Draft:Leong Chee Chiew

Leong Chee Chiew (1951/1952–13 June 2024) was a Singaporean nature conservationist and a former NParks Commissioner of Parks and Recreation who mostly notably led his efforts that transformed Singapore into a "Garden City" to a "City in Garden" to a "City in Nature". He was known for being one of the pioneers of the nature conservation efforts. Appointed as NParks deputy executive director in 1990, Dr Leong became the deputy chief executive officer after its merger with the Parks and Recreation Department in 1996. He assumed the role of NParks' commissioner of parks and recreation in 2006, serving for 18 years until January 2024. He had stepped down as deputy chief executive officer in August 2020. A conservationist at heart – he graduated from the University of Malaya with a PhD in plant physiology in 1983 – he most notably led efforts that transformed Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden" to a "City in Nature". His achievements, including helping to secure Unesco World Heritage status for the Singapore Botanic Gardens in 2015 and leading the OneMillionTrees movement that was launched in 2020, earned him several National Day Awards. He died in 13 June 2024, a day before his cancer. Tributes and memorials were paid for his contributions to Singapore.