4 reasons that made 2013 great

It's the time of the year to celebrate the incredible wonder of life. Despite the hardships and challenges that abound everywhere, there is much in the human spirit that inspires, and makes the passing of the year an occasion to count our blessings.

It was a challenging year for Singapore, but there was also plenty to celebrate.

In this festive spirit, I can count at least four reasons why 2013 was a great year.

The list is a personal one because though it is about the big things that have happened here, I have also been fortunate to have had a personal experience with each of these developments.

•Doing good is doing better

When I spoke at the annual conference of the National Council of Social Service in August, I lamented the lack of civic action here, a conclusion I drew partly from several surveys done last year.

For example, when it comes to giving to charity and volunteering to help the less fortunate, Singapore was placed somewhere at the bottom of the world class, according to an international study called the World Giving Index last year.

In this year's survey, the results of which were released earlier this month, Singapore's overall standing improved significantly, moving up 50 places to 64th.

You might argue with the survey's methodology when the findings can change so much from one year to the next, but I think there is no question the country is moving in the right direction.

Though civil society activism here lags behind many societies, it is more vigorous today than before, a healthy sign that more Singaporeans are more concerned about matters beyond their own individual achievements.

2013 saw many individuals and organisations taking up all sorts of causes, from improving the environment to helping vulnerable foreign workers. Their efforts helped build a more rounded society and a stronger sense of community.

•Green is the colour of the year

This year, Sungei Buloh celebrated its 20th anniversary, and I can't think of a better environmental icon than this wetland reserve, which is home to many species of birds and fishes, including serving as a migratory stop for about 230 shorebirds flying from as far as wintry Siberia to sunny Australia.

So too the 154-year-old Botanic Gardens' effort to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. This 74ha wonderland of greenery attracted more than four million visitors this year.

But equally priceless are the numerous parks that NParks has built in housing estates that have become so important for making this crowded city much more liveable.

I have been running regularly the past year, mostly at Bishan Park and the MacRitchie Reservoir trails, in preparation for the Standard Chartered half-marathon earlier this month. They are both wonderful recreational spaces which I enjoy immensely.

There are not many cities in the world which are as densely populated as Singapore but where you can, in less than half an hour, be in the middle of a rainforest that has more species of trees than the whole of North America.

2013 was a good year in the making of a city that recognises its rich natural heritage and is doing more to enable its citizens to enjoy it. Keeping this up requires more people being actively involved and organisations such as NParks, which has done an outstanding job, continuing to develop their expertise and commitment.

•Cycling city

It has been a mixed year for cyclists - too many have died on the roads but this has not diminished the community's passion for the sport,which is gaining new convert every year.

But what about cycling to work? The year saw Singapore take an important ride up this path when the Urban Redevelopment Authority unveiled its Draft Master Plan, which includes an islandwide 700km cycling path network by 2030. Two new paths were opened this year in Tampines and Sembawang.

I joined a cycling group this year which does all its pedalling along park connectors and cycling paths. It's possible to do this and not be on the roads because of the 200km of park connectors that have been built over the years. We have ridden from Bedok Reservoir Road to Lau Pa Sat in the heart of the city without needing to go on to the roads.

Can Singapore ever be as bicycle friendly as many European cities?

Will it have a national bike rental scheme similar to what is available in London, Paris and New York? Critics might say it's a pipe dream but, given the enthusiasm of the cycling community and the Government's support, there is reason to be optimistic that it can come true.

•Singapore story

When Anthony Chen's film, Ilo Ilo, won the prestigious Camera d'Or prize for the best first feature film at the Cannes Film Festival in May, it was the highest accolade for a Singaporean film maker in local cinema history.

The story about the difficulties a Filipino maid faced working for a Singaporean family but who eventually became close to the boy she looked after could not be more home grown. I enjoyed it because the issues it explored were so immediately familiar.

Singapore is often criticised for being a cultural desert, its people fed mainly on a diet of Western and imported fare. Local artists, film and theatre producers and directors work with limited budgets, a small market and a less than supportive local environment.

But they have persevered, driven by their passion for and commitment to their art, and it is beginning to show.

The best local play I have ever seen was this year's Atomic Jaya performed by Karen Tan and Claire Wong. Written by Malaysian playwright Huzir Sulaiman about his country developing an atomic bomb secretly, it was brilliantly acted and more hilarious than any Hollywood production I've seen.

I cheered too when Wild Rice's Ivan Heng was awarded a Cultural Medallion in October. It couldn't have come sooner for one of Singapore's most talented performers.

Though many local plays poke fun at and are critical of authority, the work they do is an essential part of the creative process that all maturing societies go through.

Artists need to push the boundaries and make their audiences alive to different ways of viewing their communities and the issues they face. When done well, the performing arts add layers of meanings to the Singapore story, and we are the better for it. 2013 made the narrative richer still.

These four developments were not groundbreaking or dramatic in the way that some of the major news breaks were.

They did not explode onto the scene overnight but were the result of years of effort by passionate and committed people interested in these causes.

But they also require the support of a government sensitive to their needs and which understands why they are so important for the healthy development of Singapore society.

When there is this happy confluence of people and authority, it is an unbeatable combination.

May there be many more such collaborations in the years to come.

Happy New Year.

hanfk@sph.com.sg

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