38 Oxley Road site gazetted as Singapore national monument

Lee Kuan Yew’s Oxley Road home earmarked to be Singapore national monument

Singapore Government will keep all options open for 38 Oxley Road, ‘strive for solution that will unite’: David Neo in Ministerial Statement on 6 Nov 2025

By Ng Keng Gene, The Straits Times, 6 Nov 2025

• The Government plans to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a national monument to create a public heritage space.

• If acquired, the site will not be used for private purposes, with options kept open, respecting the Lee family's privacy.

• A detailed study will be conducted after access is gained, with the aim to finalise plans within this government term and with no public access in the interim.

In deciding to gazette the site at 38 Oxley Road as a national monument, the Government’s considerations were for the entire site and not for the buildings and structures within it, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo.

The thinking is to develop the site into a public space like a heritage park that Singaporeans can access if it is eventually preserved and acquired, Mr Neo told the House in a ministerial statement on Nov 6.

“We will keep all options open, and strive for a solution that will unite us as a country, rather than allow this to become a point of contention or division in our society,” he added.

Mr Neo said gazetting the site of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s family home as a national monument “does not obligate the Government to keep the buildings and structures within the site in their current condition”.

Noting that the authorities have not had the chance to enter the site to assess the condition of its buildings, he said: “That is a key reason why we are opting to preserve the site rather than just specific buildings or structures.”

The Government on Nov 3 announced its intention to gazette the roughly 1,100 sq m site as a national monument, citing its historical significance and national importance.

Mr Neo said the Government will conduct a detailed study of the site if access is obtained. “We will take into account factors like their existing condition and weigh the potential benefit of retaining them against the cost.”

All options will be considered for the site, he said, including those proposed by a ministerial committee on 38 Oxley Road in 2018, which include partial or full demolition of the buildings and structures.

Regardless of the option taken, the Government will respect Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his wife Kwa Geok Choo’s wishes to protect their family’s privacy, “by removing all traces of their private living spaces from the interior of the house”, Mr Neo said.

“Under no circumstance will the interior of the house, as Mr Lee and Madam Kwa knew, be displayed or recorded or remodelled or duplicated elsewhere.”

Mr Neo noted that other countries around the world have retained and converted sites associated with their nation’s independence for public education and appreciation, citing the Gandhi Ashram in India – the home of Mahatma Gandhi, who led the campaign for India’s independence from British colonial rule.

He also brought up the Independence National Historical Park in the US, which includes buildings that have witnessed key historical milestones, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence and its Constitution.

In many instances, said Mr Neo, changes have been made to such historical sites.

These, he said, include modifying or adapting the original buildings with new interpretive structures to better enable the public to experience the site as a park or heritage space.

That is why the Government will keep an open mind in the treatment of buildings and structures within 38 Oxley Road, he said.

Mr Neo told the House that the site was where Singapore’s early leaders formulated their vision, plans and values for the country, making it a “unique and foundational part of the story of Singapore’s independence”.

Should the Government acquire 38 Oxley Road, it will not be redeveloped for residential, commercial or other private uses, he said.

38 Oxley Road is currently owned by an entity called 38 Oxley Road Pte Ltd, whose sole shareholder is Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s younger son, Mr Lee Hsien Yang. Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s son, Mr Li Huanwu, is its director.

“Preserving the site means we will be able to avoid a situation where private parties attempt to purchase 38 Oxley Road in future just to have an address that is associated with Mr Lee’s residence,” said Mr Neo.

“I am sure all of us in this House, and the vast majority of Singaporeans, would want to make sure that situation does not happen.”

There has been a long-running dispute between Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s children over the fate of the Lee family home. The issue resurfaced in October 2024 after the death of Dr Lee Wei Ling, the sister of Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang subsequently submitted an application to the Urban Redevelopment Authority to demolish the property, which has been deferred.

On Nov 6, Mr Neo said the Government has decided to preserve the site “because it is the most responsible approach”.

The time has come to make a decision on the matter, he added.

“We will take the deliberate steps to decide. And we will do so in the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans, now and for the future.”

