STOP the tree cutting campaign!
Dear friends, the purpose for this post is to highlight or provide 'feedback' to an issue which I am passionate about. Something's wrong here & needs to be corrected. I sincerely hope it might get the attention of people who have the authority to make a wrong right.
We are all aware of the extent to which our ex PM Mr Lee Kuan Yew went to the greening of our country. Growing up, I was often exposed to pictures of him planting trees, and it left an indelible mark on me. But really, there was no need for those pictures as proof that he was responsible for the greening of singapore - the evidence was all around me - it was plain to see.
Unfortunately the reverse of what Mr Lee Kuan Yew did is happening today in our country. Plants, trees and green spaces are diminishing by the day to make way for infrastructure to acommodate a larger population comprising people who dilute our culture and identity. Tremendous strain has been placed on our infrastructure making it hard for us to enjoy crucial services & shared amenities like we once used to . The evidence is all around us.
I have been an ardent supporter of the PAP for many years, until the Population White Paper. After my first attendance at a protest rally in Hong Lim Park in 2013 which saw a record turnout since independence, I was sure the government would engage with us on our grievances. Unfortunately, we were completely ignored. That left me devastated. Mr Lee Kuan Yew would have treated the matter differently. He engaged, dialogued, never left a problem to fester.
My family and I spent a considerable amount of time discussing his passing away, watching the funeral procession & the videos of the history of singapore at a community hall. Although I knew the stories quite well, it was good to refresh our memories. Mr Lee Kuan Yew will always be precious to me especially since I'm a minority.
One thing that came across over and over again as I watched his videos and especially the eulogies, was that Mr Lee Kuan Yew listened to feedback. It was an admirable trait. I hope the present leadership will do the same. It is time for the PAP to take a good hard look at themselves and the ideals of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and reform the party based on feedback from the ground otherwise they will be irrelevant and fade into oblivion which will be very sad indeed..
On Nov 24, 2014, my son & I stumbled on a huge tree (along bukit batok west ave 3 & the junction of ave 6) by the roadside that was felled. (watch the video here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-KAwny2cqQ). This tree was standing here for at least 20 years or more judging by its height. We later found out that 7 trees of this size was cut down and months later, more trees were felled bringing a total number of 19 maginificent trees .
My son and I found no evidence of cavities or decay in this fallen majestic tree. As we live a close distance to it, In the weeks leading to this incident, we saw no activity to asses the health of the tree through the use of a Tomograph. The latter is an instrument used to assess the internal condition of trees. Hence, the trees were not cut because it posed a health hazard to pedestrians or traffic. I approached the foreman who was working at this site later and asked for a reason. One supervisor told me it was because they were laying cables, and the foreman said it was probably because they were gonna build a slip road . They were cut down due to some construction works.
Trees act as natural lungs for the environment and destroying them is as good as destroying us. Besides, in this era of rapid development, their protection should be given even higher priority as their numbers are dwindling everyday. Govt & private sector builders should find innovative methods to work around trees and only remove them after exhausting all options. Were those considerations exercised in this case ?
The authorities ( NParks & Bukit Batok Town Council ) who gave the green light to remove this precious & very obvious healthy tree ( which even a child could discern) must have a compelling reason to do so .
Like these trees, it seems like the legacy of our beloved former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew are being destroyed by the day. I sincerely hope someone with the moxy will realise that this growth at all cost policies has to end before its too late . (to give you an idea of the size & height of the trees that were chopped down, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCbgMTr66_g)
Joseph Lefort
*Article first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/joseph.lefort.sg/media_set?set=a.88809295792463...