Wife from China left him over special-needs son, divorced cancer survivor now gets by on CPF and subisidies
Stephanie Yeo
The Straits Times
June 14, 2025
When Mr Ben Phua, 69, takes a bus with Zai Quan, 14, strangers sometimes compliment the boy's striking eyes and thick lashes.
"They say Zai Quan is so handsome and they ask, 'Is this your grandson?' I say, 'No, this is my son,'" he says.
The divorced retiree is the sole caregiver of his only child, who was born with an extra chromosome, resulting in multiple disabilities. While Zai Quan can walk, he is non-verbal and relies on his father for everyday activities.
Mr Phua never intended to get married, much less become a father. Looking for love was a luxury for the bachelor, who worked long hours as a building technician, among other roles. In his spare time, he upgraded himself through night classes at the former Vocational and Industrial Training Board.
At his mother's behest, he married a 26-year-old Chinese national in 2009 within weeks of being introduced to her. He was then 53.
The couple were blindsided when their baby was born with special needs in November 2010, he says. The doctor had not alerted them to any abnormalities.
The stress of raising Zai Quan created a rift in their marriage and his former wife left their marital home several times over the years. Their divorce was finalised in May 2020 and Mr Phua had sole custody of their then 10-year-old son.
He quit his job as a mechanical and engineering site supervisor in the construction industry to take care of his son in late 2019. Six months later, he had to undergo surgery for Stage 2 prostate cancer.
Unhappy with his domestic helper's quarrelsome ways, he let her go in 2021 and took over caring for Zai Quan full-time in their three-room flat in Ang Mo Kio.
PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
Their daily routine is simple but stressful, Mr Phua says.
Zai Quan tends to wake up late if he has trouble sleeping, which is more often than not these days. So, Mr Phua feeds the boy a cup of Milo in between getting him ready to board the school bus to Minds Fernvale Gardens School in the late morning.
If his son manages to wake up early, he reheats for him the food he cooked the previous night.
While Zai Quan is in school, Mr Phua does household chores, including washing clothes his son may have soiled, and makes dinner.
The self-taught cook says his early meals "cannot make it", but now, he knows his way around seasonings and considers his fried chicken and pork "quite tasty, very nice". He mashes his son's food by hand as he has no blender.
Once Zai Quan returns home in the late afternoon, it is time for him to eat and shower before being tucked into bed between 10pm and midnight.
Mr Phua says his movements have been slower since his hernia operation in 2023, making daily tasks a challenge.
During a particularly trying period two years ago, he had to postpone his operation as his son fell sick with flu and had to be hospitalised for two weeks.
Later, he scrambled to find a place for Zai Quan to stay while he himself was admitted for his surgery, and was relieved when Assisi Hospice accepted the boy for about 90 days, especially since he had post-operation complications.
On some days, he admits, he just runs out of steam. "I fall asleep when I'm eating," he says. When he wakes up with a start, he rushes to bathe his son before his bedtime.
He relies on his Central Provident Fund retirement account savings to get by, as well as help from government initiatives such as ComCare, a social safety net for lower-income families, and social service agency Singapore Cancer Society, plus subsidies from various organisations.
The team from cancer non-profit 365 Cancer Prevention Society, which used to dispense financial assistance to Mr Phua, currently supports him and his son with home visits, as well as texts and phone calls.
Father and son enjoy the occasional day out, thanks to activities organised by the cancer society and Club Rainbow, a charity that supports children with chronic illnesses. Mr Phua also looks forward to receiving vegetables and dry groceries every month from the residents' committee.
He says "it is not easy" to take care of a child with special needs, listing the never-ending inconveniences he has to bear, from cleaning faeces off clothing to keeping his temper in check when his son refuses to obey.
But when he is reading from a poster of fruits to Zai Quan for the photo shoot, he reveals a different side.
PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
A big smile replaces his frown as he hugs his son. His voice softens. Zai Quan sits in rapt attention when his father talks to him, smiling and grunting. This means that he is happy, Mr Phua says.
If only he had the time to read to his son every day, he laments. There is just too much to do at home.
With the boy turning 15 in November and Mr Phua almost in his seventh decade, the issue of who will take care of his son weighs heavily on his mind. The second of four siblings, Mr Phua worries that Zai Quan will end up in a nursing home, where he will have no intellectual stimulation.
Turning to his son, he says: "Papa's last wish is to find a good home for you."
