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Old
BBGS should not be torn down
> >
NEWSLETTER # 1 - 10 May 2001 FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY
BUKIT BINTANG GIRLS' SCHOOL Old Girls' Association
Dear
BBGS girls and friends
For the record
This is an update on our efforts to save the two oldest
blocks of the BBGS school buildings. Please e-mail this
to everyone who is interested. Also print hard copies and
send or fax to those who do not use electronic media. Spread
the word!
Fare
thee well, BBGS
We had a very successful, albeit fairly emotional gathering
on Sun 6 May at the old school premises. There was a turnout
of about 2,000 people - a definite miracle considering that
we only got the official go-ahead to hold it in the school
grounds at about lunchtime on Sat 28 April 2001! We were
very concerned that we would not be able to inform enough
girls in time, so we tried to postpone the gathering to
the next weekend or even later, but the site owners said
that "it had to be done on May 6 or not at all!" However,
with lots of prayer and help from wonderful news editors
who put announcement/articles in > the national news sections
of all the main English and Malay papers, plus radio announcements
on 4 ASTRO radio channels, WOWfm and Radio 4, we managed
to get a huge number of people to come. Many could not attend
.Still, many BBGS girls were very sad at being unable to
join us. A number of ex-BBGS girls now living outside KL
called up to wish us well and to tell us that they would
be with us in spirit. BBGS girls now studying, working or
living abroad communicated their feelings of powerlessness
and frustration at not being able to participate in the
Farewell event and to stop the unnecessary demolition. We
were told that some girls in London planned to meet on the
same day as the Farewell to have their own commemoration
of the event. Chew Mei Lee, President of the OGA, received
many calls from distressed old girls and even families of
current and past BBGS students, many of whom cried over
the telephone. Miss Moey Yoke Lai, ex-BBGS Head Girl, recounted
how someone called her from America and bawled buckets over
the phone over the sad end of BBGS. Animah Fuad Kosai reported
that her Launch of petition On that day, besides the farewell
ceremony (see attached Programme for BBGS Farewell.doc),
we updated our database of old and current girls, collected
written tributes to the school in specially prepared books
and on manila cards mounted on the walls, and sold commemorative
centenary souvenirs. More importantly, we launched a petition
(see BBGS Petition.doc) to save the two oldest blocks of
> the school. These blocks facing Jalan Bukit Bintang comprise
the main office block with a porch (built in 1930) and the
extension (built in 1941) all the way down to the hall.
They have been recognised as fine heritage buildings by
Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (Malaysian Institute of Architects)
and Badan Warisan Malaysia (Malaysian Heritage Trust), and
as such have been recommended for conservation and adaptive
re-use. Besides, the existing front lawn could be used as
an open plaza for all.
The Louis Vuitton Party
About twelve days prior to our gathering, Louis Vuitton
held an exclusive party on 24 April for more than 2,000
guests at the BBGS premises as part of the launch of their
8th global flagship store at the upmarket Starhill Shopping
Centre across the road. The event boasted an international
guest list which included local royalty, the movers and
shakers of the Malaysian economy, Hong Kong movie stars,
stuntmen from Hollywood, Parisien and New York street performers,
and other glitterati flown in at LV expense to add glamour
to the occasion). This was certainly a stroke of good luck
for us. Up till then, we had not been able t o persuade
the owners to allow us onto the school premises which had
been designated a demolition site. With the LV party, the
new owners could not then deny us the permission to use
the premises for our farewell to the school - after all,
we were the form
Letters to the Editor
Lim Take Bane, a local architect and conservationist who
attended the Louis Vuitton party, was so taken with what
he experienced there that he wrote to the press in the same
week as when we were planning for the gathering. He was
fortunate to have his letter printed in the New Straits
Times on 1 May (edited in part), in to in the Sun on 1 May
and in the Star on 3 May. (See attached Lim Take Bane's
Letter to the Star.html). This letter triggered a strong
response from the readership, especially in the face of
current demolition threats to existing heritage buildings
such as Bok House (better known as the now half-demolished
Le Coq D'or in Jalan Ampang Kuala Lumpur) and many mission
schools such as St Nicholas' Convent in Alor Star, Kedah.
A large number of girls were moved to call and write to
the press. The New Straits Times responded with a big illustrated
article on Wednesday 2 May 2001, headlined Heritage school
awaits demolition - Former BBGS pupils pour out feelings
about their alma mater in graffiti (see attached BBGS -nstp
Article.htm). This was about how "Old and new students had
been visiting the school over the past month and pouring
out their feelings in graffiti on the walls and blackboards.
Some of the eye-catching phrases were "BBGS I love you forever",
" BBGS we will always love > and cherish you", and "Spirit
bless you". One heart-rending > message was:
To Our Beloved BBGS
I can't bear to even graffiti your skin you held together
so long!
and watch the disrespect carved onto & into your soul...
However, only spirits of many who fill your frame,
memories will linger on and resonate deep,
Walls maybe forced to crumble, not our soul!!
Karen Lam Yee Kheng
30 April 2001, 11 am "
Many BBGS girls were reduced to tears upon reading the article.
