Mr Wong Tuan Wah
Group Director, Fort Canning Park and Istana, National Parks Board
Public Administration Medal (Silver)

For more than 30 years, Mr Wong Tuan Wah's green fingers have woven magic into Singapore's living environment.

As the National Parks Board's (NParks) group director for Fort Canning Park and the Istana, he contributed significantly to the transformation of Singapore from a Garden City into a City in a Garden, while managing the verdant grounds of the Istana since 1996.

The 62-year-old was also in the team that started the Singapore Hornbill Project in 2004 to conserve the oriental pied hornbill population in Singapore, by providing the birds with suitable artificial nest boxes.

"We see wild hornbills roaming free all over the island today," he says.

More recently, he had a hand in enhancing Fort Canning Park with new gardens that emphasise different aspects of its rich history and by making it accessible to seniors, families with young children and people with disabilities, through covered escalators, lifts and walkways.

He is grateful that NParks' efforts to make Singapore greener and more liveable have been recognised.

"I wish that Singapore will continue to enjoy peace, and to progress and prosper," he says.

"We cannot take that for granted. Let's work together to make it happen for the benefit of our children and future generations."