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The story of you: What might Singapore look like for those born today?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Drawing on current trends and data, as well as interviews with 19 experts, The Straits Times envisions one speculative and possible future for the first members of Generation Beta who are born in 2025, as part of its Born Tomorrow series. ST envisions one speculative and possible future for the first members of Generation Beta who are born in 2025 as part of its Born Tomorrow series. SINGAPORE – Even before you drew your first breath, you existed in numbers. Your parents did not conceive you until they knew they were ready: Build-To-Order (BTO) flat secured, substantial savings accrued and months spent figuring out how a newborn might upend their lives and careers. In their early 30s , they are close to the median age of mothers at their first birth in Singapore: 31.9 years old. Before you had a name, your foetus was fodder for platforms. 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'I would further suggest that AI relationships lack certain essential values of human relationships, including the possibility of mutual love and emotional reciprocation,' he adds. 'That being said, it remains to be seen whether generations of the future will hold similar views.' 2057: Sandwiched ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO At 32, you have just begun to settle into your new Woodland s fla t when everything changes with a phone call: 'Your grandmother just had a stroke.' Overnight, your flat – initially configured for two – transforms to adapt to this new reality, with much greater ease than you and your husband do. Your grandma moving in makes sense, your mum tells you, she cannot live alone any more. 'Wouldn't you want her to be around to care for your kids when you have them?' she says. There is simply no space where we liv e, your mum says. Your sibling still lives there. Which means yours is the only home that can take her. 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Rooms in your home no longer have fixed functions, changing by time of day depending on whether you need a study or a dining space. The multifunctional furniture transforms and retracts, to make space for granny. 2058: Are you happy? Perhaps as a reaction to your parents' lifelong embrace of minimalist 'Mujicore' design , your home is now decorated in the loud red and blue hues of a mid-century modern aesthetic – something your grandma compliments begrudgingly on when she first enters your home . She, too, chafes at this new existence, much preferring the estate she has spent the bulk of her life in to this new-fangled smart district. In the coming weeks, your discomfort over this new living arrangement is heightened. For the dozenth time, your husband has to explain to her there is no need to manually adjust the air-conditioning. 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Or that many now find emotional fulfilment outside of marriage in a virtual companion? When they said till death do us part, they never anticipated just how long death would take to do the deed. Or that bionic enhancements are now the medical norm – and that the more she resists going to her appointments, the more she is shortening her life from sheer obtuseness. This shift reflects a broader pattern that Dr Kenneth Tan identifies in 2025: a growing acceptance of singlehood and being child-free, as well as youth disillusionment towards traditional milestones, visible from China's tang ping (lying fl at) and South Korea's 4B movements. With longer lifespans and blurring boundaries between what constitutes youth and seniorhood, he suggests even monogamy might evolve. Couples may embrace 'plural relationships', blended families or late-life romances. 'Commitment will still be about long-term orientation,' he notes, 'but not necessarily for life.' But these invisible shifts are lost on your grandma, a child of the 1970s. There used to be a time when there would be no secrets between the two of you. When you would fill her ear with stories of friends made or crossed, achievements big or small, on those long walks after school. Now, there is mostly discomfort and silence. As the two of you walk home from the clinic, she asks you flatly: 'Are you happy?' When you nod, she probes no further. Perhaps that is all she really needs to know. 2080: A second summer You never expected the second summer of your life to come at age 55. After years of putting off parenthood, then struggling with fertility issues, you and your husband thought the window had closed. But advancements in fertility technology have made it possible for even imperfect genetic material to become a viable embryo. The process consumed months and tens of thousands of dollars, and you had begun to doubt it would work – until the day you meet your newborn. 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There were traditional funerary rites, prayers and mourning at the void deck. Before they gave her body to the fire, there was a screening you had commissioned. A digital repository with all the images, sounds and videos accumulated over a lifetime – along with the final messages of all the lives she had touched. A digital recreation of her likeness reads all of these messages, with that smiling expression she used to wear while watching her favourite programmes. A last goodbye. When you are in the mood for nostalgia, you play back these recordin gs. I t helps you to imagine that she is in a happier place now. That is what you want, you tell the officer. More on this topic Death Kopitiam: Singapore's digital memorial reimagines mourning Dr Ho says there is a growing global movement to shift end-of-life care away from healthcare settings and into the community, enabled by advancements in telemedicine, home infrastructure and a desire to live comfortably in one's natural environment until the end. Many of such