S'pore shipping community honours outgoing Transport Minister Lui

Lui, who has been Singapore’s Transport Minister for the last four years, retired from politics on 11 August, ahead of a general election earlier this month.

Publicly much of Lui’s tenure as Transport Minister focused on public transport and breakdowns on the country’s underground rail system, indeed Lui made a quip relating to the “light at the end of the tunnel” and state of the shipping industry did not referring to looking at oncoming trains.

However, he was held high regard by the shipping industry, who he was well known to in a previous role as chief executive of the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

SS Teo, chairman of the Singapore Maritime Institute, who led the evening’s proceedings on behalf of the industry, related how Lui had come to visit him on his second day in MPA, a time when Teo himself had just taken up the role of president of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA).

Looking at his time as MPA chief Lui highlighted the bringing in of the International Maritime Centre team, headed by Tan Beng Tee, from International Enterprise. At that time Singapore had successfully attracted around 30 international shipping companies under its incentive schemes, today that number is closer to 140.

In 2004 there was also the founding of the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) as a “industry led” promotional body, of which Lui was one of the original board members. The SMF also brought in the Association Singapore Marine Industries as part of the equation.

“It was Mr Lui who brought about closer collaboration between ASMI and MPA as well as the larger maritime community through the formation of the SMF. He was broadminded and far-sighted enough to see the role that the marine and offshore engineering industry could play in Singapore’s global maritime aspirations,” Teo said.

“Your presence and willingness to join in so many of SSA and SMF’s events reflects the close partnership of the government and industry, which is the envy of many shipping associations from other countries.”

As to what Lui plans to do next he was in good humour relating a conversation he had with his wife over updating the status on his Facebook page. "We had a long discussion and I'll be updating my profile to reflect that I'm unattached and available. Don't worry, it's not a reflection of my relationship or marital status, but my job status.”