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Speech delivered at the 10th anniversary of the National Environment Agency on 15 September 2012.

• We celebrate 10 years of NEA's partnership with all the stakeholders in our community to safeguard, nurture and cherish Singapore's environment. In fact, this common cause dates back much longer – and we also remember the pioneers who formed the Ministry of the Environment almost 40 years ago on 16 Sep 1972.
• During a recent trip to Tokyo, I asked to meet street cleaners. The diplomat who accompanied me told me this was not possible. She said there were no street cleaners. But when I looked out of the car, the street was spotless. She then recounted how she was scolded when she first arrived in Tokyo and tried to eat a sandwich as she strolled along the street. People stared at her, and told her pointedly not to mess up the street.
• This episode made me pause to think about our own city. We are a very densely populated city. We have made tremendous efforts over the past decades to make Singapore Clean and Green. We have had many campaigns, instituted heavy fines, stepped up enforcement and employed an army of cleaners.
• We have done reasonably well so far, but I want to offer one question for public discussion:

Singapore – A Clean or Cleaned city?

Carrie-Anne Ng Tian Ling, Nicholas Lim Jun Yong and Luigi Marshall Cham of Anderson Junior College made Singapoer proud by winning the Stockholm Junior Water Prize with their research project on using clay to remove pollutants from wastewater. They received their prize from Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at the World Water Week in Stockholm on the 29th August 2012.

We are all very proud of you !

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The NUS Students’ Union invited me to the Union Forum on 17 August 2012 to share my reflections on life as an undergraduate.

This following is an edited transcript of an off-the-cuff speech. Razor TV video available

Mr Ang Yu Qian, President of the National University of Singapore Students’ Union (NUSSU)

Mr Soh Yi Da, President of the National University of Singapore Students’ Political Association (NUSPA)

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

PUB recently announced new measures to increase flood protection at upstream areas of the Stamford Canal catchment area, including Orchard Road.The new measures include the construction of a new diversion canal to divert stormwater from about 240 hectares, or 38%, of the Stamford Canal catchment to Singapore River. Complementing the diversion canal is a detention tank which will be built to capture excess stormwater from the existing drains along Holland Road. These measures will enhance drainage capacity for this upstream area and protect it against potentially more intense storms in the future.

Hindi Centres 2012 Concert

Excerpts of a speech delivered on 22 July 2012 to commemorate the Hindi Centres Day.

Mr Vijay Kumar Rai, President of the Hindi Society Singapore; Members of the Management Committee of the Hindi Society and Hindi Centres,

We are here today to celebrate 23 years of really heartfelt volunteerism. I see many of you in this room that I recognise, and was also introduced to Mrs Sharma, whom I understand has been a teacher in the Hindi Centre since it started in August 1990.