The Singapore Embassy in Vientiane, the Lao-Singapore Friendship Club and the Institute of Foreign Affairs of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly organised the 3rd Lao-Singapore Charity Run in aid of Pong Song Village, in Hinheub District, Vientiane Province, on 10 December 2011. Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, HE Thongloun Sisoulith, was Guest-of-Honour at the event.

The Lao-Singapore Charity Run was initiated by the Singapore Embassy as a means for the Singaporeans in Laos to forge links with the Lao people and contribute to the local community. At the 3rd Charity Run in 2011, more than 500 Lao and Singaporean runners, the highest number to date, covered the route which began and ended at Patuxay Park, via the Presidential Palace. Also participating were more than 50 Singaporean students from two school volunteer groups who had been on an Overseas Community Involvement Programme in Pong Song Village in the weeks leading up to the Charity Run. Significant side events included an exhibition-cum-sale of photographs taken by the members of Lang Korng, a local photography club. The 3rd Charity Run raised a total of US$15,000 for its beneficiary, Pong Song Village. The residents of Pong Song Village can look forward to various new facilities, such as water tanks and clean water systems, and extensions to the school and community hall.

Singapore Ambassador to Lao PDR, Mr Dileep Nair, hosted a dinner reception at the Chancery on 6 December 2011 for 120 guests. The reception reached out to SCP alumni and members of the Lao-Singapore Friendship Club. The Guest-of-Honour was the Lao PDR Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, HE Alounkeo Kittikhoun.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Nair spoke about the warm and friendly ties between Laos and Singapore, and he acknowledged the contribution of the SCP alumni which fostered a stronger network . The reception was also an opportune occasion for the Singapore Embassy and the Lao-Singapore Friendship Club to promote the 3rd Lao-Singapore Charity Run that would be taking place on 10 December 2011. The Lao-Singapore Friendship Club was established in 2009 to facilitate social and business networkings between SCP alumni and the Singapore community in Laos, and receives substantial support from the Singapore Embassy. At the reception, President of the Friendship Club, Mr Xaisongkham Induangchanthy, gave a short presentation on the Charity Run and its beneficiary, Pong Song Village in Vientiane Province. Also attending the reception were teachers and students from East Spring Secondary School in Singapore, who were in Laos for a community project in Pong Song Village. Subject Head, Mr Neu Wee Teck, spoke briefly about East Spring Secondary School's projects in Laos.

The East Spring Secondary School's brass band performed a medley of songs while students from Phattana School in Laos performed two traditional Lao dances to entertain the guests.

The Singapore Embassy in Cairo organised a reception at the Cairo Marriott Hotel on 17 October 2011 to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Singapore. Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr Mohamed Abdel Kader Mohamed Salem and Singapore Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts Dr Yaacob Ibrahim were Guests-of-Honour at the event. The reception was also an opportune occasion for Egypt Post and Singapore Post to launch a joint stamp issue that bears the theme "Significant Rivers: The Nile River and Singapore River".

The reception was attended by prominent members of Egypt's public and private sectors - including 133 alumni of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) - and members of the Singaporean community. While interacting with Singapore Embassy officials, the SCP alumni said that they had fond memories of their training experiences in Singapore and retained a strong sense of affiliation to Singapore. Many alumni expressed appreciation for the training which they had received under the SCP and said that it had been useful in improving their work at their respective organisations.

The Singapore Ambassador to Turkey, Mr Chandra Das, hosted a tea reception for Turkish alumni of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) on 4 April 2011 during his representational visit to Turkey from 3 to 8 April 2011. The tea reception was attended by 13 SCP alumni, some of whom made the journey from outside of Ankara. Attendees included E-Government Advisor, Prime Ministry, Mr Mehmet Recep Usalan; and Inspector, Ministry of National Education, Mr Davut Olgun.

