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Colin Goh recycles paper, clothes, drink
cans, plastic bottles and workable appliances
in his bid to help protect the environment. But
he
wants to do even more, which is why he decided
to forge a career in the Ministry of the Environment
and Water Resources (MEWR).
A Public Service Commission scholar, Colin holds
a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from London’s
Imperial College. After graduating, he joined
MEWR as he believed the ministry would provide
the opportunities he was seeking. At the same
time, he was interested in the nature of the work,
which is more “down-to-earth and practical
as it affects the everyday lives of Singaporeans”.
Added Colin: “The work of MEWR is essential
because if you don’t have a clean Singapore,
both our people and our industries will suffer.
MEWR plays a crucial role in maintaining the overall
image of Singapore as a quality living and working
environment.” Four years into his bond,
Colin has not looked back. And he is glad to have
made a positive impact.
For the first few years, Colin worked in the Waste
Management Department of the National Environment
Agency (NEA), an MEWR statutory board.
His main responsibility was handling the tender
that regulates public waste collection. Every
five years, NEA would call for a tender for waste
collection companies. The successful companies
would then collect refuse in allocated sectors
across Singapore.
Colin and his team sought ways to improve the
waste collection scheme. One idea was extending
the contract period to seven years. The reason:
A longer depreciation period for the refuse vehicles
and equipment would enable waste collection companies
to enjoy cost savings. In turn, they can pass
on the savings to the residents by tendering lower
rates.
Since the revised scheme was implemented in Pasir
Ris and Tampines in July 2004, residents have
been enjoying savings of up to 30%.
Other aspects of Colin’s job scope at NEA
included attending to public feedback on the waste
collection services, and developing waste management
strategies such as recycling to minimise waste.
In July 2004, Colin took on a new portfolio at
MEWR’s International Relations Division.
As an International Relations Executive (Regional
Cooperation), Colin gathers information on issues
such as haze, urban governance, nature conservation
and environmental sustainability to help prepare
for Singapore’s representations at international
conferences and ministerial meetings. His work
requires him to liaise with many public agencies
including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry
of National Development, Attorney-General’s
Chambers and the National Parks Board, as well
as the relevant authorities in Asean countries.
“The main challenge is to be able to take
into account various regional and global issues
to put together comprehensive and well-argued
positions for Singapore,” Colin said.
Lately he was busy with a major project —
organising the Eighth Informal Asean Ministerial
Meeting for the Environment, which was hosted
by Singapore in mid-October.
Much of his time was spent on coordinating a
well-organised programme for the Meeting, which
was led by the Minister. This consisted of preparing
the overall framework and issues to be discussed,
looking into logistical details such as arranging
meals, transportation and accommodation; and organising
side programmes for the participants such as site
visits and recreational activities.
“It was indeed fulfilling to be involved
in so many aspects of organising a large international
meeting and to liaise and network with officials
from so many countries. It is not every day that
I can get this kind of exposure on the job,”
Colin remarked.
So far, so good. Colin is enjoying the new job
scope and challenges. Eager for more opportunities
to enhance Singapore’s environment, he said:
“I am looking forward to progressing well
within the MEWR family, whether it’s NEA,
PUB or Ministry HQ. All of them deal with challenging
environmental issues which I look forward to taking
on in future.”
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