changes were already visible in the Singapore of 2025 – from murals and stickers to help those with cognitive disabilities find their way, to increasing accessibility for handicapped residents, to experiments with multigenerational homes and senior-living communities. He adds that technology – from social media to AI – is also reshaping the way people experience grief and mourning. Research shows that for a grieving person to move forward, closure and transformation of his or her relationship with the deceased is necessary. If the deceased's digital presence continues to exist long after he or she is gone, 'I would be concerned that this technology could, on the one hand, bring comfort, but on the other, create dependency', he says. Already, in 2023, companies in China were selling services digitally resurrecting the dead with AI to offer support to grieving loved ones. Two years later, in the US, an AI avatar was used to recreate the likeness of a dead man so he could give video testimony at the trial of the man who killed him. Finally, the officer asks: 'What about your afterlife?' What began as digital legacy start-ups in the 2010s, as the rise of social media and digital assets raised questions on how one should settle the afterlife of his or her digital presence, has evolved into a dizzying array of companies offering such services in 2105. Each boasts of its ability to immortalise you as an AI built on the sum total of your life's data. By 2105, more species exist in cloud-based DNA banks than they do in living ecosystems – an effort which can trace its roots back to early 21st-century efforts to compile the genetic material of plants and animals in an ark for the future. Leisure is inextricable from virtual worlds now, and your child spends more time plugged in than she ever did playing outside. Many long-dead experts have been recreated as AI, so their advice can be called upon for years to come. The thought of having something for your loved ones to hold on to, to consult with on the most difficult of life's matters, is something you find difficult to pass up. You decide you do not want to let go. More on this topic Let's Talk About Death: What will happen to my online assets after I die? 2245: And so it goes Your great-great-granddaughter accesses your memory archive on a sweltering Singapore afternoon, to ask you what life was like before 'all of this'. It is part of a school project. If not for the end of your mortal body, you would have been 220 now. Another version of you, digital and unending for as long as your family pays the dues, distributed across data centres from South America to Australia, tells her the story of your life. A time when Singapore was not this warm, nor this big, nor this quiet. 'How did people date before the internet?' Her questions stream out like a waterfall, so many that even a machine can barely keep up. 'Why did it take so long for all of you to stop making plastic and using fossil fuels? What is 'retirement'?' There is so much of yourself in her: the endless curiosity about the past, the boundless optimism towards the future. After answering her questions, the digital you speaks: 'Now, what comes next?' In researching this story, 19 experts were consulted:
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Straits Times
60 years of building Singapore
From humble low-rise buildings to gleaming skyscrapers, Singapore's built environment tells the story of its journey from fledgling nation to global hub. Through 60 structures – each marking a year since independence in 1965 and still standing today – The Straits Times traces the milestones that define the nation and its iconic favourites. Through 60 structures – each marking a year since independence in 1965 – The Straits Times traces the milestones that define the nation and its iconic favourites. 1965 Singapore Conference Hall (originally Singapore Conference Hall and Trade Union House) ST PHOTO: YOW YUN WOH Opened in October 1965 – about two months after Singapore gained independence – it housed the headquarters of the National Trades Union Congress. In 2010, it became the first post-colonial building to be gazetted as a national monument. For years, it hosted events such as National Day Rally speeches and award ceremonies. Today, it is home to the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. 1966 Block 52 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE The 12-storey Housing Board block, completed in 1966, has more than 330 units and is next to Toa Payoh Seu Teck Sean Tong, a temple that HDB's first town planner Alan Choe used as a focal point in his design of Toa Payoh. When Singapore hosted the South-east Asian Peninsular Games for the first time in 1973, Toa Payoh's newly built town centre was the games village. 1967 Civilian War Memorial ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH Completed in January 1967, it is dedicated to victims of the Japanese Occupation. Beneath its four columns are 606 urns holding the remains of Sook Ching massacre victims found in mass graves across Singapore. The columns represent members of the four ethnic groups who died – Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians. 1968 Chung Cheng High School (Main) Administration Building ST PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LOH The building at the Goodman Road campus of one of Singapore's oldest Chinese schools housed facilities such as a library, laboratories and an auditorium. In 2014, it was designated a national monument, along with the school's Entrance Arch. The campus opened in 1947 to accommodate a growing student population, following the school's founding in 1939 in Kim Yam Road. