Saturday, December 16, 2006
Kuala Lumpur loses part of its soul
Another piece of Kuala Lumpur’s colourful past was yet again unceremoniously torn down yesterday. Bok House, a monument to the industry and perseverance of Malaysian pioneers who toiled the fertile land of the then Malaya and made it rich, and in the process showed thousands of Malayans and also modern Malaysians that hard work is the key to success, is nothing now but debris and rubble. Its once proud giant columns will now be carted away to be reused in other faceless construction projects. The Bok House was one of the remaining buildings of its kind in Malaysia, well documented through the years. By setting bulldozers to tear down this mansion, Kuala Lumpur has lost part of its soul which it can never retrieve by building a hundred high-rise condominiums or office blocks in its place, and shout to the world that it is special.
History in this country is not something to be treasured. It is merely an impediment to developers out to make a fast buck. In Europe, we do not see monuments of historical value being mown down to make way for a new highway or an office block. In Malaysia, we talk breathlessly about how we value history and take pains to tell foreigners about our rich culture and heritage, but without even a moment’s reflection, destroy what little of historical value that we have in favour of the almighty Ringgit.
History has been systematically dismantled in this country these days. School text books have been rewritten to exclude the contribution of the pioneers of Malaysia, the Chinese and Indians, who came from faraway lands to help build and develop this land that we still call with pride, our country. History is nothing but just numbers and dates to be remembered, so that exams could be passed. It is in essence, a nuisance that just needs to be shunted aside and quickly forgotten. The contribution of the non-Malays who fought and sacrificed their blood and lives to fight the Japanese occupation and the communist insurgency are virtually erased amongst the memory of young Malaysians. The white washing of this country’s rich multi-racial, multi-cultural legacy is a stain on the integrity of this once great nation of ours. I do not now consider this country being poised for greatness; instead, a country that remains in fear of its history and past, will forever be mired in self-doubt. ¶ 4:40 PM
History in this country is not something to be treasured. It is merely an impediment to developers out to make a fast buck. In Europe, we do not see monuments of historical value being mown down to make way for a new highway or an office block. In Malaysia, we talk breathlessly about how we value history and take pains to tell foreigners about our rich culture and heritage, but without even a moment’s reflection, destroy what little of historical value that we have in favour of the almighty Ringgit.
History has been systematically dismantled in this country these days. School text books have been rewritten to exclude the contribution of the pioneers of Malaysia, the Chinese and Indians, who came from faraway lands to help build and develop this land that we still call with pride, our country. History is nothing but just numbers and dates to be remembered, so that exams could be passed. It is in essence, a nuisance that just needs to be shunted aside and quickly forgotten. The contribution of the non-Malays who fought and sacrificed their blood and lives to fight the Japanese occupation and the communist insurgency are virtually erased amongst the memory of young Malaysians. The white washing of this country’s rich multi-racial, multi-cultural legacy is a stain on the integrity of this once great nation of ours. I do not now consider this country being poised for greatness; instead, a country that remains in fear of its history and past, will forever be mired in self-doubt. ¶ 4:40 PM
