Elgin Bridge, named after Lord James Bruce Elgin, who was Governor-General of India in 1862, traces Singapore’s historical roots as a member of the Straits Settlements administered by the British East India Company (Give Elgin Bridge more meaningful name, by Mr Teng Heng Tin, May 24). One reason given by Mr Teng to replace the name “Elgin” is that Lord Elgin had ordered the destruction of China’s Old Summer Palace, or Yuan Ming Yuan, in 1860. We should note that Lord Elgin ordered the destruction only in retaliation for the senseless murder and torture of 20 Britons and Indians, including two British envoys and a journalist from The Times. Based on the same logic, we should also replace the name of Sir Stamford Raffles throughout Singapore, because he carried out military attacks in Java, including the looting and destruction of the Yogyakarta Palace in 1812. Coming up with a common name for Elgin Bridge, such as Pioneer Bridge or Merdeka Bridge, would be meaningless and, in addition, the history of the bridge’s name will be lost.... Continue Reading