3rd Link on Pulau Ubin? NO!

Hi All,

Today I was disturbed by news coming in from our northern neighbour, in fact it had left me feeling uncomfortable, upset and unpleasant for the past few hours and I need to write it out.

Photo courtesy of AFP/Roslan Rahman via Channelnews Asia

You may read up on the article from Channelnews Asia here. 

According to the article, Malaysian authorities were in the midst of discussions of building a third causeway to Singapore and out of all places that they could try, they had to moot their bridge over Pulau Ubin. You can only fathom on how much this disturbs me not just as a person tracing down and documenting my family's heritage on the island, but also as a Singaporean who believes so much and care for the preservation of our last and only kampong in our developed nation.

However, more than our kampongs are at risk should they proceed with this illogical plan. As evident enough, Pulau Ubin is home to some of Singapore's richest natural biodiversities spanning from the various tropical plants to the hornbills soaring above the treetops and to the marine life that lives in the wetlands and waters around the island. Having these beautiful features on the island stripped away in the name of development is an outcry of what we Singaporeans believe in.

Pulau Ubin is not abandoned. There might be a perception that nothing is being done on the island, especially so in the 1990s when residents were evicted and kampongs were removed from the maps. However, I cannot emphasise enough that that is not and no longer the case.

We have groups of talented, passionate and enthusiastic people who are working round the clock to preserve, promote and celebrate Ubin. We even have a Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) which is an organisation or committee where these amazing people come together and help pave the path towards Pulau Ubin's future. I am also happy to say that I will also be formally initiated as a member of FUN tomorrow and will be working closely everyone, but I will be focusing clearly on the kampong heritage section on our island.

Pulau Ubin was where my grandparents raised my mom and her siblings, where families were nurtured and blossomed. This was a place where communities flourished despite living in somewhat inconvenient conditions. The real kampong spirit emerged on Pulau Ubin where everyone on the island knew one another on a heart-to-heart basis. Kinship and strong ties between people was what made the Ubin community a vibrant, friendly and beautiful one, thriving against all odds.

As the population of the island had dwindled down in recent years, we refuse to believe that the community, kampongs and everything else on the island should just be another part of our forgotten history. I have pledged before and I will continue to pledge again that I will work hard for the residents of Pulau Ubin as much as how they have worked hard alongside me in my quest in retracing my family's heritage.

I call upon my fellow Singaporeans to unite against this proposal and to voice out our concerns and to play our part in protecting our beloved national treasure. Pulau Ubin is not forgotten and for us to witness the trees, kampongs, wetlands, memories and heritage vanished and replaced by an unnecessary bridge is outright unacceptable. Let us stand up and step up for Pulau Ubin for our love for the island is boundless and infinite and we must protect what we love most.

I have good faith and trust in our government that this 3rd Link between Malaysia and Singapore will never come into fruition over our island. However, we must not be complacent nor silent when faced with this proposal. Let them on the other side of our two existing causeways know that they are facing very stiff opposition from us here in Singapore.

Pulau Ubin is our home and the people of Ubin are our family. We will be there for them in this time of need. Together, we can stand up for our island. Together, we can play our part in preserving, protecting and defending Ubin's people, culture and heritage. Together, for Pulau Ubin.