At the reception, conversations recounted positive experiences by SCP alumni who attended SCP courses. Ambassador Das thanked the alumni for their feedback and encouraged them to keep in touch with the friends they made in Singapore. In a gesture of friendship, Mr Usalan offered to organise a picnic for Ambassador Das during the latter's next representational visit to Turkey.

The Singapore Embassy in Jakarta organised its 6th annual Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) Alumni Dinner on 23 February 2011. The dinner was hosted by Mr Gerard Ho, the Singapore Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission and Counsellor. 55 Indonesian guests attended the dinner, including Mr M Ichsan Tatang, Secretary-General of the Transport Ministry; Mr Desi Fernanda, Deputy III (Research, Development Administration & Acceleration of State Administration) of the National Institute of Public Administration; and representatives from the State Secretariat.

The SCP alumni, other Indonesian officials and Singapore Embassy staff enjoyed the evening, which provided the opportunity for them to renew old friendships and form new ones with one another.

The Singapore Embassy in Bangkok held an SCP Alumni Reception at the Dusit Thani Bangkok on 22 February 2011. The reception was hosted by Singapore Ambassador to Thailand, Mr Peter Chan, and attended by more than 70 Thai SCP alumni.

The guests included officials from the Royal Thai Customs, Ministry of Public Health, Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, Department of Civil Aviation, Bank of Thailand, and many other government agencies and public institutions. Besides the alumni residing in Bangkok, some guests came from outer provinces as far as the southern province of Songkhla.

The SCP alumni relished Singapore food such as chicken rice and laksa, as they reminisced about their time spent in Singapore. Many also took the opportunity to catch up on the latest developments and new places to shop and eat in Singapore, while expressing their warm appreciation to Ambassador Chan for hosting the reception.

Ambassador Chan said in his welcome remarks that the SCP is Singapore's way of "Paying It Forward", and hoped that the training that the SCP alumni received in Singapore had been helpful to their career.

The Singapore Consulate in Pekanbaru hosted a Coffee Morning session on 17 February 2011 for 35 members of the Riau chapter of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) Alumni Network. The alumni were pleased to renew friendships among one another and to enhance their rapport with the Consulate officials.

In his welcome remarks, Mr Gavin Chay, Singapore Consul in Pekanbaru, highlighted Singapore's contributions to Riau and other provinces of Indonesia, such as the rebuilding of the Meulaboh General Hospital in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, and the recent conclusion in November 2010 of an SCP training course on the environment for Riau officials. Consul Chay also noted that SilkAir would be starting its Singapore-Pekanbaru direct flight service from the end of February 2011, and expressed the hope that this would further enhance relations between Riau and Singapore.

The Coffee Morning session also provided an avenue for the Consulate officials and alumni to discuss the Riau SCP alumni's activities for the 2011 financial year. Led by Mr Ramli Walid, Head, Regional Planning and Development Board as well as Chairman of the Riau SCP alumni network, the discussion featured a good exchange of ideas and opinions. Among the activities proposed and agreed upon were a language festival, and a series of seminars on health, the environment and provincial planning.

The Singapore Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association co-hosted the seventh Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) Alumni Night gathering on 21 January 2011 at Hotel Majestic Saigon's Cyclo Restaurant. The event was attended by over 150 guests, who included SCP alumni and Singaporean businessmen based in Ho Chi Minh City. Among the SCP alumni present was Party Secretary of Vinh Long Province, Mdm Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, who attended the SCP course on "International English for Administrators" from August to November 2004.

The guests enjoyed themselves in a relaxed ambience and had the opportunity to renew friendships and make new acquaintances, while savouring Singapore delicacies such as Hokkien noodles and Hainanese chicken rice. Singers from the Ho Chi Minh City Performing Arts Centre entertained the guests throughout the evening, with songs dedicated to Vietnam and even a special rendition of a Singapore classic, Stand Up for Singapore. The Vietnamese guests also displayed their knowledge of Singapore in a "Singapore Trivia" game which tested their knowledge of Singapore cuisine and attractions such as the Flyer, Esplanade and Integrated Resorts.

The Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr A Selverajah, hosted a dinner reception for Filipino alumni of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) on 20 January 2011 at the Singapore Embassy Chancery in Manila. The reception was attended by over 80 SCP alumni from various agencies such as the Presidential Management Staff, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine National Police and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Some of the alumni arrived from places as far away as Batangas, Clark and Subic. The Chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross and Honorary Patron of the Philippines Chapter of the SCP Alumni Network, Senator Richard Gordon, graced the reception.

In Ambassador Selverajah's welcome remarks, he noted the warm relations between the Philippines and Singapore. Senator Gordon also delivered a speech, in which he praised the Singapore model of governance and encouraged the alumni to apply what they had learned during their SCP courses to their workplace. In their interactions with the Singapore Embassy hosts at the dinner, the alumni expressed their appreciation for the human resource capacity training they received.

The guests enjoyed the opportunity to renew friendships with one another and build rapport with their Singapore hosts while partaking of signature Singapore dishes such as chicken rice, sayur lodeh (curried vegetables), cereal prawns, satay (skewered grilled meat) and ondeh ondeh (traditional Peranakan cakes).

The Singapore Ambassador to Myanmar, Mr Robert Chua, hosted the 11th Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) Alumni Dinner on 11 December 2010 at the Chancery's Civic Centre in Yangon. The event was attended by 100 SCP alumni, who had attended courses conducted at the Myanmar-Singapore Training Centre from January to August 2010, as well as other Myanmar civil servants. The guests included Director-General, Civil Service Selection and Training Board (CSSTB), Mr Wai Myint; Director-General, Labour Ministry, Mr Chit Sein; Deputy Director-General, Training, Research & Foreign Language, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Mr Win Naing; and Director, CSSTB, Mr Zaw Moe Win.

In Ambassador Chua's welcome remarks, he highlighted the warm relations between Myanmar and Singapore and reiterated Singapore's commitment towards assisting Myanmar in the latter's human resource development. Ambassador Chua also encouraged the SCP alumni to keep in touch with the latest happenings in Singapore through the SCP website. In their interactions with Embassy personnel at the dinner, the alumni commented that they found the courses they had attended useful and relevant, and looked forward to further training opportunities at the Myanmar-Singapore Training Centre.

Besides getting to know the Singapore officials better, the dinner also provided the opportunity for the guests to network with their fellow civil servants from other Myanmar ministries. There was a delectable range of Singaporean dishes such as chicken rice, prawn noodles and traditional Peranakan kueh (cakes) to savour, while enjoying music from a live band.

The Singapore Embassy in Vientiane, the Lao-Singapore Friendship Club (LSFC) and the Institute of Foreign Affairs of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly organised the 2nd Lao-Singapore Charity Run in aid of the Somsanga Drug Rehabilitation Centre, on 11 December 2010. HE Alounkeo Kittikhoun, Lao Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, was Guest-of-Honour at the event.

The Lao-Singapore Charity Run was initiated by the Singapore Embassy as a means for the Singaporeans in Laos to contribute to the local community while forging bonds with Laotian friends of Singapore, of whom the alumni of the Singapore Cooperation Programme make up a sizeable number. The inaugural Lao-Singapore Charity Run in 2009 had raised over US$12,000, which was donated to the School for Children with Cerebral Palsy, as well as to Salavan Province for the rebuilding of schools destroyed by Typhoon Ketsana. At the second Charity Run in December 2010, 300 runners set off from one of Vientiane's most notable landmarks, That Luang. After rounding the Presidential Palace, they headed back back to the starting point, for the final leg of the run. The 2nd Charity Run raised a record of over US$22,500 for the establishment of a Motorcycle Repair Centre at Somsanga Drug Rehabilitation Centre. Besides the construction of a one-storey training centre, the money will also be used to provide training materials, equipment, and hire trainers. Notable Singapore companies such as the Cresendas Group, MyLaoHome, Asia Mobile Holdings, Novotel and Lao-Asia Pacific Brewery also contributed to the sponsorship of the event.

