ANNUAL REPORT 2013/2014 1 Grow With Us The seeds of Singapore’s greening campaign were sown in 1963, when former Prime Minster Mr Lee Kuan Yew planted a Mempat tree at Farrer Circus. Fifty years later on 16 June 2013, he set a Rain Tree sapling firmly in the ground at Holland Village Park, marking the start of a series of activities to commemorate our greening journey. As we look back at the greening efforts over the past 50 years, we can see the dramatic transformation that has taken place in Singapore’s landscape as we transitioned from those nascent years to a Garden City and now to our City in a Garden. Going forward, we will continue to be guided by the vision of our pioneering leaders to make Singapore a distinctive and attractive place to live in. We will continue to build on the foundations that have been laid over the past five decades and we invite everyone – individuals, communities and corporations – to Grow With Us. NPARKS ANNUAL REPORT 2013/2014 | CONTENTS NPARKS ANNUAL REPORT 2013/2014 | CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE Contents Chairman’s Message Chairman’s Message 03 Cherish With Us 24 Corporate Governance 55 Members of the Board 04 Build With Us 36 Financial Review 56 “ Our job is to respond to the needs of Singapore Management Team 06 Facts And Figures 46 Financial Statements 60 and its residents for the next fifty years, seeding Organisation Structure 08 Publications 52 commitment and enthusiasm for Singapore’s natural Green With Us 10 Garden City Fund 54 Mrs Christina Ong heritage for future generations.” Chairman National Parks Board Singapore’s commitment to preserving and nurturing our with members of 21 local community groups, schools, and natural heritage spans five decades, beginning with the religious and commercial organisations who helped to plant Golden Penda trees and Bougainvillea idea that a beautiful green city would be an intangible beautiful shrubs and plants along the roads. Other Nature plants blooming along Clementi Road asset to the country for residents and visitors alike. In Ways have already been completed in Admiralty, Tampines, 2013, the National Parks Board (NParks) commemorated Yishun, Punggol, Tanglin and Kheam Hock. By the end of the fruition of this idea, recognising past contributions next year, NParks aims to complete 60km of Nature Ways for and engaging people from all walks of life as partners in everyone to enjoy. continuing this legacy. Over the past fifty years, we have established over 300 Our 50th Anniversary commemorative dinner on 26 July parks across the island. More than just beautiful green 2013 brought together over 200 guests, whose dedication areas, these are community spaces where friendships are and efforts have shaped Singapore as we know it today. made, birthdays are celebrated and families spend time The event was a fitting tribute to their efforts, as Minister together. To this end, we completed the first elevated park of National Development Mr Khaw Boon Wan thanked connector linking Ayer Rajah to Clementi and Buona Vista, our guests against the beautiful sunset backdrop of the and the Choa Chu Kang Park Extension last year. We hope Singapore Botanic Gardens, currently in consideration for that families and residents will explore these connectors and UNESCO World Heritage Site status. their parks, discovering the charms of each. Protecting our natural heritage is our responsibility to The job of NParks is more than maintaining plants, designing future generations. As an urban city-state, Singapore streetscapes and protecting our local flora and fauna. Our has unique challenges in ensuring that our biodiversity job is to respond to the needs of Singapore and its residents continues to thrive. Last year, we completed Southeast for the next fifty years, seeding commitment and enthusiasm Asia’s first ecological corridor, Eco-link@BKE, to bridge the for Singapore’s natural heritage for future generations. Thank Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves across you for your support in cherishing, nurturing and building the Bukit Timah Expressway. This project was only possible Singapore as a City in a Garden. through collaboration with agencies such as the Land Transport Authority and many academic and community stakeholders. Such partnership is central to our continued evolution as a City in a Garden. Our Nature Ways project enables communities to take pride and responsibility in the Mrs Christina Ong greening of their own neighbourhoods. Launched in Chairman January 2014, the Tengah Nature Way was developed National Parks Board 2 3 NPARKS ANNUAL REPORT 2013/2014 | MEMBERS OF THE BOARD NPARKS ANNUAL REPORT 2013/2014 | MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mrs Christina Ong a member of several statutory board Andreas Sohmen-Pao Members of the Board advisory panels and Senior Advisor to Board Member Chairman several private firms. In 2009, Mrs Koh-Lim As of September 2014 Mrs Ong is Managing Director of Club 21 was