(extracted from another forum)
Forum : Is Ubin fence really needed?
I REFER to the article, 'New Ubin fence
to stop illegal entry' (ST, May 9). On that same day, I
happened to kayak around Pulau Ubin.
To a nature lover like myself, the metal posts are a real eyesore.
They just do not fit into the natural surroundings and they make
Ubin look like a prison island.
I also wonder about the impact that the fence will have on the
island's flora and fauna as it covers a large area.
As suggested by Lee Poh Onn in the commentary, 'Looking after
nature...and the economy' (ST, May 2), why not conduct an
environmental impact assessment of the fence and release the report
to the public so that people can be convinced that there will be no
negative impact on the ecology?
Perhaps the Police Coast Guard could also inform the public about
the severity of the illegal immigrant situation on Pulau Ubin? Is
the situation so bad that the fence has to be built? Is there
another solution that is more environmentally friendly?
Singapore has very high standards for cleanliness and law and
order. This is its strength in fighting diseases such as
Sars.
However, I feel that there is a tendency to be overly clean in the
management of nature sites.
For example, not all nature areas need to
have boardwalks. Not all nature areas need to be opened for large
number of visitors.
I often feel that Singapore's nature areas are a bit too sanitised.
How about leaving some nature areas as they are? One example would
be the deeper and more pristine part of the central catchment area.
Perhaps a place like this should be left alone as it is now for
research purposes.
It is beyond doubt that dealing with issues such as illegal
immigration and adequate water supply is critical to the nation's
survival.
But these are issues that other
countries have to deal with too.
Perhaps we can continue to compare notes and learn from other
countries ways of putting more environmentally friendly solutions
in place.
Sustainable development is the key. Conservation has become a
complex matter. One can no longer stand by the roadside and shout
'Stop killing whales!' and hope to be heard and taken
seriously.
Conservationists have to understand issues such as population
explosion, birth control, water shortage in dry areas, firewood
shortage in bitterly cold winters and economic survival.
Human beings are the only species on earth with the capability to
change the landscape drastically. We have been doing that for
centuries.
We are also the only species that can protect animals and plants
from disappearing forever from this earth.
Through our ignorance and the need to grow, humans moving into a
natural habitat have usually changed the landscape drastically by
logging, mining, setting up new townships or over-harvesting,
causing precious plants and animals there to become extinct.
We have been treating the land and ocean as an endless food supply
and sewage disposal system. The story is the same all over the
world.
But there have been battles fought and won. The orang-utans in
Borneo have found a little haven in Sepilok and, closer to home,
Chek Jawa has been saved. These are stories to spur us on.
I would also like to urge conservationists and nature lovers to be
global in their work, as well as acting locally.
We should try to care for the endangered gorillas in Africa and
polar bears in the frozen Arctic. I like to think of myself as a
citizen of Planet Earth who happens to be a Singaporean.
We cannot mourn for the past but we can save what we have
now.
However, if images and stories in the media are any indication to
go by, we do not have much time left. It would be tragic if
our children grew up knowing only
plastic, concrete, glass and metal, and thinking that animals are
to be found only in zoos.
We have only one Himalayas, one Amazon, one Antarctica and one
Pulau Ubin. Let us protect them for ourselves, for our own
well-being and for our children to experience, enjoy and learn
from.
KHOO SWEE CHIOW