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Asia Asia-Pacific economies welcome new US tariff rates, but concerns over extent of full impact remain Business ST explains: How Trump tariffs could affect Singapore SMEs, jobs and markets Asia Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore 1969 Queenstown Public Library (originally Queenstown Branch Library) PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE Singapore's first full-time branch library was completed in 1969 and opened in 1970. It achieved several firsts, such as becoming the first fully air-conditioned branch in 1978 and the first to computerise loan services in 1987. It received conservation status in June 2014. 1970 voco Orchard Singapore (originally Singapore Hilton) ST PHOTO: MATTHIAS HO The former Singapore Hilton welcomed its first guests in March 1970. Its facade featured a multi-panel artwork by local artist Gerard D'Alton Henderson, which still adorns the building today. The hotel was rebranded as voco Orchard Singapore in January 2022. 1971 Hilton Singapore Orchard (originally Mandarin Hotel) PHOTO: ST FILE Mandarin Hotel opened in phases from November 1971, with its coffee house, Chatterbox – now famous for its Hainanese chicken rice – among the initial facilities opened. Top of the M, Singapore's first revolving restaurant, opened in 1973 and a second wing was added to the hotel in 1980. It was rebranded as Hilton Singapore Orchard in 2022. 1972 Merlion ST PHOTO: STEVEN LEE Officially installed in September 1972 at the mouth of the Singapore River, the tourism symbol was said to be Singapore's answer to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In 2002, it was relocated to Merlion Park. 1973 Golden Mile Complex (orginally Woh Hup Complex) PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY The mixed-use building is a landmark of Singapore's post-independence development. Situated on one of the first sites sold under what is now the Government Land Sales programme, the building was granted conservation status in October 2021. It has been renamed The Golden Mile and is slated to reopen in 2029. 1974 Jurong Town Hall ST PHOTO: MAZLAN BADRON Opened in 1974, it was the headquarters of JTC Corporation – which oversees industrial estates – till 2000. The building was designed to be a landmark of the success of Singapore's industrialisation. Gazetted as a national monument in 2015, it now houses various trade associations. 1975 Family Justice Courts (originally Subordinate Courts Building) ST PHOTO: YOW YUN WOH When it opened in September 1975, the Subordinate Courts Building brought several courthouses under one roof for the first time. In 2019, it heard its last case, following the opening of the nearby State Courts Towers, and was taken over by the Family Justice Courts in November 2024. 1976 OCBC Centre ST PHOTO: TAN SUAN ANN Rising 200m high, the 52-storey building was the tallest in Asia outside Japan when it was completed in 1976. It housed 27 lifts, the biggest number in a local office building at the time. Eight of them were among Singapore's fastest lifts, travelling at 366m a minute. 1977 111 Somerset (originally Public Utilities Board Building) ST PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LOH The building was the headquarters of national water agency PUB and its predecessor until 2007, when the agency moved to Scotts Road. It had a rooftop swimming pool, four squash courts and a gymnasium. Today, it is known as 111 Somerset, an office and retail development owned by Shun Tak Holdings. 1978 Kallang Theatre ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG Built by Chong Gay Theatres, the cinema opened in April 1978. It was said to be South-east Asia's largest at the time, with about 2,400 seats. The facility was purchased by the Government in 1981 and converted to a performing arts theatre. It hosted various internationally acclaimed musicals, as well as National Day Rally speeches and National University of Singapore convocation ceremonies. 1979 Toa Payoh Dragon Playground PHOTO: HDB Modelled after a mythical creature, the dragon playground was part of a broader push to reflect local identity in playground designs. Over the decades, the playground has become an icon of Housing Board towns and a cultural symbol, with its likeness reproduced in various products. 1980 Bras Basah Complex ST PHOTO: MICHAEL LIEW The building's commercial podium opened in 1980. The complex, nicknamed the City of Books, was a hub for bookshops, art supply stores and independent publishers, fostering the literary and arts scene. It was also a performance venue for singers of xinyao, a contemporary Mandarin genre from the late 1970s to 1980s. 1981 Changi Airport ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN Changi Airport welcomed its first commercial flight – SQ101 from Kuala Lumpur – at 7.10am on July 1, 1981. The airport's Terminal 1, officially opened on Dec 29, scored many firsts for the region: themed airport gardens, free local phone calls for transiting passengers and the iconic Mylar Cord waterfall. Since then, T1 has gone through multiple upgrades, including a $500 million facelift completed in 2012 . 1982 Singapore Land Tower (originally Raffles Tower) ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN The building opened in the Central Business District in 1982. The 47-storey tower was one of the tallest here at the time, symbolising Singapore's rapid economic growth and urban development in the early 1980s. Today, it is known as Singapore Land Tower. 1983 The Centrepoint ST PHOTO: WAN SENG YIP Developed by the Cold Storage Group, Centrepoint was opened in 1983 by an English aristocrat, the Countess of Portarlington. The shopping mall became a popular hangout for teenagers, who were known as the Centrepoint Kids. From 2004 to 2006, the mall went through a $56.4 million revamp and was renamed The Centrepoint. 1984 Furama City Centre PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SINGAPORE The 24‑storey complex, housing a hotel and a shopping centre, stands out at the intersection of Eu Tong Sen Street and Havelock Road. The Furama City Centre Hotel, which opened on Oct 29, 1984, was designed by pioneer architect Alfred Wong, best known for the now-demolished National Theatre in Fort Canning. 