Pulau Semakau over the years.

1923
Police were alerted to a fight between Malays and the Chinese. The Chinese coolies were working in the lime kiln there (7) 

1948
The British government issued identity cards to the islanders (8)

1950
The islanders, consisting of Malay fishermen and Chinese traders, built themselves a school for 30 Malay students. But no teachers were available to teach these students (9)

1951
The Pulau Semakau school was finally opened. The Pulau Semakau Malay school started with five Chinese and 25 Malay students, all learning the Malay language. The Chinese residents of Pasir Panjang contributed $700 to buy timber, attap and cement to build the school while the Malays helped in the building. (11) (12) (16)

With the school up and running, other islanders from Pulau Sudong, Pulau Sebarok and Pulau Senang had asked if the school could also take in their children (10)

1952
The population of the island was at about 350 islands. It was also listed that in 1940, The Singapore Rural Board thought that the island was uninhabited (13) As the island was inhabited, the Board had thus agreed to buy a water boat and build water storage tanks for the islanders. (14)

1954
A floating medical dispensary coupled with a nurse would provide medical service for the people every Wednesday (15)

1955
The Mobile Film Unit would show their films on the islands to provide the islanders with some entertainment (16)

1957
The government had decided to build Quarters for teachers, Postman and Postal Agency and Sundry shops.

1958
Costing $10,000, the islanders welcomed their first postal agency. (18) 

1959
The Ministry planned to build a water tank to arrest the acute water shortage issue during the dry season. (19)

1960
The Yang di-Pertuan Negara Inche Yusoff Ishak visited the island, and planted a coconut tree to commemorate this event. The Penghulu of the island, Inche Abdul Jalil bin Kerip pledged the island's loyalty to Singapore's government. (20) (21)

1963
A new Community Centre was built. (22)

1965
The Penghulu receives a Public Service Star medal. (23)

1969
The Singapore Armed Forces started to use the island for its live firing exercises. (24)

1972
Indonesians were still allowed to move freely amongst Singapore islands. (25)

1973
The population of Pulau Semakau was said to be 1,826 residents. (26)

1975
It was reported that the island was to be developed to house a petrol chemical complex. Swamp, foreshore and seabed would be reclaimed. (27)

1976
More talks about developing the island. Now the reports state that it would be used for shipbuilding and other marine-oriented industries. (28)

Old graves were exhumed and moved to Mount Vernon Crematorium. (29)

1977
Villagers were required to move away from their island. (4)

1978
The island was deemed by the newspaper as a 'relatively undisturbed' island with coconut tree and fishing villages. (30)

1980
By now, the villagers of Pulau Semakau have been moved to the mainland and the island has become a dumping ground of waste materials dredged up from the sea. (31)

1982
A decision was made to join both Pulau Semakau and Pulau Seking. At this point, the newspaper report had still mentioned that it was done to house a international petroleum centre. (32)

1988
First mention of Pulau Semakau being a offshore refuse dump. (33) 

At this point, community centres are still bringing their residents to the southern islands (Including Pulau Semakau) for tours. (34)

1989
The newspapers mentioned that the island is now uninhabited "with only one watchman living there". It was also reported by a NUS professor that corals lying around the island have already been damaged since the early 1960s due to reclamation work done on the island. Soil dug up from the building of the Central Expressway, and earth spoils from Pulau Seraya Power Station were also dumped into the sea off Pulau Semakau. (35)

If things did not seemed bad enough with the island being used for waste disposal, the government shared about their plans to build a toxic waste plant on the island itself. (36)

Still on its environment, it was reported that marine life was thriving in and around the water of Pulau Semakau and that the artificial reef that was built using old tyres and cement was a success. (37)

1991
Adventurers claimed that they have found artefacts of more than 200 years old along the beach and also other parts of the island. (3)

1993
Then Environment Minister Mah Bow Tan said that the offshore landfill will see Singapore through to 2045. (38)

1994
Parliament agrees to the reclamation project of the island. (39)

2006
Former Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim announced that Pulau Semakau would be ready for anglers and nature lovers to visit. (40)