conferred the Meritorious Service Mr Sohmen-Pao is the Chief Executive Officer of BW Maritime Pte Ltd and Pte Ltd, a lifestyle retailer with more than Award by the Government of Singapore. Chairman of BW LPG Ltd. He is a non- 422 stores worldwide. A leading fashion executive director of BW Offshore Limited, entrepreneur, Mrs Ong is a recipient of The Dr Malone-Lee Lai Choo The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Italian Fashion Hall of Fame Award 1995 and Board Member Corporation Ltd, The Esplanade Co. Ltd and the Italian Award of Cavaliere De Lavo. Mrs Singapore Maritime Foundation, and is a Ong is also a noted luxury hotelier, managing Dr Malone-Lee is Director of the Centre member of the Singapore Sports Council a stable of niche properties under the COMO for Sustainable Asian Cities, School of and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Hotels & Resorts (Asia) Pte Ltd brand. Design and Environment at the National Council. Mr Sohmen-Pao previously worked University of Singapore (NUS). Prior to for Goldman Sachs International in London Mrs Deborah Ong joining NUS, Dr Malone-Lee worked and served from 2006 to 2012 as a director in the areas of strategic planning, of the Maritime and Port Authority of Deputy Chairman urban planning policies and heritage Singapore. He holds an honours degree (BA Mrs Ong is a partner at conservation. Her current research Hons) from Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore. interest is on urban planning policies She has more than 20 years of public and strategies for sustainable cities, accounting experience, providing audit and focusing on the benchmarking of Warren Fernandez advisory services to a wide range of clients. cities, densification, city liveability and Board Member Besides leading a portfolio of the firm’s Mrs Christina Ong Mrs Deborah Ong Kenneth Er resource optimisation. She is a part-time Mr Fernandez is the Editor of The Straits largest clients, Mrs Ong has been appointed consultant with the United Nations Chairman Deputy Chairman Board Member Times. He has been with the Singapore as the firm’s Risk & Quality Leader. She was & Chief Executive Officer Economic and Social Commission for Asia Press Holdings for almost two decades, previously the firm’s Human Capital Leader. and the Pacific (ESCAP). during which he served in many roles including political correspondent, news Kenneth Er Ngiam Shih Chun editor, deputy political editor, foreign editor and deputy editor. Mr Fernandez graduated Board Member and Board Member with First Class Honours from Oxford Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ngiam is the Deputy Secretary for University, where he read Philosophy, National Parks Board Industry in the Ministry of Trade and Politics and Economics, and also has a Mr Er began his career in the National Parks Industry, where he oversees policies to Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy Board (NParks) and has been involved in the develop Singapore’s economy. He was School of Government. He has served on planning, implementation and management formerly the Special Assistant to Emeritus a number of public committees such as of parks and streetscapes in the city ever Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s the Remaking Singapore Committee, the since. In 2003, he was seconded to the Office. Prior to that, he was the Director of Singapore 21 Committee, Compass, and the Ministry of National Development, where he Community Relations and Engagement at Cost Review Committee and used to sit on oversaw policies and was actively involved in the Ministry of Community Development, the boards of the Civil Service College and the review of legislations pertaining to parks Youth and Sports (MCYS) where he National Environment Agency. Currently, and greenery infrastructure, agri-veterinary promoted community bonding and racial he is a board member of the National issues and building and construction. Mr Er and religious harmony, and helped to Heritage Board. Mrs Koh-Lim Wen Gin Dr Malone-Lee Lai Choo Ngiam Shih Chun Seah Kian Peng was subsequently appointed General Manager develop volunteerism and philanthropy. Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member at Gardens by the Bay, where he played a He was also concurrently the Director of Dr Suriani Suratman pivotal role in developing the Gardens from the Social Sector Planning Unit. Mr Ngiam Board Member concept to form. He was also concurrently has also served in the Ministry of Home Dr Suriani is Senior Lecturer at the Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Corporate Affairs and the Ministry of Education. Department of Malay Studies, National Development & Services) at NParks. He was University of Singapore. She is trained as appointed Chief Operating Officer of Gardens Seah Kian Peng a social anthropologist. Her teaching and by the Bay in 2012. Mr Er is presently the Chief Board Member research covers areas on Malay culture Executive Officer of NParks.