Punggol residents attend first Waterway Day and mark the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Residents participating in a mass qigong session at Waterway Point. Photo: Asyraf Kamil/TODAY
SINGAPORE – Over 1,000 Punggol residents attended the constituency’s inaugural Waterway Day on Sunday morning (March 20), where they also came together to mark the one-year death anniversary of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The event – Water, A Celebration of Life – was held ahead of World Water Day, which is celebrated internationally on March 22 to highlight the importance of water in sustainable growth.
“Our late founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew is well known to be the architect of the Singapore Water Story,” said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, the event’s guest of honour. “It is thus appropriate that we remember Mr Lee and his water legacy during this year’s Singapore World Water Day.”
Mr Lee passed away on March 23 last year. About 100 events across Singapore have been lined up to mark the one-year anniversary of his death.
Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, urged Singaporeans to do their part to conserve and value water, and “make every drop count.”
He added: “Mr Lee championed Singapore’s journey towards water sustainability by making water a top priority in government policies...Thanks to Mr Lee’s vision and foresight, and the hard work of many public officers and engineers, we have four National Taps today.
“First, water imported from Malaysia. Second, rainwater collected in our reservoirs. Third, water from desalination. Fourth, recycled water. “
A fifth NEWater plant will start operations at the end of this year, while the construction of a third desalination plant in Tuas is expected to be completed in 2017, Mr Teo announced.
The event at Punggol, jointly organised by the People’s Association and the Public Utilities Board, saw more than 1,000 residents participate in brisk-walking, cycling as well as a mass qigong session. About 100 participants took to the waterways of Punggol as part of a mass-kayaking exercise and helped pick up trash that they saw along the way.
MPs from the Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC, Ms Sun Xueling, Mr Ng Chee Meng and Mr Janil Puthucheary also attended the event.
