Opening Remarks by Minister Desmond Lee at The Good Stories Celebratory Event

Jul 29, 2024

Introduction

Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to join you to celebrate Singapore’s inaugural Good Stories Movement.

Two years ago, Attorney Tony Oposa started the Good Stories Movement to “inspire and set friendly hearts on fire”.

This movement shares the ‘good stories’ of people and organisations that protect and care for our environment, and I am very encouraged to see the support for Singaporean ‘good stories’ at today’s event. 

Good Stories Amidst Bad Stories

All too often, we only hear “bad stories” and remember them.

We hear of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and other effects of climate change that jeopardise communities and their livelihoods, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten species of various plants and animals.

We hear of harmful human activity that threatens biodiversity, such as the poaching of native species, illegal wildlife trade, and destruction of habitats. 

Rewriting Bad Stories to Good Stories

We need to hear about ‘bad stories’. But ‘bad stories’ do not need to stay ‘bad’. They can be rewritten to become ‘good stories’, through advocacy, collaboration and positive action.

Take our efforts to conserve the Sunda pangolin as an example. The Sunda pangolin is critically endangered in the region, and also the world’s most widely trafficked mammal.

In Singapore, we are committed to conserving our native species, and this includes the Sunda pangolin, which has found a refuge and stronghold here.

We have strengthened island-wide ecological connectivity, through indicatives like our Nature Ways and wildlife crossings such as the Eco-Link@BKE and underground culverts.

These efforts expand the habitats of pangolins and prevent genetic isolation, increasing their long-term resilience.

While our poaching numbers are low, in recent years, vehicles and traffic have emerged as the greatest threat to pangolins in Singapore.

We have been working hard to implement measures to mitigate road collisions, such as identifying hotspots, setting up barriers, and identifying areas where our ecological connectivity can be strengthened through habitat enhancements or wildlife crossing aids.

Some years ago, we had also implemented the Roadway Animal Detection System at Old Upper Thomson Road and Rifle Range Road. These places have a high risk of roadkill as they are just next to the Nature Reserves that the pangolins call home.

Our nature group partners also do excellent work in raising awareness of the threats that pangolins face and the importance of protecting them.

We have also seen other bad turned good stories, such as with the straw-headed bulbul, where action on conservation and against illegal trade led to restoring its local population, and with our endemic freshwater crabs, where our Species Recovery Programme has helped boost its local population.

These are just some of our good stories. But much more work remains to be done. With collaboration, heart and hard work, we can rewrite the narrative, and transform ‘bad stories’ into good ones.

Singapore ‘Good Stories’

Of course, these stories do not write themselves.

Behind the hard work are people who believe strongly and have firm conviction in the protection and preservation of our environment, and work tirelessly to do so.

Sharing these ‘good stories’ reminds us of the ongoing hard work to protect our environment, and will inspire more ‘good stories’, not just for us in Singapore but for our friends from all over the world.

As we transform into a City in Nature, it is helpful to take a step back to see how far we’ve come, and recognise the individuals and organisations that have helped realise this vision.

The 33 people and organisations whom we are celebrating today have done meaningful and pioneering work in conserving and protecting Singapore’s biodiversity and environment.

Conclusion

As we will hear today, these Singaporean ‘good stories’ cover many perspectives relating to the protection of our environment, from conserving and expanding our green spaces, to the study of our native flora and fauna, and inspiring others through education and community-based work.

We have much to learn from each other.

I believe that the stories we hear today will inspire everyone and give courage to each and every one of us to write our own good stories, to amplify the stories of others, and to work with one another for this important cause – and I look forward to hearing more of such stories in years to come.