SPEECH BY MR EDWIN TONG, MINISTER FOR CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND YOUTH & SECOND MINISTER FOR LAW, AT THE SINDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021, AT THE CIVIL SERVICE CLUB @ TESSENSOHN

 

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, and Chairman, SINDA Board of Trustees, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam;

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development, and President, SINDA, Ms Indranee Rajah;

SINDA Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Members;

CEO, SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

Distinguished Guests, Award Recipients & Family Members;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

1. A very good morning to all. It is my pleasure, honour, and privilege to be here at the 30th SINDA Excellence Awards 2021 today.

 

Introduction

 

2. Let me start by adding to the warm congratulations to all 749 award recipients, for your achievements and outstanding success in your respective fields.

 

3. All of you, recipients of the SINDA Excellence Awards, or SEA, have shown tremendous hard work, resilience, and determination in overcoming the odds. But you know the saying – It Takes A Village – so I would also like to thank and congratulate all the people who have supported you on your journey – your families, teachers, and mentors.

 

Emerging Stronger Together

 

4. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges. Throughout the crisis, I am heartened that our people have displayed a strong sense of social cohesion and the Singaporean spirit that is unique to all of us.

 

5. Our communities have responded swiftly and, particularly when push came to shove, selflessly, to meet various needs of our people, working together with the Government and the broader society.

 

1. 1. Self-Help Groups (SHGs), like SINDA, have introduced several rounds of COVID-19 support measures to all segments of the community to provide targeted support to meet their needs.

 

6. Indeed, SHGs continue to complement the Government’s efforts at the national level, particularly across the areas of education, youth and family services, and employability. Together, SHGs play a significant and proactive role in nurturing and strengthening cohesive social ties.

 

1. 1. SINDA’s programs not only promote closer bonds between ethnic groups within the Indian community, but it also actively partners various stakeholders to facilitate racial harmony at the national level across a broad spectrum in the community.

1. 1. 1. Most recently, SINDA co-hosted a dialogue with OnePeople.sg to bring people together to better understand how race relations shape the lived experiences of all Singaporeans, and explore different ways to navigate race issues, in a thoughtful, considerate, and constructive manner.

1. 1. 2. Through this, SINDA hopes to strengthen the Singaporean Core as part of a larger nation-building effort. It is an important mission.

 

7. We must continue to build upon the good work done by SINDA as well as other SHGs and community groups. It takes a collective effort to look after one another, support each other, and make sure we constantly live up to our aspiration that no Singaporean – regardless race, language, or religion – will be left behind in the journey ahead of us.

 

Celebrating Achievements

 

8. Sometimes, it is in the darkest and most challenging of times, that we see the brightest of beacons. I have no doubt that each of us, in this room today and online, will have our own stories to tell – inspirational stories arising from the pandemic, which inspire, and demonstrate grit and resilience, in overcoming multiple obstacles to achieve excellence. Let me share two such stories about our award recipients.

 

9. Edward Dassan s/o Rajanderan, 26, is receiving the SINDA Excellence Award under the Degree category of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).

 

1. 1. Edward and his brothers were raised single-handedly by their mother. With tight finances, the sons stepped up and took on various part-time jobs to contribute towards household expenses.

1. 2. As a student in Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering at SIT, Edward formed a peer study-support group. Despite the many responsibilities which he took on, outside of SIT, he did exceptionally well. His leadership skills and stellar results earned him the SIT Mid-term Scholarship, which itself helped to ease the financial load on his family.

1. 3. Edward exemplifies the spirit of strengthening our resolve to do even better in the face of challenges, and building a positive support environment for those around us. Congratulations and well done, Edward!

 

10. Manickavasagan Ashmitha is receiving the SINDA Excellence Award under the GCE O-Level category. She is now a 17-year-old student from Raffles Institution (RI), who aims to be a virologist to research and develop antiviral drugs and vaccines – and I’m not sure if I can think of a better field to get into in today’s context.

 

1. 1. Due to a medical condition, Ashmitha was unfortunately hospitalised on numerous occasions, causing her to miss school lessons.

1. 2. Not wanting her studies to be disrupted, Ashmitha’s teachers and classmates banded together to help her with schoolwork.

1. 3. Driven by her gratitude for their strong support, she is now actively contributing back to the community by volunteering regularly as a tutor to disadvantaged children. She also helps to organise weekly activities for the elderly as a Lions Befriender. She pays it forward.

1. 4. Ashmitha’s story illustrates the value of caring for one another and paying it forward to those in need. I commend Ashmita for her dedication and wish her continued success to achieve her dream to become a virologist one day.

