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105-696: NSS has its origin in 1940 when a handful of colonial civil servants got together to form the Malayan Nature Society (MNS). Its activities were mainly educational - organising talks by visiting scientists, conducting nature walks, etc. Headquartered in today's Malaysia, the Singapore group became known as the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch). It had its headquarters in the National University of Singapore as most office holders were from

210-403: A Senior Minister of State . In 1981, he was promoted to Minister for Trade and Industry and later served in other appointments including Minister for Health and Minister for Defence . Goh was tasked to organise the 1981 Anson SMC by-election which was a pivotal event in shaping his political sensibilities. Despite having been passed over as first assistant secretary-general by Tony Tan, Goh

315-577: A senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1992 to 2004 and was the member of Parliament (MP) for Marine Parade SMC from 1976 to 1988, and Marine Parade GRC from 1988 to 2020. Prior to his appointment as prime minister, he was the country's deputy prime minister , where he advocated for the Medisave , a savings scheme that allows Singaporeans to set aside part of their income into

420-454: A 75% to 80% majority in Parliament, in the future, would constitute a 'strong mandate' for the Singapore government. In the same interview, he noted that he does not believe the electoral system needed any further tweaking. On 4 August 2019, Goh made a Facebook post stating that he felt saddened by how his long-time friend, former PAP politician Tan Cheng Bock , had "lost his way" by forming

525-577: A Life Card, each depicting a native plant or animal. This was follower by activities showcasing the nation's biodiversity. In 2008 Vilma passed on the leadership to Gloria Seow so that she could spend more time with the educational based Cicada Tree Eco-place, the NGO that she set up earlier. Activities of the society have always been generated by special interest groups. Such groups arise spontaneously as and when enthusiastic members come forward to lead and organise activities for other members to participate. Through

630-733: A Medisave account to meet future medical expenses. Goh also advocated for the Edusave Awards, a monetary reward for students who did well in school based on either their academic achievements or character to enshrine meritocracy . Shortly before and during his tenure as prime minister, Goh proposed political reforms like the introduction of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP), to allow more opposition into Parliament, Group Representation Constituencies (GRC), to make sure that minorities are represented in Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMP), to have independent opinions in Parliament since all NMPs are non-partisan . Goh assumed

735-400: A legally protected nature reserve and the announcement to clear a 142-ha area of forest for a golf course saw members up in arms. A report was hastily put together in 1992 detailing the biodiversity and the damage a golf course could do to the water quality in particular and the environment in general. When this 80-page "environmental impact assessment" failed to get any response from government,

840-406: A more open-minded and consultative style of leadership than that of his predecessor. This greater openness extended also to the socio-economic spheres of life, for instance, in his support for the rise of "little bohemias" in Singapore, enclaves where more creativity and entrepreneurship could thrive. Goh's administration introduced several major policies and policy institutions, including: During

945-415: A network of local branches. Several branches have special interest groups focusing on one particular activity, such as bird watching, nature photography, or jungle trekking. Branches are also active in local conservation projects. Annually, MNS organizes two major events which focuses on habitat conservation : Raptor Watch : celebrated annually since the year 2000 in the first weekend of March, this event

1050-493: A new political party, Progress Singapore Party (PSP), to contest in the next general election. On 25 June 2020, Goh made a Facebook post announcing his retirement as a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC after 44 years of service and will therefore retire from politics. A second volume of his biography titled Standing Tall: The Goh Chok Tong Years was released in April 2021 to mark his 80th birthday. The sequel consists of

1155-405: A number of threats of terrorism in Singapore, Goh met local Islamic religious leaders in 2004 and made a visit to Iran, where he met Iranian president Mohammad Khatami and visited local mosques. Goh subsequently visited other Middle Eastern countries as Senior Minister, with a view to improving diplomatic relationships and thus gaining wider opportunities for Singaporean businesses, especially in

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1260-596: A piece in The Straits Times protesting its demise. The society only got seriously involved in conservation soon after when its Conservation Committee led by Richard Hale successfully persuaded government to develop a piece of degraded mangrove in Sungei Buloh into a bird sanctuary. Flushed with success, the Conservation Committee began documenting various nature areas to eventually publish "A Master Plan for

1365-404: A piece of mature forest for a golf course. Kranji Marshes Park for cooperative restoration as a wildlife habitat. The Green Corridor in persuading the government to retain the former railway land as a continuous stretch of green public and wildlife space. In 1986, Richard Hale, a banker and birder, stumbled on a degraded mangrove area rich in migratory birds when out birdwatching. However, the area

1470-479: A piece on Singapore. By then the society had become an affiliate of BirdLife. Currently, the Bird Group continues to raise awareness on birds and encourage birdwatching through many activities for members as well as the public. In the preceding years, under the leadership of Alan Owyong, the bird group leveraged on the internet and adopted digitisation to reach a greater audience. The Birds of Singapore, an Android app,

