Orient - The Official Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore - Issue 72 June 2019
Highlights of our British High Commissioner's Time in Singapore
In celebration of his dedicated service, we invited Scott Wightman, outgoing British High Commissioner, to share his thoughts and highlights of his four years in Singapore.
Everyone who comes to live in Singapore discovers that time seems to pass more quickly here. I still struggle to accept that it’s been four years since Anne and I moved into Eden Hall. Representing the UK in Singapore has been just as much of a privilege for me as it was in Seoul. But it’s fair to say that the context has been more challenging.
An uncertain world
Four years ago, few foresaw the pressure liberal democracies around the world would now be under; or the extraordinary pace of development in artificial intelligence and data analytics and the opportunities and disruption they would be creating; or the rapidity with which some of the predicted impacts of climate change would become real.
And when David Cameron gave his barnstorming speech on the Eden Hall lawn in July 2015, which of us in the audience expected that he would be gone within 11 months and that Britain would have voted to leave the European Union?
So it’s really heartening against this background of uncertainty, that during those same four years, UK engagement in Singapore, and more broadly in Southeast Asia, has grown and our relationship with Singapore has got even stronger, building on a stable and resilient core.
The number of UK residents in Singapore has increased from about 35000 to well over 40000, reflecting the growth in the number of British businesses operating here. UK goods exports increased by 30% from 2014 to 2018. Negotiations should soon conclude on a bilateral agreement to ensure continuity in trade relations after we leave the EU. Most Singaporean investors remain bullish about opportunities in the UK. Although the overall number of Singapore students is falling with the birth rate, the number choosing to study at our world-class universities is still around 7000; our market-share is increasing. And our extensive research links are expanding into new areas of cutting-edge science.
In security, after several years’ absence, we’ve welcomed four Royal Navy vessels to Sembawang in the last 18 months. We’ve signed our first bilateral agreements on defence cooperation and security. Our relationship on cybersecurity is developing fast, opening up new business opportunities for our firms. And it’s precisely in the tech space that Natalie Black, HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, sees huge potential for the UK, supporting the development of Singapore as the world’s first Smart Nation.
SG-UK Partnership for the Future
More or less from the time of my arrival, we identified 2019, the bicentennial of the establishment of the trading post by Raffles and Farquhar, as an