In Conversation with Jeya Ayadurai 11

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 regarding the possibility of building a museum at Kranji War Graves and have communicated our intent with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Maidenhead. We look forward to their positive response so that we can make this project a reality. The story of the men and women buried and remembered on Kranji hill deserves to be told and what better way than a museum dedicated to telling that story. Similarly, the Battlebox (an underground Command Centre built in the 1930s) should also be preserved as a National Monument. The historic decision of surrendering Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942 was made by LG Percival and the general staff of Malaya Command in a room in the Battlebox. That decision signalled the start of the end of the British domination of Asia. After the war, many Asian countries demanded and became independent. The Changi gate entrance, wall, and turrets were gazetted as a national monument in 2016, but more can be done to share its historical significance. Over the next year, we hope to be putting forward proposals to the relevant authorities on enhancing these sites and making them more accessible to Singaporeans and tourists alike. Furthermore, to enhance its significance, we recommend inscribing the names of the men and women who fought in the defence of Singapore or who were incarcerated there during the war, in a memorial in front of this historic structure.

You have mentioned plans to campaign for Haw Par Villa to be inscribed a Unesco World Heritage; why do you think it qualifies for that? “The one important lesson that future generations can take from our history, is that we are an amazing pragmatic people who are capable of adapting. Where we find problems, we create solutions that we later share with the rest of the world. We turn adversity into opportunity.”

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. The firm strongly believe that Haw Par Villa qualifies for inscription too. The park captures a period in world history showing the transition from a time when Europeans dominated the world to a resurgent and economically powerful Asia. It has regional implications to heritage for the Aw brothers were not only part of a Nanyang story, but they left an imprint that is Pan-Asian. They had businesses in other regions and furthermore, a visit to the park will show you more than five thousand years of Asian history, culture, religion and literature. When we tendered to manage and revive Haw Par Villa, this was one of our established missions. Today, because of the many initiatives our firm, Journeys, has launched, Haw Par Villa receives thousands of visitors a month despite the pandemic. New initiatives such as Hell’s Museum, theatrical tours on the Aw Family and even a Shipping Container Hotel, have helped to change the image of Haw Par Villa.

It is now time for the team to draft a serious proposal to the authorities to move this project forward.

What do you think are key lessons future generations can learn from our history to build a good future?

The one important lesson that future generations can take from our history, is that we are an amazing pragmatic people who are capable of adapting. Where we find problems, we create solutions that we later share with the rest of the world. We turn adversity into opportunity. The average Singaporean may not fully comprehend or be aware of this, but we are a very resilient people, capable of overcoming constraints and limitations that humble other nations.