1575-456: A pocket guide under the editorship of Nick Baker and Kelvin Lim. A Photographic Guide to Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians and Freshwater Fishes is fully illustrated with most of the images taken in or adjacent to the animals’ natural habitats. The guide also includes a checklist of freshwater fishes, amphibians, terrestrial reptiles and terrestrial mammals of Singapore. The Bird Ecology Study Group (BESG)

1680-665: A program of Nature Clubs (Kelab Pencinta Alam, KPA) for schools throughout Malaysia. It began with a pioneer group of 12 schools throughout the Klang Valley and today, its membership stands at 318 schools from all over Malaysia. The KPA programme aims to encourage interest, understanding and involvement in various environmental activities and conservation efforts amongst the school-going generation. There are some of special programmes held for KPA, for instances National Teachers Workshop, KPA camp and workshop, Peat Swamp study, Raptor Watch and School River Basin & Water Quality Monitoring. As

1785-441: A proposal highlighting its conservation value in 1990. This was accepted and included in the government Singapore Green Plan 1993. The 54-hectare (130-acre) site includes woodland and wetlands. NSS adopted the stretch of wetlands in 2008 and supported by sponsorship carried out a restoration program in cooperation with PUB and NParks. It was in 2005 that the area was re-categorised as a park and named Kranji Marshes Park. The parkland

1890-413: A request for proposals from design professionals to develop a Concept Master Plan and concept proposals for Singapore's Rail Corridor which retain its identity as a "green corridor" for relief, respite and recreation. NSS has published a guide "Green Rail Corridor - a guide to the ecology and heritage of the former railway land" in cooperation with Singapore Heritage Society. This committee was initiated by

1995-512: A result of public campaigns. One of the first of these successes was the halting of the quarrying at Batu Caves in 1980. This was followed by the creation of Endau Rompin National Park , following its expeditions there in 1985 and 1986. More recently, it succeeded in its campaigns to get the northern part of Belum-Temengor declared a state park and for a national park to be established on Penang island. MNS' Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP)

2100-528: A revival as a result of the many interesting postings. Citizen scientists began contributing snippets of bird behaviour they encountered in the field. But contributions were not always casual observations. There were instances of quality observations that resulted in papers published in peer review journals and popular publications. On 1 January 2012, the BESG broke away from the NSS and operated as an independent group. Wee

2205-406: A signature campaign was organized that resulted in thousands of signatures. The almost daily media confrontations led to increasing public support against the construction of the golf course. Eventually, government shelved the proposal. The controversy of Chek Jawa surfaced in 2001 when the discovery of its rich marine biodiversity coincided with the planned reclamation of this intertidal area. NSS

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2310-422: A useful pocket-sized guide on local figs. Angie Ng, the live wire behind the project is currently helming the group. This group was formed in 1993 under the leadership of R. Subaraj. Members share an interest in the higher animals: mainly mammals, reptiles, amphibians and freshwater fishes. These groups of vertebrate were well documented during the colonial days. However, development during subsequent decades saw to

2415-592: Is a Tibetan Buddhist while both his children are Methodist Christians . In December 2020, Goh stated in a Facebook post that he would be undergoing four weeks of radiotherapy following the removal of a lump in his larynx, in order to ensure that all cancer cells are eliminated. It was the latest in a series of health issues faced by Goh in recent years. In 2021, now retired and talking about his health, Goh indicated that he plans to try to live until at least 93 years of age, much like his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad . Having served as prime minister between

2520-475: Is a voluntary, membership-based organisation with approximately 3800 members. The Society has branches in most of the states in Malaysia. One of the branches was located in Singapore due to the historical ties the island state has with Malaysia. The Singaporean branch later transformed itself into an independent Nature Society (Singapore) in 1991. MNS has been credited for a number of conservation achievements as

2625-456: Is birds, not marine organisms, and the NSS had already decided not to officially get involved in the controversy. The resulting media and internet publicity attracted thousands of visitors, most unaware that such rich marine life could still be seen in a highly urbanized Singapore. The then Minister for National Development, Mah Bow Tan , visited the area and was surprised at the number of Singaporeans visiting it. The groundswell of public opinion

2730-508: Is freely accessible to the public anytime of the day. The trail map brochure can be downloaded from Nature Society's website. In 2010 the group collaborated with Singapore Post to produce a series of butterfly stamps. In 2015 the group organised an online vote for "Singapore's National Butterfly" which allowed the public to vote for a butterfly from a suggested selection online. Jalan Hijau (Green Path) started as an independent group of individuals of diverse background united in their concern for

2835-433: Is held in the month of October, during the migration of waterbirds. MNS sees to the effective management of existing protected areas as well as to establish new protected areas. MNS aims to secure an integrated and comprehensive Protected Area system in Malaysia and at the same time build a knowledge base of key habitats and species with the aim to disseminate this information to decision makers. MNS also identifies threats to

