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  Channel NewsAsia 18 Jul 07
Heritage awareness rising among Singaporeans: study

Today Online 19 Jul 07
Have a say in making history
HeritageFest aims for a uniquely S'porean story
Daphne Chuah daphne@mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPOREANS are now more aware of their heritage compared to four years ago, according to a new survey.

The Heritage Awareness Index, which measures heritage awareness, appreciation and participation among 903 Singaporeans, has risen 20 per cent from 5.24 in 2002 to 6.25 last year.

This is the second Heritage Awareness Survey the National Heritage Board (NHB) commissioned since 2002.

Speaking at the launch of the fourth Singapore HeritageFest (SHF) yesterday, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, said the findings are "positive and very encouraging", but noted that "more could be done and should be done".

"Heritage preservation and education should not be just a government's job. As citizens, we need to join hands to ensure that we learn to love our rich heritage," he added.

Other key findings of the survey conducted between June last year and February this year found that 98.4 per cent of respondents agree heritage plays a positive role in their lives — a 38.1 per cent jump over 2002's results.

In addition, 90.4 per cent of the participants — between the ages of 15 and 69 — agreed that preserving our local heritage would be more important as Singapore evolves into a global city.

Still, when asked if respondents agreed that an increased involvement in heritage activities would lead to fewer migrations, the survey saw a dip from 51.3 to 49.8 per cent.

"There will always be some Singaporeans who look for greener pastures," Dr Lee said. "But we will try our best to make Singapore a good home for all Singaporeans, and hopefully provide sufficient challenges and opportunities, so that more Singaporeans will see that their future is best here is Singapore."

Themed What's Your Story?, the annual SHF kicked off yesterday with the focus on creating a unique Singaporean story.

"We want Singaporeans to start thinking about their memories and share their stories with everyone through the SHF 2007 activities," said NHB's CEO Michael Koh. "These stories make up our unique and colourful Singaporean story, and they can connect and root us as a people."

Highlights of the 12-day festival include guided adventure tours to off-the-beaten-track sites here.

Some 20 vintage and classic cars, all above the age of 35, will also be driven around the proposed F1 route on July 22, before parking at the National Museum of Singapore for a one-day display.

The NHB has also introduced the "MyStory" portal, which allows Singaporeans to share their memories of special personal or national events, people, places, and even their lifestyles.

Details can be found at www.heritagefest.org.sg.

Channel NewsAsia 18 Jul 07
Heritage awareness rising among Singaporeans: study

SINGAPORE : Singaporeans are becoming more aware of their heritage.

Many also feel that heritage plays a positive role in their lives and are supporting efforts to preserve it, according to the latest survey by the National Heritage Board.

The level of heritage awareness among Singaporeans has increased by 20% compared to five years ago when the first survey was carried out.

Since then, there has been a significant rise in the frequency of visits to heritage districts like Chinatown and Little India, as well as a rise in people agreeing it is important government continually invest in places like the National Museum to preserve Singapore heritage.

95 percent of respondents also support the preservation of all aspects of Singapore's heritage now and in the future.

And this is something that the government too believes in. "The heritage of people, of a society was not cast in stone or cast in iron, and unchangeable. Heritage involves with time. That is why each and every one of us can contribute to our national heritage," said the Information, Communications and the Arts Minister, Dr Lee Boon Yang.

Almost 9 out of 10 respondents say a better understanding of the country's history and heritage increases their sense of rootedness.

The findings were released at the launch of this year's HeritageFest at Suntec City.

The Festival Hub features belongings like childhood memories contributed by Singaporeans.

Each of the items, like Loh Lik Peng's memories of the barber shop, tells a different story. They are not just reflections of their own lives, but make up pieces of the puzzle of Singapore's history too.

The festival, which covers a range of activities, runs until the end of the month. - CNA /ls
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See also Singapore Heritage Fest 2007 on the habitatnews blog
Related articles on Singapore: general environmental issues
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