Mr Neo said that if 38 Oxley Road is gazetted as a national monument and subsequently acquired, the Government intends to conclude its plans on the exact use and configuration of the site, including the treatment of the buildings and structures, “well within this term of government”.

In the interim, there will be no public access to the site, he added.

Singapore’s next general election must be called by 2030.

The site’s owner – Mr Lee Hsien Yang – has until Nov 17 to submit objections to the Government’s plan to gazette the site.

The National Heritage Board, which will receive any such objections, will assess them and make a recommendation to Mr Neo for his consideration.

“All objections submitted and recommendations made will be considered objectively and fairly as part of due process,” said Mr Neo.

Thereafter, a preservation order will be made if the Government decides to gazette the site as a national monument.

The Government will then begin the process to acquire the site, as part of the plans to eventually make it accessible to the public, said Mr Neo. The acquisition will be done in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act.

Mr Neo noted that the site’s owner, any occupiers, and any other persons interested will be given the opportunity to submit their claims to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to determine the compensation.

A professional private valuer will also be appointed to assist SLA in determining the market value of the land, taking into consideration any claims submitted, he said.

If the owner is not satisfied with the compensation awarded, he can file an appeal with the Land Acquisition Appeals Board.

“The acquisition will allow the Government to take all necessary steps to safeguard the site and preserve it in keeping with its historical significance and national importance,” said Mr Neo.

The way we tell the Singapore Story needs a refresh: Tan Tai Yong

The country’s journey was woven into the personal lives of older Singaporeans. Younger citizens can’t relate to that.

By Tan Tai Yong, The Straits Times, 17 Aug 2024

Addressing the nation in front of the 19th century Sri Temasek building at the Istana, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong opened his National Day message by recounting how, in 1965, founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had spent the night of Aug 8 there, just before formal separation from Malaysia, “consumed with worry over how to build a nation from scratch”. He added that the then Prime Minister and the founding leaders went on to overcome “enormous odds and laid the foundations” for the modern nation-state of Singapore.

The reference to history is a constant refrain at every National Day commemoration, when Singaporeans are reminded of the country’s journey from a small and vulnerable former colony to a thriving, successful nation-state.

Many older Singaporeans relate to the country’s journey of nation-building. They remember periods of labour unrest, urban poverty, ethnic conflicts, unstable times in Malaysia, and the domestic and international challenges following Singapore’s emergence as a new state. The Singapore Story is interwoven with their personal stories.

But for younger Singaporeans who did not live through these times, what does the Singapore Story mean? With each successive National Day, the events of Singapore’s early years will become more distant, and memories of the past will fade. History will be taught through our schools and public institutions, but a storytelling that does not resonate with personal memories and experiences runs the risk of raising scepticism, leading to a perception that official historical narratives and calls to remember our origin story are merely state-driven propaganda.

Engagements with history get further diluted when physical traces of the past start to vanish. Singapore’s rapid physical and social development since 1965 has challenged the different ways people remember and bind themselves to their community and country.

Herein lies the danger. A people that do not relate to their history will not fully appreciate the journey their country undertook, or why it adopted the values it did. Or why, in Singapore’s context, multiculturalism is such a key pillar, for example. It’s possible that such values will not be internalised and we may risk straying from them. That is why it is imperative that we imbibe our history and it strikes a chord with us, so that the values that the country upholds continue to be deeply and personally meaningful to us. At the same time, we need to understand the context of the decisions we took, so that we can adapt to changed circumstances instead of blindly mimicking past postures.

The future of our past

How, then, do we get the Singapore Story to resonate with younger Singaporeans and remain relevant for future generations?

At the ground-breaking of the Founders’ Memorial in June 2024, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong envisioned the Memorial as a space where Singaporeans can reflect on their ongoing nation-building journey, drawing on an understanding of our past and an appreciation of the “fundamental values and ideals” that set the long-term direction of Singapore.

His call to ensure that the Founders’ Memorial connects with future Singaporean generations presents an interesting task. It goes beyond recalling the words and deeds of Singapore’s founding fathers or knowing the history of those momentous years; it must engage younger Singaporeans who have only witnessed peace, stability and prosperity, and inspire them to understand the fundamental principles that define us as a society and country.

