experience A newsletter of the Singapore Cooperation Programme July - September 2012 ISSUE 44 JEWEL in the SKYLINE MEGA PARK GARDENS BY THE BAY IS A FANTASY IN BLOOM GREEN WITH A PURPOSE THE MAKEOVER OF SINGAPORE’S PARKS REBUILDING A COMMUNITY A HELPING HAND FOR PAKISTAN’S FLOOD VICTIMS FOREWORD QUOTES FROM READERS’ LETTERS n our last issue of Experience Singapore, we revealed Singapore’s plans to “Thank you for the April-June issue of Experience Singapore. I collect all the issues transform from a “Garden City” to a “City in A Garden”. We provide more details that you send me. Any latest news of in this issue. Our cover story Jewel Of A Park is dedicated to Singapore’s new Singapore never fails to impress me. When I Gardens By The Bay which was offi cially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien saw the latest cover, my mind went back to ILoong on 28 June 2012. The Gardens, which took 8 years to complete, are set to the Chinese cultural centre in Chinatown – it become an intrinsic part of Singapore’s new downtown. was one of the most striking places I visited in Singapore four years ago.” Outside of the city, the rejuvenation of our community parks is also well underway. In Beautifying With A Purpose, fi nd out how a utilitarian canal in Premachanda Abeywickrama Danapala, Sri Lanka Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park was transformed into a beautiful waterway employing natural bioengineering techniques to keep the water clean. This issue also explores how Singapore NGO Mercy Relief recently completed a “After my wonderful experience in Singapore, project to reconstruct homes for the people in the village of Wazir Ali Jat in Pakistan, where I had the opportunity to participate in the SCP course ‘Enhancing Pedagogy Skills For who were displaced in the nation’s worst-ever fl ood. Find out more about Mercy Teacher Trainers’, I want to tell you that I have Relief’s eff orts in Rebuilding A Community in our Joining Hands pages. improved and put in practice all the knowledge Our Refl ections page puts the spotlight on a group of young visitors from acquired though the course. I am now in a Thailand, who were in Singapore for a study tour in May. Not only did these VIPs new job which allows me to demonstrate from the Young Ambassadors of Virtue Foundation visit our schools, libraries, everything I have learnt at the National National Museum and the Zoo, they were also hosted to a tea reception by Insitute of Education at Nanyang Technological University. And a very important Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs, Mr Masagos Zulkifl i. link to your country is the Experience We hope you enjoy this issue of Experience Singapore. This year marks the Singapore magazine that you send me.” 20th anniversary for the Singapore Cooperation Programme. Our next issue of Martinod Catalina, Ecuador Experience Singapore would be a commemorative special. Do look out for it! Sudesh Maniar “Each time I receive your magazine I am widely reminded of the hospitality and humility of Director your country. Thank you for maintaining the Public Aff airs Directorate connection.“ Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Singapore Mathias Chinanayi, Zimbabwe BE PART OF THE SCP’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION! To celebrate this occasion, we will be publishing a special Copyright © is held by the publishers. All rights reserved. commemorative issue later this Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in Singapore by Times Printers, year. If you are an alumnus of www.timesprinters.com. ISSN: 0219-2896 the Singapore Cooperation Experience Singapore is a publication of the Public Programme (SCP), take this Aff airs and Technical Cooperation Directorates opportunity and share with us yourur fond of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, Singapore. The Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) is memories in Singapore as part of theth SCP! administered by the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, We would love to hear your stories and Singapore, and is aimed at sharing Singapore’s developmental experience with other experiences. Do send us photos together developing countries. with captions, and see them published in the next issue of Experience Singapore! You can now follow us on Twitter! Follow @MFA sg Please send in your stories to Publishing Consultant [email protected]. MediaCorp Pte Ltd Cover photo: Wilson Pang 2 experience singapore FOREWORD SCENE SG DESTINATION HOTSPOT RECORD EU-SINGAPORE This is a slight improve- TRADE ment from last year, where Trade between Singapore and the QUOTES FROM READERS’ LETTERS Singapore had also come European Union (EU) reached record in fourth in visitor arrivals levels in 2011 despite the region’s n our last issue of Experience Singapore, we revealed Singapore’s plans to “Thank you for the April-June issue of but was