DR SHAWN LUM

President, Nature Society (Singapore) Former member, PUB Water Network Panel

Public Service Medal

A passionate advocate for environmental conservation, Dr Shawn Lum, 57, has worked with national water agency PUB to forge various collaborations on nature and water issues over the past decade.

Dr Lum, who sat on PUB's Water Network Panel from 2009 to earlier this year, described his time on the panel as "an eye-opener". It included representatives from various sectors, who networked and gave feedback on PUB's policies and programmes.

Among other things, Dr Lum worked with the PUB to conduct nature outreach at locations such as Lorong Halus Wetland, and also had conversations with teachers to see how water and nature could be integrated into a new curriculum for social science.

He also played a role in PUB's engagements with nature groups for the water agency's major infrastructure projects in order to mitigate possible disruptions.

Dr Lum described his contributions as modest, saying: "None of us community partners really thought about any individual honours. It was really about taking something we knew a little bit about, and cared a lot for, and sharing it with others."

A full list of this year's National Day Awards recipients is available at the PMO website.