Protect Pulau Ubin for those seeking refuge from urban life

HENG CHO CHOON Today Online 20 Nov 14;

I refer to the report “Nature Society wants Ubin to be given protected status” (Nov 19)

I applaud the Nature Society’s gesture of petitioning the authorities to give Pulau Ubin protected status, as this little island is the last frontier of our rapid urban development. Pulau Ubin has for many years been the weekend refuge for many Singaporeans who need a break after a hectic work week in our fast-paced society.

Students visit the island to go trekking, cycling and camping, which is necessary for their physical development in their growing-up years. Tourists visit it to soak in the rustic charm of an island where time has stood still. They flock there on weekends to enjoy a seafood meal at the quaint coffee shops adjoining the shore. Proprietors of the bicycle rental shops eke out a living by catering to the needs of hordes of visitors who visit Pulau Ubin to unwind.

Construction of new buildings should be discouraged as this would put a strain on the ecosystem and the relationship between man and nature. This was evident when condominiums were built along Hindhede Road and Bukit Way. The developments are too close to the nature reserve and conflict arises between man and beast when monkeys invade the residents’ homes.

The attractions of Pulau Ubin are the sandy beaches on Noordin Beach and Mamam Beach. The boardwalk at Chek Jawa is also a favourite haunt of tourists. Then there is the Tiger’s claw (Gloriosa superba), a rare flower that grows in abundance on Ubin. The disused prawn ponds are now full of water lilies and lotus flowers (Nelumbo nucifera).

The island also has many species of mangrove trees and when the Bruguiera gymnorrhiza is in full bloom, the forest looks like a scarlet canopy. The squirrel and the Many-lined Sun Skink (Mabuya multifasciata) can be found on the tracks and the trees. Let us keep these flora and fauna for our future generations.

I hope the authorities will not convert Pulau Ubin into another Sentosa, but let it remain a sanctuary for those who want to seek solace from the rat race and city life.

With rare fauna, Pulau Ubin deserves nature-reserve status
BEN LEE, FOUNDER, NATURE TREKKER Today Online 22 Nov 14;

I refer to the report “Nature Society wants Ubin to be given protected status” (Nov 19).

I fully support the Nature Society’s move to give the island nature-reserve status, because it is home to a variety of wildlife not commonly found on the mainland.

Pulau Ubin was indeed a nature haven where wildlife, such as the critically endangered Malayan Tiger and Asian Elephant, were reportedly sighted and reported in the media.

Occasionally, there are interesting avian visitors to the island, such as the huge Trumpeter Hornbill from Africa. Besides these visitors, the island also boasts some iconic native animals, such as the Oriental Pied Hornbill as well as other rare and uncommon animals including the Sunda Pangolin, Malayan Porcupine, Greater Mousedeer, Asian Palm Civet, Oriental Small-Clawed Otter, Malayan False Vampire Bat and Wild Boar, which still exist on the tiny 7km stretch of island.

I have been visiting Pulau Ubin almost every weekend for the past 35 years and have witnessed its rapid transformation from an island of rustic charm, where coconut trees, kampungs and chickens scurrying in backyards were a common sight, to its current state, after having experienced mass human encroachment and seen modern facilities built and cycling trails created.

If the island is given nature-reserve status, it will be a great joy and relief to all nature communities in Singapore as it will remain a refuge for the wildlife there with binding legal protection, unlike the case with its current status as a nature area.