1985 MAS Building ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM The Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) building was completed in 1985, with staff moving in on March 11. The building had a creche with an outdoor wading pool, and a two-storey currency museum, which closed in 1999. In 2016, the MAS Gallery was opened, showcasing the financial regulator's work on the nation's economy and financial sector. 1986 Raffles City ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Designed by renowned Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, the integrated development opened on the former site of Raffles Institution. The complex included Westin Stamford, now known as Swissotel The Stamford, and continues to offer commanding views of the National Day Parades at the Padang. The other hotel there, Westin Plaza, is now Fairmont Singapore. 1987 MRT system's first section ST PHOTO: MICHAEL LIEW The first section of the MRT system began passenger service on Nov 7, 1987, running from Toa Payoh to Yio Chu Kang on the North-South Line. This marked a major milestone in Singapore's urban development, launching South-east Asia's first heavy rail metro system. MRT carriages first hit the tracks in February – pulled and pushed by locomotives – and then were tested on powered tracks from April. 1988 Village Hotel Bugis (originally Golden Landmark Hotel) ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN The Golden Landmark Hotel was completed and opened in November 1988 in Victoria Street. It was part of a $120 million hotel and retail complex with Arabic, Asian and Western elements – possibly a nod to the nearby Arab Street and the area's multiculturalism. Many of the building's iconic motifs have been lost during refurbishment over the years. 1989 Singapore Indoor Stadium TNP PHOTO: NICKLAUS D'CRUZ Located in Kallang, the stadium opened in 1989 and was the first of its kind in South-east Asia, with a seating capacity of about 12,000. The multi-purpose indoor arena has hosted concerts by megastars Elton John, Michael Jackson, Jacky Cheung, Coldplay and Blackpink. 1990 The Gateway ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI Another work of renowned architect I.M. Pei, the 37-storey twin towers in Beach Road are known for their sharp, angular forms that create the optical illusion of appearing flat from certain perspectives. 1991 Brani Causeway ST PHOTO: JACKY HO The first land link between an offshore island and mainland Singapore opened in November 1991. Another causeway linking the mainland to Sentosa opened in December 1992. Initially, only buses, taxis and a few cars could cross the Sentosa causeway. By May 1998, most private cars could use it. 1992 GV Yishun (originally Yishun 10) PHOTO: GOLDEN VILLAGE MULTIPLEX Yishun 10, Singapore's first multiplex, opened in May 1992 and was operated by Golden Village (GV) Entertainment. Designed by Australian architect Geoff Malone and built at a cost of $37 million, it had 10 halls with a total of 2,552 seats. One roll of film could be screened in all the halls simultaneously – operated by just one projectionist. The complex was renamed GV Yishun in 2010. 1993 Ngee Ann City ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG The building was completed in January 1993 and opened later that year as Singapore's largest commercial project. More than 30 years later, the mall still stands as one of the country's most iconic retail destinations. 1994 Night Safari ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM Opened in May 1994, Singapore's Night Safari is the world's first nocturnal wildlife park, home to more than 900 animals and over 100 species living in their natural night-time habitats. It has won the Singapore Tourism Board's Best Visitor Attraction Award more than 11 times. 1995 IKEA Alexandra ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG Nestled at the junction of Jalan Bukit Merah Road and Alexandra Road, IKEA Alexandra opened in April 1995 as the flagship store and warehouse of the Swedish furniture giant in Singapore. Before that, it had set up shop in Sixth Avenue in 1978 and Katong in 1984. The relocation shifted its target audience from condominium dwellers to Housing Board residents in Alexandra. 1996 Republic Plaza ST PHOTO: STEVEN LEE It has two towers, the taller of which is 280m with 66 storeys. When Tower 1 was completed in 1996, it rivalled the 60-storey OUB Centre (now One Raffles Place) and UOB Plaza as Singapore's tallest building. The tower features an octagonal design with a 45-degree twist on the upper floors. Today, Republic Plaza is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Singapore, second only to the 290m Guoco Tower. 1997 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Built on the site of the former Orchard Cinema, Cathay Cineleisure Orchard opened in November 1997 as a nine-storey $160 million entertainment centre. A popular hangout in the early 2000s, it housed six movie screening halls, retail outlets, a foodcourt, a night entertainment spot and an indoor amusement park. 1998 Singapore Post Centre PHOTO: BH FILE Singapore Post moved its sorting operations to a new facility in Paya Lebar, where it remains today. The $380 million complex came with a $95 million sorting system that reportedly saved each postman two hours a day by sorting and stacking letters based on their six-digit postal codes – prioritising them by delivery order. 1999 Parliament House ST PHOTO: JEROME MING Oct 4, 1999, marked the official opening of Parliament House. Planning works started in 1989, when MPs complained of space constraints in the Old Parliament House – where The Arts House is currently located. Parliament House has features such as a ceremonial driveway at its main entrance, a chamber with more than 100 seats and an electronic voting system. 