I visited Saint John's Island about 20 years ago. It was quiet and peaceful.

The other Chinese name for Saint John's Island (圣约瀚岛) is Qizhangshan (棋樟山). My mother told me about Qizhangshan when I was young. When the immigrants from China came to Singapore, they had to stay in Qizhangshan for quarantining for a week.

I was not affected by the story of Qizhangshan that my mother told me until one day at the year-end of 2007. I was then giving tuition in Chinese Language for my son. After reading the article of the Vicissitude of Saint John's Island, I was very disturbed. The article recorded how unfair the British Government treated the immigrants. It was very sad to learn about the misfortune experience of our ancestors.

Soon after landing in 1819, Stamford Raffles founded Singapore as a freeport harbour. He then set up a station with flagpole in Saint John's Island to attract the passing by merchant ships.

When Singapore became well known, there was no canvassing purpose for Saint John Island. At the same time more and more immigrants from China and India to Singapore. The British Government then turned Saint John's Island into a quarantine station. When the quarantine station set up in 1903, immigrants had to stay in the Island for a week before landing in Singapore.

The environment of the quarantine station was bad. The immigrants were treated like criminals. A famous Chinese businessman Loke Yew (陆佑) then donated fifty thousand dollars to improve the facilities of the Station.

In 1910, the Station official ordered the immigrants to be naked for health check. It was deep disgrace for women to be naked in public at that time. Hence, some women committed suicide by drowning themselves.

The Chinese community in Singapore was very angry with the uncivilised rule set up by the British Government. The people protested and requested for humanity. The strong objection made the Government to amend the rule.

When there were less and less immigrants in the 1950s, the Quarantine Station then removed.

I learned more about Saint John's Island and the misfortune settlement to Singapore of our ancestors. The article made me sad. But I was much indignant with the comments of some unfeeling persons, especially a famous Taiwan idiot. I read a number of comments in a Chinese website written by a group of degenerate persons. They looked down upon our ancestors. They used all sorts of words to put our ancestors to shame. How shameful were those people who wrote the comments!

Yes, most of our Chinese ancestors were from the southern China. Most of them came to Singapore during 1900s - 1940s. They fled from famine and calamity. They left their homeland against their will. When they settled down in Singapore, they lived with other races with harmony. They and other races built up Singapore as a peaceful land after a few generations.

We had our own identity in 1965. We are Singaporean. Those who looked down upon our ancestors should be very shameful. When they landed at the air-conditioned Changi Airport, were they aware of the vicissitude of Saint John's Island?