Speech By Senior Minister of State for Transport and Law, Mr Murali Pillai @ MSC Asia Regional Office’s 30th Anniversary Dinner

Ms Caroline Becquart, Senior Vice President,

Mr Giuseppe Prudente, Chief of Logistics,

Her Excellency Ms Alexandra Baumann, Ambassador of Switzerland to Singapore,\

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.             Good evening. It is my pleasure to join you this evening to celebrate MSC’s 30 years in Singapore. Let me begin by extending my warmest congratulations to MSC on this significant milestone.

2.             This year also marks 30 years since MPA was established in 1996. In many ways, tonight is a celebration of two institutions that have grown alongside each other.

3.             In Chinese, there is a saying about the ages of Man – San(1) Shi (2) Er (2) Li (4) – 30 is the age when Man comes into his own identity and becomes independent. 

4.             When MSC established its first Asian office in Singapore in 1996, Singapore too was just embarking on our efforts to grow as a global maritime hub.

5.             Over the past three decades, MSC has flourished and grown – it is now the world’s largest container shipping line and has expanded its operations, connectivity and investments here.

6.             Meantime, Singapore has continued to develop as a leading hub port and international maritime centre.

7.             We have both grown from strength to strength. A visible and enduring representation of this shared growth is the MSC-PSA Asia Terminal, or MPAT, one of the earliest joint ventures PSA established with a shipping line back in 2006. From its initial three berths, MPAT has grown to Singapore’s largest joint-venture terminal today.

8.             Our journeys, while different, share a common thread: a willingness to invest for the long term, to adapt to change and to be unceasingly vigilant for new opportunities.

Building Maritime Singapore

9.             That forward-looking mindset is especially important because the next chapter of maritime will be very different from the last. That is why we have embarked on the Maritime Singapore Master Plan.

10.          Not only is Singapore investing in physical infrastructure, we are studying and developing the technologies, capabilities and talent needed to keep Maritime Singapore competitive in the longer-term.

11.          This must be complemented by strong partnerships with companies that have the scale, expertise and ambition to turn new ideas into working solutions. MSC is one of those valued partners.

12.          As Singapore develops new strategies and capabilities, we look forward to MSC growing alongside Maritime Singapore and identifying opportunities to expand and deepen its presence here. We also welcome MSC’s contribution of its global experience and capabilities to the ongoing development of Singapore’s maritime ecosystem.

13.          Shipping, for Singapore, as a small island whose destiny is tied to the sea, is not just a business, it is a part of our maritime identity.

14.          And some of the strongest ties we have are forged in tough times, with our maritime partners. I recall a time I was in Greece and met a Greek leader of a prominent shipping company. I asked him to continue to invest in Singapore. He said he was happy to do so and recounted what happened during the Covid 19 pandemic.

15.          He said that, out of all the ports in the world, Singapore was one of the very few which allowed a crew change. This made a world of difference for the crew and the ship owners. He said by this act, Singapore demonstrated that we are no fair-weather friends. Singapore indeed strives to be a steadfast friend, and we look continuously to build strong partnerships across the world. 

Looking Ahead Together – Decarbonisation, Digitalisation and Manpower Development

MPA-MSC MoU

16.          The MPA–MSC Memorandum of Understanding, or MoU, signed in Geneva in May this year provides a strong example of what partnerships mean to us.

17.          It gives practical expression to our shared commitment to deepen cooperation in decarbonisation, digitalisation, innovation and manpower development.

Decarbonisation and Digitalisation

18.          Both MPA and MSC are acutely aware that decarbonisation and digitalisation are changing the way ships, ports and supply chains operate.

19.          Singapore is preparing for a multi-fuel future and accelerating digitalisation across the maritime ecosystem.

20.          MSC too is committed to the green transition, as seen from its growing fleet of LNG dual-fuelled container ships. It has also invested significantly in new technologies that enable greater transparency, visibility and control over cargo movements and transactions.

21.          We look forward to working with MSC and other industry partners to strengthen the alternative-fuels ecosystem in Singapore and support the industry’s transition.

22.          We are already partners in the Singapore-Rotterdam Green and Digital Shipping Corridor, or GDSC. This provides a chance for us to test solutions and accelerate adoption at scale.

Manpower development

23.          As we advance digitalisation and decarbonisation, we will need a strong pipeline of local maritime talent.

24.          In this regard, I would like to recognise MSC’s contribution to developing our next generation of maritime talent, including its support for this year’s MaritimeONE Case Competition. MSC challenged our students to tackle a very practical sustainability problem: how to better measure and reduce Scope 3 emissions arising from employee commuting and business travel. To address this, students were asked to develop a credible emissions baseline and measurement framework, recommend reduction targets and approaches for reporting.

25.          By giving students the opportunity to tackle real world challenges, we are not only raising awareness of maritime careers but giving the next generation a stake in the future of the sector.

26.          MSC is also closely involved in other initiatives, sponsoring MaritimeONE scholarships and participating in student engagements and career talks. In fact, MSC has steadfastly nurtured talent, including Grace Chia, the current Managing Director of MSC’s Asia Regional Office. Grace first joined MSC in 1999 and has spent her entire career with the company, progressing through various roles in sales, marketing and trade management. In her current role, she oversees MSC’s regional operations and business initiatives across Asia and has taken on the mentoring of female middle managers. Her contributions to MSC were recognised last year, through the naming of a vessel, the MSC Grace.

27.          This is a singular honour. Grace’s journey demonstrates how investment in people develops Singaporean leaders with deep roots in the maritime sector.

Conclusion

28.          Ladies and gentlemen, as we celebrate this milestone, it is worth reflecting on how far MSC and Singapore have come. Over the past 30 years, MSC and Singapore have built a partnership grounded in trust, collaboration and shared growth.

29.          In the past three decades, we each have grown and developed our own identity. But we have also collaborated more closely and become stronger partners with each other. Congratulations once again to MSC on 30 years of excellence in Singapore. We look forward to many more years of partnership and shared success.

30.          Thank you.