By Hoe Pei Shan, The Straits Times, 23 Apr 2015
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STOLEN passports, murder investigations and evacuating Singaporeans from war-torn areas - these are just some of the issues that Singapore's honorary consuls-general (HCGs) deal with.
Since 1974, 31 HCGs have been appointed in 26 countries.
Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said that their growing number reflects the evolution of Singapore's interests abroad and the demand for consular services by the city-state's travellers and overseas diaspora.
"If you look at, say, 40 years ago, our interactions with Latin America, Central America... Africa... would have been limited," he told reporters at the 7th Meeting of Singapore Honorary Consuls-General at the Shangri-La Hotel yesterday. "Today, politically and strategically, we have strong linkages with many of the countries in Latin America and Africa simply because... it's a more interconnected world," he said.
He added that the world's "economic power centres" have also shifted, and Singapore's economic interests are now "much greater".
With Singaporeans making more than 25 million overseas trips last year alone and another 200,000 residing abroad, there is also a need for consular services across the globe.
Most HCGs are influential natives of their countries who help to further Singapore's economic, political and strategic interests without receiving payment. They include businessmen, lawyers and engineers. Some accept the positions because of personal affinity with Singapore, and many see it as an honour to be selected.
Three months ago, Singapore's Papua New Guinea HCG, Sir Henry Chow, found himself assisting in a murder investigation and the repatriation of a body.The Singaporean managing director of Morobe Stationery, Mr Tan Tiam Teng, 69, was found dead in his Lae home with a gash in his neck on Jan 4. He was a friend of Sir Henry. In another incident, Lebanese HCG Joseph Salim Habis took two Singaporeans out of a war zone through his network of contacts.
HCGs "perform very valuable services", said Mr Shanmugam. "You exist and you survive by being connected, and the HCGs help us in that role because... we're simply too small to have embassies on the ground in many, many countries."
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By Hoe Pei Shan, The Straits Times, 23 Apr 2015
By Hoe Pei Shan, The Straits Times, 23 Apr 2015
TWO Singaporeans trapped in Lebanon during the 2006 war had no one to turn to as Singapore did not have an embassy there.
Then Foreign Minister George Yeo called Singapore's honorary consul-general (HCG) in Lebanon, Mr Joseph Salim Habis, asking him for urgent help.
"He said, 'Joseph, you have to do your utmost because this is very dangerous, and these people, they have their parents here (in Singapore) crying,'" recalled Mr Habis, who then made some calls to "very important people".
He successfully located the two, who had been hiding in an underground shelter.
The airport in Beirut was closed and ships other countries had sent did not have room for the Singaporeans, so Mr Habis arranged transport from Lebanon to the border of Syria, with convoys for protection because it was a "very dangerous" route.
From Syria, the pair then flew to Singapore. It took them 10 days, from the time Mr Habis got the call, to get home safely.
For his efforts, Mr Habis, Singapore's first and longest-serving HCG, received a letter of appreciation from the Government of Singapore.
The 71-year-old said he has come a long way from when he was first asked to be HCG in 1974. Back then, his first reaction was "Where is Singapore?"
Now he takes great pride in being an "honorary citizen" of the country, and calls the Republic his "second wife".
He added: "There will be no divorce."
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