Singaporeans are not unfamiliar with the country’s history. The prevailing national narrative – the Singapore Story – features prominently within the educational curriculum, is recounted in biographies of political figures, showcased at National Day Parades, and exhibited across various national museums. With such frequent exposure, Singaporeans might believe they are fully knowledgeable about their country’s historical journey.

But merely knowing history might not be sufficient, as familiarity with events and personalities of the past does not necessarily make history personally relevant and meaningful. Beyond historical literacy – that is, knowing what happened – it is crucial to develop historical consciousness, which is the ability to make the past have meaning for us as individuals and as communities.

What does historical consciousness entail and how do we develop this in younger Singaporeans?

The danger of nostalgia weighing upon the present

It is good to know our history, but we must be wary of invoking the past to make decisions about the present.

By Simon Tay, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2024

Talking about the past of our country seems more evident today than ever before. Perhaps it is the National Day mood. As we marked our 59th year, there was a new president and a new prime minister in place, and yet the theme song and dance routines evoked the independence era.

Books, too, have contributed to such discussions, like the recently issued biography of our first foreign minister S. Rajaratnam. For me, personally, awareness is heightened because of Enigmas, my own book about my late father, Tay Seow Huah – a pioneer generation civil servant contributing to security for our then young country.

Singapore is old enough to look back on its founding decade with nostalgia. I felt this strongly when writing about Singapore’s first decade of independence in Enigmas. Beyond the work on pressing issues of the time, it is harmless and fun to remember markers of how we lived, like the eating places that my father and his generation frequented, and which I knew as a child.

But lifestyle aside, one must be wary of nostalgia slipping into decisions of policy. And yet, nostalgia seems to inform some current controversies, in public discussions and in social media.

How’s history relevant here?

A mural on the side of a Chinatown shophouse caused considerable debate with its depiction of a samsui woman, smoking and glamorous. The mural had sidestepped the usual processes of seeking permits for such public art, as well as guidelines that caution against the depiction of smoking.

But many reactions focused on the question of veracity: the fact that these women who contributed to literally building Singapore smoked, as a respite from hard labour. This reference to the past was evoked as a kind of trump card: to overcome current guidelines that censor most depictions of smoking.

That focus downplayed other elements of the mural – the woman was depicted as young, attractive and with elaborately and improbably manicured nails. Nor was its artistic merit much discussed.

My own interpretation was that this mural was not about historical fact. Rather I saw it as a comment about how Chinatown has now been gentrified and glamorised, with prices soaring for the once humble and rundown shop houses.

The final decision was a compromise. The mural with its depiction of smoking was not erased. But a fine was imposed as prior authorisation for this public art had not been obtained.

The past was also invoked in what would seem a commercial decision. This concerns the sale of a majority stake in Income Insurance to a foreign investor, Allianz. On top of the regulatory issues, some emphasised the original social mission of Income Insurance.

Much respected Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh was among those who took this line as he warned against Singapore becoming “a nation of people who know the price of everything but the value of nothing”, something our first foreign minister had cited.

No one can argue that it is not important to understand what was before. But past examples and statements are best set in context of the circumstances of their time. Otherwise, there is a risk that past incidents and statements can be invoked selectively in ways that may distort.

NTUC ventured into the insurance sector following a suggestion in 1969 by Dr Goh Keng Swee, who later served as deputy prime minister. Dr Goh had felt that a social enterprise by the unions was needed because “social security is in its rudimentary stages”.

Today presents a very different situation. There are many more insurers to provide for life, health and other forms of security for workers. There is, for instance, a nationwide scheme to insure full-time national servicemen on a voluntary and affordable basis. This scheme is provided by another insurer, not Income Insurance.

Can the current competitive market not meet the needs of Singaporeans? If NTUC were to be asked today about the need for unions to run an insurer, wouldn’t it, probably, arrive at a different decision?

These are among the contextual, “what if” questions to be considered if we are to apply past lessons and thinking to changing circumstances. Otherwise, if we allow the past to overly constrain current choices, history would be a heavy, dead hand.

