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Few of us in Singapore have much to return to from our childhood, even fewer would have fought as hard as Hidayah Amin to preserve what she holds dear of her heritage.

When Hidayah was born in her family home, Gedung Kuning at Kampong Glam, her grandmother, following an old Malay custom, planted a mango tree in the compound to commemorate her birth. That tree became a fond childhood "companion" for Hidayah. Growing up, it was a playground for her and the other children, a source of delicious fruit and even a shelter for the times she felt down.

The tree survived more than 2 decades, even after the family home was acquired by the government, before it was unceremoniously chopped down in spite of Hidayah's best efforts to have it named a heritage site.

It was a revelation which Hidayah found hard to swallow. She would have made the effort to relocate the tree, if she had known that plans to have it remain where it was had fallen through. The lament became a driving force for her to write about her time at Gedung Kuning, the house that was home to her and her extended family for a good part of her childhood.

Now, her story of The Mango Tree and what it meant to her, has been immortalised in a beautifully illustrated children's book. Flipping through the pages, the story made so much more alive by the drawings of artist Idris Ali, the simplicity of the message touched me both as a charming story of an era gone by as well as a testament to Hidayah's admirable persistence in safe-guarding the memory of her childhood. There is a stubborn refusal, against all odds, to not allow her heritage to be washed away. It makes for a compelling story, especially in a fast paced society as ours, where there is hardly any time to develop an attachment to our natural surroundings. Hidayah's books serve as a reminder of a connection we had to our environment just a few decades ago, and will prove to be a valuable record as our city tirelessly reinvents itself.

We spoke to Hidayah and found out more about why she feels so strongly about keeping the memory of her mango tree alive.

Biddy: How does the whole thing make you feel when you look back on it? Were you angry when they chopped down the tree?

Hidayah: I was traumatised, I cried for 3 weeks non stop. I couldnt work; think.

Biddy: You did not expect it?

Hidayah: When i emailed the MHF, no one had the guts to reply. So i had to write to the press. They could have told me that they will cut it, but instead they cut it and then told me, when there was nothing I could have done.

Hidayah: So many, you should read the book, it's all there. Its not abt me and the tree, it's abt heritage. Preserving what is impt to us. I don't accept cutting the tree to make way for tables n chairs.

Biddy: What message do you hope to convey of heritage through the book? And has writing it provided you with any closure??

Hidayah: Writing is a form of therapy for me, some people think i m taking revenge. But I felt I had to write to remind others not to take things for granted. The environment is important too, this is what i wrote in the book - A wise man once said, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” The tree is symbolic of our heritage. The roots of the tree signify our foundation, our past history. Without the past, we will have no future.

Biddy: So why a children's book?

Hidayah: The story is in my other book Gedung Kuning book, Cik Idah's Mango Tree. The children's book is a continuation and elaboration from my childhood stories. My relationship with the tree. The mango tree is a children's book as I wanted the young ones to learn early. The earlier they understand this importance, the better. The theme of the book launch is abt nature.

Biddy: Do you think it's harder for the current generation to understand your attachment to the tree and heritage at large?

Hidayah: Perhaps they may not understand, surely, they must have loved a tree or plant or .... kids play in the garden, playing in the rain, sitting under tree. Even if they don't understand, perhaps they will when they read my story.

Biddy: Do you have anything to say to the public and the young ones about heritage and the world around them?

Hidayah: My second last paragraph in the book reads - "The death of my mango tree reminded me how temporary things are in this world. That is why it is very important to preserve our heritage as once it is lost, we can never get it back."

Find out more about the Mango Tree here.