Will journalists become as extinct as the turf club?

The year 2024 is coming to an end.

Before we start celebrating the countdown to 2025, I just want to put on record a list of things which have disappeared or are likely to become extinct.

These should be self-explanatory for most Singaporeans. Here’s the list of things which are part of our disappearing heritage:

1. Fruit seller

2. Kaka stall

3. Toto booth

4. F & B staff who can speak dialect

5. Younger Singaporeans who know who Ong Pang Boon is

6. Friendly and homely shopping centres like Queensway shopping centre, Tay Buan Guan, Peace Centre, the old Funan centre, Katong shopping centre.

7. Kiam chye tee huang

8. Lok kai yoke

9. Midnight Teochew porridge

10. Rediffusion

11. Boomers, pioneers

12. Extensive accessible seafront for ordinary non-club Singaporeans to lepak

13. Cheap holiday chalets

14. Bumboats

15. Stray dogs

16. Trishaws

17. Large nightclubs or discos

18. Dialect-speaking comedians

19. Erudite MPs or political leaders

20. Larger-than-life show personalities like Anita Sarawak

21. Eurasians

22. Cheap Johor Bahru goods and services

23. Great rousing Fullerton rally speeches

24. Physical passports

25. Singaporeans who do not wear spectacles or contact lenses

26. Trishaws

27. Writers, journalists

28. Bus fare tickets

29. Book stores

30. Turf club

31. Hotel lobby piano lounges

32. Malaysia Cup matches

With that, I wish all a Happy New Year.

Tan Bah Bah is a former senior leader writer with The Straits Times. He was also managing editor of a magazine publishing company

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)