I remember those wonderful years when fire-crackers were part and parcel of Singaporeans celebrating Chinese New Year.
Those were the days when we, irregardless of race, language and religion would play with our Chinese bretherens with small and large red fire-crackers armed with lighted joss-sticks
from neighbouring Taoists temples. We had Indians, Malays and others among us that played with such crackers. It was real fun and shioooook too.
We all knew that it ushered in a New Lunar New Year. Hence all of us, irrgardless of our race, language, culture and religion took pride in playing with our Chinese friends.
It was a great moment just like chasing after kites with bamboo poles or watching Chinese wayangs on Lady Precious Stream and playing tikam-tikam and then sharing goreng-pisang,
kachang-puteh, teng-teng and ice-ball with one another.
True friendship and camaraderie among people of all background. Truly Singaporean. That was the way we were and we were happy to be such until our kampongs disappeared and
we were moved into flats.
In the mid 70's this sport (fire-crackers) was totally banned in Singapore. The reason was that it caused fires to kampongs. But our kampongs have all disappeared since and replaced
with high-rise concrete flats.
Many years later, an intelligent Malaysia banned fire-crackers, not for the Singapore reasons (fire, blah, blah, blah, etc) but because Singapore gave them a good reason to do so.
Every reader of these forum knows the true eason why Malaysia banned fire-crackers.
Our kampongs have gone from the days of Bukit Ho Swee, Lorong Tai Seng and Kallang Pudding fires...
Why are we so paranoid of firecrackers still?
Is it really a security threat?
Self Fear is the greatest threat????????????????????
Such Fear is shoved into our minds everyday.
Surprising countries like Indonesia (with 230 million Muslims) still allow fire-crackers during the Hari Tahun Baru Imlek (or Lunar New Year). If I am not mistaken, Lest it be forgotten,
Indonesia was the country that cut off all relations with China when the playboy Sukarno was made a house prisoner and Suharto came into power. Singapore was courting China's
Teng Siow Ping then
With the current SBY and the former Gus Dur, things have now been viewed differently. People of all races play with patasan (fire-crackers) in Indonesia during Hari Nyepi (Hindu New
Year), Hari Raya Id-al Adha and Eid Ul-Fitr and Christmas (Natal).
Government can let off fire-crackers but NOT our people. WHY???????????????????????????????
What has happened to UNIQUELY SINGAPORE?