Construction of Founders’ Memorial begins, opening slated for 2028

A memorial that honours Singapore’s founders and keeps alive their ideals in our nation-building journey

By Ng Keng Gene, Correspondent, The Straits Times, 6 Jun 2024

Construction of the Founders’ Memorial – dedicated to Singapore’s pioneers and the values they exemplified – has officially started, and it is scheduled to open in 2028.

The memorial at Gardens by the Bay’s Bay East Garden will offer visitors an “integrated gallery and gardens experience”, said the National Heritage Board (NHB).

Within its two two-storey buildings, which will be connected by a common basement, will be a viewing gallery that overlooks Singapore’s city skyline, exhibition galleries, and multi-purpose rooms for workshops and programmes.

NHB said multiple paths will extend from the memorial into the larger Bay East Garden, with the memorial itself designed to depict a path – a symbol of the nation-building journey that Singapore’s founding generation and its leaders undertook.

The ground-breaking ceremony was held at Bay East Garden on June 5, and officiated by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. It was on June 5, 1959, that the first Cabinet of self-governing Singapore was sworn into office.

At a reception held at Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Field Hall after the ceremony, SM Lee said the memorial will tell of how the nation’s founding leaders “overcame the odds to build a strong, united, and independent Singapore”. Stories will capture “how they led the people of Singapore through successive battles”, he said.

“First against colonialism, then communism, and finally communalism; and how they then built a nation based on the values and ideals embodied in the pledge, launching us on the journey that has led to the Singapore that we see today.”

He was joined at the ceremony by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee and Founders’ Memorial Committee co-chairs Lee Tzu Yang and Tan Tai Yong, as well as community representatives including students, memorial volunteers and donors.

Those who participated in the ground-breaking planted saplings that were grafted from trees planted by Singapore’s leaders during the early years of the nation’s greening journey.

Species planted included the yellow flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum), a native species that was planted by founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1971 at Tanjong Pagar Community Club; a sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), planted by Dr Goh Keng Swee in 1975 at Labrador Park; and a sea apple (Syzygium grande), which Mr S. Rajaratnam planted in 1980 at Block 12 North Bridge Road.

The saplings planted on June 5 will be featured in the Founders’ Memorial’s landscaping in the future, said NHB.

The memorial – mooted in 2015 following Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death – was previously slated to be completed in 2027, but its construction timeline was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its design by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates, working in collaboration with Singapore firm K2LD Architects, was announced in March 2020 following an international competition launched in January 2019.

NHB said the memorial “aims to inspire Singaporeans to commit themselves towards a better future, as it will serve as a space to capture the spirit of our nation and unify Singaporeans”.

Between June and December in 2024, a mural titled Our Memorial, Our Singapore by local illustration studio 8EyedSpud will be displayed at Bay South Garden, near the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

By scanning a QR code that accompanies the mural, people can select activities they are most keen to engage in at the memorial and Bay East Garden – “a continuation of the memorial’s public engagement journey”, said NHB.

They may also leave well-wishes, which may be part of future hoardings for the memorial during its construction.

Mr Lee Tzu Yang said the committee will continue to engage Singaporeans “because the Founders’ Memorial is envisioned as a space owned by every generation, including future generations of Singaporeans”.

Public workshops and a pilot exhibition – titled Semangat Yang Baru: Forging A New Singapore Spirit – have been held to gather feedback for the upcoming memorial.

More than 900 stories and artefacts have been received for the memorial thus far following a public call, and over 140,000 people attended the exhibition, Mr Lee Tzu Yang said.

A Project Citizens campaign will be launched as part of the engagement to invite Singaporeans to contribute stories about the country’s founding history.

Commemorating the nation-building journey

SM Lee said that besides focusing on key leaders in Singapore’s first two decades of nation-building, the memorial’s project team is curating an installation specially to commemorate the founding generation.

“Through their words and deeds, the memorial will bring alive the values and ideals these pioneers exemplified, championed, and inculcated into Singaporeans,” he added.