2940-556: Is in the making at Orchard, the heart of Singapore's tourist belt since 2010 in collaboration with National Parks Board , Singapore Tourism Board and Orchard Road Business Administration. Starting from the Singapore Botanical Gardens , it moves along Orchard Road to end in Fort Canning. Along the way are 15 butterfly spots where, hopefully, the various host plants can attract some 50 species. The trail has an open-concept and

3045-605: Is now open to the general public. NSS has published a guide "Introduction to Kranji Marshes Park". A Proposal to Keep the Railway Lands as a Continuous Green Corridor. Presented to the Singapore Government 9 October 2010. In July 2011 a government spokesman assured the public that the greenery surrounding the railway line would be preserved and subsequently appeared in the 2013 URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) Master Plan. An exhibition jointly organised by NSS and Friends of

3150-501: Is of close proximity to Anson. The rising costs of housing and upcoming public bus fares was a source of unhappiness among voters. PAP lost the Anson seat with a 37-point swing in just 10 months since the last general election, marking the first time since Independence that PAP had lost a seat. This watershed event prompted rumours within the PAP of the end of Goh's political career. While Lee Kuan Yew

3255-468: The 2011 general election . Over the following months, he progressively released snippets prior to the election on the importance of grooming a successor who could be part of the fourth generation PAP leadership to helm Marine Parade GRC in the long run. After the 2011 general election in which the opposition made unprecedented gains by winning a group representative constituency in ( Aljunied ), Goh and Lee Kuan Yew announced that they were retiring from

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3360-519: The Cabinet in order to give Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the rest of his team a clean slate from which they can make a fresh start in the new parliamentary term. On 18 May 2011, Lee Hsien Loong announced that Goh was to be appointed a senior adviser to the Monetary Authority of Singapore , and would be given the honorary title of "Emeritus Senior Minister". On 24 June 2011, Goh was awarded

3465-614: The Malay Peninsula , Thailand and Myanmar . Sightings have been recorded at other places such as deeper in the Indochina but such reports are unconfirmed. The MNS headquarters is located at Bukit Persekutuan , Kuala Lumpur . Founding members of MNS included Gladys Le Mare , E. O. Shebbeare and Edred John Henry Corner . Several notable naturalists have been awarded honorary membership of MNS including Henry Nicholas Ridley , John Leonard Harrison , Loke Wan Tho , Lim Boo Liat and

3570-646: The Minnan region of Fujian province in China. He has Chinese Hokkien ancestry. Goh studied at Raffles Institution from 1955 to 1960. He was a very competitive swimmer in his younger days and was given the nickname "Bold". Goh completed a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours degree in economics at the University of Singapore , and a Master of Arts degree in development economics at Williams College in 1967. Upon his graduation, Goh returned to Singapore to work in

3675-648: The Universiti Malaya and at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM). MNS's parks and centres include: MNS has the following periodical publications: The MNS Conservation Publication series are a collection of reports and advisory papers. The society logo is based on a Malayan tapir . Under the IUCN Red List , the species is listed as endangered. The species is distributed in Sumatra and

3780-647: The 14 years which Goh was the Prime Minister of Singapore. Goh is married to Tan Choo Leng and they have a son and a daughter, who are twins. Their son, Goh Jin Hian, is a physician and their daughter, Goh Jin Theng, lives in London with her husband. In his biography Standing Tall , Goh described himself as having no religion; he was brought up with traditional Chinese religions and "nominally practise ancestor worship ". His wife

3885-556: The 1999 Seattle WTO protests and Doha Round. As international trade was three times Singapore's GDP at that time, securing trade treaties was paramount to Singapore's economic survival, with the US as its most desired trading partner. By riding on the improved relations with the Clinton administration, Goh personally reached out to President Clinton during the annual summit at Brunei in November 2000, near

3990-703: The 1st Class, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government. On 4 May 2012, Goh was appointed as Patron for Advancement of the Singapore University of Technology and Design . In 2018, Goh's first volume authorised biography book titled Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story was published. It details Goh's life from his childhood to until he took office as Singapore's second prime minister in 1990. In an interview in 2019, Goh stated that he believed

4095-445: The 6th Earl of Cranbrook . Past presidents of MNS include Elliott McClure and Salleh Mohd. Nor . Past patrons have included Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid and Mahathir Mohamad . A french botanist, Francis Hallé is also a member of this association. Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong AC SPMJ (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as

4200-433: The BESG's website that local birdwatchers understood the significance of this behaviour. BESG also thinks that birdwatchers were made aware through the website that species other than raptors and owls regularly cast pellets. These were only two of the many aspects of behaviour that the website believes it made birdwatchers aware of. Citizen science , then in its doldrums after more than a decade of recreational birding, saw

