FEATURE
How did you feel when you were made an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)? I am honoured and humbled by this award by the Queen on her platinum jubilee. For me, the award bestows recognition on my colleagues and the firm’s 27 years of hard work and contributions to Singapore heritage. Awards are generally given to achievements in economic development, science and technology. This award gives us hope that fields such as history and heritage are also valued. I hope that it will spur other heritage entrepreneurs and specialists to continue focusing on local history. It may potentially make it easier for local heritage advocates to seek much-needed support for the meaningful work that’s done here. With the conferment of the award, I have been gratified to see so many people come out of the woodwork, to congratulate my team and I. In the demanding world of heritage, one sometimes feels alone in the wilderness - this award shines a beam of light on the work we do and helps others realise that we are not alone. It is evidence that there are people who are appreciative of the work the heritage community undertakes. I hope it empowers and motivates others in the field.
Could you share more about your plans at Kranji War Cemetery and other historical war sites? We have already spoken to various Commonwealth governments The firm strongly believe that Haw Par Villa qualifies for inscription regarding the possibility of building a museum at Kranji War Graves too. The park captures a period in world history showing the and have communicated our intent with the Commonwealth War transition from a time when Europeans dominated the world Graves Commission in Maidenhead. We look forward to their to a resurgent and economically powerful Asia. It has regional implications to heritage for the positive response so that we Aw brothers were not only part of can make this project a reality. a Nanyang story, but they left an The story of the men and women “The one important lesson that imprint that is Pan-Asian. They buried and remembered on had businesses in other regions Kranji hill deserves to be told and future generations can take from our and furthermore, a visit to the what better way than a museum park will show you more than five history, is that we are an amazing dedicated to telling that story. thousand years of Asian history, Similarly, the Battlebox (an pragmatic people who are capable of culture, religion and literature. underground Command Centre When we tendered to manage adapting. Where we find problems, we built in the 1930s) should also and revive Haw Par Villa, this be preserved as a National create solutions that we later share with was one of our established Monument. The historic decision missions. Today, because of of surrendering Singapore to the the rest of the world. We turn adversity into the many initiatives our firm, Japanese on 15 February 1942 Journeys, has launched, Haw was made by LG Percival and the opportunity.” Par Villa receives thousands general staff of Malaya Command of visitors a month despite the in a room in the Battlebox. That pandemic. New initiatives such decision signalled the start of the end of the British domination of Asia. After the war, many Asian as Hell’s Museum, theatrical tours on the Aw Family and even a Shipping Container Hotel, have helped to change the image of countries demanded and became independent. Haw Par Villa. The Changi gate entrance, wall, and turrets were gazetted as a national monument in 2016, but more can be done to share its It is now time for the team to draft a serious proposal to the historical significance. Over the next year, we hope to be putting authorities to move this project forward. forward proposals to the relevant authorities on enhancing these sites and making them more accessible to Singaporeans What do you think are key lessons future generations can learn and tourists alike. Furthermore, to enhance its significance, we from our history to build a good future? recommend inscribing the names of the men and women who The one important lesson that future generations can take from fought in the defence of Singapore or who were incarcerated there our history, is that we are an amazing pragmatic people who are during the war, in a memorial in front of this historic structure. capable of adapting. Where we find problems, we create solutions that we later share with the rest of the world. We turn adversity into You have mentioned plans to campaign for Haw Par Villa to be opportunity. The average Singaporean may not fully comprehend inscribed a Unesco World Heritage; why do you think it qual- or be aware of this, but we are a very resilient people, capable of ifies for that? overcoming constraints and limitations that humble other nations. In regard to Haw Par Villa, I was on the UNESCO subcommission that discussed the sites that were shortlisted for our first World Heritage inscription. Eventually, the Singapore Botanic Gardens was chosen.
NOV / DEC 2022 THE PADANG
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