A high powered group from the maritime community came together today at Suntec City to build a Lego mural depicting Maritime Singapore.

Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as part of the Singapore Maritime Week 2011, the activity saw more than 70 participants from all across the maritime community building a 4 metre by 2 metre mural using more than 100,000 Lego pieces. Please refer to (Annex A) for photos of the Lego mural building.

Mr Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs will complete the mural by inserting the final piece on Sunday 10 April, as part of the official launch of Singapore Maritime Week 2011.

"We are very heartened by the strong response from the maritime community to the mural. The mural not only depicts the vibrancy of Maritime Singapore, but more importantly symbolises how every individual in, and every part of, the community comes together to form the vibrant ecosystem that is Maritime Singapore," said Mr Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive of MPA.

Joining Mr Lam in building the mural were senior members of the maritime community, including:

• Dato' Jude Benny, MPA Board Member and Managing Partner of JTJB LLP
• Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao, MPA Board Member and CEO of BW Maritime Pte Ltd
• Mr James Wong, MPA Board Member and Deputy Secretary (Policy) in the Public Service Division of the Prime Minister's Office
• Mr Norifumi Yamamoto, MPA Board Member and Managing Director of Celeste Holding Pte Ltd
• Mrs Gina Lee-Wan, Partner, Allen & Gledhill LLP
• Mr Jan Holm, Managing Director of AP Moller Singapore
• Ms Winnie Low, Executive Director of the Association of Singapore Marine Industries
• Mr Pek Hak Bin, Country President of BP Singapore
• Prof Bernard Tan, Director of the Centre for Maritime Studies in NUS
• Mr Bjorn Tore Markussen, Managing Director of DNV Clean Technology Centre
• Ms Molly Mok, Chairman of Evergreen Marine (Singapore) Pte Ltd
• Mr Nicholas Sansom, President of the Maritime Law Association of Singapore
• Mr Evan Lim, CEO of Ocean Tankers
• Mr Tan Puay Hin, Regional CEO (Southeast Asia) of PSA International
• Mr Yoshihisa Endo, Executive Director of the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre
• RADM Jackson Chia, Commander MSTF, Republic of Singapore Navy
• Mr Lee Wai Pong, Executive Director of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration
• Mr Roland Tan, Director of the Singapore Maritime Academy
• Mr David Chin, Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation
• Mr Heng Chiang Gnee, Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Institute
• Capt Robin Foo, President of the Singapore Maritime Officers' Union
• Ms Marianne Choo, General Manager of the Singapore Shipping Association

More than 40 organisations were involved in the activity and these included:

• Government Agencies: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Ministry of Transport, Police Coast Guard, Republic of Singapore Navy,
• Industry / Inter-Government Organisations: Association of Singapore Marine Industries, BIMCO, General Insurance Association of Singapore, Maritime Law Association of Singapore, Nippon Maritime Centre, ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, Singapore Maritime Foundation, Singapore Shipping Association
• Union: Singapore Maritime Officers' Union
• Terminal Operators: Jurong Port Pte Ltd, PSA International
• Shipping and Shipping Services: AP Moller Singapore, APL Co. Ltd, BP Singapore, BW Maritime Pte Ltd, Celeste Holding Pte Ltd, Evergreen Marine (Singapore) Pte Ltd, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd, Jardine Shipping Services, Maersk Singapore Pte Ltd, Ocean Tankers, PACC Ship Managers, PSA Marine Pte Ltd, Wigetworks Pte Ltd
• Other Maritime Related Companies: Allen & Gledhill LLP, Ecospec Marine Technology Pte Ltd, HSH Nordbank, JTJB LLP, NewEarth Singapore Pte Ltd, Pinguino Research, United Overseas Bank
• Academic and Research Institutes: Centre for Maritime Studies, DNV Clean Technology Centre, Singapore Maritime Academy, Singapore Maritime Institute

Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao, MPA Board Member and CEO of BW Maritime Pte Ltd said that the Lego mural building is a symbolic event. "It was a pleasure to participate in this collaborative event marking Singapore Maritime Week and the collective spirit of the maritime community in Singapore. Building Lego has been an enjoyable activity for me with my young son, but 100,000 pieces takes Lego-building to a new dimension, a nice parallel for Singapore's maritime ambitions."

"Like the Mural, Singapore's success as an international maritime centre owes much to the close collaboration of many organisations and individuals that make up the maritime community. The building of the Mural is a novel and fun way of showcasing Singapore, and a celebration of our diversity and closeness, a metaphorical representation of the sum of all the parts synergising together in harmony," said Mr Timothy Lim, Deputy Manager of PSA Corporation Ltd who was one of the participants for the Lego mural building.

End of Release.

About the Singapore Maritime Week (10 - 15 April 2011)
Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) is the leading maritime event in Singapore. Driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. The range of activities and events organised by MPA, the industry, and research and educational institutions, as well as the cosmopolitan profile of participants, reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

SMW has grown in size and significance since the inaugural event in 2006, and is attracting more participants and event organisers from around the world. Participants can experience something new every year, as activities are added to the line-up, and as eminent speakers share their insights and participate in dialogues on topical maritime issues. This dynamism and the good range of issues discussed during SMW are major draws for maritime decision-makers, as are the many business networking platforms. This is why Singapore Maritime Week is all about PEOPLE, IDEAS and OPPORTUNITIES for the maritime community.

For more information and the full calendar of events, please visit www.smw.sg.

About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.