Best places for nature and wildlife experiences around Singapore?

MY NEW JOB INVOLVES TRAVEL TO SINGAPORE FOR A WEEK EVERY FEW MONTHS. WHAT AWESOME REGIONS ARE CLOSE BY AND EASY TO VISIT? ANIMALS AND NATURE OF MORE INTEREST THAN BIG CITIES. C. HUTTON, MURRUMBEENA VIC

One of the most popular escapes for Singaporeans is the island of Tioman, off the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and accessible by coach, about a 3½-hour road trip from Singapore. Tioman is warm, languid, amply furnished with jutting green peaks and coral seas. This is a great snorkelling and diving destination, while Tioman's wild and pristine interior offers jungle treks, waterfalls and even tough climbing routes on granite peaks. One of the premier naturalist regions in South-East Asia is Sabah, and the gateway city of Kota Kinabalu is reasonably accessible from Singapore. Sabah's Kinabalu Park is a botanical treasure chest thick with orchids, pitcher plants and the Rafflesia plant, the world's largest flower. The vegetation ranges from rainforest giants to sub-alpine forest, scrub and lichens near the 4095-metre summit of Mount Kinabalu. Another Sabah highlight is the Kinabatangan River, a conduit to the interior with the chance to see many exotic bird species and primates in the wild, including orangutans.