2015
Pulau Semakau has been further expanded to meet the demands of Singapore's waste disposal. (41)










References

1. Chan, L. E. July 11, 2015. Singapore's waste disposal needs get a boost. Channel News Asia.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-s-waste/1976976.html (Accessed on July 11, 2015)
2. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. The DNA of Singapore. http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/dna/places/details/19 (Accessed on November 24, 2014)
3. The Straits Times. October 4, 1991. Adventurers find ancient artifacts on Semakau. P26.
4. The Straits Times. October 6, 1991. Deserted Island is Home to Rani and his Wife. P12.
5. Marsh, J. May 24, 2015. Forgotten Singapore: evicted islanders grieve for lost paradise. http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/post-magazine-may-24 Accessed on July 11, 2015.
6. The Straits Times. March 31, 1993. Just when you thought it's safe to step into the water.
7. The Straits Times. March 26, 1923. Affray at Pulau Semakau. P8.
8. The Straits Times. November 14, 1948. Mobile teams help register. P1.
9. The Straits Times. July 24, 1950. They Built a School. P7.
10. The Straits Times. March 6, 1951. They have to go by boat to School. P10.
11. The Straits Times. January 9, 1951. 5 Chinese boys to learn Malay. P15.
12. The Straits Times. January 3, 1951. 5 Islanders get own school and unity. P7.
13. The Straits Times. August 22, 1952. Island that's not in the book. P9.
14. The Straits Times. June 20, 1952. Now they can have water.  P9.
15. The Straits Times. March 1, 1954. A Battle Begins in Singapore Today.  P8.
16. The Straits Times. March 7, 1955. Advertisement. P9.
17. The Straits Times. February 2, 1955. Advertisement. P5.
18. The Straits Times. September 7, 1957. Advertisement. P10.
19. The Straits Times. August, 1959. Better Condition for 3,000 Islanders. P11.
20. The Straits Times. February 1, 1960. Tree to mark visit. P1.
21. The Straits Times. February 1, 1960. Inche Ishak to islanders: We have plans to help you. P4.
22. The Straits Times. September 10, 1963. New Community Centre. P4.
23. The Straits Times. May 1, 1965. List of main Singapore awards. P9.
24. The Straits Times. February 29, 1969. Artillery firing. P8.
25. The Straits Times. August 21, 1972. Indonesian islanders join in joy of sea carnival. P27.
26. Sidhu, K. S. June 3, 1973. The island folks and men who guard them. The Straits Times. P10.
27. The Straits Times. July 30, 1975. Go-ahead for reclaimed land in Changi. P9.
28. The Straits Times. April 27, 1976. Semakau to be turned into big marine base. P5.
29. The Straits Times. April 26, 1976. Advertisement. P24.

30. Byramji, N. October 1, 1978. The unspoilt islands for walks in the wild. The Straits Times. P1.

31. Chee, L. September 9, 1980. Marco Polo removing 'high spots' in Singapore. P13.

32. Lim, J. September 21, 1982. $600m reclamation to join two islands. The Straits Times. P1.
33. The Business Times. March 23, 1988. Plan to use Semakau for offshore refuse dumping. P2.
34. The New Paper. August 1, 1988. Southern islands picnic. P38.
35. Liu, M. February 26, 1989. Govt will prevent dump site from polluting sea. The Straits Times. P14.
36. de Silva, G. October 7, 1989. Singapore looks at setting up of an offshore toxic waste plant. P44.
37. Goh, J. October 17, 1989. Man-made reef lures marine life. The Straits Times. P22.

38. Nathan, D. September 23, 1993. Another $1b landfill if rubbish keeps piling up, says Mah. The Straits Times. P3.

39. The Straits Times. July 27, 1994. 350 ha reclamation off Pulau Semakau gets nod. P.20.

40. Hooi, A. March 9, 2005. Fancy a nature trek at Pulau landfill? The Straits Times. P5.
41. Wee, C. F. July 12, 2015. Biggest rubbish dump grows bigger. The Straits Times. 

