Preserving Singapore’s aviation hub status a key priority for newly minted Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung

SINGAPORE — With the Covid-19 pandemic decimating significant portions of the transport sector in Singapore, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that reviving some activities in the aviation sector to preserve its hub status will be his ministry’s “top priority”.

“Don't take for granted that when Covid is over, we will still remain as the aviation hub. No, others will be vying for it. It's not something we take for granted. It’s something we fought for and we have secured," he said on Thursday (July 30).

“Now, Covid has wiped out and decimated the sector. Once again, we need to be able to fight back and secure and revive our aviation sector while being able to keep transmission levels low and maintaining the help for Singaporeans,” Mr Ong said at his first engagement as Transport Minister, having been sworn in for the apointment on Monday. 

Mr Ong was speaking to reporters after the signing of three agreements with his Malaysian counterpart Wee Ka Siong to resume the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project. The ceremony at the Causeway was witnessed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Muhyiddin Yassin.

Referring to how the sea port and the airport are akin to a vital set of lungs that oxygenate a human body, Mr Ong said that both add vitality and competitiveness to all sectors of Singapore. 

“Any investors, any operation that decides to set up in Singapore, a key consideration is, ‘Do my components, intermediate goods and complete products... can they move in and out of Singapore easily because of our seaport?’ 

“Another consideration, ‘Do my people, my workers, my executives, my key personnel... can they also come in and out of Singapore and connect to different parts of the world easily?’” he said.

While Mr Ong is more optimistic about the performance of Singapore’s port, he said that the entire aviation sector has been decimated. 

“In the coming weeks, coming months, top priority is really what steps can we take to revive our aviation hub,” he said. 

Mr Ong added that his ministry, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are already working on negotiating the setting up of reciprocal green travel lanes with countries that have managed to bring down their Covid-19 tranmission. So far, only reciprocal green lanes with China and Malaysia have been confirmed.

"Going forward, let's hope more countries are able to do it," he said. 

During the announcement of the latest Cabinet line-up on Saturday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the Ministry of Transport will shift from engineering work to enhancing Singapore’s post-Covid-19 connectivity by land, sea and air. 

Mr Lee said then: “For land, our public transport system will need to evolve further, to be sustainable, affordable and part of our long-term plan for a green Singapore. For sea and air, the critical task is to preserve Singapore’s status as a global hub, especially in the post-Covid-19 world.” 

He noted that the Ministry of Transport will also be engaged with Malaysia and Indonesia on major bilateral projects such as the High Speed Rail and RTS Link, and also sensitive air space and maritime issues, and will therefore need "a very good minister at the helm, (someone) with Cabinet experience and political nous". 

When asked how his previous portfolio as Education Minister prepared him for taking on the transport portfolio at a time of crisis, Mr Ong said that no experience is wasted even if the subject matter are not directly related. 

“The way you work with people, the way you look at data, make decisions, interact with people, persuade people on your policy — all these are fundamental skills you can bring to any ministry,” he said. 

He added that he has some familiarity on transport issues due to his stint at the then-Ministry of Communications in the 1990s, from which the Ministry of Transport was carved out in 2001. 

“And also many of these issues have been discussed in the Cabinet as well. Anyway, we always work as a team. I rely on all my experienced team members, (that they) be able to tackle all these very important issues,” he added.