Speech by MOS Maliki Osman at the Ground Breaking Ceremony of Wisma Geylang Serai

Sep 20, 2015

Thank you for joining me this morning for the ground-breaking of Wisma Geylang Serai. Today marks yet another milestone in the development of Wisma Geylang Serai, a project that is very meaningful for the local community and close to our hearts.

As announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong previously, part of the site occupied by the former Malay Village in Geylang Serai would be used to develop a new civic centre. We had envisioned that this new building, which we now call Wisma Geylang Serai, will help to rejuvenate the Geylang Serai precinct while retaining its uniquely cultural character and heritage.

This is an ambitious project. The centre will extend beyond its immediate boundaries and be connected to the larger precinct. A pedestrian network will link adjacent facilities such as the Geylang Serai Market next door, Joo Chiat Complex and the Paya Lebar MRT Station. These, we hope, would transform Wisma Geylang Serai into a key hub in Paya Lebar Central. We believe it will be a natural gathering place for all who live, work and play around this precinct. It will also be a place where friendships and bonds are forged across residents of various ages, backgrounds and races.

To achieve this bold vision, many stakeholders had been quietly at work. We involved many stakeholders who generously offered their time, including designers, architects, art practitioners, grassroots and community representatives, as well as members of the public. They come from all walks of life, but they were brought together by one common passion for the project. We also formed a multi-agency workgroup devoted to this project. The workgroup organised numerous activities to involve the community in the development of Wisma Geylang Serai. We had a naming competition for the civic centre, a Singapore Memory Project by students from Madrasah al-Maarif and Nanyang Girls’ High School, and a Design Competition for Wisma Geylang Serai.

It was not easy to select one winner for the Design Competition. We received 56 outstanding entries, all of which were excellent and innovative. Of the 56, the jury panel shortlisted 5 entries. From there, we eventually selected one winner, Design-Environment Group Architects. We were most impressed that its architectural design struck a balance in featuring both contemporary and traditional elements. We believe that it will amplify the distinctive identity of Geylang Serai, strengthen its urban character and encourage vibrant street life all year round.

Wisma Geylang Serai is a meaningful project which embodied the hard work and contributions of the community – the people, the public and private sectors. It will anchor Geylang Serai as one of the vibrant places in Singapore for arts, heritage and culture. Influences of the rich distinct local heritage have been incorporated into the architecture of the civic centre and along the streetscape of the Geylang Serai precinct.

The construction of the civic centre will commence after this ground breaking ceremony and the centre will be fully operational by 2018. Building on the strong collaborative spirit that has brought us to this point, we will continue to work together with the community and involve the public wherever possible in this project.

Now let me say a few words in Malay.

Terima kasih kerana bersama saya pagi ini bagi majlis pecah tanah Wisma Geylang Serai. Hari ini menandakan satu lagi peristiwa penting dalam pembangunan Wisma Geylang Serai, sebuah projek yang amat bermakna bagi masyarakat setempat dan dekat di hati kami.

Seperti yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri Lee Hsien Loong, sebahagian daripada ruang yang diduduki Kampung Melayu di Geylang Serai sebelum ini akan digunakan untuk membangunkan pusat sivik baru. Kami telah membayangkan bahawa bangunan baru ini, yang akan digelar Wisma Geylang Serai, akan memberi nafas baru kepada sekitaran Geylang Serai sambil mengekalkan warisan dan perwatakan budayanya yang unik.

Projek ini merupakan projek yang bercita-cita tinggi. Sempadan pusat ini akan dilanjutkan dan dihubungkan dengan daerah yang lebih besar. Rangkaian pejalan kaki akan menghubungkan kemudahan bersebelahan seperti Pasar Geylang Serai, Kompleks Joo Chiat dan Stesen MRT Paya Lebar. Kami berharap ini akan mengubah Wisma Geylang Serai menjadi hab utama di Paya Lebar Central. Kami percaya ia akan menjadi pusat perhimpunan semulajadi bagi mereka yang tinggal, berkerja dan bermain di kawasan ini. Ia boleh juga dijadikan sebagai ruang bagi penduduk dari pelbagai usia, latar belakang dan bangsa untuk terus menjalinkan persahabatan dan eratkan ikatan bersama. 

Untuk mencapai wawasan ini, pelbagai pihak telah bekerja keras secara senyap-senyap di belakang tabir. Banyak pihak telah bermurah hati menawarkan masa dan tenaga mereka pada projek ini - pereka, arkitek, pengamal seni, badan akar umbi dan wakil masyarakat, serta orang awam. Mereka datang dari semua lapisan masyarakat, tetapi disatukan dengan semangat yang sama – ia itu untuk menjayakan projek ini. Kami telah menubuhkan kumpulan kerja yang merangkumi pelbagai agensi untuk projek ini. 

Pembinaan pusat sivik ini akan bermula selepas majlis pecah tanah. Pusat ini akan beroperasi sepenuhnya pada tahun 2018. Bagi mengekalkan semangat kerjasama yang kukuh yang telah membawa kita ke tahap ini, kami akan terus bekerjasama dengan anggota-anggota masyarakat setempat dan melibatkan orang awam pada kesempatan yang bersesuaian dalam projek ini.

So ladies and gentlemen, thank you again and we look forward to the opening of Wisma Geylang Serai in 2018. Thank you.