2000 Snow City PHOTO: TNP FILE Snow in tropical Singapore became a reality when its first permanent indoor snow centre opened at Science Centre Singapore in June 2000. It is home to a three-storey-high and 60m-long snow slope designed for snow tubing and escaping the heat. 2001 Maybank Tower ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI The building may be a familiar sight for many as it is located right behind the Merlion in Marina Bay. After opening in July 2001, it became the new headquarters of Maybank Singapore, whose former home at Malayan Banking Chambers was demolished. 2002 Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO Known as the 'giant durians', the Esplanade was fully completed in October 2002 after more than 20 years of planning. Built for $513.3 million on reclaimed land, it houses a 1,600-seat concert hall, a 2,000-seat theatre and other spaces. Its launch included a 23-day festival with more than 1,300 performers from 22 countries. 2003 One Marina Boulevard ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI One Marina Boulevard – and its prime location – is a symbol of the close ties between the Government and trade unions. Completed in December 2003, the building in the Central Business District serves as the headquarters of the National Trades Union Congress. 2004 Mandai Crematorium ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG The crematorium opened in July 2004 as an extension to the Mandai Columbarium. It took over from Mount Vernon Crematorium as the only public crematorium for the newly dead. Before that, the Mandai facility handled cremations of remains from exhumed graves. An expansion to the crematorium will be operational from Aug 15, 2025. 2005 Supreme Court ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI The Supreme Court officially moved to its current home at 1 Supreme Court Lane in June 2005. Twelve civil courts occupy the lower floors, while eight criminal courts sit above. At the top, a flying saucer-like structure houses the three courts of appeal, mirroring the dome of the former courthouse. 2006 VivoCity PHOTO: BH FILE Spanning over one million sq ft, VivoCity is Singapore's largest mall. It opened its doors in December 2006 and is home to 300 shops, as well as an express monorail that connects to Sentosa. The mall hosted the live New Year's Eve countdown from 2007 to 2013. 2007 Singapore Flyer ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA The 165m-high structure was the world's tallest ferris wheel from 2008 to 2014. The last of its 28 capsules was installed in October 2007, ahead of its opening in April 2008. Just three months after opening, the Flyer reversed its rotation after geomancers warned that it was spinning fortune away from the nation. 2008 Marina Barrage PHOTO: PUB Opened in October 2008, Marina Barrage marked a breakthrough in Singapore's water sustainability efforts. First proposed by founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1987, the dam turned Marina Basin into a freshwater reservoir after two decades of planning. A system of gates and pumps keeps seawater out and alleviates flooding in low-lying areas. 2009 The Pinnacle @ Duxton ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG Singapore's first 50-storey Housing Board project broke the stereotype of sterile public housing with its bold design and soaring height. Seven towers are linked by two sky parks, offering sweeping views of the city skyline. The project won global awards for its innovative layout and community-focused spaces. 2010 Marina Bay Sands ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN When it opened on June 23, 2010, Marina Bay Sands was the world's most expensive standalone casino property at $8 billion. Now a defining feature of Singapore's skyline, it has starred in blockbusters like Crazy Rich Asians and Independence Day: Resurgence. 2011 Clementi Towers PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Clementi Towers is the first Housing Board project to be integrated with a mall and a bus interchange. Its two blocks of three- to five-room units sit above The Clementi Mall and the Clementi Bus Interchange. In 2016, a five-room flat there was sold for more than $1 million – the first resale unit outside The Pinnacle @ Duxton to cross that mark. 2012 Gardens by the Bay ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Opened on June 29, 2012, the attraction spans three waterfront gardens and is home to the Flower Dome, the world's largest glass greenhouse. It has won awards, including the World Building of the Year in 2012 and the President's Design Award in 2013. In 2025, ranked it the world's top night attraction. 2013 The Interlace ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Located in Depot Road, The Interlace is a 1,040-unit condominium with 31 blocks of apartments stacked in a hexagonal arrangement. Designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, it won the World Building of the Year at the 2015 World Architecture Festival. 2014 Singapore Sports Hub ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM Opened on June 30, 2014, the hub is a destination for sports, entertainment and lifestyle events. Its crown jewel is the National Stadium, with 55,000 seats and a retractable dome roof. The stadium has hosted major events such as the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers and concerts by megastars like Taylor Swift, Blackpink and Lady Gaga. 2015 The Hive ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI Located at Nanyang Technological University, the Hive Learning Hub is a striking complex of 12 eight-storey towers with 56 smart classrooms. The work of British designer Thomas Heatherwick, the Hive is colloquially known as the 'dim sum basket building'. It was a finalist at the 2015 World Architecture Festival in the Commercial Mixed-Use category. 2016 Guoco Tower ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Standing at 290m, the 64-storey Guoco Tower is Singapore's tallest building. The $3.2 billion development in Tanjong Pagar was completed in 2016 and features office, retail and food and beverage spaces, an urban park and 181 homes. 