[Nature] Sembawang Hot Spring

Piping Hot Water

Latest news and my views about the suggestion on developing the hot spring (9)

Whenever I hear of development, my mind reminds me of how fast Singapore is to making changes to things and how often it is for economic reasons. So when news came up about developing the Sembawang Hot Springs on April 18 2016, I really will like to ask for the government to not develop the place into a paid theme park or spa. The hot spring should be treated like any public park; free for public use.

I agree with Sembawang's Minister of Parliament (MP), Mr Ong Ye Kung, where he opined that the hot spring should not be commercialised. Fellow Sembawang MP Dr Lim Wee Kiak suggested that a shallow pool be built so that more people can enjoy the hot spring. I'd say, make it into a park that incorporate as much of its surrounding and nature as possible. 

Beitou Public Library

I remember walking along Taiwan's hot spring town - Xin Beitou. The municipal government took great care to ensure that structures built there were environmentally-friendly. Take the Beitou library for an example. The building built in 2006 using wood from managed forest. The inclusion of large windows into the building allows for natural light to be harnessed for its internal lighting. (10)

Lovely Beitou man-made river

Instead of letting the hot spring water flow into useless water holes, we can build a nice man-made river that allow for the water to flow. I always love the sound of flowing water. 

Taiwanese artist painting a portrait of the public library

This will give the place a lovely, tranquil feel. The public can relax, do their little exercises and even sit down to do their painting.

I'm also glad that there's a caretaker to this hot spring. Previously when I was there, there were a few people who were washing their clothes using the spring water. It was not just one or two pieces, but bucket-loads. I suspect that these people were doing this for commercial gains. It's terrible as they used soap powder to wash those clothing and as the water goes back into the ground, I'm just concerned that the ground water would be polluted. 

With a caretaker, I am sure that those few recalcitrant will be kept away.  


Updated: April 18, 2016


Spring water in Singapore? How can this be? Singapore is not known for natural structures or formations.

Well, indeed we have a hot spring in our own backyard along Sembawang Road.

The hot spring was first discovered by property owner Mr Seah Eng Keong in 1909, it was the talk of town. (8) Mr Seah then set up a company called Singapore Hot Spring Limited that bottled the water under the name "Zombun". The water was tested to be alkali in nature and the water was "compared very favourably to the best spa waters in Europe". (3)

During the discovery of the hot spring, the water temperature was measured at about 70 degrees celsius. (6)

Fraser and Neave (F&N) with its monetary might then came in to buy over the land in 1921 and continued bottling the spring water under the brand names "Seletaris" and "Zom". (8)

In the 1923, a newspaper reporter encouraged the public to visit the Seletar Springs and as part of that visit, they could also look out for wild animals such as wild boars and possible tiger sightings in the jungles of Mandai. (1)

In 1933, F&N pumped in money to rebuilt the plant and "Singa Water" was born in 1935. These bottled water were then exported. (8) By 1940, a well had already been built over the hot spring. (2)

During the Japanese Occupation, the bottling of water continued but was disrupted in 1944 after the Allied Forces bombed that area. The spring did not start flowing again until 1964.

Interestingly, there used to be two separate springs in that same area - one that has hot water and the other, cold water. The villagers in the surrounding kampongs used the spring water to bathe, wash their clothes and even boiled eggs. (5)


My Experience at the Hot Spring

I never knew how hot Singapore spring water could be until I experienced it myself. There were pails that one can use. Bathtubs even, for those who want a soak of their feet. So since I'd made my way to the hot spring, there's no way that I'd not try out the water.

However, I was ill prepared. Those seasoned campaigners had brought along their own towels. Their towels would then be soaked in the hot spring water before they proceeded to wipe themselves from head to toe.