Citing the backdrop to Singapore’s independence in August 1965 – the race riots of 1964 and Indonesia’s Konfrontasi – SM Lee said that unlike the independence of other post-colonial nations, the mood in the Republic was sombre.

The founding leaders rallied the population, and Singaporeans, whatever their previous political allegiances, united behind them, said SM Lee, adding that they witnessed various milestones, such as the withdrawal of British forces and the development of the Singapore Armed Forces, as well as housing and educating the people.

Even more importantly, they established fundamental values and ideals that set the country’s long-term direction: democracy, justice and equality, meritocracy and a drive for excellence, an unwavering commitment to honest, clean government and, above all, a multiracial society, SM Lee said.

He added that while the founding leaders did not get everything right, they made the right choices on the most important issues and Singapore succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

Singapore’s origin story is unique, he said, noting that in the post-war era, many former colonies became independent countries like the Republic.

“But not many successfully shifted from the independence struggle to nation-building, from rousing revolutionary mobilisation to the patient slog of improving people’s lives. Singapore did,” he said.

He added that while Singapore has several memorials that mark significant events in its modern history – the Civilian War Memorial and Kranji War Memorial, for instance – “we do not yet have a memorial to commemorate our nation-building journey”.

“Now, almost 60 years after Separation, and 80 years after the Second World War, the time has come for us to build one,” said SM Lee.

He added: “I hope this Founders’ Memorial will become a space where Singaporeans reflect on our ongoing nation-building journey; appreciate our precious inheritance from the founding generation; and resolve to continue building a harmonious and successful Singapore, based on our foundational values and ideals, for generations to come.”

HDB Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) Model: Keeping public housing in prime locations affordable, accessible and inclusive for Singaporeans

Subsidy clawback, 10-year MOP for new prime location HDB flats to keep them affordable, inclusive

By Michelle Ng, The Straits Times, 27 Oct 2021

Future Housing Board (HDB) flats built in prime, central locations will be subjected to a 10-year minimum occupation period (MOP) and additional subsidies will be clawed back by the Government upon their resale.

These are among the key measures under a new prime location public housing (PLH) model, aimed at keeping prime HDB flats affordable and inclusive, announced by National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Tuesday (Oct 26).

The first Build-to-Order (BTO) project under this model will be located in Rochor and launched next month.

The pool of resale buyers of these prime HDB flats will also be limited to households who earn not more than $14,000 a month and at least one applicant must be a Singapore citizen.

Under the PLH model, fewer flats may be set aside under HDB's Married Child Priority Scheme, which gives priority to applicants whose parents or children live in the same area.

Currently, up to 30 per cent of new flats are set aside under this scheme for families buying a flat for the first time.

At a media briefing on Tuesday, Mr Lee said the new model is to keep public housing in prime locations affordable, accessible and inclusive for Singaporeans, both at the initial purchase and at subsequent resales on the open market.

The PLH model will apply only to future public housing in prime locations and not to existing flat owners.

There will be at least one prime location public housing project launched each year, but the exact proportions will differ year on year, as it depends on site availability and the overall supply of flats across all towns, said Mr Lee.

In order for HDB to launch these prime flats at affordable prices at the BTO stage, it has to provide additional subsidies on top of the those provided for all BTO flats, said Mr Lee.

All subsidies are factored into flat prices when they are launched as BTO flats.

"But the concern is whether this would lead to the lottery effect, excessive windfall gains and whether it would be fair to BTO buyers in other parts of Singapore, who would not get these additional subsidies," he said.

A record number of HDB flats have changed hands for at least $1 million this year.

In the first nine months of this year, there were 174 million-dollar HDB flats, compared with 82 for the whole of last year, which raised eyebrows and set off concerns about home affordability.

They came on the back of a buoyant HDB resale market, in which resale flat prices also hit a record high in the third quarter of this year.

To address these concerns, the Government will claw back additional subsidies provided to PLH flats.

Flat owners will pay a percentage of the resale price to HDB when they resell their home on the open market for the first time, he said.

This will apply only to those who bought the flat from HDB and not to subsequent resale transactions.