2017 Kampung Admiralty ST PHOTO: DIOS VINCOY JR Singapore's first integrated senior living project combines housing with healthcare, retail and a hawker centre. Completed in May, the 11-storey complex has 100 flats and a two-storey medical centre. 2018 Wisma Geylang Serai ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG The hub, which opened in May 2018, houses community facilities, including the Geylang Serai Community Club, South East Community Development Council and the Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery. It is best known for the annual Hari Raya light-up along Geylang Road and Sims Avenue, and the Ramadan bazaar. 2019 Jewel Changi Airport ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Since opening on April 17, 2019, Jewel Changi Airport has dazzled visitors with its 40m-tall indoor waterfall and a lush five-storey garden. This 10-storey complex has more than 280 shops and eateries. Built atop a carpark in front of Terminal 1, the $1.7 billion Jewel has won accolades – such as Design of the Year at the President's Design Award in 2020 and a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice award in 2025 for being among the top 10 per cent of attractions worldwide. 2020 Sembawang Hot Spring Park PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Featuring the only natural hot spring on mainland Singapore, Sembawang Hot Spring Park was opened on Jan 4, 2020. It has a cascading pool where visitors can soak their feet in the water, which is believed to have healing properties. The water from the hot spring was once bottled by F&N and sold under the Seletaris label. Underground areas with high temperatures near the hot spring are being studied as a potential geothermal energy source. 2021 CapitaSpring ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI At 280m tall, the 51-storey CapitaSpring is a green oasis in the heart of the financial district. It features more than 80,000 plants and a publicly accessible sky garden on the top floor with sweeping views of the city. Built on the site of the former Golden Shoe Car Park, it houses offices, serviced apartments and the popular Market Street Hawker Centre. 2022 One Punggol ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG Opened in phases from 2022, One Punggol is a hub with community facilities, including a hawker centre, Punggol Regional Library and childcare and senior care centres. The library, which opened in January 2023, is Singapore's largest, spanning 12,180 sq m over five floors. 2023 Pan Pacific Orchard ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Standing at 140m tall, the hotel opened its doors in Singapore in June 2023. Designed by Woha Architects, the 343-room hotel integrates the island's four aspects – forest, beach, garden and cloud – within a single building. In 2024, it earned the accolade of the world's best new skyscraper by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, a leading authority on skyscrapers. 2024 Punggol Digital District ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Opening in phases since 2024, Punggol Digital District is Singapore's take on Silicon Valley. Slated for completion in 2026, the 50ha business park is designed for companies in the digital economy. It is home to the Singapore Institute of Technology and has planned offerings such as offices, retail spaces and a hotel.
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business Times
Lost Lee Kuan Yew painting, forgotten artworks and other rediscovered gems
[SINGAPORE] As the country turns 60, various art institutions are marking the milestone with a wide-ranging celebration of local talent. But what's surprising is the wave of rediscoveries: a 'lost' Lee Kuan Yew painting, overlooked artworks by non-Chinese and women artists, and other striking pieces that have fallen through the cracks of official art history. We look at some of these forgotten artworks that offer a different lens on the stories, struggles and successes of Singapore. An LKY painting lost to time In 1992, watercolourist Ong Kim Seng painted a scene based on a 1961 National Archives photograph. The image showed then-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew visiting the victims of the devastating Bukit Ho Swee fire, accompanied by fellow first-generation leaders S Rajaratnam, Goh Keng Swee and Lee Khoon Choy. The original 1961 photograph that inspired Ong Kim Seng features Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Khoon Choy, S Rajaratnam and Goh Keng Swee surrounded by victims of the tragic Bukit Ho Swee fire. PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES The fire – one of Singapore's most catastrophic – swept through about 100 acres of kampong land, destroying around 2,800 attap houses and leaving nearly 16,000 people homeless. It marked a turning point in Singapore's housing history, catalysing the shift from kampong dwellings to high-rise public housing. 'I was 16 when the fire happened,' Ong recalls. 'I, too, lived in an attap house with my mother and grandmother. Fire was a constant threat, especially during festive seasons when there were firecrackers and incense.' The painting was so vivid, it was reproduced on The Straits Times' back page in 1992. Ong then entrusted the painting to a gallerist, who sold it to a collector. But Ong never met the buyer and eventually lost contact with the gallerist. The painting disappeared from view, but the image stayed with him. