Events

Francis Lee

Francis practiced Law as a corporate lawyer for over 2 decades before switching to consulting in the Mergers & Acquisitions sector in the last twenty years. He was extremely active in the marine leisure scene and in the mid-80s, he became known as a true agent of change for marine conservation. Francis carries many accolades from his career, some highlights include:

●      Serving as the first Singaporean Commodore of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC)

●      Serving as the President of Raffles Marina

●      Chairing the Singapore Reef & Marine Conservation Committee

●      Co-launching the Aseanarean Expeditions Series

●      Co-authoring the Marine Parks of Thailand and the Marine Parks of Indonesia

●      Co-producing the award-winning Indonesia Beyond the Reefs documentary by National Geographic Channel (NGC)

●      Chairing Singapore’s committee for the International Year Of The Reef (IYOR) that produced the Singapore Blue Plan in 2009

●      His contribution to Indonesian Marine Tourism (by Indonesian Ambassador, in 2000),

●      For Leaders of the New Millenium (by US Boating Industry Magazine, 2000) and

●      SeaKeeper of Singapore (by The International SeaKeepers Society, USA, 2017)

Osman Ali

Osman developed his love for nature and Biology at a very young age and continued to pursue this interest all the way to higher learning. After graduating with a Science degree in Animal Biology & Cell Molecular Biology from NUS, Osman joined the pharmaceutical and health supplements industry. Today he runs his own company, MyLustre Pte Ltd, specialising in providing quality health supplements.

Osman was born in 1970 and lived in a kampung called Jalan Guan Choon (known today as Pasir Ris estate). Osman spent his childhood and early teens there spending much of his life around the coastal areas fishing and exploring the swamps. Osman is an avid scuba diver since 1991. He also became a Scuba Diving instructor in 1996 to share his love for the oceans with others.    

Richard Kuah

As a young boy, Richard’s father often brought him along to discover more of Singapore’s southern and western islands. He spent many years of his childhood with his family exploring as many islands as they could, including Seletar Island and Coney Island (formerly known as Serangoon Island). They enjoyed many recreational sea activities and even spent time foraging around the intertidal mudflats, catching crabs and fishing with simple rods and lines.

His late father was instrumental in developing his interest in our islands and knows of many interesting stories from him on exploring areas where past islanders once lived. These rich life experiences have also inspired Richard’s young son, and today, as a teenager, has a strong interest and love for the marine environment. He too enjoys snorkelling and discovering more about our islands’ heritage. This passing down of our island natural heritage from generation to generation remains dear to Richard and his family.

Chua Yong Liang (also known to many as Ah Liang)

Yong Liang was born in 1966 and is a former resident of Pulau Ubin. He is a third generation islander whose grandparents came from Guang Dong, China, and were some of the earliest settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1920s. In the early days, in order to support the family, his parents worked as rubber tappers, granite quarry workers and subsequently became granite quarry contractors from the 1960s to the 1980s. About two years before the famous Ubin Seafood Restaurant began its business, the family started an off shore fish farm near Pulau Ubin from the 1980s to late 1990s. This fish farm paved way for the family-owned seafood restaurant business which has since been sold off.

Born and raised on Pulau Ubin, Yong Liang’s childhood were mostly spent by the seashore and very much connected to the seas. Exploring and foraging along the coastal areas were just some of his memorable childhood activities.