Singapore, Our Maritime City   Tags: english, maritime, singapore  

If your forefathers were migrants, how did they arrive to lay down their roots in Singapore? You may have heard of stories of how the older generation endured long and arduous journeys on ships that took weeks or months before they arrived on our island.

This book that you're reading, the laptop that you use, the clothes that yu wear... even today, most of these things, like your forefathers, continue to arrive in Singapore by ship.

The maritme industry was a mainstay of the Singapore success story, and remains so even today. Singapore is the busiest port in the world in terms of shipping tonnage. It connects 200 shipping lines to more than 600 ports in over 120 countries, with over 40 shipyards accommodating anything from the smallest tugs ot the world's largest supertankers.

Home to over 4,000 maritime companies, Singapore is a one-stop international maritime centre with a wide spectrum of services, including shipping, ship management, ports, terminals, ship repair, shipbuilding, offshore engineering, as well as maritime litigation and arbitration, ship financing and marine insurance.

Singapore also offers, pilotage, towage, heavy lift services, offshore support, salvage work, fresh water supply, crew change, fuel oil bunkering, ship supplies and waste disposal, attracting some 140,000 vessel calls annually.

Together, the industry contributes a significant 7% to Singapore's Gross Domestic Product, and provides some 100,000 jobs to the working population. A record-high turnover of S$7.4 billion was recorded by the marine industry in 2005, firmly establishing the sector as one of the economy's highest earners - a culmination of over 40 year's worth of modern growth and development.

The Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) is a private sector-led organisation that works in partnership with different sectors of the maitime industry and relevant government agencies to promote and develop Singapore as an international maritime centre. Established in January 2004, the SMF is directed by a Board and supported by a permanent secretariat.

We always endeavour to encourage young Singaporeans to learn more about our maritime industry; to discover that it is not just about burly men with oil streaked overalls toiling in the hot sun. The industry is one that is truly dynamic and exciting. There are diverse career and education paths within the industry that one can take. To cater to the growing interest, the education choices for those keen to pursue careers in the maritime industry are also ever-increasing.

I urge you to make use of this resource guide, which points you to interesting sources and channels for maritime-related information.

By Mr Teh Kong Long
Executive Director, Singapore Maritime Foundation

Editor: Timothy Pwee and Ang Seow Leng
Compiler (History): Ang Seow Leng
Compiler (Labour): Alex Ong
Compiler (Business & Education): Balbindar Kaur
Compiler (Legal & Navigation): Timothy Pwee

Foreword by: Singapore Maritime Foundation

Web version:
Created and edited by Ramlah Hashim