Greater community involvement fosters inclusiveness: PM Lee
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Greater community involvement fosters inclusiveness: PM Lee
By S RameshSINGAPORE: It's the biggest HeritageFest organised so far in the last eight years and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong believes such events lead to greater community involvement and build shared ownership.
Mr Lee launched the Heritagefest 2011 with the theme "Home-What We Love About It" in Ang Mo Kio on Sunday.
For the first time, HeritageFest has moved from the city to the heartlands.
It's an event that celebrates Singapore's multi-cultural heritage through exhibitions, performances and competitions.
The Singapore HeritageFest has two objectives. One is to let the people know about the olden-day trades that they were involved in; and second, it's to let Singaporeans know about the history of the places where they are staying - and that's the key objective of the Ang Mo Kio heritage trail.
100 students volunteered to be trained as facilitators and helped create the Community Heritage Trail.
"What is particularly fascinating was how Ang Mo Kio grew because it used to be of limited size. It used to have only Hokkiens but now it has Malays and Indians, and (Singapore) is a very multi-cultural society," said Goh Hui Yee, student at St Nicholas Girl's School.
"I learnt that there was actually a Grand Prix in Singapore before the Formula One Grand Prix, and motor racing began in the 1940s, which I was not aware of before this trail," said Yosef Ng from Anderson Secondary School.
This is the sixth community trail launched by the National Heritage Board. The others are the Balestier Trail, Jalan Besar Trail, Bukit Timah Trail, Queenstown Trail and the Yishun-Sembawang Trail.
So what's in the name "Ang Mo Kio"?
PM Lee said: "Until the early part of the 20th century it used to be called "Amokiah", not quite sure what it means but Ang Mo Kio in Hokkien means tomatoes, so Seng Han Thong (MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC) has made tomatoes the logo for his corner of Ang Mio Kio, but in fact there were no tomatoes in Ang Mo Kio."
So Mr Lee wants to encourage every constituency to create similar trails as greater community involvement is the key to building a strong home for all Singaporeans.
He said: "We are outward looking, we are a global city, we track the winds which blow the world. Singaporeans travel widely and many of them live and work overseas. But this is our home and a home for all, of regardless of race, language or religion.
"And home means you must have some memories, you must have shared experiences and you must have some sense of where we came from, why we are here what it means to us. Through the Heritage Board and heritage trials and projects, we will connect to one another, connect to our parents and past, and to our children and future."
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, said: "We will continue to roll out this because we think it is important at the local level. Constituencies take ownership of their heritage and they obviously need some help from MICA and the Heritage Board, and we will continue to do so.
"(The) most important thing is to build up capacity at the local level so that they understand what they can do to enthuse the community. We have an understanding with PA (People's Association) and this is something we will continue to roll out progressively."
The HeritageFest aims to attract two million visitors this year.
- CNA/fa/ls -
As a MP for Ang Mo Kio, the MP cum PM Lee Hsien Loong can't even convey how did the name Ang Mo Kio came about accurately.
This HeritageFest is just another wayang. We singaporeans have our basic needs for the government to take care of instead of this wayang. It is as if he supports this will automatically lead us to vote for PAP. pui!
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Originally posted by shanfan:
As a MP for Ang Mo Kio, the MP cum PM Lee Hsien Loong can't even convey how did the name Ang Mo Kio came about accurately.
This HeritageFest is just another wayang. We singaporeans have our basic needs for the government to take care of instead of this wayang. It is as if he supports this will automatically lead us to vote for PAP. pui!
tomatoes?
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
tomatoes?
Pay millions for a shallow, brainless PM. Sigh! -
Originally posted by Clivebenss:
tomatoes?
Really?
Don't bluff me.
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Originally posted by charlize:
Really?
Don't bluff me.
go ask what is ang mo kio many will tell you it is tomatoes.
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
go ask what is ang mo kio many will tell you it is tomatoes.
Sure?
I don't want to look like an idiot when I ask my kopitiam kakis.
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Originally posted by charlize:
Sure?
I don't want to look like an idiot when I ask my kopitiam kakis.
if they dun answer they look like idiots.