I managed to find a pail lying around, one of many pails. I filled the pail with about 1/4 of water and seeing that steam was rising from the water, I waited a bit. A few minutes later, I placed my hands above the water and it felt the tingly feeling. I then proceeded to sprinkle the water on my feet. It was HOT!

It was only after about 30 minutes that the heat from the sprinkled water was more bearable. 

References

1. Seletar Springs. February 6, 1923. The Straits Times. P10.

2. "The Sorcerer" – First Full Rehearsal Of S.A.D.C. Opera. November 1, 1940. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). P5.

3. Our aerated water trade. January 2, 1932. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). P23.

4. Koh, B. S. March 15, 1989. Land near 'hot spring' site may be redeveloped. The Straits Times. P17.

5. The Singapore Free Press. March 7, 1960. Precious water runs to waste. P7.

6. The Straits Times. August 17, 1909. Untitled. P6.

7. The Straits Times. September 19, 1941. Advertisements Column 1. P5.

8. The Straits Times. March 10, 1967, SEMANGAT AYER LIMITED. P2.

9.  Ong, J. April 18, 2016. Sembawang Hot Spring: Singapore's next theme park, spa or water-themed attraction. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/sembawang-hot-spring/2704714.html

10. Great Taipei Travel. Travel King. Accessed on: April 18, 2016. https://www.travelking.com.tw/eng/tourguide/taipei/taipei-public-library-beitou-branch.html

Phoenix Park: The Walls Have Ears

The Main Gate of Avondale Grammar School

This was a Heritage Festival Tour that was top on my to-do list. This is one place that we cannot just walk in to visit. It has been this way ever since the ground was occupied by Singapore Japanese Golf Club from 1930. (1)

The Japanese team was a keen player of the game. They had competed against other foreign-based teams since 1930 and their final competitive game was against Johor in 1941, just before the war. (2) Other teams the Japanese team had played against were the British, Americans and also British Municipals. (2)  

Looking out from the window

When Japanese took over Singapore in 1942, the Japanese ordered the Allied Forces to surrender their weapons at the Golf Club. (3)

The 'silent' corridor of Phoenix Park Camp

Post-1945

The complex was erected in 1949 and was designed by the architectural firm Messrs Palmer and Turner. It was called “Phoenix Park” as the British’s Southeast Asia Command  was located there and their emblem was of a mythical bird.(4)

Phoenix Park had also housed the who's who of the post-war British government. The offices of the Commission General, the Commander-in-Chief Far East and the Far East Defence Secretariat were all based there. (4) (5)

There were also other critical services that based themselves at Phoenix Park. such as the Regional Fisheries Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation. The organisation later moved themselves to Bangkok. (6) 

The British left Singapore in 1971. The Internal Security Department (ISD) made 318 Phoenix Park their home in 1976 and shortly after in 1977, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also set up their headquarters there. Both ISD and MHA moved out of Phoenix Park by 2002. (7) (8)

The Visit

Brilliant re-enactment of the rice talks by students from the Avondale Grammar School

The doors of 318 Phoenix Park was opened to public for the first time. Both the staff and students from Avondale Grammar School, who school was located within this historic building, were wonderful hosts. The students, some of them as young as six-years old, brought to life historical milestones through their re-enactment. One was about the critical rice talks that was held in that building. The purpose was to ease the post World War 2 rice shortages in that region. (8)  

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) talks

Another re-enactment by the students was the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) talks that was held in the 1950's. Countries came together to find ways of how to stop the communist threat in that region.(8)

All in, it was a really lovely visit to this historical building.

References

1. To-morrow golf at Tanglin. April 11, 1941. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942).  P12.

2. Municipal golf team to play Japanese. March 11, 1939. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942).  P10.

3. Escape from Singapore. November 10, 2003. BBC: WW2 People's War. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/37/a2010637.shtml Accessed on: May 11, 2015.

