21
April
2015
|
23:43
Asia/Singapore

Museum builds on pioneers' dedication

From left: Dr Sasekumar, Dr Lim and Dr Wells are stalwarts of the Museum

Impressive.

This word was used frequently by three naturalists involved in the early Raffles Museum's zoological collection, when they spoke about the new and only natural history museum in Singapore which officially opened on 18 April. Dr Lim Boo Liat, Dr A Sasekumar and Dr David Wells were key pioneers who helped contribute to and protect the precious collection which formed the core of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) at NUS.

Dr Lim, a well-respected zoologist who won the Malaysian Merdeka Prize for his decades of contribution to biodiversity research in Malaysia, has worked with the Museum staff since the early 1960s and knows its history intimately.

The long-time mentor and friend of the Museum praised the tremendous dedication and efforts that went into making the LKCNHM a reality. This endeavour proved that, given sufficient funds and proper management, "you can build up a museum which costs three times the amount that you are given, he noted. He pointed out that even for developed countries with considerable financing, such a museum could not possibly be completed within the tight timeframe.

Dr Lim believes the success boils down to the commitment and leadership of the people involved: "They are all gung-ho and pushed it out. They are so willing to do the job and see it done without any additional incentives or allowances. Staff expertise too plays a part, as well as the extra time and sweat invested, he added.

Dr Sasekumar, Malaysia's premier mangrove biologist and Research Fellow at the University of Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur, has been a close collaborator of the former NUS Department of Zoology and the Museum, with links going back to 1967. His important collections and materials, as well as advice in identifying mangrove animal species, helped build up the old Raffles Museum, and later, the Zoological Reference Collection. These inputs contributed to making the Museum a centre for biodiversity research in Southeast Asia. 

Also a Curator of UM's Muzium Zoologi, Dr Sasekumar could not imagine that the old collection he knew would evolve into its current well-organised state. "The Museum is good for Southeast Asia and the investment is worth it, he enthused. Besides presenting the rich biodiversity of the region, it reveals loss of species in the tropical rainforests due to development such as conversion of land to oil palm and rubber plantations, as well as coastal reclamation.

He was particularly captivated by the dinosaurs which he foresees will attract school groups from the neighbouring countries. He suggested having educational activities revolving around the dinosaurs to make it more fun for students and proposed that a museum visit can be incorporated as part of school outings.

pioneers-2

Some of the museum exhibits are specimens from the old zoological collection

World-renowned ornithologist Dr David Wells has a strong association with the old museum when it was part of the Raffles Museum at Stamford Road, and was a regular scientific user of the Zoological Reference Collection in the 30 years of his academic career with UM. When the museum's fate was uncertain in the early 1970s, he and Mrs Yang Chang Man'the then custodian of the collections'staunchly helped to save and safeguard the precious materials.

Dr Wells was happy and excited with the "unbelievable outcome after all the years of uncertainties and temporary arrangements for the collection. He said: "I was so impressed that much of the population of Singapore has reacted positively to the idea of having this museum. It just shows the new thirst among Singaporeans for this kind of experience, this kind of information. They are becoming aware of their environmental heritage, so that's a very important aspect of the whole thing.

Besides key donors, a huge number of Singaporeans and supporters have chipped in through a small-donation scheme. Such an exercise makes LKCNHM an unprecedented case as other museums are either state-supported or created through some major donor effort, he noted.

Dr Wells found the Museum building, which he likened to Noah's Ark, a unique feature. "There's no museum in the world I've ever seen that looks remotely like this place, he observed.

All three Museum stalwarts unanimously regarded education, especially of the young people, as the direction for the LKCNHM. Dr Wells views the present gallery design as something that encourages visitors, whatever their age and level of intellectual interest, to dig deeper into various subjects.

Dr Lim sees the Museum as "a reflection of the human history where lessons can be drawn. "If we ignore the human history, we can never improve, he said.