Singapore, Australia can have deeper collaborations in sport, lawmaking

It is exciting to read about the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (“Tourism, education S’pore’s next investment frontiers Down Under”; May 16).

I have fond memories of my five and a half years in Melbourne, starting in July 2005.

Even back then, there was a lot of cultural and interpersonal exchange, as well as mutual recognition of professional and educational qualifications.

For instance, many Singaporeans were already studying and working in Australia, and my accountancy degree from Nanyang Technological University was recognised by CPA Australia for admission purposes.

The Singapore Armed Forces had also been allowed to use Australian military training facilities, such as Shoalwater Bay for Exercise Wallaby, for years.

I agree with Australian High Commissioner Philip Green that, besides the robust trade and investment flow between Singapore and Australia, how else both countries collaborate more deeply could be impactful.

Beyond tourism and education, I suggest that in sport, a Singaporean football team could play in the A-League, or an Australian team in the S.League.

Other areas of collaboration could include exchanging policy notes, such as how Australia’s Newstart Allowance could be calibrated and adopted to support single parents in Singapore.

Or we could study how Australia’s equity crowdfunding laws, unveiled recently in the federal Innovation Statement, could complement the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s framework for equity crowdfunding.

Likewise, Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing system has the potential to alleviate, say, Melbourne’s gridlocked Central Business District.

As Commonwealth cousins, there is much we could learn from each other and achieve together. These are exciting times to be a Singaporean in Australia and vice versa.