All this raised awareness and built up the momentum for
the Farewell on Sunday 6 May 2001 (see attached BBGS-Bernama
article.htm).
Who are the present owners? The owners of the lot are something
of a mystery. Who are they? Nobody knows for certain. What
we do know is that at present, the new owners are bent on
knocking down the whole school and building an upmarket
shopping centre in its place. In fact, we were told by the
site agents that they were going to knock it down this week!
That is why there is a rush for the petition to be signed
by as many people as possible (not necessarily just BBGS
girls) and returned to the Old Girls' Association (OGA)
immediately. Please e-mail the petition to as many people
as possible. Remember:if they are Malaysian, they must include
their IC numbers when they sign. What the petition asks
for .Please understand that we want to save these buildings
totally, and not in part or just the facades. We are not
anti-development. We are saying, "Please build by all means,
but conserve these front blocks; adapt them by re-modelling
the former classrooms to suit new uses. Build sensitively
behind and adjacent to them, and stack the development upwards,
if necessary, to make up for the space occupied by the existing
buildings." In this way, we have a win-win situation for
everyone with the proposed new development enhanced by the
> heritage value of the fine architecture. (See attached
BBGS > Petition.doc)
IT-savvy BBGS girls respond, please!
We also plan to put up a website very soon, to register
as many old girls as possible for our database, and to get
as many people as we possibly can to sign our petition.
So all you IT-savvy girls out there, please respond - if
only to give suggestions or advice or recommendations as
to who can and should put up the website and what the website
capabilities should be.
Contact:-
Chew Mei Lee [Chew.Mei-Lee@my.standardchartered.com]
Animah Fuad Kosai [animah.kosai@my.zaidibrahim.com]
Sandra Sodhy [ashilpa@tm.net.my]
What you can do to help
1. Write to the press (either e-mail or snail mail) and
tell them that you want the two front buildings to be saved
in toto, because of their fine architecture, their historical
value (they are about 70 years old) and because of the BBGS
contribution to nation building and the BBGS heritage (inculcating
good values, good behaviour, model citizens, etc.) (see
attached BBGS Petition.doc for more details). The letter
should be short and to the point. Remember, we are saying,
"Please re-develop but retain the front two buildings in
toto and integrate them sympathetically into the new development
bybuilding adjacent to and behind them."
Conservation is commercially viable. In fact, many proven
examples testify to the fact that it is immensely profitable!
Just look at the Clarke Quay and Chijmes projects in Singapore,
IGB's Victoria Hotel in Sydney, Covent Garden in London,
Pier 41 in San Francisco and our very own Central Market
in Kuala Lumpur.
2. Better still, get non-BBGS girls (i.e. any concerned
individual) to write and say that these landmark buildings
are part of their heritage and history. Many people have
grown up seeing those same school buildings there everyday
- they have stood there for 70 years! - and must stand up
and say that they will miss them if they are gone. Tell
the developers to please retain the front two buildings
totally and then build whatever they want behind or next
to them. Angry, reproachful letters frothing at the mouth
seldom get printed. Remember, the old school property is
now in private hands. We have to persuade them to re-think
their development strategy. This will not be achieved by
shouting and name-calling! Letters carbon-copied (ie Cc)
to all the press will also be ignored, because editors do
not like to repeat what the others have printed. The best
way then would be to address the same letter separately
to each paper/ media/forum to increase your chances of it
being published/feastured. Some useful e-mail addresses
of the Malaysian press:-
1. The Editor [Letters@nstp.com.my]
2. [editor@thestar.com.my]
3. [letters@thesundaily.com]
4. The Malay Mail Hotline
3. Sign the petition and collect signatures for the OGA.
Send the petition to as many people you know who are interested,
and remind them to return the filled copies to us c/o the
address at the bottom on the back as soon as possible. Please
download and print petitions for those who do not have internet
access! Not everyone has a computer or is IT-savvy!
4. Lobby your Member of Parliament - this is a national
issue, don't forget!
5. Speak to people with political clout. Many of them have
consciences! They are elected representatives of the people.
Use their good offices to save the oldest school buildings.
6. Try any avenue which is legal and rational, and pray
a lot! Nisi Dominus Frustra!
In essence, we are increasing public awareness and concern,
and stirring up public debate on our common heritage. In
this way, we hope to persuade the powers-that-be (ie the
owners and developers of the BBGS site) that it is in everyone's
interest (ie theirs, ours and the public's) to retain the
oldest BBGS buildings and incorporate them sympathetically
into their redevelopment plans. Besides, they stand to gain
financially as well as obtain a good public relations profile
by saving old heritage buildings with fine architecture
and history, such as the two BBGS blocks that we are fighting
to conserve. The fight is far from over. Do not despair.
Do not give up hope. Never stop praying that the school
buildings will be saved. It is never too late to stand up
and fight for what you hold dear. So, write those letters,
sign those petition forms and write to your MPs. BBGS will
remain standing through all our collective efforts! God
bless us all!
That's all folks, for the time being. Till the next newsletter,
keep the BBGS spirit alive!
BBGS, we pledge to thee
Our love and toil in the years to be
When we are grown and take our place
As loyal women with our race.
Sandra Sodhy
BBGS (1973)
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