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Synopsis :

At a dinner organised by the Singapore Association of Shipbuilders and Repairers for executives from the Swan Hunter Group, Mr Norman Thompson from the Swan Hunter Group says that the Group has been associated with the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) and Keppel Harbour for the past 18 months. It is happy to assist Sembawang Shipyard under Chairman Hon Sui Sen to commercialise Singapore's naval base. The naval dockyard should be transferred to commercial ownership on 1 December 1968. There is a  proposal to build a very large dock at the naval shipyard to accomodate vessels of 250 to 300 thousand tons. Singapore is ideal for ship repairing as it has a reputation for skill and hard work. Also, the Singapore government's realistic attitude and cooperation will help in the commercialisation process. So will cooperation from the Royal Navy. The Swan Hunter Group plans to introduce modern methods of working, provide apprentice and management training and promote Singaporeans to senior positions. Political Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Member of Parliament Ghazali Ismail says that Swan Hunter's expertise will be invaluable in converting the naval base into a commercial shipyard. He notes that Singapore is at the crossroads of sea travel and is a natural terminus for shipping. A lucrative source of income awaits Singapore in the ship repairing industry. He hopes that the Swan Hunter Group will help Singapore develop a big commercial shipping base to complement PSA.