Singapore Ambassador in Vientiane, Mr Benjamin Jeyaraj William, hosted a dinner reception for over 50 SCP Alumni at the Chancery on 17 September 2010. The event reached out to younger Lao officials and was held in conjunction with a membership drive for the Lao Singapore Friendship Club (LSFC). An initiative of Ambassador William's, the LSFC was established in 2009 to facilitate social and business networkings between SCP Alumni and the Singapore community in Laos and receives substantial support from the Singapore Embassy.

SCP Alumni who attended the reception included Director of Division, Ministry of National Defence, Mr Phonpasith Souvannalathcame and Director of Aerodrome, Department of Civil Aviation, Mr Somphonh Sygnavong. In addition, there were officials from the Offices of the President and Prime Minister, as well as the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, Energy and Mines, Industry and Commerce, Labour and Social Welfare, and Education.

Besides providing a platform for the SCP Alumni to renew friendships with one another and strengthen their rapport with the Singaporean officials and guests, the reception was also an opportune occasion for the LSFC Committee to attract potential members and promote an upcoming Charity Run organised by the LSFC with the support of the Lao PDR Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Embassy. Through this Charity Run scheduled to take place in December 2010, the organisers aim to raise funds for a training workshop on motorcycle repair for the rehabilitation of former drug abusers. The SCP Alumni enjoyed the evening and were entertained by a local quartet while savouring the buffet spread.

The Singapore Embassy in Hanoi and the Civil Service College (International) organised a Joint Alumni Dinner for 70 guests on 13 September 2010 at the Hanoi Club in Hanoi, Vietnam. The dinner was held in conjunction with CSC's inaugural Overseas Study Visit Programme to Vietnam from 12 to 18 September, and jointly hosted by Singapore Ambassador in Hanoi, Mr Simon Wong, and Dean and Chief Executive Officer of CSC, Mr Lionel Yeo. Besides the SCP Alumni, officials from CSC's partner agencies, such as the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration (HCM NAPA) were also invited. The Vietnamese were joined by the 14 Singaporeans from various Ministries and Statutory Boards participating in the Overseas Study Visit Programme.

SCP Alumni who attended the dinner included the Director-General, Southeast Asia, South Asia and South Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Tran Hai Hau; Director-General, Economic Department, Office of the Party Central Committee, Communist Party of Vietnam, Mr Bui Trong Dinh; Acting Director-General, Department of International Cooperation, HCM NAPA, Dr Bui Phuong Dinh; and Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, Mr Nguyen Quoc Thang.

The dinner was an excellent opportunity for the SCP Alumni to renew friendships with one another and establish new links with the Singaporean officials. It also provided a platform for the Singaporean Overseas Study Visit Programme participants to interact with Vietnamese civil servants and gain insight into Vietnam's rapid development and progress.

The Singapore Ambassador in Hanoi, Mr Simon Wong, hosted lunch for five Vietnamese SCP alumni at Hanoi's Halia Restaurant on 9 September 2010. The alumni had attended a five-week English language intensive training course in Singapore, conducted by the Nanyang Technological University Centre for Continuing Education (NTU-CCE). Mr Nguyen Huu Chi, Vice-Minister (Finance); Mr Nguyen Minh Hong, Vice-Minister (Information and Communications); Mr Dao Xuan Hoc, Vice-Minister (Agriculture and Rural Development); Mr Pham Minh Huan, Vice-Minister (Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs); and Mr Nguyen Dac Dong, Director-General, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, had recently returned to Vietnam after the course ended in July 2010.

The lunch took place in a casual and relaxed atmosphere, with the alumni sharing about their positive experiences in Singapore. During the five weeks that they were away from home, the alumni told Ambassador that they had benefited beyond acquiring English language proficiency, as they took the opportunity to build strong friendships with their fellow course participants and learned more about Singapore.

