‘Looks pretty sad’ — Netizen posts photo of current state of Dover Forest East

SINGAPORE: A netizen posted a picture of the “current state of Dover Forest east” on r/Singapore on Sunday (June 4), commenting that it looks “looks pretty sad,” spawning a lively discussion as many netizens chimed in.

In 2021, Dover Forest made the news after the Nature Society of Singapore’s Conservation Committee called for the 33-hectare forest area to be set apart as a nature park instead of for residential development.

Many others, including Progress Singapore Party head Dr Tan Cheng Bock, called for its preservation as the “soul of the community.”

Several Reddit users brought up the critical issue of land scarcity in Singapore.

“Just saying, the place you’re taking the photo from, used to be a part of Dover forest as well, just over a decade ago…

With the land scarcity in SG, coupled with the fact that the land is literally next to an mrt station, Dover Forest was always gonna be an area for development,” was one much-upvoted comment.

Others, however, had questions.

“Land scarcity how about land not generating enough KPI? If land is truly a scarcity why not remove those low lying private properties or country clubs?” one asked.

At least one Reddit user waxed nostalgic about Dover Forest’s bygone days, writing, “I used to track dover forest, then to maju forest and clementi forest. The fact that it was not administered under NPark made it real fun to track. I recalled there were some pleasant surprises in Dover Forest – Lilly pond, super tall lalang, super big spider web, and small rover stream with fishes.”

“What to do? Not enough BTO, people complain. Cut down trees to build BTO, people complain,” another wrote.

One suggested, “Cull the colonial houses. Build even taller HDBs.”

“Had the honour to tour it not long ago. It was such an accessible ecosystem to various birds and trees. Land is scarce but have you seen those areas with 30 or so private landed houses with swimming pools in each and every one of them, or the ratio of lands used in landed housing vs HDB SG? Highly simplistic and dismissive opinion of mine but just saying,” another Reddit user chimed in.

       /TISG

Tan Cheng Bock appeals to save Dover Forest