Preserve Fort Tanjong Katong

Categories: Singapore

The Sunday Times [Sunday Times April 9, 2006] reported that for the second time, Fort Tanjong Katong will be buried again. Excavation was carried out in 2005 after the Fort was rediscovered in 2001. The excavation lasted for 10 months and was reburied in December 2005. This was done to protect the fort from the weather after it was discovered that there was no specific plan for the Fort.

The lack of proper plans seemed strange to have happened in Singapore. Singapore is famous for its long-sightness and planning. What has happened here? The most obvious would be to name the Fort a national monument. According to a spokesman for the Preservation of Monuments Board, this is not so simple because historical value has to be weighed against the income that the site can earn if it were developed for other uses.

I hope dollars-and-cents will not get in the way of making the Fort a national monument. The fort was built in 1879, making it 127 years old. Singapore which is quite barren of something truely historic should treasure this near-intact Fort. Most of the tourist attractions in Singapore is created through through landscaping. With this truely historic and unrestored Fort, wouldn't it enhanced the tourism sector? Fort Canning and Fort Siloso are already tourist spots. However Fort Canning is only represented by a doorway. Fort Siloso was upgraded many times and at times looked rather artificial. With Fort Tanjong Katong, which was preserved in its entirety since it was build would present an awesome view as it present an architecture preserved in time. I am sure Fort Tanjong Katong will beat Melaka's A'Formosa hands down.

The location of Fort Tanjong Katong is near the East Coast Park which eventually will be connected to the Marina Bay area where the Integrated Resort will be sited. This make its location ideal because having spent time in the Integrated Resort, tourist can just walk to the new Botanical Garden, pass the Marina bridge with its DNA helix structure and then the Fort! Wouldn't it be convenient?

It is very difficult to place a price tag to a historical structure. What yardstick should be used to estimate the price? However if a value has to be placed on the Fort, why not use this method of evaluation? Determine the value of the Fort, then project to see if the Fort can be rebuild to its preserved historical stature. If it cannot be carried out, then the value determined is not the actual value of the Fort! Once the Fort is destroyed, no amount of money will be able to bring back the structure with its historical value and significance.

I hope common sense will prevail over dollar-and-cents. Historical relics are priceless because once it is destroyed, nothing can restore it. And it is feasible to have a historical relic in the mist of modern architecture like that seen in Anfiteatro Romano in Catania, Sicily. Therefore I hope the Preservation of Monuments Board can make a wise decision and protect this piece of Singapore history.

Links (updated on 15 April)
noelbynature (nice accompanying photos)