The exact percentage will be announced at the launch of the Rochor BTO project next month, which is the first site under the PLH model, and may be adjusted for other projects in the future, he said.

Other prime locations for public housing include the future Greater Southern Waterfront.

However, buyers who want one of these flats on the resale market will have to meet the prevailing eligibility conditions for buying a flat directly from the HDB.

These include having at least one applicant who is a Singapore citizen, meeting the household income ceiling of $14,000 and not holding a private property or sold any in the last 30 months.

Singles above 35 years old will not be allowed to buy these PLH flats. This is in contrast to current rules that do not place limitations on singles above the age of 35 buying resale flats.

"Without such restrictions, the resale prices of these homes in prime locations may rise beyond the reach of many Singaporeans over time," said Mr Lee.

These conditions on the resale pool will also act as safeguards to prevent sellers from adding the subsidy recovery to their asking price in the hopes of trying to maximise gains, he added.

“Buyers will be a circumscribed group of people who meet BTO eligibility requirements, so that means not anyone can buy. And buyers will also have to bear in mind the impositions on subsequent resale on him or her,” he said.

“So that will ensure that the moderated market for the prime location public housing flats is functional.”

To ensure buyers are genuinely buying the flat to live in, instead of hoping to flip it for a windfall, the MOP for prime location HDB flats will be extended to 10 years, up from the current five.

Owners will also not be allowed to rent out their whole flat at any point in time, even after the MOP is over.

These conditions will apply to all flat owners who purchase BTO and resale flats under the PLH model.

Singapore, A City In Nature: New 400ha Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network to be completed by 2022

Mangroves and wetlands in the north makes up Singapore’s second nature park network
400ha zone to include Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park, and Sungei Buloh
By Shabana Begum, The Straits Times, 20 Aug 2020

More than 400ha of wetlands, marshes, nature parks and eco-corridors along the northern coast, which include Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the Kranji Marshes and the upcoming Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park, have collectively become Singapore's second nature park network.

More than thrice the size of the wetland reserve, the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network safeguards wetland habitats and strengthens the conservation of wetland biodiversity in the northern region.



It will be complemented by the Round Island Route (RIR), an upcoming 150km recreational route around Singapore that will connect various green spaces through trails and park connectors. The RIR will be completed progressively by 2035.

The network is part of the country's aim to transition from a "city in a garden" to "a city in nature". The National Parks Board (NParks) aims to have at least an additional 200ha of nature parks by 2030.

The Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network includes an 18ha coastal nature park formerly referred to as the Western Extension. Now named Lim Chu Kang Nature Park, it links the wetland reserve to the Lim Chu Kang mangroves.

"The wetlands have food sources and are important nursery grounds for fish and refuelling sites for migratory birds. Mangroves are also very important in carbon sequestration and in mitigating coastal erosion," Dr Adrian Loo, group director of conservation at NParks, said yesterday.



Surrounding nature parks act as buffers against urbanisation, helping to conserve and protect core biodiversity areas such as wetlands and marshes that are filled with indigenous flora and fauna.

For instance, 279 species of birds have been recorded in the 130ha wetland reserve and the surrounding habitats. Preserving these ecologically interdependent areas in the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network will enhance the conservation of these birds.

Providing green cover, nature parks can also serve as habitats for wildlife and migratory birds.



The country's first nature park network is the 2,500ha Central Nature Park Network that protects the rainforest habitats around and within the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves.

There will be more than 15km of nature trails within the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network by 2022, when about 5km of new trails are added to Lim Chu Kang Nature Park and Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park.



The Lim Chu Kang Nature Park will feature nature-inspired play spaces for children, while heritage buffs can look forward to a new exhibition gallery in the colonial-era Cashin House along the trail.

Built in 1920 for the Cashin family, who came from Ireland, the 100-year-old bungalow currently stands vacant at the end of a jetty in Lim Chu Kang which was used to transport rubber before Lim Chu Kang Road was built.

Cashin House has deteriorated beyond repair and suffers from dampness due its location on the edge of the shore.

The building will be reconstructed later this year, and is expected to be ready by 2022 to house a visitor gallery, seminar rooms for workshops and a sea-view terrace.