The Singapore High Commission in Pretoria held a reception at the High Commission on Thursday, 24 June 2010 at 6.30 pm. The reception was well attended. The Patron of the SCP Alumni in South Africa, Dr Sivi Gounden, Chairman of Houlgoun Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd was the Guest-of-Honour.

High Commissioner Bernard Baker gave a welcome speech at the outset of the event, and thereafter, invited the guests to enjoy the variety of food. The atmosphere at the reception was relaxed, and the Alumni members reminisced about good memories in Singapore and renewed friendships with one another well into the evening. The Alumni enjoyed themselves immensely, staying on to mingle amongst themselves and converse with the High Commission personnel even after the dinner had officially ended.

Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Singapore Embassy in Hanoi, Mr Adrian Tan, hosted a lunch for five Vietnamese SCP alumni at the Sofitel Plaza Hotel on 4 June 2010. The alumni, who were Director-General level and Deputy Director-General level officials from various ministries, were congratulated for completing a three month English language course conducted by the Nanyang Technological University Centre for Continuing Education (NTU-CCE). Mrs Than Le Hoa, Deputy Director-General (Southeast Asia and South Pacific Department), Communist Party of Vietnam; Mr Nguyen Van Sy, Deputy Director-General (State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese), Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr Nguyen Thanh Hung, Head of Section (Vietnam Institute of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning), Ministry of Construction; and Mr Tran Van Luong, Director (Inspection Centre for Industry in Ho Chi Minh City), Ministry of Industry and Trade had just returned to Vietnam after the recently concluded run of the course from March to May 2010. Ms Nguyen Thi To Anh, Head of Section (Consular Department), Ministry of Foreign Affairs was part of the delegation that attended the course in 2009.

The lunch took place in a casual and relaxed atmosphere, with the alumni talking about their positive experiences in Singapore. Although they were required to spend three months away from home, the alumni noted that they also gained a lot through improving their English and building strong friendships with their fellow course participants. They also had the opportunity to learn about Singapore's history, culture and society.

The Singapore Consulate in Pekanbaru and the Riau SCP Alumni jointly organised an English Language Festival from 24 to 26 April 2010 for high-school and university students in Riau Province. The Festival was timed to complement the line-up of activities in connection with the National Education Day (2 May in Indonesia). The three-day Festival consisted of competitions in debate, poetry, drama, singing and oratory skills, held at the HS Soeman Library in Pekanbaru. The library has supported SCP Alumni events and Singapore Consul, Mr Gavin Chay, has previously participated in one of the sessions of the ongoing English Community programme through which the library provides opportunities for students and working adults alike to practise English. The Consulate proposed the English Language Festival as a means to contribute to the library's efforts and simultaneously reach out to the local community. A joint working committee comprising Consulate personnel and 20 members of the Riau SCP Alumni was co-chaired by Consul Gavin Chay, and Assistant III, Regional Secretary of Riau Province and the Riau SCP Alumni Chairman, Drs. Ramli Wahid. Demonstrating the strong bilateral ties between Singapore and Indonesia, the committee worked as a team to organise, promote and implement the various attractions of the Festival.

A total of 485 students from the various senior high-schools and universities in Riau Province participated in the Festival, which saw SMA 8 Pekanbaru high-school triumph in four out of the five competition categories. The Prizes Presentation ceremony was officiated by Consul Gavin Chay and Head of the Family Welfare Programme for Riau Province, Mrs Septina Rusli (also the wife of Riau Governor, Mr Rusli Zainal). Consul Gavin Chay also presented 300 English language books and audio-visual learning aids to the HS Soeman Library at the ceremony. These books and audio visual materials were jointly donated by the Singapore Consulate and Singapore's National Library Board.

About 100 Riau SCP Alumni participated in a an outbound camp at Naang Treetop Advenure Camp in Kampar regency from 14 to 15 April 2010. Singapore Consul in Pekanbaru, Mr Gavin Chay, also attended the camp.