4. Home Team News. September 6, 2012. Phoenix Park leaves its mark in Singapore's history. (Part I)

http://www.hometeam.sg/article.aspx?news_sid=20120906gL2pW0Pq07WU Accessed on: May 12, 2015.

5. Scott talks to newsmen. February 19, 1956. The Straits Times. P5.

6. Moves to Bangkok. August 29, 1949. The Straits Times. P5.

7. Home Team News. September 6, 2012. Phoenix Park leaves its mark in Singapore's history. (Part II) http://www.hometeam.sg/article.aspx?news_sid=201209068Chzrh2O2Xdt Accessed on: May 12, 2015.

8. Hassan, N. J. (May 9, 2015). Students re-enact region's important meetings at Phoenix Park tour. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/students-re-enact-region/1836412.html Accessed on: May 12, 2015.

Elgin Bridge: The Bridge That Separated The Malays From The Chinese

Elgin Bridge looking towards South Bridge Road

The site where Elgin Bridge sits was already a known crossing point before Sir Stamford Raffles landed in 1819. The locals had built themselves a wooden bridge that spanned over the Singapore river. (1) This bridge was significant as it was the only crossing to where the Chinese community lived. (2) The bridge also separated the Chinese (China town) from the Malays (Kampong Glam). (6)


Former Bridges before the construction of the Elgin Bridge

A closer view of the Elgin Bridge

The Elgin Bridge, named after Lord James Bruce Elgin, Governor-General of India was completed in May 30, 1929. (3) This is the fifth bridge that was built on this site. From the first locally-built wooden bridge, a new draw bridge was built by Lt. Philip Jackson in 1822. It was called the Presentment Bridge or Monkey Bridge. Workers were able to draw up the bridges whenever ships with tall sails made their way upstream towards the ports and godowns. (2)

In 1844, a wooden footbridge then replaced the old drawbridge. This new bridge was called Thomson Bridge, named after it's architect John Turnbull Thomson. The bridge was then replaced by an iron bridge in 1862 and it was then named Elgin Bridge. It was built at a cost of $13,000. When the old bridges were taken down in order to build the new bridges, it posed to the community great inconveniences as they would then have to use boats to move themselves and their goods to the other side of the river. (4)


Bridge lighting and emblem

Lights and plaques designed by Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli

The bridge is not the only historically rich architecture. The cast iron orb lighting was designed by an Italian sculptor Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli. (3) Other works by Nolli include sculptures in the former Supreme Court building, Raffles Hotel and King Edward VII College of medicine building.

Nolli also helped to design six bronze plaques - a lion standing in front of the palm tree - that welcome any visitors using the bridge on either side.


Looking down at the river 

It was such a throwback into time walking along the bridge. In those yesteryears, this pathway would be where people use it to get to the other side. No one would really stand along the walkway to watch the tongkangs go by. You see, Singapore River was no where near its current level of cleanliness. The water was filthy and sanitation was non-existent. Thus, the river became a filth pit of human excrement and waste. The river was deemed a "irreversible environmental disaster" by an UN expert. (6)

A tongkang bearing tourists moving towards Elgin Bridge

In the late 70s, the government pulled together the different ministries to look at how they could revitalise this polluted river. It took the inter-ministry team 10 years to change this environmental disaster to a miraculous success.

With such a transformation, both locals and tourists alike can now stop along Elgin Bridge to take in the history, watch the sunset and wave at people on board the electric-run tongkangs for tourists.   

Updated: February 10, 2016


References

1. History at four more places. June 29, 1985. The Straits Times. P13.

2. Keys, P. July 5, 1981. Spanning the river of life. The Straits Times. P24.

3. Cornellus-Takahama, V. Elgin Bridge. Accessed on April 26, 2015. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_921_2004-12-10.html

4. Untitled. October 5, 1861. The Straits Times. P15.

5. The Elgin Bridge is the fourth. December 7, 1954. The Singapore Free Press. P7.

6. Song, O. S. (1984). One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore. London: Oxford University Press. P.8, 11.