4305-446: The Bird Group in the late 1980s with Richard Hale as chairman and R. Subaraj, Dr. Rexon Ngim and Dr Ho Hua Chew as members. It successfully lobbied for the conservation of Sungei Buloh (see Sungei Buloh above) before the chairmanship was passed on to Ho. Subsequently, the areas listed in the society's masterplan were systematically surveyed and reports prepared. Government was lobbied for their conservation through media confrontations, with

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4410-522: The Conservation of Nature in Singapore" that was enthusiastically received by government. Subsequently, led by locals who had enthusiasm but no behind-the-scene contacts, the exercise to get these areas protected turned into a series of media confrontations. Eventually, every one of the newly documented areas were rejected. In 1991 the society was presented with the Green Leaf Award by government when

4515-555: The Education Group was low-key in its outreach activities until 2000 when Vilma Ann D’Rozario took over the leadership. Working closely with schools, she encouraged teachers to make use of the outdoors as a living classroom. She initiated the setting up of eco-ponds and butterfly gardens in schools for hands-on interaction with nature. Students were encouraged to chart out nature trails in neighbouring parks, produce their own nature brochures and be proficient nature guides so as to instill

4620-488: The MP. The new PAP candidate was Pang Kim Hin , who had difficulties connecting to the electorate as he had a reputation of being a "rich man's son", as the nephew of Old Guard minister Lim Kan San. Despite being a three-cornered fight, it was apparent that the main opposition candidate was J. B. Jeyaretnam , who was a veteran opposition at the time, having previously came close in winning the seat at Telok Blangah Constituency , which

4725-679: The Nature Society had not complied with its data protection obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) because, amongst other matters, it had not designated any individuals responsible for compliance with the PDPA and, had not developed and implemented any data protection policies prior to the incident, and had failed to put in place reasonable measures to protect personal data. The society's website had been designed and developed by an external vendor in 2011, but following that,

4830-561: The Nature Society is Tommy Koh . The current President is Dr Yeo Seng Beng. In November 2020, the Nature Society discovered that it had suffered a data breach. According to investigations carried out by the Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore (PDPC), the personal data of 5,131 individuals who had created user accounts on the society's website had their personal data affected, and potentially exfiltrated and made available on hacking forums. The PDPC found that

4935-565: The PAP to three general election victories in 1991, 1997, and 2001, in which the party won 61%, 65% and 75% of the votes respectively. After the 2001 general election , Goh indicated that he would step down as prime minister after leading the country out of the recession. During an interview with Time magazine in July 2003, Goh surprised Singaporeans by announcing that his government was openly employing homosexuals, even in sensitive jobs, despite homosexual acts remaining illegal under Section 377A of

5040-517: The Penal Code . In October 2003, Goh announced that he would step down when the economy recovered from a downturn that was caused by the SARS. Eventually on 12 August 2004, Goh stepped down as prime minister and held a new position as Senior Minister in the Cabinet of his successor, Lee Hsien Loong . On 20 August 2004, Goh assumed the position of Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore . After

5145-715: The Rail Corridor and supported by URA was held at the URA Centre in October 2011 titled "Re-Imagining the Rail Corridor" January 2012 The Rail Corridor Reopens for Public Visits. August 2013: The Green Corridor Monitoring and Support Group. A group of volunteers supported by NSS regularly monitor the corridor status for issues and file reports directly to the Singapore Land Authority in case remedial actions need to be taken.March 2015 The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) launched

5250-599: The Singapore Environment Council, labeled as "government NGO" or GONGO, had yet to be formed. In 1999 the group was revived as a youth group, working closely with other NGOs and becoming involved in various outreach initiatives like saving dolphins. In 1991 the Marine Group, under the leadership of Helen Newman, initiated a coral rescue project that relocated hard corals from areas destined for reclamation. The first project involved 140 volunteers that worked on

5355-543: The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. On 1 February 2005, Goh was appointed an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia , Australia's highest civilian honour, "for eminent service to Australia-Singapore relations". On 19 May 2005, Goh signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Israel's Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a visit to Israel, superseding the agreement signed in 1971. Improvements in

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5460-509: The agreement include enhancements to the withholding tax rate on interest income, which was reduced from 15% to 7%. This would benefit Singaporean businessmen with investments in Israel and vice versa, by ensuring they are not taxed twice. Goh is a founding patron for the Institute of Policy Studies , a government think tank . In the 2006 general election , Goh was tasked to help the PAP win back

5565-514: The company's Planning and Projects Manager. His career advanced quickly and by 1973 he was the Managing Director. At NOL, Goh worked under the company's founder, Muhammad Jalaluddin Sayeed , with whom he maintained close ties. In the 1976 general election , Goh, then 35, was elected as Member of Parliament for Marine Parade SMC as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate. He was appointed as

