Buangkok MRT Station
From Freepedia
Buangkok MRT Station (NE15) is on the North East MRT Line in Singapore. It was supposed to be opened with the other of the 14 stations on the line in 2003. But a few days before the opening, SBS Transit decided not to open the station as the area is relatively undeveloped and the company claimed that the number of passengers were too low to cover operating costs. It will open when the area around it is more developed and only when there is a critical mass of passengers in the area.
White Elephant Saga
In August 2005, during a minister's visit to Ponggol South, a resident displeased with Buangkok's disuse, erected a series of white paper cut-outs of elephants, which were drawn in a cartoon-like style, symbolically calling the unopened Buangkok station a 'white elephant'. Soon after, police started investigation on it as a case of a public display without permit, on the grounds that a complaint was received. It raised controversy because many people saw it as a harmless, trivial case not worthy of investigation, and besides, many found the elephant cut-outs cute too. It also reflected the widespread displeasure over how the costly MRT station was built with taxpayers' money but denied them access. It also raised the question of how much the freedom of expression the government is willing to give. A month later, police closed the investigation and let the offender off, but not without a stern warning however.
On the other hand, the cut-outs of white elephants were clearly in violation of the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act, for which the maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $10,000. This led Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng to explain to the media, "We cannot apply the law to some and turn a blind eye to others. If we do, then the law becomes the real white elephant."
| Preceding station | Mass Rapid Transit Lines | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hougang | North East MRT Line | Sengkang | ||
