Honouring the Former Kandang Kerbau Hospital’s Legacy of Care and Innovation

1. Good afternoon.

2. I am honoured to be here to unveil the Former Kandang Kerbau Hospital, or the Former KKH, as our 76^th National Monument in Singapore. 

3. National Monuments form an integral part of our national identity.

   1. They embody milestones in our nation’s history, they evoke the significant events that shaped our destiny as a nation, and they have become part of our collective memory.

   2. They remember the spirit and the values of the people who worked hard and fought for a better future for our generation.

4. Take, for instance,

   1. Former Parliament House, which is today known as The Arts House. The building housed our Parliament from 1965 till 1999, and witnessed our transition from self-governance to independence;

   2. The Padang, which was the site of our first National Day Parade in 1966 – a significant milestone for a newly-independent nation. This is also where we witnessed SG60 National Day Parade this year;

   3. And the Jurong Town Hall, which symbolises Singapore’s industrialisation, where the foundations of our economy was built.

Former KK Hospital and memories of parenthood

5. And today, the former KKH joins this family of National Monuments.

6. Many Singaporeans became parents here at the former KKH. I myself was born here as well. 

   1. And as parents, we all know that the road ahead will be full of new challenges. 

   2. But the moment you hold your child in your arms and hear it cry for the very first time, we all resolve to be a better version of ourselves;

   3. And we all resolve to build a better, brighter future for our child.

7. And this is something that is truly life-changing, and I think these are the memories that we want to preserve.

Honouring our Healthcare Professionals

8. Former KKH also embodies the value of selfless care. Generations of our healthcare professionals served here with dedication and professionalism, and many of them are gathered here in this room

   1. This housed one of the largest maternity institutions of its time, and the hospital witnessed many developments in the area of maternal and fetal medicine;

   2. This was where pioneers such as our former President Dr Benjamin Sheares and Professor S. S. Ratnam worked on new medical procedures to make childbirth safer.

   3. This is where generations of healthcare professionals learnt their craft, and more than a thousand doctors, nurses and midwives were trained. 

      1. They quite literally delivered a nation, setting a world record in 1966 for the greatest number of births in a hospital.

   4. This was also where the first IVF baby was delivered in Asia, in 1983 – this is a milestone for Singapore and for Asia.

9. The contributions of the healthcare professionals in KKH extend way beyond healthcare. 

   1. Motivated by the desire to provide better care for patients, the pioneers who worked here also upheld the spirit of innovation and ingenuity which we continue to embody today.

   2. In nurturing generations of Singaporeans, they have also contributed to the growth and development of Singapore as a nation.

National Monuments are part of Singapore’s nation building journey

10. Their selfless and dedicated care, embodied in the memories and legacy of the former KKH, resonates strongly as we celebrate SG60 this year. 

    1. It contributes to Singapore’s broader nation-building journey, where resilience, unity, and a shared sense of purpose carried through our challenges and laid the foundations for a nation;

    2. It reminds us that our nation is built upon the sacrifices of those who came before us, aspiring to build a better Singapore for their children and their community.

    3. And it is now up to us, to define and shape the Singapore of tomorrow for our future generations.

11. The former KKH stands as a physical reminder of all these ideals:

    1. It is about the shared memories of many of us here, first entering parenthood, where we learn to care selflessly;

    2. It also honours the dedication and professionalism of our healthcare professionals across the ages.

12. A key part of this process to gazette a National Monument was the work of our Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board. 

    1. The experts on our Board had assessed the Former KKH to be worthy of becoming a National Monument, and they had highlighted its significance during its early years of our nation building. 

    2. So I would like to thank the experts of the Advisory Board for their dedication and professionalism.

13. Today, as you can see all around us, the Former KKH houses the headquarters of our Land Transport Authority. 

14. And the adaptive reuse of the site gives it new life.

    1. This is an example of how even with preservation, we seek to ensure that our Monuments remain relevant for Singaporeans.

    2. Just as history and heritage is not static, our National Monuments also have to evolve, 

       1. With modifications and refurbishments to meet the needs of today, 

       2. While retaining the essence of its national importance and historic significance.

    3. This also ensures that our National Monuments continue to benefit the community.

15. In preserving the Former KKH as a National Monument as part of SG60, 

    1. We preserve these shared memories that we talked about earlier, and more importantly the values that have shaped Singapore that we have today. 

    2. We also ensure that future generations can continue to learn about these pivotal milestones associated with the site, not only from history books, but by walking the very same spaces where these events took place. 

16. By strengthening our collective understanding of our nation-building journey through our National Monument, we build a stronger sense of shared identity that is essential for a stable and thriving Singapore.  

17. Thank you.