SPF200: Celebrating 200 years of the Singapore police

New exhibition chronicles its evolution from 12-man team to 15,000-strong modern force
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 7 Feb 2020

The first police force in Singapore was started 200 years ago with an unofficial team of just 12 men.

Untrained men joined the force as a last resort when they could not find other jobs, and did miscellaneous work such as capturing tigers, fighting fires and numbering streets.

Officers even had to pay for their own uniforms, forking out more than half a month's salary for them.

Such details about the early police force are chronicled in the SPF200 Exhibition - Frontier Town to Safest City, which was launched yesterday by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam.

The exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore is part of a series of activities to commemorate the police's bicentennial.

It tracks the evolution of the police force in Singapore over two centuries - starting with the ill-equipped 12-men team assembled by Singapore's first Resident and Commandant William Farquhar, to the current 15,000-strong Singapore Police Force (SPF).

The early days were tough, said Mr Shanmugam, noting that the police force faced an uphill battle.

New migrants were vulnerable to vices such as gambling, opium and prostitution, and secret societies were a menace to public order.

"They often put their lives on the line, these police officers, to keep law and order," he added.

But the police's capabilities grew, starting with the establishment of patrol sector boundaries, and then the formation of specialised units like the Marine Police - the predecessor of the Police Coast Guard - and a detective branch.



As Singapore evolved, the police continued to change, expanding operations and coming up with more specialist units like the Special Operations Command, then known as the Riot Squad, which was prompted by the Maria Hertogh riots in 1950.

The police also actively engaged the community through a Volunteer Special Constabulary unit set up in 1946, and a Citizens on Patrol initiative to engage volunteers to look out for and deter crimes.

In more recent years, the police has also set up the Emergency Response Teams and an Anti-Scam Centre to combat the rising threat of armed attacks and scams, said Mr Shanmugam.

"The exhibition pays tribute to police officers, past and present, for their sacrifices. The journey is an inspiring one, it holds many lessons both for SPF and for Singapore as a whole," he added.

Artefacts such as old police uniforms, photographs and firearms detail the changes in the police force.

Pasir Ris Heritage Trail

Pasir Ris trail opens as part of National Heritage Board move to bring heritage to the heartland
By Clement Yong, The Straits Times, 20 Dec 2019

A popular seaside getaway for Singaporeans now, the Pasir Ris coast used to be a private enclave for the British elite during the colonial days.

Yesterday, a 3.5km stretch of the beach was unveiled as part of the National Heritage Board's (NHB) 19th heritage trail, which includes another 10.1km of paths inland.

Divided thematically into three parts that together take about 3½ hours to complete on foot, the continuous trail includes such landmarks as Sakya Tenphel Ling, one of the first Tibetan Buddhist temples in South-east Asia; and Singapore's only commercial saltwater fishing pond in Pasir Ris Town Park.

NHB said yesterday that it plans to eventually have such heritage trails across the island, with two more - in Hougang and Sembawang - already in the works. They will be launched next year.

NHB said that although it does not track visitors, it is aware that existing trails in areas such as Bukit Timah and the Singapore River are "well used by heritage buffs and families looking for a weekend fun family activity", as well as tourists and schools.



Mr Alvin Tan, NHB deputy chief executive of policy and community, said the board is looking at having more trails in the heartland so that "heritage can be brought right to Singaporeans' doorsteps and made more accessible to them".

About the new trail in Pasir Ris, he said: "Singaporeans will find out how Pasir Ris earned its reputation as a town for rest and recreation, and how it evolved from a getaway destination for the affluent to an affordable resort-like retreat for holidaymakers from all walks of life."

Taking 1½ years to research - including conducting interviews with residents and scouring old newspaper clippings - the Pasir Ris Heritage Trail presents users with three themes.

The first is an exploration of the area's coastal heritage, a route that takes in mangrove swamps, Sungei Api Api - a river where settlers used to catch prawns to make belacan - and the iconic elephant playground whose design is frequently reproduced on souvenirs.



