Speech by President Tony Tan at Westminster Palace

Mr Speaker

Lord Speaker

Cabinet Ministers

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

        As the first President of Singapore to make a State Visit to the United Kingdom, I am greatly honoured to address the Houses of Parliament in the distinguished Palace of Westminster. The historical links between Singapore and the UK are the strong foundations on which our bilateral cooperation has been established.  Beyond our historical ties, the common strategic outlook and mutual values shared between Singapore and the UK have underpinned our partnership in various sectors through the years.

        I have just come from a poignant trip to Westminster Abbey, where I visited the memorial of Sir Stamford Raffles.  Although relatively unknown in the UK, Raffles is a household name in Singapore. Almost two centuries ago, Raffles founded modern Singapore, which was then a sleepy fishing village, as a trading post for the East India Company in 1819.  Singapore has since grown and prospered, not just as a port, although trading remains a vital part of our economy today, but also as a metropolitan city and a global hub where businesses from around the world set up base to serve regional and global markets.

My Lords, ladies and gentlemen,

        Next year, Singapore will celebrate 50 years of independence.  Much has changed since we officially established diplomatic relations on 12 November 1965, but the friendship and bond between our two countries have endured and strengthened over the years.  The continued use of the English language, the preservation of British institutions and the Common Law system in Singapore gave confidence to foreign investors and enabled our country to prosper. Singapore’s parliamentary system is modelled after the Westminster system, and although it has evolved over the years to take into account Singapore’s own needs and circumstances, it has retained many Parliamentary processes and practices of the British House of Commons, including the tradition of the Ceremonial Mace which continues to this day.

People-to-People

        Our strong people-to-people ties form the solid bedrock of our relations. This includes the frequent interactions between our leaders. The Royal Family has visited Singapore several times.  We welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron in April 2012. More recently, Singapore was glad to host Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne in February this year, then-Defence Secretary Philip Hammond in June, and several other political office holders from the UK government. From the Singapore side, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited London in March this year and met with Prime Minster David Cameron, following up on their last meeting in Singapore in April 2012. Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam was the first Foreign Minister to meet with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in London, following his appointment in July this year.

        Just as important is the 34,000-strong British community in Singapore, who have made significant contributions to Singapore over the years. Many prominent British have aided Singapore’s development in various sectors. For example, the current success of Singapore’s first medical school in the National University of Singapore would not have been possible without the contributions of Dr G.D. Freer and Dr R. D. Keith, both of whom played instrumental roles in guiding the medical school during its founding years. The British diaspora in Singapore, whose tireless contributions in various fields including education, science and technology, add to the already deep reservoir of goodwill that exists between our people.

Economic

My Lords, ladies and gentlemen,

        Our bilateral relations are buttressed by robust and growing economic ties.  UK investments in Singapore total £23 billion and almost 4,000 British companies are operating in Singapore. In the other direction, Singapore companies have invested over £21 billion in various sectors of your economy including banking, hotel, transportation and utilities.  The UK is the top investment destination for Singapore in the EU, accounting for over 70 per cent of Singapore investments into the EU. In fact, Singapore investments in the UK have been growing by double digits over the last decade, and are expected to exceed UK investments into Singapore before too long. One of Singapore’s prominent investors in the UK, Comfort DelGro, runs buses and taxis not just in London, but also in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as Birmingham and Liverpool, and employs almost 6,000 people.  Although the Metroline buses operated by Comfort DelGro in London are modelled after the iconic Routemaster of old, these “New Bus for London” vehicles are run on clean hybrid technology.

