Your Excellency Mr Paul Madden, British High Commissioner to Singapore
Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador at Large
Mrs Christina Ong, Chairman, National Parks Board
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen

        Good evening. We are gathered here to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  Not many institutions in Singapore can claim to be 150 years old.  So it is indeed a pleasure and an honour to welcome so many of you to this special occasion.

Achievements of the Singapore Botanic Gardens
2      The Gardens started life in 1859, as a venue for flower shows and horticultural fetes.  In the late 19th century, an event of historical and economic significance took place --the cultivation of rubber in the Gardens.  This laid the foundation for the rubber industry that brought tremendous growth to the region.  Today, the Gardens is a premier scientific institution for botanical and horticultural research, conservation and education.

3      The Gardens is also one of Singapore’s top tourist attractions, visited by over a million tourists each year.  Last year, the Michelin Green Guide gave the Gardens a three-Star rating – its highest award.  Time Magazine also named the Gardens as “Asia’s Best Urban Jungle”.

4      But the majority of us would remember the Gardens as a “People’s Garden”, a much-loved green civic space which holds many of our own special, personal memories –  memories of primary school excursions, family picnics or romantic dates.

The Birth of A Garden City
5      As we reflect on the many roles that the Gardens plays in Singapore’s economic and social development, I want to highlight one important role, namely its contributions towards the greening of Singapore.  In the 1960s, when MM, then-PM Lee Kuan Yew launched the campaign to make Singapore a Garden City, the Botanic Gardens provided its expertise and resources towards the realisation of this vision.

6      From the very early days of our nation building, MM recognised the economic and emotive value of having lush greenery as we urbanised our country.  The sight of tree-lined highways, manicured lawns and smartly-pruned hedges would convey to potential investors that Singapore was an efficient place where things got done, attention was paid to details, and where their investments would be well taken care of.  A green environment would also soften the harshness of urban living, uplift the human spirit and improve our quality of life.  MM’s vision marked the start of over four decades of conscientious efforts at greening Singapore.

7      We are honoured that MM will be with us later to share with us his thoughts in a dialogue entitled:  "An Open Conversation with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew: Greening of a Nation".

Realising the Garden City – A Collective Effort
8      Today, Singapore is well known internationally as a Garden City.  Residents enjoy a clean and green living environment, and visitors marvel at the extensive greenery in our urban landscape.  Mercer rated Singapore as the most liveable city in Asia, in its latest ranking.

9      The transformation of Singapore into a Garden City was a collective effort – one that required the dedication and commitment of many individuals and organisations.

10     The Garden City Action Committee (GCAC), comprising of representatives from MND, NParks, AVA, BCA, HDB, JTC, LTA, PUB, STB and URA, has been a prime mover in driving our urban greening efforts.  I would like to congratulate past and present GCAC members on the excellent work done.

11     We also have with us tonight, past and present public service leaders who had left an indelible mark on Singapore’s greening journey.  While there are too many to name this evening, I would like to specifically thank the past Commissioners of Parks and Recreation, Mr Wong Yew Kwan, Dr Chua Sian Eng and Dr Tan Wee Kiat.  As well as Dr Liu Thai Ker who, during his term as CEO and Chief Planner of URA, had conscientiously planned for green spaces.

12     But the vision and plans of the Government alone would not have been enough.  Our urban greenery was nurtured with the tireless efforts of dedicated professionals from the landscape and horticulture industry, who are truly the green thumbs behind our Garden City. We are also grateful for the support of many passionate individuals and organisations, from the community at large, who have been generous in their contribution of time and resources towards this labour of love.

13     There is a Chinese proverb - 前人栽树，后人乘凉 – future generations will enjoy the shade of trees planted by their forefathers.  Today, as we enjoy the fruits of the efforts of those who had contributed towards the success of our Garden City, we must renew our commitment to nurture and grow our city’s greenery for the benefit of future generations.

Evolving Singapore into a "City in a Garden"
14     As our Garden City matures, other countries are learning from and replicating Singapore’s urban greening model. This is a strong affirmation of our success. It also means that we have to reinvent ourselves to maintain our competitive edge.  Our goal is to evolve Singapore from a “Garden City” into a “City in a Garden”, where our entire island is transformed into one beautiful tropical garden, within which our homes, our workplaces, schools, indeed the whole urban infrastructure, is nestled.

15     To achieve this vision, we have embarked on several bold and exciting projects.  We are developing Gardens by the Bay, three lush waterfront Gardens set around Marina Bay.  We are landscaping our waterways, creating active, beautiful and clean waters that are integrated with our parks and gardens. We are linking up our parks and nature areas around the island through an extensive Park Connector Network, including a 150km round-island route that will allow one to walk, cycle or jog around Singapore.

16     Our competitive strength is our ability to work together as an effective Government, in partnership with a professional Industry and a passionate Community.  This will be required more than ever, as we implement these new projects, and explore innovative ways to expand our green spaces.

Conclusion
17     Let me end by extending my sincere thanks and appreciation to the sponsors and partners whose support has made this evening’s event possible.  I would like to take this opportunity to ask all of you to join me in congratulating the staff and partners of the Botanic Gardens on its 150th Anniversary, and in extending our very best wishes for many more good years ahead. Thank you.

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