When Ignorance Goes Viral: Singapore, TikTok, and the Heritage Debate

The Spark: One TikTok, One Comment, Hundreds of Reactions

A minor storm erupted online this week when a British woman’s offhand remark about Singapore’s “lack of heritage” triggered waves of indignation across social media.

The comment, captured in a street interview and posted on TikTok, was picked up by AsiaOne and then blasted across Facebook, where it racked up nearly 800 comments, mostly from Singaporeans. The original TikTok video had already amassed 148,000 views and over 700 comments.

The Viral Headline?


And the replies poured in. From the witty to the wounded, reactions included:

• “She wants an ancient relic? Just go to the mirror.”

• “Who invited you anyway?”

• “Singapore isn’t even 60 — my grandma has more heritage.”



Missing the Point: Heritage ≠ History

While the outrage was predictable, the real issue lies in the widespread confusion revealed in the comments.

Let’s clear a few things up:

• History and heritage are not the same thing.

• History doesn’t start or stop with independence or a change in government.

• Buildings and relics are not history — they’re expressions of it.

That so few people challenged the original claim is what’s truly alarming. The idea that Singapore “has no history” isn’t just wrong — it reflects how little of that history is known, taught, or explored.

A Bigger Problem: Historical Amnesia

The modern states of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia emerged from the trauma of WWII and decolonization. In building cohesive national identities, many of the older stories — especially those that didn’t fit cleanly into postwar nationhood — were set aside.

But before colonialism, before Raffles, there were sultanates, seafaring empires, and trade networks that made this island regionally significant. Singapore has always been more than just a blank slate waiting for modernity.

As historian and travel writer Jan Morris noted in the 1970s:

“Hardly anybody in Singapore seems to think about history... The Chinese, who provided the muscle and the brains to run Singapore, are not habitually interested in the past. The result is that Singapore essentially lives for the day, and does not much bother about history.”

Why It Matters

This isn’t just academic. A people who don’t understand their past risk losing their sense of identity, agency, and continuity. History isn’t nostalgia — it’s a foundation. Without it, everything feels a little more disposable, a little less rooted.

In my book, Palace of Ghosts: Singapore’s Untold History, I explore the hidden, silenced, and overlooked narratives that shaped Singapore long before its modern emergence. These aren’t just footnotes — they’re essential to understanding who we are and how we got here.

Final Thoughts

A single ignorant comment can spark a social media storm. But sometimes, it also reveals deeper truths — about what we know, what we’ve lost, and what we choose not to see.

History is there. The question is: are we willing to look?


Want to learn more?

Check out Palace of Ghosts: Singapore's Untold History – a journey into the forgotten stories behind the Lion City.


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