ranked seventh in economic woes. It rose seven per Experience Singapore. I collect all the issues tourist spending. cent to reach S$106 billion, and was transform from a “Garden City” to a “City in A Garden”. We provide more details that you send me. Any latest news of in this issue. Our cover story Jewel Of A Park is dedicated to Singapore’s new The index, released up 11 per cent in the fi rst quarter Singapore never fails to impress me. When I on 18 June, ranked Lon- of 2012. Gardens By The Bay which was offi cially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien saw the latest cover, my mind went back to don tops in both expendi- A free trade agreement (FTA) be- ILoong on 28 June 2012. The Gardens, which took 8 years to complete, are set to the Chinese cultural centre in Chinatown – it ture and the number of tween the EU and Singapore is also become an intrinsic part of Singapore’s new downtown. was one of the most striking places I visited in Singapore four years ago.” tourist arrivals. expected to be concluded later this Outside of the city, the rejuvenation of our community parks is also well The cities are as- year, said Ambassador Marc Unge- underway. In Beautifying With A Purpose, fi nd out how a utilitarian canal in Premachanda Abeywickrama sessed in terms of their heuer, head of the EU delegation in Danapala, Sri Lanka Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park was transformed into a beautiful waterway employing Singapore has been named as one international visitor arrivals on direct Singapore. natural bioengineering techniques to keep the water clean. of the world’s top fi ve travel spots fl ights, and how much such visitors The EU is Singapore’s second big- for 2012, thanks to its two integrated spent in their destination cities in gest trading partner, slightly behind This issue also explores how Singapore NGO Mercy Relief recently completed a “After my wonderful experience in Singapore, resorts, shopping and dining choices previous years. Malaysia. In turn, the Republic is the project to reconstruct homes for the people in the village of Wazir Ali Jat in Pakistan, where I had the opportunity to participate in the SCP course ‘Enhancing Pedagogy Skills For and other attractions. Separately, the Singapore Tour- EU’s fi fth largest trading partner in who were displaced in the nation’s worst-ever fl ood. Find out more about Mercy Teacher Trainers’, I want to tell you that I have The MasterCard Global Destina- ism Board said in March that Singa- Asia, and 13th globally. The EU is Relief’s eff orts in Rebuilding A Community in our Joining Hands pages. improved and put in practice all the knowledge tions Cities Index also placed Singa- pore could expect up to 14.5 million also the largest source of foreign di- Our Refl ections page puts the spotlight on a group of young visitors from acquired though the course. I am now in a pore fourth in visitor arrivals and fi fth visitors this year, up from 13.2 million rect investment in Singapore, with a Thailand, who were in Singapore for a study tour in May. Not only did these VIPs new job which allows me to demonstrate in tourist spending out of 132 cities. last year. stock of S$169 billion in 2010. from the Young Ambassadors of Virtue Foundation visit our schools, libraries, everything I have learnt at the National National Museum and the Zoo, they were also hosted to a tea reception by Insitute of Education at Nanyang Technological University. And a very important SINGAPORE BY NUMBERS Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs, Mr Masagos Zulkifl i. link to your country is the Experience TALKING POINT The top logistics hub in We hope you enjoy this issue of Experience Singapore. This year marks the Singapore magazine that you send me.” “Through its curriculum, programmesgrammes the world as recognised 20th anniversary for the Singapore Cooperation Programme. Our next issue of Martinod Catalina, Ecuador and community, the Yale-NUSS by the World Bank’s Experience Singapore would be a commemorative special. Do look out for it! 1 Logistics Performance College will contribute to a deepereeper Index. Singapore beat 154 Sudesh Maniar “Each time I receive your magazine I am widely understanding between Singaporeapore other countries. reminded of the hospitality and humility of Director your country. Thank you for maintaining the and the United States, and moreore Public Aff airs Directorate connection.“ broadly between Asia and thee Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Singapore Mathias Chinanayi, Zimbabwe West, in a century when such Singapore has also maintained its pole understanding is going to be position as Asia’s top crucial to all forms of progress.”s.” convention city for the 1th BE PART OF THE SCP’S — Professor Pericles Lewis, 43, president of the new Yale-Nationalnal 10 consecutive year, according 20TH ANNIVERSARY University of Singapore (NUS) College .