Dead Memories

I received a curious comment.

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Dear Sir/Madam,

On behalf of the National Library Board (NLB), we would like to invite you to pledge your blog to the Singapore Memory Project as part of efforts to collect memories that are already manifested in existing online channels. 

The Singapore Memory Project (SMP) is a national initiative to collect, preserve and provide access to Singapore’s knowledge materials. Spearheaded by NLB, the SMP aims to build a national collection of content in diverse formats (including print, audio and video), to preserve them in digital form, and make them available for discovery and research.

By pledging your blog to SMP, you are affirming that every memory matters. Whether your posts are an account of your daily life, or an expression of your thoughts, the SMP hopes to find a home for your memories so that it can help build towards an understanding of Singapore. You will also receive a badge that you can display on your blog in recognition of your contributions.

Contributors to this blog pledging initiative will be listed on Singapore Memory portal’s blog pledging webpage. All blogs pledged to SMP will archived using NLB’s web harvesting software, in addition to images of each blog’s landing page. 

If you are keen to pledge your blog to SMP, simply fill up our response form at this following URL: http://singaporememory.simulation.com.sg/Public/Pledge. 

You may find out more about this initiative at http://www.iremember.sg/?page_id=2822.

We are looking forward to your contribution.

Simulation Software & Technology (S2T) Pte Ltd 
583 Orchard Road #14-02 Forum The Shopping Mall S(238884), Singapore 
|w: www.simulation.com.sg 



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You probably had received it too. Any Singaporean blogger would have, no? It looked like there wasn't any selection criteria on their part. I like NLB. I really do. If I am asked what organisation I love about Singapore for a change, NLB will be the first one my list. Needless to say, I was a lifelong customer of the NLB. It grew up with me as my playground, my refugee and my shrine.


A part of me thinks this initiative is merely another form of archiving, that is an important role of the library but I don't feel comfortable when the word "pledge" is used here. In Singapore, pledging is a dirty word. I couldn't help by think of how the government urge us to pledge our HDB flats when our CPF funds run out during retirement. And then, how we pledge our organs to when we die. Well I don't have a problem with donating organs when I die but we know how things work in Singapore, ya? Remember how we felt when they revealed about our donations made to TV charity shows? Only 10 cents per dollar goes to the patients or needy.


I'm sure the NLB wouldn't profit out of the Singaporean pledgers. I like their idea of creating an archive of memories. In fact, I think it is essential to do so - we saw how rapid we change. There will be a day when we can not recognise ourselves anymore. This initiative will be a museum of culture, spirit and love, timely for an impending extinction.


But leave me out. Singaporeans does not need a quitter's memories. No one is interested in it. Some memories are meant to be left to die.

2 comments:

  1. Your works here i.e. this blog won't die off. It'll be archived in the virtual world just like Singapore Serf. Don't worry, ppl will contd reading your blog even if you are gone! Keep writing and leaving your cyber foot prints.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No. Singaporeans need your memories. They need the truth.
    I want to believe.

    ReplyDelete