5670-494: The concrete jungle they were living in. Chua Ee Kiam generously donated the proceeds from his book ($ 52,000) to the society for its conservation work. The author subsequently went on to published three other nature books. When digital photography came onto the scene around the early 2000, a group of enthusiastic nature photographers approached the society to reactivate the Photo Group which was then in dormancy. The society rejecting

5775-660: The diplomatic freeze. In September 1998, Goh had a meeting with Clinton in the White House and agreed to contribute to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization which helped build strong ties between the two Koreas. The considerable improvement in this bilateral relationship had great impact on Singapore's economic recovery from the Asian Financial Crisis as several trade negotiations, part of "The Millennium Round", failed during

5880-495: The disappearance of most of the original forests. Many forest vertebrate species were thought to be locally extinct. Detailed surveys conducted by group members showed that many were still around, albeit rare. These include banded leaf monkey ( Presbytis femoralis ), Sunda slow loris ( Nycticebus coucang ), Malayan porcupine ( Hystrix brachura ). leopard cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis ) and five-banded flying dragon ( Draco quinquefasciatus ). Findings have now been compiled into

5985-558: The end of Clinton's second term of his presidency. After a midnight golf session with Clinton after the banquet, Goh successfully convinced Clinton on a Singapore-USA FTA, with Clinton suggesting an FTA similar to the US-Jordan FTA. The FTA with the USA was eventually signed in 2003, and it was the USA's first FTA with an Asian country, with Goh exalting this FTA as the "crown jewel" of Singapore's international trade. As secretary-general, Goh led

6090-430: The environment. It became affiliated to the society in 1992 as an environmental group, complementing the society's traditional focus on nature appreciation and conservation. Under the leadership of Cynthia-Wee Hoefer, activities centered on brown issues like recycling, waste minimisation and green consumerism. The group also published Singapore's first Green Directory. This was at a time when such issues were not in vogue and

6195-594: The extension of KPA, MNS introduced the KPA for Youth programme which the main purpose for initiative is to encourage youth membership where MNS want to cultivate the sense of nature conservation through environmental activities involving youths and communities. Coca-Cola Malaysia first partnered Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) to develop the Water Vision program that aims to inculcate a sense of water conservation amongst youth. In addition, MNS runs education programs at Rimba Ilmu of

6300-438: The field but knowledge of bird ecology and behaviour was sadly lacking. Through close collaboration with the many photographers that were then seeking out birds as their subjects, new insights into bird behavior, from food birds take to nesting habits and inter specific relations, were showcased through crisp digital images and scientific interpretation in the group's website. In 1988, when a Javan myna ( Acridotheres javanicus )

6405-511: The fight for Marina South ending with the group losing credibility. Marina South was, after all, a piece of reclaimed land that turned into a wetland as a result of poor drainage with waterfowl taking up residence soon after. For the next few years the group laid low, providing feedbacks to government agencies, assisting in the review of the Singapore Green Plan, etc. In 2008 the Kranji marsh

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6510-475: The former was still the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch). This complemented the previous year's award when Richard Hale won the individual category. These awards were given to organisations and individuals for outstanding contributions to environmental protection and preservation. To date, the NSS can boast of at least four conservation successes: Sungei Buloh, in persuading government to conserve an area. Lower Peirce, in persuading government not to destroy

6615-479: The fringing reef around Buran Darat, off Sentosa island. The corals were transferred to the southern coast of Sentosa. The second project was more ambitious, lasting from mid-1993 to early 1995 and involving over 450 divers from six diving clubs. Corals were moved from reefs off the southern coast of Pulau Ayer Chawan, now part of the Jurong Island landmass. Again, they were relocated to southern Sentosa. Survival rate

6720-513: The government. Goh's dream of getting a PhD was disrupted as the government would not transfer his bursary bond to the university, where he had signed on as a research fellow after graduation. In 2015, Goh was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by his alma mater , the National University of Singapore, for his contributions to the country. In 1969, Goh was seconded to the national shipping company Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) as

6825-481: The group also provided feedback to the various government agencies as and when requited. Earlier the group published a coffee table book, Singapore Waters – Unveiling Our Seas, highlighting the state of the marine biodiversity . It contributed feedback on the remaining marine habitats to the Singapore Green Plan 2002, Urban Redevelopment Authority's Parks and Waterbodies Plan 2002 and URA Masterplan. In 2006

6930-543: The group got the society involved in Project Noah (Nurturing Our Aquatic Heritage), initiated by the Singapore Underwater Federation . The plan was to provide a so-called clear underwater paradise at the offshore island of Pulau Hantu. The subsequent uproar by marine biologists, claiming that the project would actually destroy the thriving marine biodiversity forced the society to withdraw its involvement from

