Opening Remarks By Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng - Past, Present and Future of Maritime Singapore

Mr Chua Meng Chuan, Chairman of the Singapore Clifford Pier Motor Boat Association,

Mr Tommy Phun, Founder of Pyxis, 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

1.     Good evening.

2.     Before I begin, I would like to say that we are deeply saddened by the incident involving the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. Our thoughts are with the people of Baltimore during this difficult time. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Ministry of Transport’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau will provide full cooperation to the US Coast Guard and agencies in their investigations.

3.     Thank you for inviting me today to pay tribute to the contributions of our maritime pioneers, and recognise the achievements of our young generation of maritime leaders.

4.     The Clifford Pier is a fitting location for this occasion. Affectionately known as “Ang Teng” or red lights in Hokkien, the iconic Clifford Pier was the landing point for our forefathers in the 1930s when they arrived in Singapore, and was the gathering point where lighter boats, or twakow, discharged passengers and goods that they picked up from larger ships. It was at places such as Clifford Pier where the foundations of our maritime community were built.

5.     I would like to thank the Singapore Clifford Pier Motor Boat Association and the veterans of the harbour craft community who are present here this evening, for your strong support and contributions to Maritime Singapore over the past few decades. Your hard work and dedication have built a strong foundation for current and future generations of boatmen, and your wisdom and expertise remain instrumental in guiding the continued transformation of the maritime sector.

 Recognising Pyxis’ Contributions

6.     A new generation of maritime leaders is now stepping up to transform the industry. One example is our local start-up Pyxis which was founded in 2022 by Mr Tommy Phun. Tommy is no stranger to the maritime industry, having worked at his family’s 30-year-old maritime services company, Eng Hup Shipping, for 10 years.

7.      Over the past two years, Pyxis has been a close partner of MPA in advancing the development of electrification technology and building up local capabilities in this area. For example, Pyxis collaborated with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and industry partners to design a course on electrification technology to equip operators with the relevant skills and knowledge to operate electric harbour craft.

8.     Last year, MPA issued three Expressions of Interest (EOIs) on electric harbour craft, charging infrastructure, as well as financing and insurance to support the industry in electrification. I am glad to see that the proposals Pyxis submitted for the design of electric harbour craft and vessel charging concepts were shortlisted. From April this year, Pyxis and its partner, SP Mobility, will pilot their vessel charging concept at Marina South Pier, with insights from the pilot contributing towards the development of a national electric harbour craft charging infrastructure masterplan.

9.     Today, I would like to congratulate Pyxis and its partners on another significant milestone – the successful launch of their first electric vessel, “X Tron”, as part of the Pyxis One series. “X Tron”, a fully electric port passenger vessel, underscores the transformative potential of collaboration and demonstrates the remarkable spirit of Pyxis in drawing from strong foundations of maritime experience whilst daring to push the boundaries of innovation.

Conclusion

10.    To conclude, collaboration and trust between the industry, workers, and the Government is key for the green transition of the maritime sector. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our partners this evening, for your strong and steadfast support for Maritime Singapore. Strong public-private partnerships have been a key enabler of capability-building and innovation in our maritime sector, and I look forward to continuing this close partnership in the years to come.

11.    Have a good evening ahead. Thank you.