Assistant III of Riau Sekda [Regional Secretariat] for human resources and training, Mr Ramli Wahid (who is also the Riau SCP Alumni Committee Chairman), said that the outbound camp was organised to foster teamwork and collaboration among the alumni. In the course of the two-day camp, all the alumni were encouraged to use English as the medium of communication. Another SCP alumnus, Secretary of Riau DPRD [Regional House of Representatives], Mr Nazief Soesila Dharma, added that the outbound camp, which received local media coverage, would contribute to the welfare of the community.

The Riau SCP Alumni have planned other community and teambuilding activities in the coming year, such as an English Language Festival for local students.

The Singapore Embassy in Bangkok organised an SCP Alumni Reception at Swissotel Le Concorde on 11 March 2010. Hosted by Singapore Ambassador in Bangkok, Mr Peter Chan, 45 SCP Alumni attended the reception. The guests included Director General, Rice Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr Prasert Gosalvitra; Director, International Cooperation Division, Policy Planning and International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Finance, Mr Chakkrit Utensute; and Senior Chief Legal Officer, Bank of Thailand, Mr Dumrongsak Na Ranong. Besides the Alumni residing in Bangkok, some of the attendees were also from outer provinces such as Pattaya, Songkla and Chiang Mai.

The Alumni were appreciative of the reception and enjoyed the Singapore cuisine that was served. Many of them also greeted Ambassador Peter Chan warmly, having attended the previous reception organised by the Singapore Embassy in 2008 at the Dusit Thani Hotel.

The Singapore Consulate in Pekanbaru and the Riau SCP Alumni committee co-organised a "Coffee Morning" breakfast meeting on 22 February 2010. Singapore Consul, Mr Gavin Chay; and Assistant III of Riau Sekda (Regional Secretariat) for human resources and training, Mr Ramli Wahid (who is also head of the Riau SCP Alumni committee), led the meeting whose objective was to plan SCP Alumni Network activities for 2010.

Among the 50 SCP Alumni present at the meeting were Head of Regional Hospital, Yulwiliarty (also the secretary of the Riau SCP Alumni committee); Secretary of Riau DPRD [Regional House of Representatives], Nazief (also former mayor of Batam); Head of Riau Mining and Energy Department, Eddy Rap; Head of Riau Investment Board, Feizal Qomar; and Expert Staff on Economy to the Governor, Teguh Indar Madji.

At the end of the breakfast meeting, a wide range of activities to be conducted under the SCP Alumni Network umbrella in 2010 had been proposed. These included a social outing to an adventure park, a community project to build a library in a village with lower-income families, healthy lifestyle morning walks on the first Sunday of every month, and even the creation of a t-shirt with customised Alumni logo which would be worn by all the Alumni at their gatherings.

The Singapore Consulate in Batam and Kepri's Training and Employment Department co-organised an aerobics exercise session for SCP Alumni on 20 February 2010. The aerobics exercise session was followed by a breakfast reception hosted by Singapore Consul, Mr Raj Kumar Rengaraju, at Pelangi Hotel in Tanjungpinang. The morning outing, which was part of the Singapore Consulate's efforts to foster ties and camaraderie with the SCP Alumni, was attended by 30 Alumni who took time out to join in the aerobics workout and interacted with one another over breakfast.

The fifth annual SCP Alumni gathering in Jakarta was held on 3 February 2010 at the Singapore Embassy. It was co-hosted by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Singapore Embassy, Mr Lim Hong Huai; and the Acting Head of the Technical Cooperation Bureau, State Secretariat, Ibu Rika Kiswardani, on the Indonesia side.

There was a turnout of about 70 SCP Alumni, some of whom had also attended previous Alumni gatherings in Jakarta. Among the Alumni present was also a group of officials who had travelled two hours from Bandung to Jakarta to participate in the event. Besides the SCP Alumni, invited guests included officials from the State Secretariat.

The evening unfolded in a relaxed and informal atmosphere as many of the guests were already familiar with one another. They renewed friendships and posed for photographs with their colleagues, fellow SCP Alumni, and the staff from the Singapore Embassy.

