LOCATION Eden Hall

SPEAKER British High Commissioner, Paul Madden

EVENT Queen's Birthday Party

DATE 16/06/2009

Minister Ho Peng Kee, Members of Parliament, Excellencies, L&G

Sarah and I would like to bid you a very warm welcome to Eden Hall for the Queen's Birthday Party 2009.

I've now been back in Singapore just over two years. When I first returned, people used to ask me whether Singapore felt different this time round. This time last year I used to say "Very different. When I left in 2003 we were in the middle of a recession and a SARS pandemic."  So here in 2009 I'm beginning to get a bit of a sense of, as we say in the English language, déjà vu. But these are global challenges, faced by Britain and Singapore and many other countries. And we are working together to address them.

I was recently reading a Singapore novel called A Dance of  Moths , written by Goh Poh Seng in 1995, when I came across an amusing quote about the QBP.

"He had already been to three such functions at Eden Hall, the British High Commissioner's Residence, to honour her Britannic Majesty's official birthday. After the first he had sworn he would never go again. Each occasion was similarly, predictably, boring. And yet, here he was, a grown, sane and free adult, himself dressed and groomed like a peacock, ready to subject himself to it for the fourth time. Where was his will, resistance and integrity"

Well I'm very pleased that you all lack the will, resistance and integrity to stay away this evening. Or maybe it's just that our parties have got better since those days.

But it's been another very good year for Singapore-British relations. 10 British ministers have visited,  the Duke of York and many other prominent personalities. Very recently we had the splendid sight of five ships of the Royal Navy at Changi for the IMDEX exhibition and some exercises under the FPDA.

Many Singaporean VIPs have continued to visit Britain. MM Lee Kuan Yew was in London calling on the Prime Minister earlier this month.  And in April, Singapore Day in Britain brought the ERP gantry and the Dim Sum Dollies to Hampton Court.

I'm pleased to report that despite the difficult year for the economies of both Britain and Singapore, the large British business community here remains in good heart. We have not seen significant numbers going home. In fact the number of Britons living here increased 15% last year to 25,000 - more than all the other European countries put together. And the Tanglin Trust school still has a waiting list of 450 pupils. The key message is, British business is here for the long term.

I would like to pay particular tribute today to an individual who has played a crucial role in promoting UK Singaporean business links. My good friend Dr Albert Hong has been Singapore chair of the Singapore British Business Council for the last ten years. In recognition of his contribution, I'm pleased to announce that HM the Queen has decided to make him an officer of the Order of the British Empire. We will have the formal ceremony in a few weeks time, but can I ask you all for a round of applause for Dr Albert Hong OBE.

At the British High Commission, our strapline for this year is "Innovation Nation" that's all about showcasing British creativity and the opportunities it offers for collaboration with Singapore. We have had the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge here talking about the cutting edge research being done in an institution which celebrates its 800^th anniversary this year, a university which counts half the Singaporean cabinet among its alumni. We have had David Puttnam doing workshops with young Singaporean filmmakers. And on the cultural front we have had British performers from the Old Vic Theatre to the Kaiser Chiefs. But I think the visitors most dear to the Minister's heart will be Liverpool FC next month.

I was just calculating that I have probably spoken to some 5,000 young Singaporeans this year in visits to schools, polytechnics, universities and alumni groups. Meeting them has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. If their energy, talent and enthusiasm is anything to go by, Singapore has a great future.

As a High Commissioner or Ambassador you just pass through a country for a country for a few years and, no matter how hard you work, you shouldn't kid yourself that you make much of a lasting impact. However one thing I did this year will have an impact long after I'm gone. I had the pleasure of planting a tree, a rubber tree in the Botanical gardens. It was part of the joint celebrations for the 150^th anniversary of the Botanical gardens here, and 250^th anniversary of the gardens in Kew. As I was sweating over my shovel in the tropical heat, I could see on a TV screen, the Singaporean High Commissioner in London simultaneously planting a tree at Kew. The only difference was he was wearing a coat. Speaking at the Botanical gardens, MM Lee Kuan Yew spoke poignantly about his focus on creating a green Singapore, and about the importance of tackling climate change to preserve our environment for future generations. That's certainly a major priority for the UK too. And I'm pleased to tell you that the High Commission is arranging to plant 60 trees in the heart of Borneo. They will absorb the CO2 generated by the number of people here this evening, in two hours of a normal developed country lifestyle.

I think the two botanical gardens are a rather good metaphor for the very wide-ranging nature  of the relationship between Britain and Singapore. It's based on very strong history, its all about excellence, and it remains vital and dynamic in the 21st century.

Finally, I would like to say a few thank yous this evening.

Thank you to all of our performers: from Tanglin Trust School, from the Gurkha Pipes and Drums, and from the Salvation Army who will be taking away a cheque to support their wonderful work in the troubled land of Burma.

Thank you to the British companies who have so generously sponsored this event, and whose names can be found in your programmes.

Thank you to the staff of the British High Commission, Eden Hall, the British Council and the Royal Navy Party at Sembawang, who have contributed to the success of this evening's party, and who have throughout the year done so much to strengthen the relationship between our two countries.

And thank you to all of you for coming tonight and for your cooperation and friendship throughout the year.

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