Singapore is a tiny country with only a history of 44 years, however within this short span of time, it has transformed itself from a third country into one of the leading nations in the world today.
Singapore has experienced a tumultous past, from World War 1 to World War 2 where the Japanese soldiers killed thousands of our ancestors. Singapore also experienced communist activities, racial riots and being booted out from the Malaysia Federation on 9 Aug 1965... that is when Singapore is born and the rest is as the cliche goes.. history.
But sad to say, ask the youths of Singapore today on the history of Singapore, they are sadly apathetic.. they are into the cyberworld, the latest IT gadgets and the latest fashion trends.. thus to me it is sad that Singapore's history may soon be forgotten and the invaluable lessons so gleaned from our past experiences may soon be reduced to nothingness ....
Last week, I watched a documentary on Channel 8, featuring the so-called 'last kampong' of Singapore: Lorong Buangkok. In Lorong Buangkok, one still can see attap houses and Singapore kampong style of life in the 1960s.. no joke it is really still 'kampong life' there. The rent of the big houses there is only ten dollars plus a month! The landlady refuses to sell the land to private developers and she told the TV audience it was because she is the last custodian of her father's legacy to her children. She will be multi-millionaire already if she has sold the land. How many children today will give up their father's legacy for an opportunity to becoming easy multimillionaires?
Speculation is still rife that the government will repossess the land for road works though the talk has been ongoing for many years. I will be sad if the government will proceed with the road development works in Lorong Buangkok for then the only vestige of village life will be gone.
I will like to pay Lorong Buangkok a visit soon and update you folks of my encounters there... so stay tuned!
Comments