Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

Let me begin by congratulating CISCO and the National Fire Prevention Council for hosting Security Asia ’99 and Fire Safety and Rescue Asia ’99. This combined annual show is a major event for the security and fire safety professionals in this region.

2 Security and safety is a key pre-condition for a country’s progress and development. Despite the recent economic downturn, Asia remains an area with excellent growth potential. Demands for security and safety inevitably grow, because when countries progress economically, more assets and wealth are created. You, the security and safety professionals offer a wide range of solutions that everyone can choose from.

3 Information and communications technology advances have resulted in better business efficiency. The security and safety industry has also benefited from these advances. Manpower-intensive solutions will no longer be adequate for tackling the increasingly complex challenges in the physical and virtual environment. The Singapore Civil Defence Force rescue team which was sent to Taiwan, has shown in practice how technology can help when it matters. Just to illustrate, the team has special equipment such as the ‘Trapped Person Locators’ to help probe for signs for life within the collapsed structures. A trapped survivor’s knock on a collapsed hidden wall can be amplified more than 1000 times through such devices. Using the fibre-optic camera that can be inserted into holes of about 1 cm in size, the rescuers will be able to see the conditions inside the collapsed premises before deciding on the next course of action. I am encouraged to see many such new and varied technologies from all over the world at this year’s exhibitions. These technologies include electronic access control through the recognition of thumbprint, hand geometry or the eye; digital video storage that does away with the need to regularly replace video tapes; and access control and remote monitoring with internet.

4. Combined with the wide ranging conference topics presented by distinguished professionals and internationally renowned experts, this event offers a rare opportunity for all practitioners and decision makers to acquire the knowledge and technology that will help them meet their security and fire safety challenges.

5 It now gives me great pleasure to declare Security Asia ’99 and Fire, Safety and Rescue ’99 open. I wish all of you a pleasant and enriching experience.

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