Then there is the 5.6km architectural highlights walk, which features religious institutions like the multi-faith Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple and the 24-hour Masjid Al-Istighfar, a mosque that caters to tourists and locals going to and from the haj and is about a 20-minute drive from Changi Airport.

Finally, the more family-oriented 4.5km Play @ Pasir Ris Trail passes by Pasir Ris Hawker Centre, Downtown East - formerly a National Trades Union Congress "country club" for workers - as well as one of Singapore's largest playgrounds.

New version of Singapore's National Anthem: 2019 Re-recording of Majulah Singapura

New recording of Majulah Singapura to mark 60th anniversary of state symbols released on 3 December 2019
By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 2 Dec 2019

The National Anthem, Majulah Singapura (meaning Onward Singapore in Malay), will be updated as part of celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Singapore's national symbols.

The new version is a rendition by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said yesterday morning.

It will be revealed tomorrow as part of a commemoration ceremony for the 60th anniversary of the anthem, the national flag and the state crest, Ms Fu said on the sidelines of the One Community Fiesta family sports carnival held at Jurong Lake Gardens.

This will be the first update to the National Anthem since the current version was recorded in 2001.



Majulah Singapura was composed in 1958 by the late Zubir Said as an official song for the City Council of Singapore.

It was based on the council's motto, "Majulah Singapura", which was translated as "May Singapore flourish" at the time.

Mr Zubir was moved by the social and political awakening of the people then and wanted to capture their mood and feelings towards the country.

After Singapore attained self-governance in 1959, then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye expressed interest in adopting it as the National Anthem, which he felt should be in Malay, which was the region's indigenous language and would appeal to all races.

The song was adapted slightly and introduced as Singapore's National Anthem on Dec 3, 1959, at the City Hall Chamber.

The occasion also marked the swearing-in of Mr Yusof Ishak as Singapore's first Malayan-born head of state. He later became Singapore's first president.



At a rally attended by 25,000 citizens at the Padang, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew called for the people of Singapore to come together under the flag, anthem and state crest, and to pledge their loyalty to the new nation.

"May our new symbols endure and evoke in our hearts those sublime feelings of dedication and sacrifice to a cause bigger than our individual selves," Mr Lee had told the crowd.

New Bukit Timah-Rochor Green Corridor to connect Singapore's three national gardens

First phase of 11km corridor will begin with construction of 1.4km elevated linear park
By Tiffany Fumiko Tay, The Straits Times, 1 Sep 2019

A new green corridor will connect Singapore's three national gardens when it is completed in the coming years as part of plans to plug a gap in Singapore's green links.

The 11km Bukit Timah-Rochor Green Corridor, which will run parallel to the Bukit Timah Canal, will give cyclists and pedestrians a continuous path between Jurong Lake Gardens, the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay.

Construction of the first phase, a 1.4km elevated linear park that will run above the canal between Bukit Timah and Dunearn roads, will begin in 2021.

There are plans for it to be extended to Kallang Riverside Park in the future.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong announced this along with updated plans for the Rail Corridor's key Bukit Timah Railway Station node at a community event at the station yesterday.

"The land around the canal is drainage reserve. There's not a lot of land around there to build a nice green park," he said, adding that the elevated park is a way of optimising space in a compact city.

Noting that the new developments will allow Singaporeans to explore the island in different ways, he said: "You can enjoy the rich heritage and biodiversity of the Rail Corridor, and then from this major spine, branch off to explore other recreational connections."

Neram and rain trees are among the species that will line the initial 1.4km of the Bukit Timah-Rochor Green Corridor.

They were selected to create a "riverine rainforest experience" and additional shade for those traversing the section above the canal, said Ms G. Kannagi, director of development management at the National Parks Board (NParks).

Extending the corridor to Kallang would "provide a wonderful opportunity for people from the west to be able to access the city centre in a green setting", she added.

The first stretch of the new corridor will connect to existing overhead bridges as well as the Rail Corridor near the Bukit Timah Railway Station node.

An orchard featuring cempedak, binjai and other fruit trees, amenities such as toilets and bicycle racks and a heritage gallery housed in the conserved railway station are among plans for the node.