A sense of sadness, concern with looming closure of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

Khairul Amri Mohd Sidik Today Online 6 Sep 14;

SINGAPORE — A narrow, nondescript two-way street under a raised section of retired train tracks leads to one of Singapore’s largest and most pristine patch of primary rainforest at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

As you make your way into the nature reserve via Hindhede Road, there is the common and uplifting sight of a myriad of visitors — from the serious hiker to the occasional jogger and families — gathering.

Among them is 61-year-old Keng Chong Wong, who has a standing weekly appointment with his friends. As he does some light stretching near the visitor centre, he recounts his regular trips to the reserve since the ’90s.

In addition to helping him keep fit, he said his time here is crucial for his social well-being in his silver years — He “meets old friends, makes new friends”. For seniors who have encountered countless changes in Singapore’s fast-changing landscape, there is a sense of familiarity and nostalgia at the reserve, he adds. “(It) reminds me of the olden days.”

Once the closure kicks in, Mr Keng hopes to continue his weekly meet-ups elsewhere. “I like the slopes over here and I come down with friends. Where will we go after this?” he wondered.

In June, the National Parks Board (NParks) announced that the 163ha nature reserve will be closed for about two years from Sept 15 for restoration works. Heavy rainfall and an increase in visitorship over the years — from 80,000 in 1992 to 400,000 last year — has taken a toll on the grounds. As part of the restoration, about half of the reserve’s 9km of trails will be repaired, a 1.3km-long raised boardwalk will be built and the visitor’s centre will be upgraded.

A little way off from the visitor centre is a resting spot up a slope, and there I chatted with 43-year-old Razali, who, like many others, goes to the nature reserve to train for hiking expeditions. “We are going to Mount Kinabalu and this is part of our training,” he said.

Clad in red polo tees, the interest group he trains with meets every Sunday for some intermediate-level circuit training on the slopes. There is a lot of camaraderie and encouragement among the avid hikers, adding a certain buzz and vibrancy to the nature reserve.

“A lot of people who actually come here are training for an expedition. In Singapore, Bukit Timah is the best place to go to for such trainings,” Mr Razali said. “We come to this place every week and it’s sad … One fewer place to go to for a trek,” he added regarding the impending closure.

Perhaps they will now train using the staircases at Housing and Development Board flats, said 22-year-old Lu Jiaxi, who recently returned from a hiking expedition. “What I’ll miss is the convenience and it being nearby.”

“When it reopens, I hope it doesn’t become too commercialised or look like something that people will think is (man-made),” said 25-year-old Lim Ai Ting, who trained at the reserve for her climb up Mount Everest base camp. She now exercises at the reserve once a month to keep fit.

United Kingdom citizen Ian Wright, 53, who has lived in Singapore for almost a decade and is a fan of the reserve for its technical courses, shared: “What I’m fearing is that they’ll put down gravel everywhere.” The naturally undulating slopes serve as excellent training areas for enthusiasts.

“The natural surroundings need to be allowed to heal itself, but don’t do what they did to the MacRitchie (nature trail), where they just chopped down six inches of ground over a technical section just because one or two people wanted to go out for a short walk,” he said.

The authorities said the main road that leads to the summit will reopen on weekends next March, but the rest of the reserve will remain closed for another one-and-a-half years. But some visitors, like 52-year-old Richard Yong, are hopeful that other areas can reopen sooner.

“Some of the grounds are badly eroded, so I can understand if you need to close it for a longer period of time, but (for) the other (areas) not affected, I think they should be open,” he said.