Iconic 4-Faced Buddha Statue Outside Golden Mile Still Looking for a New Home

By
Goh Yi Ling
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Last Updated on 2023-02-24 , 5:14 pm

The closure of Golden Mile Complex draws nearer each day, and tenants have been gradually finding new locations to carry on their daily lives.

Some bus operators are moving to Grantral Mall@MacPherson near Tai Seng. The beloved Thai Supermarket will find a new home in Aperia Mall near Kallang.

But not all the occupants (or landmarks) associated with Golden Mile Complex have made plans for the future.

The four-faced Buddha statue outside Golden Mile Complex is one of them. There has not been any decision on where the statue should be moved.

The statue is a model of Phra Phrom, a popular religious figure worshipped in Thailand and Singapore. Phra Phrom finds its origins in the Hindu creator god Brahma.

Statue Does Not Have a New Home for Now

Given that the May closure of Golden Mile Complex looms in the background, many members of the public are curious about where the Buddha statue will be moved to.

According to a report by Shin Min Daily, the plans for moving the statue have not been fixed. The search for the right owner to take over the statue is still underway.

The largest shareholder of Golden Mile Complex, Mr Loh Yuan Sen (Hanyu pinyin), shared that it is a must for the statue to be moved and ideally to an outdoor location.

However, the locations the other tenants of Golden Mile Complex are relocating to are not suitable to house the statue. Mr Loh hopes that the new location will also be conducive for public members to continue worshipping the statue, whether in a private compound or in a temple.

Mr Loh is one of the founders of “Little Thailand” at Golden Mile Complex. He began a tailor shop serving Thai workers in the 1980s at Golden Mile Complex as it was a location that the Thais were familiar with.

Mr Loh then expanded the range of shops and services offered at the complex, calling in convenience stores, money remittance outlets, food, cinemas and a supermarket. This was to achieve his aim of creating a “one-stop” shopping location for Thais.

Because of Mr Loh’s efforts, Golden Mile Complex evolved to house more than 400 shops, offices and residences. Mr Loh’s blood, sweat and tears also catapulted him to a 20% ownership of Golden Mile Complex.

It sounds like he’s rolling in dough and set for life.

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Statue Belonged to a Department Store

For those of you curious as to how a religious statue came to be located outside a secular mall in Singapore, we have answers for you.

The statue of Phra Phrom was originally left behind after a department store left Golden Mile Complex more than 20 years ago.

If you guessed that Mr Loh also had a hand in this move to create an icon for Golden Mile Complex, you have hit the nail on the head.

Inspiration did indeed strike Mr Loh, which led him to retain the statue after the tenant’s departure. He had engaged the services of Buddhist monks to assist with moving the statue outdoors.

Since then, members of the public have been able to pay their respects to Phra Phrom outside the shopping mall as and when they want to. Donation boxes were also set up near the statue to facilitate the worship.

Mr Loh shares that the proceeds from these devotees were donated to charity.

We hope this iconic symbol of Golden Mile Complex finds a suitable home soon to continue this interesting tradition.

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Goh Yi Ling
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