Mr Kenneth Er, Chief Executive Officer, National Parks Board
MPA Board Members and colleagues
Ladies and Gentlemen

A very good evening. It is my pleasure to join you at the historic Fort Canning Park for the launch of the Singapore Maritime Trails and the Maritime Corner.

We are also here this evening to celebrate the end of another successful Singapore Maritime Week (or SMW for short). This week, we saw some 20,000 maritime experts, professionals and executives from across all maritime sectors gathered in Singapore for SMW. Together with our MaritimeOne partners, the Association of Singapore Marines Industries, Singapore Maritime Foundation and Singapore Shipping Association, we have organised exciting outreach activities for the public during SMW. This year, more than 120,000 participants took part in the various activities to learn about the maritime industry.

Maritime Singapore contributes about seven per cent of our gross domestic product and hires more than 170,000 people. There are many good career opportunities in this industry. Going forward, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and our local partners intend to intensify our efforts to profile Maritime Singapore, attract talent to join the industry, as well as build up the maritime cluster in Singapore. The Singapore Maritime Trails is a new initiative that will enable Singaporeans and visitors alike to learn more about Singapore's maritime heritage.

Singapore started as an entrepot trading post some 200 years ago. Today we are a maritime nation with one of the busiest ports in the world and a leading international maritime centre.The Singapore Maritime Trails tell the story of the progress of Singapore’s maritime industry through a series of tours. The first trail to be launched today focuses on Singapore's maritime heritage through visits to Fort Canning, Boat Quay, Waterboat House, and other historical maritime landmarks.

Singapore's success as a maritime nation was built on the foundation of maritime trade. Fort Canning and its navigational structures were prominent landmarks for ships entering the harbour. From as early as 1825, the flagstaff at Fort Canning was used to communicate important information on vessel arrival to shipmasters and merchants. Subsequently, in 1903, the Fort Canning Lighthouse was built and became an important aid to navigation for vessels until 1958, when it was decommissioned and replaced by the Fullerton Lighthouse.

Today, we have converted this special area of the Fort Canning Park to share an important part of our maritime heritage. I would like to thank NParks for sharing this corner of the park with MPA and making it possible for us to set up our first Maritime Corner.

While we remember the historical importance of Fort Canning, I would like to acknowledge a few of our former colleagues who are here tonight - Captain Goh Choo Keng, the former Chair of Singapore Light Dues Board, Port Master and Director of Marine; and Captain Wilson Chua, our former Chief Hydrographer. We also have with us Ms Tina Galistan. Ms Galistan is the daughter of the late Mr Cyril Spencer Galistan, our faithful lightkeeper from 1947 to 1980. I would like to thank Captain Goh and Captain Chua, and remember the late Mr Galistan for their contributions to Maritime Singapore.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here tonight for the launch of the Singapore Maritime Trails and this Maritime Corner@Fort Canning. We will begin to tell the story of the progress of our maritime industry to our younger generation. A story worth telling as it shaped our maritime nation.

Have a wonderful evening.