7035-405: The group spawned a small number of fig enthusiasts popularly known as Figgies after a talk one evening by the then chairman, Dr. Shawn Lum. Thus began their monthly field trips scouring the country to locate the nearly 50 species of figs ( Ficus spp.) recorded for Singapore. After nearly five years of searching, photographing, studying and documenting figs, they managed to compile their findings into

7140-523: The initiative and as a result, the Nature Photographic Society (Singapore) was formed. Malayan Nature Society Malaysian Nature Society ( Malay : Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia , lit.   'Malaysia Nature Lovers Association', abbrev : MNS) is the oldest and one of the most prominent environmental not for profit , non-governmental organisations in Malaysia . It

7245-401: The island-wide survey of horseshoe crabs in 2009. Under the leadership of Dr. Hsu Chia Chi, it was to establish the population of the two local species, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus gigas . A year later the researchers started using electronic tagging equipment to study their movements, homing instinct and hopefully locate their spawning sites. In existence since the 1990s,

7350-483: The love of nature to others. Brought up in a totally urban environment and housed in high-rise apartment buildings, most children were then totally divorced from nature. And most reacted negatively to insects, even to butterflies. Through a series of workshops with catchy titles like Fun with Frogs, Mad about Monkeys and Stuck with Sticks (insects), children were given a chance to interact closely with various animals, sometimes actually handling them, to remove their fear of

7455-651: The period under Goh's administration, Singapore has experienced several crises, such as the aircraft hijack of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 in 1991, the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, threats of terrorism in 2001 including Singaporean victims of the 9/11 attacks in New York City by Al-Qaeda and the Singapore embassies attack plot by Jemaah Islamiyah , the 2001–2003 economic recession, 2003 SARS outbreak , and other events. Goh's access to Bill Clinton's White House

7560-454: The popular vote, and losing an unprecedented four seats in Parliament to the opposition, Goh had to quell rumours about his potential resignation to the international news media. In 1992, Lee handed over the post of secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) to Goh, successfully completing the leadership transition. Goh's deputy prime ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Ong Teng Cheong were both diagnosed with cancer in 1992, which prompted

7665-419: The premiership in the event the PAP lost. Teo Chee Hean, who is currently one of the core leaders of the third generation of members of PAP and a senior minister, was one of the new politicians brought in to contest in the by-election. . The PAP retained Marine Parade GRC with 72.9% of the popular vote, allowing Goh to continue on as prime minister, eventually for the next decade. As prime minister, Goh promised

7770-420: The prime minister to call an by-election in his own constituency of Marine Parade in 1992, just over a year after the 1991 elections, citing the need for 'political self-renewal' and to get 'ministerial calibre' people to join the government. By calling the by-election, Goh became the first prime minister of Singapore to vacate his seat to contest a by-election. The vacation also produced a real risk of Goh losing

7875-404: The project. The society threw in its support based on advice from the group, all of whom were recreational divers, as well as from the Conservation Committee, whose expertise has always been on birds rather than marine biology. This is one example of the danger of the society not collaborating with academics from the local universities. Formed in 1999 to encourage plant appreciation among members,

7980-510: The responsibility of government in a carefully managed leadership transition. In 1990, He introduced the Vehicle Quota System to limit the exponential increase of personal vehicles. In 1991, Goh also enacted the elected presidency scheme in 1991, with previous presidents having been appointed by Parliament. On 12 August 2004, Goh was succeeded by Lee Hsien Loong , the eldest son of Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew , and

8085-418: The second prime minister of Singapore. During the first year of Goh's premiership, Lee remained as secretary-general of the PAP. Lee also remained an influential member of Goh's Cabinet , holding the post of senior minister . The 1991 general elections, the first electoral test for Goh, led to the party winning 61% of the popular vote, the all-time low for PAP since independence. Because of the drop in share of

8190-633: The site. This convinced government and so in 1989 the Sungei Buloh Nature Park came into being, now Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve . NSS's other success was in persuading government not to destroy a patch of mature forest in the Lower Peirce water catchment for a golf course. Unlike the Sungei Buloh affair which Francesch-Huidobro refers to as "the power of persuasion", the Lower Peirce was "the power of protestation". This catchment has always been

8295-584: The society had not engaged any party to maintain the website's security, and did not take any steps to ensure the security of its website itself. The Nature Society was fined a total SGD 14,000 for its non-compliance with the PDPA. Activities had always been education-related until about the 1980s when members found themselves thrust into the role of environmental activists. The Serangoon estuary, home to tens of thousands of migratory birds , had just been reclaimed for development. Members were yet to be sensitised to conservation and only journalist Ilsa Sharp wrote

8400-828: The survival of habitats and species in the wild. The MNS Conservation initiatives are also guided by key documents such as the Important Bird Area (IBA) data which has been compiled since 1997 with the assistance of the MNS Bird Conservation Council and BirdLife International . Conservation is also guided by the MNS Blueprint for Conservation (established in 1974) which calls for the conservation of notable areas such as national parks, reserves, islands, national monuments, wildlife sanctuaries, marine reserves and research sites in Peninsular Malaysia. MNS runs

