Civilian War Memorial marked as national monument

SINGAPORE: The Civilian War Memorial has been marked as a national monument. It joins 64 other buildings and structures which have been conferred the status of national monument, including Raffles Hotel and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

This means it will be protected, and cannot be torn down or undergo major changes, under the Preservation of Monuments Act.

The 67—metre tall Civilian War Memorial is made up of four columns, symbolising Singapore’s four main races merging into one unified nation.

It has been standing in the Civic District since 1967.

The construction of the memorial was spearheaded by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI).

It had taken on the task to resettle and rebury the large amount of remains of the casualties of war that had been uncovered in various locations in Singapore.

The SCCCI had also raised funds for the memorial by rallying other clans and communities.

Acting Minister of Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said: "It’ll help us preserve our memories, strengthen our sense of identity and belonging as Singaporeans. If we can continue to have that sense of common purpose, then we’ll be able to continue to overcome the odds, like we’ve done in the past, and deal with any challenges that come our way in the future."

— CNA/xq