Tributes have been pouring in since the announcement of Leong Chee Chiew's passing by the National Parks Board (NParks) on Jun. 13, 2024.

Leong was the former Commissioner of Parks and Recreation and Executive Director for National Parks, Gardens and Nature Reserves at National Parks Board (NParks).

Under his stewardship and stalwart environmental efforts of over 40 years, Singapore has transformed, as NParks put it, from a "Garden City" to a "City in Nature".

The 72-year-old passed away on Jun. 12. A memorial website was created for Leong, where former colleagues and friends mourned his passing.

NParks also issued a statement on Jun. 13 paying tribute to Leong's legacy, noting his numerous invaluable contributions to Singapore's nature scene.

A 40-year-long career

Leong was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With a PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of Malaya, he joined the Singapore Botanical Gardens back in 1983.

He was the head of research at Singapore Botanical Gardens in 1989 when NParks was first being set up. NParks would later be established in June 1990.

Leong was appointed Deputy Executive Director of NParks in 1990 and would go on to serve for nearly 34 years at NParks since its inception.

When the Parks and Recreation Department merged with NParks in 1996, he became a Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Specialist Services Department).

In 2006, Leong was appointed as the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation whose role was to administer the Parks and Trees Act which safeguards greenery provision and regulates the management of parks and greenery, and the Parks and Trees Regulations which regulates the Nature Reserves and National Parks.

He relinquished his role as NParks DCEO in August 2020 and his role as Commissioner in January 2024.

At the time of his passing, he was Executive Director for National Parks, Gardens and Nature Reserves. 

Leong was instrumental in the transformation of Singapore Botanical Gardens into a "premier botanical institution," NParks said.

He was also vital to the successful bid for the Botanical Gardens to be inscribed as Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Greening our cityscape

NParks noted that Leong spearheaded the greening of Singapore's cityscape.

For instance, Leong guided the shift from a monoculture tree-planting approach along our roads, which involves planting trees of the same species, to a multi-tiered one that would resemble a tropical rainforest structure.  

This move towards a multi-tiered approach to tree planting allowed for a wider range of biodiversity, be it native birds or butterflies, to flourish on our streets.

They also contributed to the beautification of our city spaces and allowed for more comfortable road journeys for pedestrians and motorists. 

Spurring conservation efforts

Leong also played a critical role in spurring local conservation and greening efforts.

His leadership at NParks oversaw the gazetting of Sungei Buloh and Labrador as nature reserves in 2002, as well as the conservation of Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin.

He also played a leading role in the establishment of Singapore's first marine park, Sisters' Islands Marine Park, in 2014.

Leong also helped to foster a spirit of voluntarism and community action concerning nature and the environment.

"From the first NParks volunteer programme at Sungei Buloh to the Community in Bloom programme, to Youth@SGNature and Nature Kakis Network, and from the OneMillionTrees movement to supporting nature-related projects through the Garden City Fund, Dr Leong was the torchbearer for community involvement," NParks said.

"A brilliant leader"

N Sivasothi, a biologist and lecturer at the National University of Singapore, made a post to Instagram, paying tribute to Leong as well as Subaraj Rajathurai, a pioneer conservationist who passed away in 2019. 

Sivasothi called Leong and Rajathurai "two icons of nature."

"Both were firm advocates of supporting and nurturing others. Likewise we embrace the ones around us," Sivasothi wrote.

Peter Houlihan, a biologist, filmmaker, and photographer with National Geographic, also paid tribute to Leong in an Instagram story.

Houlihan called Leong a "brilliant leader, conservation hero, champion for biodiversity, wonderful human, and dear friend."

Singaporean primatologist Andie Ang spoke about the guidance and advice Leong provided on the publication of the Singapore Terrestrial Conservation Plan (STCP), a document that puts together recommendations for tackling biodiversity loss in Singapore.

"He was very supportive of nature groups and our work, especially of the young generation," Ang said.

An ability to reconcile diverse viewpoints

Minister for National Development Desmond Lee was among the first who paid tribute to Leong on social media. In a Facebook post, Lee spoke about Leong's role as a guide and mentor when he first joined the Ministry of National Development (MND) back in 2013 and recounted his various contributions to Singapore over the years.

Lee also paid tribute to Leong's ability to engage with and manage the viewpoints of various stakeholders, saying:

"The willingness to engage and listen to the voices of different stakeholders and arrive at a solution will also be one of his greatest legacies."

Joseph Koh, a former ambassador and spider scientist, described Leong as "the indomitable soldier (in his uniform) whose official duty was to be the chief guardian and custodian of our nature reserves" but "he did a lot more".

Speaking to Mothership, Koh also paid tribute to Leong's consensus-based approach to work and said:

“He was characteristically cool and calm, even in the face of people who took strident, adversarial, and belligerent positions -- he always handled them with charm and civility, and dealt with them with conciliation, correctness, and collected and well-considered circumspection."

Koh also noted Leong's "strong convictions", such as "his Christian faith, the goodness in others, and the need to maximise protection of our forests within the constraints of other overriding infrastructural and developmental needs."

Lastly, Koh fondly remembers Leong for how he cared for nature, his staff and his friends in the nature community.

If you wish to leave a tribute for Leong, you can do so on this memorial website.

Top photo from NParks/LinkedIn.