8505-537: The then Departments of Botany and Zoology, now merged into the Department of Biological Sciences. As such, there were always close collaborations with academics, who had the necessary scientific background. In 1991 the society split from MNS and re-registered itself as NSS. Following the re-registration, NSS moved its base from NUS leading to a decline in the number of academic members of the society. The society has recently reinforced its links with academics. The Patron of

8610-654: The two opposition wards of Hougang and Potong Pasir . However, he was unsuccessful in this task, as Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong retained their respective wards. In 2006, Goh was briefly considered for the job of United Nations Secretary-General but he lost out and the job eventually went to Ban Ki-moon . In 2008, Goh was invited to join the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government , an independent international organisation of former world leaders. On 24 January 2011, Goh announced that he would continue to seek re-election to Parliament at

8715-480: The unfamiliar. A roving nature exhibition entitled Singapore's Amazing Wildlife, was set up in 2004 that toured primary schools in order to reach out to students and receive their feedback. A Circle of Life exhibition of digital art paintings depicting the native flora and fauna was launched in 2004 to celebrate the society's 50th anniversary. This was followed by a celebration of the country's biodiversity where each participant, mostly children from various schools, held

8820-420: The years these groups may form and disband, depending on the enthusiasm and willingness of leaders to continue leading. The Bird Group was formed in 1984 by the late Clive Briffett. Under his leadership, guided walks, bird race, bird surveys, water bird census and bird counts were introduced. A monthly in-house newsletter, Singapore Avifauna , was started to record bird sightings and an updated checklist of birds

8925-640: Was Tony Tan . However, Goh was selected by the second generation of PAP leaders that included Tony Tan and Ong Teng Cheong ; Lee accepted their decision. However, during the 1988 National Day Rally, Lee Kuan Yew publicly discussed his preferred choice of successor to the nation – ranking Goh as his second below Tony Tan, and while praising his 'faster mind', criticized Goh's indecisiveness and softer and consultative approach to leadership. This led to Goh feeling humiliated and astonished, as he recounted in his 2018 memoir, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story . On 28 November 1990, Goh succeeded Lee Kuan Yew and became

9030-655: Was a low 10 percent, due to the absence of proper securing of the translocated corals at the new site. Only in 2006 did marine enthusiasts become seriously concerned about the lack of protection for the marine habitats. This led to the formation of the Marine Roundtable forum and the eventual drafting of the Singapore Blue Plan during the International Year of the Reef in 2008. Besides being involved in this roundtable,

9135-518: Was adopted, followed by the Jalan Halus wetland. Here, the society undertook habitat enhancement, conducted biodiversity surveys and guided nature walks. At the same time the group worked with the National Parks Board and the National University of Singapore to revise The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened Plants & Animals of Singapore , to bring out an updated edition. A major project was

9240-452: Was also scheduled for development. Hale led a group of members documenting the richness of the birdlife and setting out suggestions for its conservation. This was the first conservation proposal by the newly formed Conservation Committee headed by Hale. Key government officials like the late President, Wee Kim Wee , then Deputy Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong and then Minister of National Development, S. Dhanabalan were personally escorted to

9345-401: Was asked to his surprise by Lee Kuan Yew to lead and organise the by-election, ostensibly because of Goh's previous successful campaigns in organising the 1979 by-election at Anson SMC and the 1980 General Elections. Early on in the campaigning for the 1981 Anson SMC by-election, a chasm of leadership emerged as volunteers and older activists for the previous MP Devan Nair departed along with

9450-533: Was blocked because of the Michael Fay incident; it did not deter Goh from reaching out to the US President to pitch his idea for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and the US, as he did not believe Clinton to be aware of the diplomatic freeze. With the help of American businessman Joe Ford, Goh managed to reached out to President Clinton during the 1997 APEC summit, where he played golf with Clinton, ending

9555-400: Was by then working closely with government and as the reclamation was already decided, it kept a low profile. However, individuals like Joseph Lai, Ria Tan and N. Sivasothi organised a team of volunteers to help document the biodiversity of the area. Among the volunteers were many NSS members, but they came as individuals. And the NSS's Conservation Committee declined to participate, as its focus

9660-597: Was created to help promote and conserve the Tanjung Tuan . This forest is important for the migratory raptors to rest and find food as they travel back to their home in the Northern Hemisphere. Pesta Sayap (Festival of Wings): held annually in Kuala Selangor Nature Park , this event focuses on educating local school children and the community of the importance of wetlands to the ecosystem. This festival

