Source : Business Times - 14 Oct 2008

TREKKING along muddy trails, clearing land and even escaping from knife-wielding locals - these adventures sound like scenes from an Indiana Jones movie, but they were all part of a day’s work for JTC Corporation staff in the early days of developing Jurong.

Driving their endeavours was a bold attitude and a determination to succeed - characteristics that remain today.

‘The early generations of people at JTC had a can-do spirit and dared to take risks, similar to pioneers riding into the wild wild west,’ said JTC assistant CEO Ong Geok Soo. ‘They helped seed the culture which has permeated JTC over the years.’

Having been with JTC for 37 years, Mr Ong is well-placed to make this observation. The agency celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

JTC was set up in 1968 to oversee Singapore’s industrialisation. Its key task then was to create a modern Jurong Industrial Estate (JIE) out of the marshy jungle.

‘There were a lot of parallel activities going on in the creation of JIE,’ Mr Ong said. ‘Besides preparing the land, factories and infrastructure for industries, the government was also developing a township for workers, with housing in Taman Jurong and the Chinese and Japanese Gardens.’

The venture, initiated by Goh Keng Swee, acquired the moniker ‘Goh’s folly’ at one point because of the high risks and costs involved. Difficulties lay not just in attracting investors but in convincing workers to move to relative wilderness.

Work on the ground presented its own challenges. Mr Ong recalled the sensitivities of clearing land for development.

‘When we encountered shrines, for instance, workers usually did not dare to clear them for fear of offending the gods,’ he said. ‘We had to get shrine-keepers to agree to a shift and conduct rituals before we could proceed.’

And when it came to re-settling farmers, even the safety of JTC’s employees was occasionally at risk. ‘Farmers or their children would sometimes come at us with parangs,’ Mr Ong shared with a smile.

Conditions were also tougher back when technology was less advanced. Financial officers had to trudge along muddy trails in Jurong to distribute cash wages because there were no automated banking services then, he said.

Despite the challenges, JIE took off in a big way and propelled Singapore’s industrialisation. But that was certainly not the end of the agency’s role. It has been undertaking projects of growing scale and complexity to maintain Singapore’s competitive edge in manufacturing.

‘In the early days, projects proceeded at almost breakneck speed because Singapore’s survival was on the line. Over the years, we have adopted a more systematic process,’ said Mr Ong.

‘But JTC is still able to respond quickly to industries’ needs, by working closely with other agencies in a whole-of-government approach,’ he pointed out.