In 1972, a mango tree was planted by Hidayah Amin’s grandmother at Gedung Kuning (Yellow Mansion) to commemorate her birth. In 1989, the area was gazzeted a conservation area and the building acquired by the state in 1999. Restored to be part of the Malay Heritage Centre, Gedung Kuning was host to a restaurant, ‘Tepak Sireh‘.
Photo of Gedung Kuning by linkway88,
you can see the mango tree on the right.
In April this year, it was announced that The Expansion Group would be revamping the building and later that they will open a restaurant called ‘Mamanda’ in July ‘with authentic Malay food and traditional cultural performances such as silat and folk dance. ‘
Hidayah’s mango tree was too young to be protected a nomination under the NParks’ Heritage Tree programme
Last Saturday, the healthy mango tree was cut down.
Two days later, Hidayah was informed by email about a decision to remove the tree. Alerted by friends the tree had already been destroyed, she rushed down on the 26th to see that in deed all traces of the tree were gone.
Too late to transplant the tree, Hidayah pens a poem which was published in Berita Harian today.
See GedungKuning.com for the poem and the story about her mango tree.
Hidayah Amin is author of “Gedung Kuning: Memories of a Malay Childhood”, published in 2010, available for $28 with delivery at Archipelago Consultancy.
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