11/23/2014

Singaporeans must make way for the Angsanas




The Angsanas are well known as instant trees in the island. They are planted everywhere as stop gap measures when instant trees are needed. They have good foliage and provide good shade under the hot sun. Superficially they looked good too. But they also snapped or get uprooted quite easily under strong wings. Maybe it is their nature, or maybe they are just instant trees with shallow roots. Unlike the hardy local trees that could withstand strong winds with their deep roots, the Angsanas would always be Angsanas. They will snap or get uprooted.

What is disturbing is a piece of news this morning about two old schools, Griffiths and Qiaonan, that have to make way for Angsana. The two schools with a combined history of 145 years, with many histories and old boys and girls who were proud to be students of the schools, would have their memories wiped clean, all because someone decided that Angsana should replaced them as the name for the new school, but devoid of any history except the fame instant tree image.

Why would the decision makers choose to have something new and nothing exceptional to replace our heritage? And why would the MOE and the Singapore Heirtage Board allowed it to happen? Aren’t they the public institutions and guardians that believed in our history and heritage? Are these people obsessed with the Angsanas? Or is there a message that they are sending out, Angsanas are good and should replace the locals?

The old boys and girls and teachers are all perplexed. They have all the good reasons to want to preserve the names of the two schools. They protested. Why would they want to replace the names of their schools with something like Angsanas? It reminds me of the fetish fad of replacing the PMEs with their wealth of experience with unknown elements from overseas.

There are a lot of sentiments involved. This is our history. This is very sad. Our past and memories are wiped out, no more, by this naïve and simplistic decision. The old boys and girls just want something to remember, their past, the times they spent in the schools, their alma maters. Why can’t the new school be called Qiaonan Griffiths to give it some history and a link to its past golden days? Qiaonan and Griffiths anytime sound better than this thing called Angsana. And one of the criteria of the Schools Naming Committee is whether the name resonates with the community? You mean Angsana resonates with the community better than Qiaonan and Griffiths?

And this Angsana Primary School is supposed to build on the histories of Qiaonan and Griffiths! What have they been smoking? Maybe Angsana resonates with the national policies of bringing more instant citizens into the country. Every Angsana, every instant tree, is a treasure, a talent, better than the locals or the Qiaonans and the Griffiths. It is better to do away with Qiaonan and Griffiths and glorify the new future of Angsanas.

Kopi Level - Yellow

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

"There are a lot of sentiments involved. This is our history. This is very sad. Our past and memories are wiped out, no more, by this naïve and simplistic decision."

And this is the point that daft Sinkies never understand.
Yes - "This is our history"
But this is not PAPigs' history right?

"Our past and memories are wiped out"
So?
Why would a PAPig care?
PAPigs do not share our past and our memories.

Voting for a PAPig to represent Singaporeans in parliament.
How can it possibly end well?
Have PAPigs ever shown by their actions that they share our Singaporean values and culture?

Anonymous said...

No mother will want her children to be enrolled into a school with such a name. Sounds like a school in a cemetery.

Anonymous said...

Next, don't be surprised if they change Raffles Institution to LKY Institution!

Anonymous said...

The boys and girls in charge would be most comfortable with names like Transformers or Optimus Prime.

Virgo 49 said...

CCS said in SundayTimes of today's edition. Forget about our past. The generations that built Singapore and all and the pioneer who served in the armed services are all past and out.

Now the way forward is the new inflow of talented foreigners who are the ones true singaporeans in the new century.

So Angsanas better in the sense sounds like ang mohs. Whites, we are whites.

Need more Angsanas ang mohs to spray paint our trains. They are more robust, cosmopolitan, daring and think out if the trains.

What do you think???

By the way, I be with KBW's safe GRC to be the next seat warming Acting PM before LHL'S beloved son is back to have the seat

Anonymous said...

Does Singapore belong to Singaporean citizens or PAP citizens?

Anonymous said...

I think Angkanas sounds more interesting.

People who ignore their past will lose their bearings and becoming like nomads, live aimlessly and very happy to turn the country into a hotel.

These are very dangerous people, 'pai jia zi' or 'puah kay kia'.

Anonymous said...

Sin City is often confused with a democracy. Nothing can be further from da truth mein fuhrer.

Anonymous said...

"Every Angsana, every instant tree, is a treasure, a talent, better than the locals or the Qiaonans and the Griffiths."
RB

Of course lah. There must be good reasons why the locals, the Qiaonans and the Griffiths allow themselves to be replaced by Angsanas, tio bo?

