It saddens me to learn that there will be no extension to Keppel Club's lease as the Government has redevelopment plans for the site (Keppel Club cuts monthly fee to $1; June 21).

How many 114-year-old heritage establishments can Singapore boast of having?

Don't we have enough modern buildings in our country?

My heart aches every time I think of the old Raffles Institution building in Bras Basah Road which was torn down for urban redevelopment. How sad and tragic.

To prevent more mistakes from being committed, I would like to make another appeal for preserving the Keppel Club.

•Whatever development is planned for the area, surely the masterplan for the area can accommodate the club land as a green lung and public recreational zone.

•To counter accusations that existing members will gain from the preservation of the club as a heritage site, convert all existing memberships into non-transferable ones that will expire upon the death of said members.

•Let all future memberships be on a 10-year basis to be renewed at whatever prevailing rates the Government deems reasonable. That way, no one will have any "hogging" rights.

•Allow public access to the facilities on terms to be decided by a government-appointed executive committee.

Give the above proposals a chance. If they work, we will all be richer in our heritage.

If the above do not work well, then perhaps we could just preserve the facilities, without the 18-hole golf course.

Let us not be in such a haste to destroy the little heritage we have left.

Heritage and history form the soul of any country, especially for a small and young nation like ours.

Lim Sin Tiow