 

Developing Youths to their Fullest Potential

 

11. Edward and Ashmitha are two examples. Many of you here today, bright young talent, have combined hard work, resilience your natural ability and talent, to rise above circumstances and work towards your goals. Your values and a positive mindset will continue to serve you well as you work towards your dreams and aspirations.

 

12. On this note, over the years, SINDA has played an important role in supporting young people in the Indian community to realise their potential and achieve their aspirations. Edward and Ashmitha themselves have benefitted from SINDA’s many initiatives, which have provided strong platforms from which young people can level up.

 

1. 1. Edward had attended the SINDA Tutorials for Enhanced Performance (STEP) programme from Primary 4 to 6. He enjoyed how his STEP tutors made learning interactive and creative, and the personalised attention from tutors was helpful when clarifying questions about his studies.

1. 2. Ashmitha participated in one of SINDA’s coding programmes last year. The programme helped her acquire a secure foundation in coding, which will give her an added dimension when she enters university. SINDA continues to host coding programmes for various ages, to spark, develop and nurture students’ interest in coding and to prepare them for a STEM-based career in the future economy.

 

13. As these programs illustrate, social mobility remains a central theme in SINDA’s mission to uplift the Indian community.

 

1. 1. SINDA’s education and youth programmes develop students holistically, encouraging them to achieve meaningful aspirations in life and build positive networks that will contribute towards their goals.

1. 1. 1. To take another example, the Equal Opportunity Fund (EOF) provides less-advantaged students in SINDA’s tutorial programmes with funding to pursue non-academic areas of interest through enrichment programmes and talent classes.

1. 1. 2. Through this Fund, students can have an opportunity to go where their passions might take them, outside of the classroom. These opportunities might otherwise not have been so accessible.

1. 2. SINDA also takes a holistic approach in order to reach students from lower income families.

1. 1. 1. SINDA Family Service Centre (SFSC) plays a crucial role in providing a platform for appropriate financial, social and counselling support.

1. 1. 2. SINDA’s Door Knocking Exercises (DKE), a simple but highly meaningful programme, encourages the community to engage more extensively by bringing the right support literally to the doorsteps of those in need.

 

14. The good range of programs by SINDA complements the Government’s efforts to provide equal opportunities for all Singaporeans. For youths like yourselves and many others, we are determined to provide equal access to quality holistic education and development programmes at the national level. Education is a great leveller – and we want it to help all of you level up.

 

15. At the same time, the Government also encourages youths to give back to society, to pay it forward, to take a stake in helping to build a more inclusive and caring Singapore for future generations. I would like to tell you about the National Youth Council (NYC) which provides platforms and avenues where you can partner with us and one another in the community to bring about positive change.

 

1. 1. The Youth Action Challenge (YAC) is one such platform. It enables youths to connect with industry experts and Government agencies to think about new ideas, push the boundaries, develop solutions, and lead ground-up initiatives on key issues that matter to you. Over the past two years, the YAC has involved close to 500 youths.

 

1. 1. 1. One YAC team, Movement of Inclusivity (MOI), aims to raise awareness on challenges faced by persons with hidden disabilities when commuting via public transport.

 

2. 1. 2. In support of LTA and Caring Commuters SG’s efforts to refresh the “May I Have a Seat Please?” campaign, MOI organised an art competition for the special needs’ community to specially design a lanyard that will allow fellow commuters to easily identify those who need support, and help them. Each such project will add up, bit by bit, and together help make Singapore a more caring, gracious society.

 

• • 3. I was very heartened to know that in that competition, there were close to 100 submissions. The top 10 designs were incorporated into the final design for the lanyard that was rolled out nationally in April this year.

 

1. 2. The Mentoring Alliance for Action (AfA), launched in March this year by MCCY, brings together mentoring organisations and experienced industry partners to develop common resources and share best practices on mentoring. This alliance is meant to raise mentoring standards and better help young people achieve their full potential.

 

16. Each of you will play an increasingly essential and important role in shaping our collective future, and the Government and community will continue to support you along the way.

 

Conclusion

 

17. Let me end by once again offering my heartiest and warmest congratulations to all award recipients. I am confident that you will continue to work hard, stay positive, and excel in your journey ahead. Be proud of what you have achieved, and continue to remain resilient, adaptable, and innovative.

 

18. I encourage each of you to constantly think of developing yourselves in fresh areas, push the envelope and challenge old norms and assumptions. Be the catalyst for change and create an impact on society. Importantly, don’t be afraid to fail, for failure is oftentimes the best teacher of success.

 

19. Thank you very much for inviting me here today on the 30^th installation of SEA. I am very privileged to be here and I look forward to coming back to SINDA’s events. I wish you continued success in your future endeavours.

 

Thank you very much.