A white rock yields treasures

In 2008, the International Court of Justice ruled that the island of Pedra Branca (“White Rock” in Portuguese) belonged to Singapore, not Malaysia, ending a 29-year-old territorial dispute between the two neighbours over the rocky outcrop known to sailors for centuries as a hazardous landmark for ships.

A reminder of how far Pedra Branca is from the rest of Singapore and its islands - it is 44 kilometres out in the South China Sea.

Base picture credit: Google Maps.

Now, Singapore’s legal victory has paid rich dividends... in the arena of heritage.

Two shipwrecks have been excavated from the waters surrounding Pedra Branca. The first was discovered in 2016, about 100 metres northwest of the island. The second, that of India-built merchant vessel Shah Munchah, which sank in 1796, was uncovered in 2019, 300 metres east of the island. Both carried Chinese ceramics as their primary cargo; the former had artefacts dating to the 14th century, the latter, artefacts dating to the late 18th century.

What a find!

Locations of the two shipwrecks. Credit: The Straits Times.

From the shipwrecks: Yuan Dynasty-era blue-and-white porcelain. Credit: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

More blue-and-white porcelain. Credit: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Longquan celadon dishes, which have a green glaze. Credit: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Artefacts include (clockwise from top left) a glass bottle stopper, a betel nut cutter, copper-alloy beads, agate medallions, a bronze mortar, glass beads, a copper-alloy bracelet, and a gold tag with Armenian script. Credit: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Figurines include those of (from left) a Chinese couple, a dog, and a Qingbai figurine of a horse with a rider wearing a scholar’s headgear. Credit: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

There have been archaeological finds in Singapore dating as far back as the 14th century, but they all have been on land, in places such as Fort Canning Hill, the Padang, and Empress Place. The two ships are a first for Singapore’s waters (and hopefully not the last).

The 14th-century wreck will add a tremendous amount to knowledge of 14th-century Singapore, and both wrecks will add to the maritime history of Singapore in the 14th and 18th centuries, periods falling outside that of “modern” Singapore (1819 to the present). I can only imagine how excited maritime history researchers must be feeling right now!

Looking forward to further discoveries in the waters around Singapore’s newest piece of territory, and to seeing the priceless artefacts go on display in our museums very soon.

Malaysia’s rail tragedy

24 May 2021 will go down as an ignominious date in the annals of Malaysian rail history - two Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains collided that evening in an underground tunnel along the nation’s busiest train line, Kuala Lumpur’s Kelana Jaya LRT Line. It was the system’s first accident in its 23-year history.

The 37-station LRT line is the Klang Valley’s first fully automated and driverless rail system - but human error contributed to the accident.

It started with an empty train on a test run timing out as it headed towards a depot, its automatic system failing.

Its driver manually drove the faulty train in the wrong direction, against the flow of traffic, causing a head-on collision with a driverless train ferrying 213 passengers between KLCC and Kampung Baru stations.

In all, 166 sustained light injuries, while 47 had serious injuries. Videos and photos of the accident and injured passengers circulated on social media.

Credit: AFP.

Credit: The Reader's Journal.

One of the damaged trains. Credit: Malay Mail.

Consequently, chairman of state-owned LRT operator Prasarana Malaysia, Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, was sacked.

Condolences to the casualties of the disaster.

A train accident is one of the worst things that can happen to a train operator or line. An accident is one accident too many. In an instant, all previous goodwill built up - even over decades - will be wiped out.

In this day and age, with advanced technology, the emphasis on safety, and the dependence of so many on rail for essential transport, serious accidents such as head-on collisions with packed trains just isn’t acceptable at all.

As for Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit system, it has had just two train collisions. The first one took place on 5 August 1993 between Buona Vista and Clementi stations (that was before Dover station was built between them), causing 156 injuries. The second one occurred on 15 November 2017 at Joo Koon station, causing 38 injuries. But as mentioned earlier, a collision is one collision too many.

The 15 November 2017 train collision at Joo Koon station. Credit: New Straits Times.

The Maris Stella Archway

As Bidadari town earnestly comes up in the area around Upper Serangoon Road, Upper Aljunied Road, and Bartley Road, no existing landmark is safe.

The latest victim: A 24-year-old school archway.

The iconic Maris Stella High School gate will be demolished but a new archway, slated to be completed by the end of the year, will be built using parts of the old gate with the original look retained.

The gate has to be removed from its current location in Mount Vernon Road as the road has to be widened to serve residents of an upcoming housing development in Bidadari estate, said the Housing Board in a statement on May 15.

The new gate will be located in Bartley Walk.

In a Facebook post the same day, Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How said that HDB has been in talks with the school management on ways to preserve the gate since 2018.

The option of relocating the whole gate was discussed but engineers assessed that doing so would risk damaging the gate and pose a safety risk to students.

Mr Tan said: “HDB intends to incorporate as much of the old gate into the new, such as the iconic blue tiles and possibly the plaque that carries the school’s name.”

The decision comes amid a petition to save the original gate. The campaign on Change.org has garnered more than 5,000 signatures since it was started on Thursday.

The petition was launched the day after Maris Stella High School announced that the gate, built in 1997, will be demolished after May 31.

The school’s alumni told The Straits Times that the gate’s unique structure incorporates East and West design elements that are unlike those commonly found in other Catholic schools.

HDB on Saturday said part of the driveway into the school compound had to be acquired to improve traffic flow in Mount Vernon Road for residents of an upcoming Bidadari estate.

ST understands that a Build-To-Order project - Bartley Beacon - has been planned for a site next to Maris Stella High School.

Announced last year, the project will include 880 flats comprising three-room, four-room and five-room units.

In its statement, HDB acknowledged that the school’s alumni and members of the public had asked if the gate can be preserved or replicated.

It said that Maris Stella’s alumni association will develop a digital replica of the design of the existing gate and incorporate it into the new gate.

“We will continue to work with the school and the alumni association on the design and construction of the new gate within the school compound,” said HDB.

The archway along Mount Vernon Road, which I visited five days before its removal.

The philosophical question of the month: If a historic landmark is demolished, and a replacement is constructed using parts of the original landmark with the original look retained... is it still heritage conservation?

Anyway...

Another notable urban and transport development: The archway has to make way for the widening of Mount Vernon Road, which was laid down sometime between 1956 and 1958. All this while, the road has been a single-lane dual carriageway. This status of at least 63 years will change this year, to serve the flats of Bidadari coming up around it.

The 1958 street directory showing Mount Vernon Road. The road’s length and alignment have largely remained the same all this while.

Mount Vernon Road.

Goodbye trees...