My sis had a visiting friend over the weekend, and my family invited her to join us for dinner at Clarke Quay. We passed by the river cruise ticketing box, and Mom thought that it would be rather exciting to take a river taxi down the Singapore River, and so we did, on the DUCK and HiPPO hybrid powered eco-friendly electric boat. There was a friendly tour guide who pointed out the sights as we went along.
When the then-Hill Street Police Station, now MICA Building came into view, the commentator introduced “that colourful building… which is now called the MICA Buildling. MICA stands for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts”.
And what do they do?
He had but a one-liner to share with the Japanese, Taiwanese and us pretend-tourists on board: “They’re the ones responsible for censorship in Singapore”.
And there you have it.
I’m not sure if I was the only one who appreciated his style of humour.
on Mar 2nd, 2010 at 1:45 am
Factually correct as the Censorship Dept is one of the agencies within MICA’s portfolio.
But I think it’s terrible tour guiding as the former Hill Street Police Station building has so much social history for the best part of the 20th century. Its too dismissive just to label it as a censorship outfit.
When I was working at that building, I remember being told that from time to time, inter faith religious ceremonies would be held to “calm” the spirits caught in transit here. Pretty much like the Banana tree spirit at SBG area.
Due to the building’s background as a police station under the British, Japanese and later independent Singapore, many persons suffered terrible fates under interrogations. Many likely met a very violent end at these grounds and their spirits never left the building.
Hence, staff were advised to leave by 630pm latest. If anyone stayed late and experienced a chill in a hot, non aircon office, its time to go.