Archived Pressident’s Messages

For the past 50 years Singapore has reclaimed some 150 sq. km. However, what remains of its territorial waters is now too deep and would require vastly more sand. Besides mining sand along Asia’s coastline and rivers is morally wrong, environmentally damaging, and politically sensitive. We have reached an inflexion point. New space creation efforts…

Dr. Sabet Divsholi Bahador who served as 2nd Vice President since the inception of the Society has decided to step down as Council Member following his relocation to another country. As a consequence, he also relinquished his position as 2nd Vice President. The Society is grateful for his service and wish him well. I am…

I am pleased to announce that on May 16th, 2019, Mr Lim Sing Tian joined the Council of the Society. Sing Tian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the Nanyang Technological University and  Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the National University of Singapore. He is the Managing Director of GL Engineering and…

On May 9th 2009, the Council unanimously elected Dr Koh Hock Seng as Fellow of the Society, making him the third member to be conferred the title. Dr Koh graduated from the University of Hamburg, Germany in 1985 with a master’s degree in Naval Architecture and holds a PhD in Naval Architecture from the German…

The Floating Platform at Marina Bay and its seating gallery have served its purpose many times and the proposal to replace is timely. The platform is unique as it is supported by buoyancy rather than piles. It was when constructed ahead of its time, a harbinger of a wide range of floating solutions that has…

April 22nd and 23rd 2019, mark a major milestone in the short history of the Society.   After one-year of planning and hard work, it pulls off the World Conference of Floating Solutions 2019. The Conference attracted 25 speakers from the Norway, Netherlands, France, Spain, United States, United Kingdom, Iran, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, Serbia…

I have written two previous messages on Tekong (Nos. 7 and 16.) The purpose of this one is to provide a better understanding of the alternative floating island solution instead of the dyke embankment and a platform level below sea level. The above illustration, taken from a SINTEF (a Norwegian research facility) website shows a…

Between Malaysia and Singapore is a stretch of water, the sovereignty of which has been a bone of contention not long after the two countries went their separate ways in 1965. Reclamation is taking place on both sides of the straits placing the narrow waterway in between under ecological stress and the submarine life close…

One of Singapore’s major project is the petrochemical complex on Jurong Island. It opened in the late 1970s marked with much fanfare. It was a feather in the cap for a young Singapore as it brought together global brands and billions of investment dollars and provided thousands of jobs. As the complex expand it swallow…

It was an unseasonably warm day when my wife and I called at the office of Minke and Peter van Wingerden. I was pleased to see the Society’s momento which we presented to Peter for his speech in Singapore in August on visible display on top of his cabinet. After coffee, we went down to…