Ric Gazarian
Singapore is an incredibly successful country on the southern tip of
Malaysia. More than 5 million people are packed into this compact area.
It is a veritable smorgasbord of ethnicities, languages, and religions.
For instance, Singapore recognizes four languages: English, Malay,
Tamil, and Mandarin. While 75 percent of the population is Chinese, with
the remainder being mostly Malay and Indian, surprisingly a small
Armenian community played an outsized role in this city-state. Singapore
is the model of a successful free market economy, rated in 2013 as the
second freest economy. It has a per capita income that ranks third in
the world. To put that in perspective, one out of six citizens has a net
worth of over a million dollars even while excluding property!
Adjacent to the Marina Bay Sands is Gardens By The Bay, which was
created in 2012. Over 200 acres of green space are packed in the middle
of the dense city-state of Singapore. Two giant greenhouses rise into
the sky. The first is the Flower Dome, which is a giant, enclosed
three-acre space containing seven unique gardens. The second is the
Cloud Forest, which showcases a 115-foot tropical waterfall. As I
strolled though the greenhouses, I spied the Sands SkyPark in the
distance. I felt like I was in the flotilla in Battlestar Galactica,
looking at a passing spaceship the SS SkyPark. The highlight of the
garden is the Supertree Grove, a series of “trees” that rise to heights
of 160 feet. At night these trees are lit up, and twice during the
evening there is a light and music show.
A very dark period in Singapore history is the Japanese occupation
during World War II. Singapore was a British colony at the time, and the
British were quickly routed by the Japanese. Upon occupation, 3,000
civilians were marched directly from the city to Changi Prison. The
prison was meant to hold 600 criminals, but the Japanese managed to
squeeze in 5 times more including children. Nearby the prison, 50,000
POWs, mostly British and Australian, were held. Today, a museum
memorializes these victims and survivors, and includes a replica of a
chapel that was built by the POWs in 1944 using rudimentary tools.
Singapore is a great city to walk and explore. If need be, simply
jump on the MRT, its unbelievably efficient and expansive subway system.
One fun neighborhood to get lost in is Chinatown. A new addition to the
skyline is the 2007 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The four-story temple is
said to host a tooth of Buddha Shakyamuni. This vibrant and colorful
temple is well worth the visit.
A special place to visit is the oldest remaining church in Singapore.
This modest, white church was consecrated in 1836. The church happens
to be the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator
located on Armenian Street. It was established for the benefit of a
small Armenian community, which at its height in the 1880’s reached
approximately 100 families. Armenians had established a preliminary
foothold in Asia, including in India, Burma, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
They played influential roles as traders and merchants in the region.
The last Armenian parish priest left in the 1930’s. By the 1950’s, most
of the Armenian community had slipped away, many immigrating to
Australia. Today, the church is a national monument.
Despite representing a small fraction of the Singapore community, the
Armenians played a significant role in Singapore. In 1845, Catchick
Movessian co-founded the Singapore Straits Times. Today, this paper is
the highest-selling paper in Singapore. A quartet of brothers from
Isfahan, Iran, also made an impact. The Sarkies brothers over a 45-year
period founded or managed 6 hotels in Southeast Asia. Their properties
were considered the most prestigious hotels in the region. Most well
known is the legendary Raffles Hotel founded in 1887 in Singapore. While
rates start at $500, you might consider quaffing a Singapore Sling at
the Long Bar. Both the drink and the bar are iconic landmarks in
Singapore. Agnes Joaquim, a horticulture enthusiast, unveiled her flower
at a competition there, and won the $12 prize in 1899. The Vanda Miss Joaquim was later designated Singapore’s national flower.
So, as you stroll down the streets of the ultra-modern metropolis,
remember the impact this small community of Armenians had on this
nation-state.
"The Armenian Weekly," December 18, 2014
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