First Malaysia-Singapore Chevening Alumni Exchange
Sixteen Chevening alumni from Malaysia and Singapore created history when they met in the iconic Botanic Gardens in Singapore at 9.00am on Saturday March 5 for the first gathering of alumni from both countries.
Seven alumni from Malaysia joined nine Singapore-based alumni for a tour of the Gardens’, one of Singapore’s mega attractions. Also present were seven accompanying persons and Paul Broom from the British High Commission (BHC) in Singapore. Coordination between the Chevening Alumni Malaysia Committee and BHC over the preceding two months made the event a reality.
What made the tour extra special was that it was led by an alumnus, Elango Velautham, who also happened to be the Gardens’ Assistant Director. In fact, it was Elango’s job which led to the concept of having a joint alumni gathering at the Botanic Gardens. Its reputation as a world class park was considered strong enough to make alumni from both countries to want to attend.
Elango’s guidance provided first-hand insights into what made the Gardens’ worthy of World Heritage Site status. And while learning about the vital importance of biodiversity for the planet’s wellbeing, participants also got to know each other. In spite of the majority meeting each other for the first time, it appeared more of a gathering of close friends who had known each other for a long time.
After the 150-minute tour ended, the camaraderie between alumni continued over lunch at a restaurant a short distance away. Two more alumni and two accompanying persons joined us here for a sumptuous Indian meal, making it an impressive total complement of 18 alumni and 10 others. The focus of the conversations was on making the gathering, at the least, an annual event.
As many present were scuba divers, arrangements were made for a combined dive trip to nearby Tioman Island on the Malaysian side of the border in the near future. It appears scuba divers may form the first sub-group within alumni groupings in both countries. Saying goodbye and parting from each other was a challenge with the gathering eventually winding up at 4pm.