9765-548: Was first established, as the Malayan Nature Society , with the launch of the Malayan Nature Journal , in 1940. Initially primarily as a scientific organisation, today MNS is involved in a wide range of environmental activities and campaigns. In 2008 MNS was awarded the inaugural Merdeka Award for the environment, primarily for its efforts in campaigning for the protection of the Belum-Temengor forests of Malaysia. MNS

9870-418: Was formed in 2005 to encourage the study of birds and their links with all aspects of the natural environment. With Wee Yeow Chin, R. Subaraj and Richard Hale leading the group, the group was to complement the existing Bird Group, whose activities the BESG founders felt had by then become totally recreational. BESG founders felt that local birdwatchers had already acquired the necessary skills to identify birds in

9975-655: Was honoured and acknowledged in July 2012 by the Selangor State Government, as one of the best ecotourism sites in the state. In September 2012, MNS bagged the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce & Industry Europa 2012 Award at a gala dinner in Kuala Lumpur. MNS also received honour by UKM with Community Engagement Excellence Award in recognition for its outstanding partnership with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in reaching out to communities. Besides, MNS

10080-815: Was honoured the "Pertubuhan Cemerlang" or Excellent Society award by the Registrar of Societies of Malaysia in March 2014. Furthermore, MNS was awarded by KFEMCA (Korean Federation for Environmental Movements in Cheonan-Asan) and KEEC (Kwang Environmental Education Center) in January 2015. MNS has also been influential in changing government policy on environmental issues ranging from industrial pollution to wildlife protection to banning Shark's fin soup from official government functions. MNS member activities, such as evening talks and excursions on natural history topics, are organised through

10185-402: Was observed picking up ants and placing them on its feathers, BESG thought that no one knew what was going on. BESG thought that the use of ants to rid the feathers of ectoparasites, known as anting, was only well known among western birdwatchers when the behaviour was already published in books and shown on documentaries. It was only 17 years later, BESG believes, when the phenomenon was posted on

10290-582: Was officially launched on 6 December 2014, developed by the SMU student team PentaxMatrix and Carl Zeiss Pte. Ltd. under guidance from the NSS Bird Group. The iOS version was also developed. The Butterfly & Insect Group, formerly known as the Butterfly Interest Group, got its start when Project Painted Wings was launched in 1996. Talks and guided walks were conducted and field guides planned. The group

10395-534: Was published. In 1992 the group published a book on locally extinct birds, a field guide in 1997, and a pocket checklist in 2007. In 2009 The Avifauna of Singapore was published. The raw data from this book formed a major part of the data in the Annotated Checklist of Birds of Singapore. In 2004 the group participated in BirdLife International ’s Important Bird Areas project for Asia, contributing

10500-697: Was soon formalised under the leadership of Steven Neo who brought forth the first guidebook on local butterflies. Subsequently, posters, brochures and field guides on butterflies were produced. Members offered their expertise to set up butterfly gardens, especially in schools. In 2002 a garden was set up in Alexandra Hospital , followed by one in the Singapore Changi Airport (Terminal 3) in 2007. The airport's open-air enclosure garden, accessible to transit passengers, houses about 2,000 butterflies of 47 species at any one time. A 4 km butterfly trail

10605-489: Was subsequently appointed as a senior minister in the Cabinet and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) between 2004 and 2011. He resigned from the Cabinet in 2011, and was given the honorary title of "Emeritus Senior Minister" by Lee. He stepped down as a Member of Parliament (MP) and retired from politics in 2020. Goh was born in Singapore on 20 May 1941 to Goh Kah Choon and Quah Kwee Hwa, who hailed from

10710-412: Was the main person in running the BESG website for 15 years but on 1 January 2020, the BESG website was discontinued. However, in July 2021 the BESG website was revived when Teo Lee Wei and Wong Kais volunteered to take over the running of the website. As far back as the early 1980s there was a small group of enthusiastic nature photographers who were documenting all aspects of the local nature. The public

10815-424: Was then more familiar with foreign flora and fauna than their local counterparts. This was a time when textbooks had few local examples and popular nature books were on foreign plants and animals. History was made when the first colour coffee-table book on regional insects was published. This was followed a decade later by one on local natural history. Locals were then slowly becoming aware of the thriving nature within

10920-481: Was too strong for government to proceed with the reclamation and at the last moment it agreed to give the area a reprieve. The decision took everyone by surprise. It was only then that the NSS was roped in, together with other NGOs, to assist in developing the area for public visits. A freshwater marshland, derived from the damming of the Kranji River to form a reservoir, became seen as an important habitat. NSS drafted

11025-483: Was worried that Goh lacked political sensitivity towards the electorate, as he failed to detect the possible loss of the seat and remained overconfident until very close to polling day, he did not blame Goh for the loss, as he reflected in his memoir From Third World to First . In 1985, Goh became deputy prime minister and began to assume the responsibility of the government in a carefully managed leadership transition. According to Lee Kuan Yew , his preferred successor

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