S Dhanabalan to head company behind Mandai rejuvenation

The former chairman of Temasek has been appointed as the chairman of Mandai Safari Park Holdings.
Channel NewsAsia 20 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: Mr S Dhanabalan, the former chairman of Temasek Holdings and the current chairman of its philanthropic arm Temasek Trust, will head the company that is responsible for the rejuvenation of Mandai.

In a news release on Tuesday (Oct 20), Mandai Safari Park Holdings said Mr Dhanabalan has been appointed as its chairman. The company is overseeing the concept development to turn Mandai into an integrated wildlife and nature heritage space.

“I am honoured to be part of the team that will bring the vision of a rejuvenated Mandai to reality. By adopting an integrated, sustainable and inclusive approach, we will work towards creating an attraction for Singaporeans and visitors to enjoy the biodiversity available in Singapore,” Mr Dhanabalan said.

Together with the Mandai Safari Park team, Mr Dhanabalan said he has been engaging environmental groups and civil societies.

“My recent conversations have underscored how passionate and committed people in Singapore are towards conservation today. I see the new Mandai as a space to inspire and educate people of all ages in environmental conservation.”

Mr Dhanabalan is joined by 10 other directors including Ms Claire Chiang, former Chairman of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), and Mr Mike Barclay, who was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of WRS on Oct 1. Mr Barclay will also serve as Mandai Safari Park’s Executive Director.

In March, Mandai Safari Park commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment of the development. The findings will be announced in the second quarter of 2016, the company said.

- CNA/cy


S Dhanabalan to chair Temasek-owned entity behind Mandai mega-project
Today Online 21 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — Former Cabinet Minister and chairman of state-owned investment company Temasek S Dhanabalan has been appointed chairman of Mandai Safari Park Holdings, which will oversee the concept development of Mandai into a wildlife and nature heritage space.

Mr Dhanabalan — who retired as Temasek chairman in 2013 after 17 years — is currently chairman of Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Temasek.

He heads the board of directors of the Mandai Safari Park Holdings, which consists 10 other directors, including Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) chief executive Mike Barclay, Singapore Tourism Board chief executive Lionel Yeo and marine biologist Leo Tan.

Mr Barclay, the former chief executive of Sentosa Development Corporation who became WRS chief executive on Oct 1, will also serve as executive director of the Mandai Safari Park Holdings.

The latter is wholly owned by Temasek and holds an 88 per cent stake in WRS.

WRS is the holding company of Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo.

Plans for a mega-nature attraction in Mandai were first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on a “live” television programme last year.

Early this year, Temasek, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry said Mandai could feature a new “immersive zoo-type experience” in addition to the existing attractions there. The work is set to finish around 2020.

Mr Dhanabalan and the Mandai Safari Park Holdings team have been engaging environmental groups and civil society, according to a statement issued yesterday.

“My recent conversations have underscored how passionate and committed people in Singapore are towards conservation today.

“I see the new Mandai as a space to inspire and educate people of all ages in environmental conservation,” he said.

Findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment for Mandai — conducted by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and other agencies — are likely to be shared in the second quarter of next year.

The assessment was commissioned in March, and detailed biodiversity and physical data are being collected, said Mandai Safari Park Holdings. It will explore and incorporate sustainable solutions in the development of Mandai, which will cover about 120ha.

Ideas for Mandai include the possible relocation of Jurong Bird Park to the precinct.

A concept video that was released early this year depicted a “zoo in the air” with aerial walkways weaving through a forest, a waterfall cavern for boat rides and a walkway for wildlife crossings. WRS is also looking to use the development as a research platform.


Dhanabalan to chair Temasek's Mandai rejuvenation unit
Melissa Tan Business Times 20 Oct 15;

TEMASEK Holdings' proposal to turn Mandai into an integrated wildlife and nature heritage area has been taken another step towards realisation.

The Singapore investment firm has set up a wholly-owned unit to oversee the "concept development" for the estate's makeover and asked its former chairman S Dhanabalan to chair it, according to a press release the unit sent out on Tuesday.

Mandai Safari Park Holdings said in its statement that it commissioned a study of the proposed development's impact on the environment in March this year and expects to be able to publish findings in the second quarter of 2016. This environmental impact assessment "aims to explore and incorporate sustainable solutions in the development of the precinct", it added.

The proposed development is expected to be completed in phases over a decade and the first phase has been estimated to cost about S$1 billion, according to media reports in January 2015.

Mandai Safari said that besides driving the development plans, it will also oversee the business and strategic development of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS).

WRS is the holding company and operator of the Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari and River Safari. Mandai Safari owns 88 per cent of WRS and the Singapore Tourism Board owns the remaining 12 per cent.

Mandai Safari will have 10 other directors besides Mr Dhanabalan, who is also chairman of Temasek's philanthropic arm Temasek Trust. These include former WRS chairman Claire Chiang and WRS's new chief executive officer Mike Barclay.