The sixth SCP Alumni gathering in Ho Chi Minh City was held on 18 December 2009 at the New World Hotel. It was jointly organised by the Singapore Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association (VSFA). The event drew a turnout of 180 guests from Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces, who are officials that had participated in SCP training courses, such as the three-month-long "International English for Administrators" course conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Besides the SCP Alumni, members of the Singapore community living in Ho Chi Minh City were also invited and new friendships were forged among them.

Consul-General, Mr Jimmy Chua and the Chairman of the VSFA, Mr Nguyen Thanh Rum both addressed the guests. It was an enjoyable and meaningful evening, especially for the SCP Alumni, as many of them had not seen one another for a while.

Besides good food, the evening's programme featured musical performances by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and by the Alumni themselves. Some guests also brought home attractive prizes from the lucky draw.

Singapore Consul in Pekanbaru, Mr Gavin Chay, hosted lunch on 9 December 2009 in Pekanbaru for 12 SCP Alumni from Riau Province. The 12 were welcomed by Consul Gavin Chay as new members of the SCP Alumni Network, having recently attended two courses, "Performance Management" and "Public Governance and Administration", in Singapore in September and October 2009. Among the SCP Alumni who attended the lunch were Mr M. Ramli, Assistant III to Governor of Riau; and Mr Zaini Ismail, Head of the Riau Training Board.

In his address, Consul Gavin Chay thanked the SCP Alumni for their presence and said that the SCP Alumni Network was a reflection of the long and close cooperation between Singapore and Riau. He also urged them to participate actively in SCP Alumni Network activities and to contribute to social causes. Mr M. Ramli, in his response, also encouraged the Alumni to apply the lessons they learnt in the SCP course to their professional work and urged them to improve their English, so that they can gain more from other courses conducted in English.

Singapore Consul in Batam, Mr Raj Kumar Rengaraju, hosted breakfast on 19 November 2009 in Tanjung Pinang for SCP Alumni from the Riau Islands.

The Singapore Consulate in Batam worked with M Nur, Head of the Kepri Training and Employment Department, to organise the breakfast gathering, as well as a donation of school bags to schools on Bintan Island. Nur, who coordinates Kepri's training programme with the SCP, assisted the Singapore Consulate to identify schools in Bintan as recipients of school bags.

30 SCP Alumni from various government departments in Kepri attended the gathering. They were pleased to touch base with one another and to play a role in the community project to distribute 300 school bags to the principals of 12 of the poorer schools in Bintan.

Consul Raj Kumar thanked the SCP Alumni for their attendance and encouraged them to form their own core group, which would initiate future Alumni gatherings and activities. This was well received by the Alumni, some of whom addressed their colleagues during the breakfast and gave suggestions on what the Alumni could do or organise.

Mr Michael Teo, Singapore High Commissioner, hosted a dinner for 10 officials from the Trinidad and Tobago government. The officials had formerly participated in the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), and are SCP Alumni of courses ranging from e-government, public administration, trade promotion, urban management and the environment.

High Commissioner Teo was in Port of Spain in preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that Trinidad and Tobago will host in November 2009. During the dinner, the Alumni exchanged memories and anecdotes of their experiences in Singapore. They had positive feedback about the courses they had attended.

Among the SCP Alumni present were senior officials such as Ms Julie Danclair, Acting Director of Human Resources, Ministry of National Security (Prisons Division) and Mrs Micheline Nunes-Mitchell, Adviser to the Minister for Public Administration. Mrs Nunes-Mitchell, who attended an SCP course on "Developing e-Government and e-Business Strategies" in March 2007, is currently working with the Infocomm Development Authority on an e-government collaboration between IDA and the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Public Administration.

The dinner was also an opportunity for High Commissioner Teo to update the SCP Alumni on new developments in Singapore such as the opening of the Integrated Resorts, and hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. The dinner allowed the SCPAlumni to maintain links with Singapore, as well as with their fellow alumni.