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up The Straits Times reproduced the original painting on its back page in 1992. PHOTO: HELMI YUSOF Decades later, Ong decided to revisit the scene to commemorate SG60. Now 80, he brings a different approach to the work: his strokes are more considered and the composition is more introspective. He's also executed it on a larger canvas instead of paper – a subtle but significant shift that gives the new piece a quiet gravity. The canvas has since been acquired by hotelier Sean Lim, who sees it not just as art, but as 'a window into a past that shaped our present, a reminder of what it took to build the Singapore we enjoy today'. It will be displayed for the public at Art Agenda (Tanjong Pagar Distripark) from Aug 5 to 17, before it is transferred to Lim's conservation shophouse home for safekeeping. Centring female and non-Chinese artists National Gallery Singapore recently opened its new permanent exhibition, Singapore Stories: Pathways And Detours In Art, timed to coincide with SG60. But this is more than just a refresh – it marks a bold expansion in curatorial direction, centring artists who have long existed on the margins of the city-state's art history. 'When we asked visitors what they thought of previous shows, some said they wanted to see more works by women and non-Chinese artists,' says curator Joleen Loh. 'So with this rehang, we wanted to give space – actual space – to artists whose voices were never centred.' National Gallery Singapore's new rehang broadens visual culture and includes more voices from women and minority artists. PHOTO: NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE The result is a more inclusive, pluralistic narrative. Alongside familiar names, like Kim Lim and Han Sai Por, are works by pioneering female sculptors such as Annaratnam Gunaratnam and Dora Gordine. There's also a spotlight on Rohani Ismail, a Malay artist and co-founder of artist collective Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya, who was both student and muse to Nanyang pioneer Georgette Chen. The exhibition also expands the definition of what counts as art. Ceramics, posters, textile art, and filmmaking are presented with the same weight as painting and sculpture. P Ramlee's beloved films and Kwan Shan Mei's children's book illustrations are no longer curiosities – they're recognised as vital cultural expressions of their time. P Ramlee's rich canon of cinematic works is honoured in the new National Gallery Singapore exhibition. PHOTO: NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE Deeper into the show, the focus shifts to the underground art activities of the 1980s and '90s: artist-run spaces, performance collectives, and cultural provocateurs operating outside – and sometimes against – mainstream institutions. 'We wanted to show how artists were constantly building their own ecosystems,' says curator Lim Qinyi. Figures like Gilles Massot and Ahmad Abu Bakar emerge in thoughtful counterpoint to dominant narratives. The result is a richer, more porous account of Singapore's art history – one that doesn't just celebrate milestones, but also interrogates what's been excluded. Voices from the margins Meanwhile, a soon-to-open show at the massive Whitestone Gallery is also rewriting the narrative of Singapore art. Titled Sama Sama, which means 'together' in Malay, the group exhibition gathers 60 contemporary artists and collectives in a sprawling, free-for-all celebration of the country's cultural plurality – the big, the small, and especially the voices long pushed to the periphery. Boo Sze Yang's painting depicts mourners in umbrellas and raincoats paying tribute to Lee Kuan Yew after his passing. PHOTO: BOO SZE YANG 'There's no way to 'survey' Singapore art history through just 60 artists,' says curator Wang Ruobing. 'So I didn't try.' Instead, Sama Sama is a curatorial experiment in radical openness. Rather than prescribing a unifying theme, Wang invited artists across generations – from 25-year-old Siew Guang Hong to 79-year-old Cheo Chai Hiang – and asked them a deceptively simple question: What work best represents you now? The answers, it turns out, are thrillingly fragmented. 'Each of them has a little story of Singapore, the everyday of Singapore,' Wang says. 'Together, they paint a larger cultural landscape.' Some pieces take aim at Singapore's power structures, like Anthony Chin's tall stack of S$1 coins that's meant to reach the ceiling and 'support' it – a poetic ode to the artist's struggle to survive. Others tap into pain and ritual, like performance artist S Chandrasekaran, who marks his own skin daily as a visceral gesture of minority visibility. 'His body becomes a vessel for unspoken histories,' Wang notes. Anthony Chin's column of S$1 coins reaches up to the ceiling to 'support' it – a poignant metaphor for the underfunded artist. PHOTO: ANTHONY CHIN Works span paintings, photography, video installation – even noodle sculptures and a full-scale getai stage. The result is a heady, multilayered ecosystem of practices – nothing neat or linear, but unmistakably Singaporean. The show opens at the Whitestone Gallery (Tanjong Pagar Distripark) on Aug 8 and runs till Sep 28. Five other SG60 shows worth seeing The Art Of Lee Boon Ngan: Much has been said about artist Chua Mia Tee, but too little is known about his wife Lee, who was also a talented painter . This show at The Private Museum (Upper Wilkie Road) redresses that. The Other Singaporeans – Stories Of Home & Identity: Highlighting artists who are naturalised citizens, expatriates, and overseas Singaporeans, the show explores themes of displacement, migration and cultural hybridity. From Aug 16 at JW Projects (Kim Yam Road). Artist's Proof: Singapore At 60: Now running at Helutrans (Tanjong Pagar Distripark) till Aug 17, this terrific showcase of over 95 provocative pieces from the collection of businessman Chong Huai Seng includes several voices from the periphery. Material Moves: STPI (Robertson Quay) honours the works of Singapore's most revered veteran artists, including Han Sai Por, Goh Beng Kwan and Ong Kim Seng. SG 60: To Build A Swing: Blending memory, architecture and emotion, the works of Akai Chew, Joanna Maneckji and Wan Kyn Chan explore what it means to belong, remember and co-create Singapore's evolving future. From Aug 15 at LOY Contemporary Art Gallery (Tudor Court).
