SINGAPORE: Having been the “frontrunner and pathfinder” that grew in step with Singapore’s progress over the past decades, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday (May 25) he hopes that JTC Corporation will continue to build on its legacy of “high standards and bold ambitions”.
Mr Lee, who was the guest of honour at JTC's 50th anniversary dinner, said the national industrial estate developer has been constantly “pushing boundaries, breaking new ground and building new partnerships”.
AdvertisementIn doing so, it played an important role in Singapore’s transformation from third world to first.
Established in 1968 as Jurong Town Corporation “in circumstances of great urgency”, its primary role was "an ambitious project" to develop Jurong, which was then mostly a swamp, into a modern industrial hub.
There were many sceptics who did not believe the Jurong project would ever succeed, said Mr Lee at the event held at Shangri-La Hotel. But they were proven wrong when by 1968, almost 300 factories had been built in the area, providing 21,000 jobs.
Further efforts to develop Jurong soon followed and it became a "vast canvas" for JTC to experiment and implement urban development plans.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“These plans were visionary then, and remain relevant today,” said the prime minister, citing how Jurong had a large town centre with shops and facilities like a drive-in cinema, as well as Singapore’s first childcare centre and hawker centre.
Jurong also was the “natural location” to build a bird park because by then, it was no longer “a land where even birds refused to lay eggs”, Mr Lee quipped.
As Singapore’s industrialisation plans took off, JTC's portfolio expanded to include the building and management of industrial estates and flatted factories all over Singapore. To reflect its expanded territory, it was renamed as JTC Corporation.
Later as Singapore’s economy evolved, JTC's mission changed but it remained involved in every step of the way.
For instance, it pulled off the “huge achievement” to form Jurong Island through reclamation and consolidation of islands and reefs off the south-western coast, and convinced petrochemical companies to set up plants there.
This helped to make Singapore the world’s third largest oil refining centre even though it had no energy supplies of its own, large land areas or any natural advantages, said Mr Lee.
In more recent times, JTC’s “tradition of innovating and taking on new challenges” could be seen in “truly ground-breaking projects”, such as the Jurong Rock Caverns.
Being Southeast Asia’s first commercial underground storage facility for liquid hydrocarbons, the Jurong Rock Caverns is “an engineering and construction marvel” which involved JTC overcoming challenging geological and ground conditions, as well as water seepages into the caverns during construction, said Mr Lee.
As Singapore transitioned to a more knowledge-based and technology-intensive economy, JTC developed the Science Park, one-north and CleanTech Park to support hi-tech research and development sectors.
It has also since updated its portfolio to provide new infrastructure for the local industries, such as the planning of the Jurong Innovation District (JID) and Punggol Digital District (PDD).
“You continue to focus your resources on areas which the private sector is unable or unwilling to do."
Mr Lee said JTC's track record showed how it has come a long way to grow in step with Singapore’s progress.
“Your 50th anniversary is an important milestone,” he said. “I hope you will continue to build on this tradition of high standards and bold ambitions. Because every JTC success is a benefit for Singaporeans.”
“You help bring in investments, and create jobs. You enhance Singapore’s international reputation for quality and excellence. And as you push our physical boundaries and renew our urban landscape, you remind Singaporeans that we are only limited by our imagination.”
OPPORTUNE TIME TO REFLECT AND COMMIT TO LEGACY: JTC CHAIRMAN
Chairman Loo Choon Yong described the 50th anniversary as “an opportune time” for JTC to reflect and commit itself to its legacy amid a new world defined by uncertain global geopolitics, an accelerating technological revolution and changing domestic demographics.
Its commitments moving forward include embracing the Singapore model of development.
“This means not pursuing economic growth alone, but striking a fine balance between the economic, social, and environmental. This is a developmental approach with a long-term view, and has created a very liveable environment that makes Singapore an investment destination of choice," said Dr Loo.
As such, JTC will be announcing initiatives and inviting industry partners to contribute towards greener estates.
It will also work to retain the “tradition of embracing ambitious visions”, while continuing to build on the close partnership with fellow economic agencies and business communities.
The latter is “especially critical” given that now is the start of an industrial revolution, said Dr Loo.
“In all our estates new and old, our future success will depend on how well we work together to organise ourselves to accommodate new methods of production, new ways to bring products to market, and new ways to meet the expectations of the future workforce. As not all the answers are entirely clear at the moment, there is a need for constant experimentation.”
Noting how some areas, such as one-north, have become test-beds for new ideas and technologies, he added: “We will continue to strengthen these collaborations in local business communities to enhance business resilience, and create new opportunities for enterprise and industry transformation.”
As part of the celebrations on Friday, Mr Lee sealed a time capsule containing a variety of items, such as old brochures and books from past industrial projects, as well as photos and publications that showcase JTC’s current work.
The time capsule will be installed on Jun 1 – the day when JTC was formed 50 years ago – at its Jurong Town Hall headquarters. It will be opened during JTC’s 75th anniversary.
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