Maybe for the same and more good reasons why majority Sinkies allow themselves to be ruled by PAP.

Anonymous said...

There must also be good reasons why Sinkies choose Teochew Ah Hia party, and not Aung Juan Soon Chee party, to be the only opposition party elected into Parliament.

agongkia said...

Please lah.Its others properties so leave it to them to name whatever they want lah.

Many Sinkies even allow their children or grandchildren to names themselves with angmo names and even name their babies before they are born with angmo names.What does Tan Ah Seng got to do with Angmo?No one seems to bother.
Where is their pride?

Why kaypo on how others name their properties when one himselves fail to stop his children from having angmo names.
How many here dare to say their children or grandchildren dun name themselves Richard ,Reuben or Sylvia etc?

Be like me .Proud of my name.
Goh Ah Gong

Anonymous said...

Goh Ah Gong or Tew Nah Seng.
What's the difference?
What's in a name anyway?
Regardless of name, Pigs are always pigs.

Anonymous said...

Ya no need to waste time with gong kia. gong gong jiat ti kong.

b said...

So many MPs are not true blue locals lah. Vote for angsana and thus the people get angsana.

Anonymous said...

Ahgongkia 扮猪吃老虎。
He no gong gong chiak ti kong.
All Pappies are good at pretending.

Anonymous said...

This pappy no different. kay si, kay gong.

agongkia said...

@anon3.52,4.50,5.50,6.26pm.
Gonggong chiak Thee kong.
Thee kong thia gong larng.

Thee kong giving me 3 million soon thru toto.
Will Sinkie give me 3 dollar if i anyhow lanngar and end up no money eat?
:-)

Anonymous said...

I think you have used the wrong 'examples' in the tree analogy. Angsanas (Dterocarpus indicus)are hardy and stand their ground, unlike instant rain trees (formerly Samanea saman, now Albizia saman).

Those angsanas on the Padang were diseased and had to be replaced with rain trees. Even then, the rain trees are dying in the Padang.

There is one 90-year old angsana tree in the compound of the St Joseph's Church in Victoria St.

Anonymous said...

red bean

can you write a post on the current taipei mayor election, it is ver interesting in the following manner

a. we need a opposition unity
b. a third force from civil society
c. a high handed government and a un-equal society
d. you cannot be either love pap and wp
e. finally is it possible to a ge by election strategy
again

Anonymous said...

Peppa Pig is a loveable, cheeky little piggy who lives with her little brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig.
Peppa's favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles. Her adventures always end happily with loud snorts of laughter. Every one in Peppa Pig's world is deliriously happy for the hugh amount of money they are paid by tax payers of the land.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ losing sleep over a fucking name RB:

Please lah Tambi, too much toddy you are drinking dah.

Vy so much noise you are making? Only a name da. A cha, you are making like Bollywood action movie fighting da, like Tambi fighting in Serangoon Road after togok. Better go Mustapha drink kopi da, then go Desker chod puchee!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Eh kongkek, who cares about a name? The issue is the heritage of two schools gone for a silly name change. All the old boys and girls are like homeless flotsams when there is no need to.

What is so fucking great about angsana to be given the honour of a school name? Why destroy Qiaonan and Griffiths? What is the rationale or agenda?

Anonymous said...

If there is nothing in a stupid name, prove it.
Change Raffles Institution name to "Papaya Institution"

Anonymous said...

If the name is Matilah Singapura, who cares?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi anon 8:22, not familiar with the Taiwan election. Unable to comment.

Anonymous said...

A friend from Singapore just sent me this article. Although Sydney is now my place of residence, I still hold fond memories of the many great years I spent at Griffiths Primary School. I still keep in touch with some of my classmates who went to Griffiths with me more than 60 years ago. It is sad ... very sad and I wonder if elite schools like Raffles and Catholic High, SCG etc will soon be renamed "Bunga Raya" or "Tembusu" or "Yellow Flame" or "Raintree" or "Saga"? I doubt.

Anonymous said...

A friend from Singapore just sent me this article. Although Sydney is now my place of residence, I still hold fond memories of the many great years I spent at Griffiths Primary School. I still keep in touch with some of my classmates who went to Griffiths with me more than 60 years ago. It is sad ... very sad and I wonder if elite schools like Raffles and Catholic High, SCG etc will soon be renamed "Bunga Raya" or "Tembusu" or "Yellow Flame" or "Raintree" or "Saga"? I doubt.

Anonymous said...

Matilah Singapura will be a National Slogan soon.

Thanks the Man for it and reward him
with tiger and tigress