        In terms of trade, Singapore is the UK’s 20^th largest export market - the 5^th largest trading partner in Asia, 3^rd largest in the Commonwealth and the largest in ASEAN. In fact, UK’s trade with Singapore is larger than with Australia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and South Africa.  Both Singapore and the UK play key roles as hubs for our respective regions. Many British companies set up their regional headquarters in Singapore, which makes it a crucial part of the UK’s Prosperity agenda in Asia. With the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, ASEAN will become an integrated market, providing increased market access and business opportunities for British companies based in Singapore. Likewise, for many Singapore companies, including Temasek Holdings and GIC, London serves as the operating base for the whole of Europe and beyond. Both the UK and Singapore are vocal proponents of free trade, and work closely together to advance this agenda in various multi-lateral fora. Protectionist and anti-trade sentiments are expected to grow in a slowing global economy, and it will be imperative for our countries to continue to stand strongly together for free trade and open markets. In this context, the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, once it is ratified, will be an important boon to both our respective regions and countries, and bring about a new era of economic cooperation. I am confident that our economic ties will continue to grow from strength to strength.

Defence and Security

My Lords, ladies and gentlemen,

        The British military presence in Singapore is more than a century old, and its legacy is in fact visible in Singapore’s landscape. The former Royal Navy Base in Sembawang, and numerous British barrack buildings all over Singapore, still stand as reminders of their presence. Mountbatten Road in Singapore is named after Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Command, who was present at the surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces at the City Hall building on 12 September 1945.

        Britain played a key role in anchoring the formation of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), which has proven to be one of Asia’s most enduring military pacts since its establishment in 1971. We appreciate the UK’s continued support and commitment to the FPDA, which plays an important role in the region’s overall security architecture.  Our defence forces train side by side during FPDA exercises such as Bersama Lima, which has expanded our joint capacity in areas such as maritime security and humanitarian and disaster relief.  Our shared strategic outlook has also brought our countries together at international platforms such as the multinational Proliferation Security Initiative, which aims to curb the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials.

        Exchanges of expertise and technology between our countries are furthered through bilateral defence collaborations. Every year, Singapore sends its top military minds to Sandhurst and other renowned military schools in the UK. In 2008, the UK became the first overseas customer to purchase the Singapore-made Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carriers, dubbed Warthogs in the British service. The Warthogs have proven to be a reliable addition to the British forces in Afghanistan, saving lives through better armoured protection for British troops in perilous conditions.

        Bilateral cooperation has also bolstered domestic security on our respective shores.  Singapore has worked with the UK on counter-terrorism and homeland security measures.  As members of INTERPOL, Singapore and the UK collaborate on transnational investigations, closing the net not only on traditional crime but also on organised cybercrime networks.  The opening of the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore will provide further opportunities for law enforcement agencies around the world to collaborate in combating new and emerging threats, such as cybercrime.

        The security challenges that confront us today transcend national borders, and call for strong coordinated action amongst nations. Singapore and the UK have robust grounds to continue working together in areas such as counter-terrorism, emergency preparedness, and countering transnational crime.

Commonwealth

        Last but not least, the Commonwealth gives us another reason to celebrate our ties with each other. Encompassing 53 member states with a total population of over two billion people, the potential of the organization is vast and has yet to be fully tapped in many areas.  Singapore and the Commonwealth have come a long way since we hosted the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 1971. In spite of the Commonwealth’s geographical diversity, the similar constitutional, legal, administrative, and linguistic heritage that we share with our fellow members has helped to strengthen our relations with one another. Singapore works closely with the Commonwealth to share Singapore’s development experience with member states.  Since it was established in 1994, more than 20,000 officials have attended programmes and courses organised under the Singapore-Commonwealth Third Country Training Programme. 

Conclusion

My Lords, ladies and gentlemen,

        We have much to celebrate in our bilateral relationship: the ties between our peoples, our shared perspectives, and the innumerable bonds that make us firm friends and strong partners. The warm memories of our historical ties will be continuously refreshed as we continue to work closely at various international fora to advance common goals, including international law, climate change, countering proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and international peacekeeping efforts. We are friends in all types of weather – whether it is British or Singapore weather – and our friendship will undoubtedly prove valuable in the face of emerging global challenges that will impact the future generations of both our countries. I am fully confident that our bilateral relationship will continue to grow and flourish for countless years to come.

        Thank you very much.