Foundation Stone and Time Capsule

As you enter the lobby of the Supreme Court Foyer, look for the eight-sided Foundation stone in the centre of the floor, between the bottom of the staircase and the door. There is an image of it on your screen now. Go around to the far side of it so you can read the inscription. A Foundation stone is of great importance. It is the first stone to be set during construction and it determines the position of the entire building. This foundation stone was laid on the 1st of April 1937 by the Governor, Sir Shenton Thomas, and it commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Straits Settlement as a separate colony. After it had been carefully laid into position, Sir Thomas tapped the four corners of the stone with a wooden mallet, and declared it “Well and truly laid”. You can tap on an image of the ceremony on your screen. Measuring seven feet across and weighing nearly two tonnes, it was the largest Foundation stone in Malaya at the time. Look at the 1930s design of the lettering. When the Japanese occupied Singapore during the second World War, they removed the brass lettering in a bid to erase references to colonial rule. Fortunately, the Supreme Court’s then caretaker, Mr G C de Silva, had carefully preserved them, and after the war the lettering was replaced. If you stand where the stone is, and look up, you are actually standing right under the Main Dome. The stone was placed under the dome here to ensure it would not be disturbed during the construction of the courthouse building. As you cross this lobby today, you are walking above a secret-in-waiting. Under the Foundation stone, a time capsule was buried for posterity. In the year 3000, the wait will finally be over. The time capsule will be disinterred and opened to reveal its contents. What will it contain?