Lee Kuan Yew：The Evolution & Future of the Garden City

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew spoke this evening in an open conversation with guests at Singapore Botanic Gardens' 150th Anniversary Celebratory Dinner

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew (MM Lee) is the Guest of Honour this evening at the Singapore Botanic Gardens' 150th Anniversary event, where he will participate in an open conversation on the greening of Singapore with over 500 guests. At the session to be moderated by Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large, MM Lee will share his insights on the inspiration and challenges in developing our Garden City, and our potential as Singapore advances into a City in a Garden.

MM Lee is the visionary and driving force behind Singapore's development as a Garden City, of which the Singapore Botanic Gardens played an important role by lending its expertise and resources towards the greening of the nation. MM Lee is also the distinguished patron of the Garden City Fund which was launched in 2003 to encourage the community to be actively involved in our Garden City through conservation efforts, research, outreach and education.

Guests who will be attending the event this evening include pioneers who championed the development of our Garden City, representatives from private sector corporations, non-government organizations, the landscape and horticulture industry, and individual supporters of the Garden City Fund. The proceeds from the event goes towards the Garden City Fund Scholarship Programme, for the provision of scholarships for Singapore's botanists and horticulturists of the future. To date, over $800,000 has been raised for this cause, including a bequest of S$250,000 by the late Mr Hunter Caldwell to the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Mr Caldwell was a British citizen who lived in Singapore and was a regular garden visitor. He enjoyed the Singapore Botanic Gardens tremendously and bequeathed this generous legacy on his passing.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens, affectionately known as the "People's Garden", is an important civic space for Singaporeans and visitors alike. Today, the Gardens has an impressive track record as a centre for international botanical research and leads the way in important taxonomic research.

As long-standing supporters of the Gardens, both MM Lee and Mrs Lee have expressed keen interest in the well-being of the Gardens. They used to visit the Gardens regularly and would remember which plants in the Gardens were the best looking of a particular species. Their�feedback and comments on the development of the Gardens have been a source of inspiration to the Gardens' staff. MM Lee, then Senior Minister, officially launched the National Orchid Garden in October 1995. At the launch, a specially bred orchid hybrid was named Ascocenda "Kwa Geok Choo" to honour Mrs Lee in an orchid naming ceremony.

As the Gardens celebrates its 150th birthday this year, a series of exciting events has been planned to commemorate this milestone. For more information on the 150th Anniversary Celebrations for the Singapore Botanic Gardens, please visit http://www.sbg.org.sg/.