Mr Lee Boon Yang, Chairman, Singapore Press Holdings Limited

Mr Edmund Koh, President UBS, Asia Pacific

Mr Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief, The Straits Times

Singaporean of the Year Finalists

Ladies and gentlemen

Good evening. I am happy to be here today to join you for the Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award ceremony. A warm welcome to the Istana, especially for those of you here for the first time. I am glad to have the opportunity to meet the finalists and their families and supporters, and also see some past years’ winners and finalists who are also in attendance.

This is the fifth year that the Straits Times has organised this award. Since the start, it has honoured extraordinary acts of goodwill, ingenuity or perseverance by Singaporeans who have made a positive impact on society.

Past finalists and winners, as well as this year’s 11 finalists, have put Singapore on the world stage, improved the lives of others in the community, or showed resilience in the face of adversity. I am sure there were many possible finalists out there doing their best for the community, and it was not easy to narrow it down to just 11. And yet among the 11, the judges had to pick just one winner for the award. As we just heard from Warren, all 11 of you are deserving for the efforts and contributions in the various areas you serve. It must have been a difficult task for the judges in selecting the final award recipient.

Among the 11 finalists, some are everyday regular Singaporeans who performed an extraordinary act, while others have built up a body of work, whether it is offering mental health support, feeding the homeless, or improving eldercare with technology. Some of this year’s nominees have made great strides to alleviate issues that have become more prominent over the years, such as mental health, sustainability and the emphasis on grades and examinations.

Despite the different fields they come from, the finalists display many valuable traits and values that are worthy of emulation. Let me touch on one which is particularly relevant in our current context, which is, resilience. The strength of a people is seldom tested during good times but will be severely challenged when we face a crisis. How well we stand together, support each other and react to a situation define us as a people. We are now in the midst of a global health crisis due to the spread of the Novel Coronavirus. All over the world, people are naturally concerned and Singapore is no exception. I am confident that we will overcome this crisis, just as we have done others before. But how will we respond to this crisis as a nation, and how do we want to remember the lessons learnt after this is all over?

Panic buying, spreading of misinformation and victim blaming of any community are not the right responses. The Government is doing everything possible to ensure the well-being of the people. It has also given assurances that there are adequate food and other basic supplies and we should trust that our needs will be met. Timely updates are given by the Ministry of Health, which should be the primary source of our information. We should also not get into the habit of victim blaming as viruses do not respect race, language or religion.

On the bright side, we hear of many heartening stories of compassion and public-spiritedness. Stories of how Singaporeans are stepping forward to help and support one another during this difficult time. For example, of how two young girls delivered breakfast and messages of encouragement to healthcare workers. These workers are in one of the most difficult professions, even more so during this period, and will need more support, encouragement, empathy and compassion from us. Another example is of a donation drive that raised over $10,000 within a day to gift 200 needy families with a goody bag of essential household items. And of youth volunteers helping seniors who are at risk of social isolation better prepare for the crisis and learn about good personal hygiene practices. These deeds give me hope that there is still care, compassion and cohesion in our midst, and are good reminders of how we as Singaporeans have a choice in the kind of society we desire.

I am convinced that Singaporeans are a resilient people. Our history is replete with our efforts in overcoming great odds and adversities which have helped us not only to survive but to face the world boldly, with courage and conviction despite our constraints. We have a great opportunity now to show the kind of empathy, care and resilience that these finalists exhibit. I am confident that we are up to the challenge and will overcome this crisis, just like we have done numerous times before this. I have great respect and admiration for the 11 finalists, and am motivated and inspired by them and the many more Singaporeans out there who do good work and contributed to the kind of society that we want to build.

In closing, I would like to thank UBS for its support for the event over these five years. Let me also thank Singapore Airlines, Millennium Hotels and Resorts Group and OSIM for supporting the award.

Last but not least, congratulations once again to all 11 finalists, especially our Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2019 award winner.

Thank you.