Contradictions and Compromises in Preserving Value

Question: Discuss about the Contradictions and Compromises in Preserving Value. Answer: Introduction: Over the past several months, there has been a hot bed of debate regarding the demolition of the heritage house of the founding minister of the late prime minister of Singapore. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew was the veritable architect of Singapore and the shining star of the eastern firmament (www.bbc.com, 2016). Mr. Lee had greatly influenced the burgeoning politics of Singapore and brought in the transition phase in politics. The cult personality of the late Prime Minister creates a profound impression in me. I, as well as many of my friends and colleagues, have concern for the preservation of the legacy house of Mr. Lee. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the stellar figure of Singapore politics, passed away on March 23, 2015 at the ailing age of 91. The founding minister of Singapore wanted his Oxley Road house to be decimated after his demise. The Oxley Road house is a glimmering building, and he and his family had shifted into the house in 1945 (Www.straitstimes.com, 2015). The famed house also witnessed the discourse on the beginning of Action party movement. A few years back, in 2011, in an interview, Lee had expressed his wish. The logic behind the wish was that, Lee had seen the deteriorating plight of the magnificent houses of the greatest of the great such as Jawaharlal Nehru and William Shakespeare after they moved into another world (Leo, 2016). Therefore, Lee wanted his house to be razed to the ground. The first of my concern is I want to vote against the poll Most people back demolition of 38, Oxley Road. The main intention behind penning down the heated letter is, I am a student of Modern History and my discipline forces me to venerate the monumental buildings that entail history. The Oxley Road house of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew stands as the epitome of history and culture like the Sun Yat Sen Memorial House in Macau. Truly speaking, I can comprehend the graveness of the matter. In fact, I am respectful of the wish of the late Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. It would be erroneous to hold that Mr. Lee did not want to leave behind a positive trail. He had gifted us many things during his lifetime and modernized the nature of Singapore politics. To my belief, the house is the relic of the past. It is the last vestige of the great man who has now traversed the mortal world. It is not possible for us to bring him back into the profane world, but we could preserve the placid and historic bui lding of the pioneer. Just like the historic abode of Mahatma Gandhi (Sabarmati Ashram), Netaji Subash Chandra Bose (Elgin Road), and the Oxley Road house of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew stands for the emblem of the politics and culture of Singapore. The house is the witness of a stream of revolutionary events and manifests the transformative culture and politics of Singapore (Kassim, 2015). The house of the late Prime Minister (Lee Kuan Yew) is a heritage building that should be retained. Substantiating my stance, I want to bring something within the purview of consciousness of the general mass and the higher authorities. The rule says that all the historic structures and the architectural remains should be preserved without much renovation. It is indispensable to shield the edifice with proper care and systematic regulation (Www.ura.gov.sg, 2016). The house of the late Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew is a few decades old building. Therefore, in an interview, he mentioned that the house restoration process could be very tedious and cost bearing (Henderson, 2016). Consequently, he wanted that his house should be bulldozed after his death. As a responsible citizen, I should carry my statement forward and make an appeal to the common mass that they look into the situation and adopt a measure. My principal interest behind writing this letter is to arouse the citizens of Singapore from their slumber and play against the vote. All the citizens of Singapore should show willingness to protect the figment of the past. My main concern is to conserve the heritage building of the late Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. The conservation process is not that tiring. Through systematic research and documentation, the restoration of the building should be deliberated. Therefore, I want to make a humble request to the citizens of Singapore to consider my perspective and revise their decision. References: Henderson, J. C. (2016). Remembering Lee Kuan Yew: politics, heritage and political heritage in Singapore.International Journal of Heritage Studies, 22(1). Kassim, Y. R., Ali, M. (Eds.). (2015).Reflections: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew. World Scientific. Leo, C. N. (2016). When Im Dead, Demolish It: Contradictions and Compromises in Preserving Values at Lee Kuan Yews Oxley Road Home, Singapore. MIN, C. (2015). Mr Lee Kuan Yew wanted his house to be demolished: Five things about 38, Oxley Road. The Straits Times. Retrieved 20 September 2016, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mr-lee-kuan-yew-wanted-his-house-to-be-demolished-five-things-about-38-oxley-road Protecting Our Identity through Our Built Heritage. (2016). Ura.gov.sg. Retrieved 20 September 2016, from https://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/about-us/our-work/protecting-identity.aspx Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew dies at 91 - BBC News. (2016). BBC News. Retrieved 20 September 2016, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32012346.