Singapore-UK ties, new links and opportunities: Tony Tan

LONDON — Old ties, new links and more opportunities – that is how Singapore’s President Tony Tan Keng Yam summed up the relationship between Singapore and the United Kingdom. He was speaking to the media yesterday (Oct 25), at the end of his six-day state visit to the UK.

It has been a busy week for Dr Tan – the first Singapore President to make a state visit to the United Kingdom. He noted that this visit was longer than others, thanks to the many substantive connections and long historical links between the two countries.

He said Singapore’s ties with the UK go beyond normal diplomatic and economic relationships, with Singapore having been founded by Sir Stamford Raffles more than 200 years ago.

Dr Tan noted that the visit came at a significant time, as Singapore and the UK mark 50 years of relations and Singapore celebrates its golden jubilee next year. He added that these strong and long-standing ties are a good foundation for both sides to build on, to further enhance relations.

Dr Tan said: “These ties, when we build on them, can develop into new areas of co-operation, innovation and research, creative and knowledge industries, and being the hubs for each other in our respective regions – Singapore being a hub for British businesses to expand into Southeast Asia, China, India and North Asia, and Britain being a hub for Singapore companies to expand in Britain as well as EU, and as I said in Africa and the Middle East. There’s a complementary between Singapore and Britain in that respect.”

However, Dr Tan added that it was important that these ties were not taken for granted, and why leaders from both sides should continue to visit each other. He added that he was also struck by the warm and gracious reception given by the British at all levels.

Having stayed two nights at Buckingham Palace, Dr Tan said besides the high level of service, Singapore can also learn from Britain’s strong history and culture. “It’s been a wonderful experience for my wife and me to have this opportunity. We will always remember it - how the state banquet was a special experience in the way in which it was carried out.”

“Of course you’ve got special touches, which I don’t think we can emulate, having the pipers at the end of the state dinner to signal the end, maybe we can get our Singapore pipers to do something like that and at the Guildhall, of course, they’ve got the competing trumpets as well. These are something, which grow out of their history.”

“Staying at the palace every morning, at 9am, there’ll be a piper marching around, signalling, waking us all up. I hope the Queen keeps on this tradition. These are small things, but they reflect a society which has long historical roots, which keeps up old links. But for us in Singapore it is very important for us as we progress ahead, we develop further, to continue to remember our roots, where we came from, what is important to us, the relationships, our unique multi-racial society.”

“We are not Britain, we are different from them, we have our own culture, our own history, but we can learn from Britain with their history and their culture, and we can build on our strong links that we have together.”

Dr Tan added that with existing and new areas of collaboration, there will be more opportunities created for companies from both countries to expand and to move forward. CHANNEL NEWSASIA