How Goodness Begets Goodness: Transcript of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s Opening Remarks at the Launch of ‘A Good PLACE’ and Commencement of Presbyterian Community Services’ 50th Anniversary Celebration on 11 February 2025

Mr. Jonathan Kok, Chair of PCS,

Reverend Chris Chia,

Board members and all the volunteers and supporters of PCS who are here,

Thank you, Jonathan, for that excellent speech explaining what motivates you as a community, and how you spread this canopy that provides love and care to countless individuals.

I was very happy to be here with you for a few reasons. First, I think what you have done is a very good example of how initiatives that embody love and care are seeded, how they sprout, and how they eventually become this canopy that provides support to countless individuals - emotional support, as well as support by way of empowerment.

It’s a good example of how goodness begets goodness. It started small, with the old Heng Teck Centre at Bukit Merah, at a void deck. It started as a playgroup, and as a place for seniors to gather in the evenings and at weekends. And it grew. The volunteers grew, and now you're a full-scale social service agency running 16 preschool centres, plus a whole range of other services, for individuals with special needs and the elderly in particular. So it's a very good example of how somethings start small, but when they are motivated by love and care, they grow. And goodness begets goodness.

The second reason why I appreciate very much what you are doing, is that you are an example of a group of individuals or an organisation motivated by a particular faith, or with particular ethnic roots - in your case it's your faith - who are committed to serve everyone regardless of race and religion. Because you believe in building an inclusive and equitable society, and because you believe in the potential of every individual.

That belief in the potential of every individual is really what makes Singapore what it is, and it is what we keep trying to improve on.

Believing in every individual, empowering them regardless of race and religion. It’s reflected in your beneficiaries who come from all backgrounds. It's also reflected amongst your staff, people of different races and religions.

The third reason why I was very happy to be here and happy to be associated with you, is the way you've developed people – developed your volunteers by giving them opportunities, but also developed the individuals who have been your beneficiaries. There are many examples. I got a few examples of people who have not only enjoyed the benefits of the services you provide, but who have also become very active volunteers.

Shabariah Binte Abu Bakar is one of them. She started off enjoying your services as a senior, then decided to herself become a volunteer, befriending other elders. Or the husband and wife couple, Jun Ying and Alex Lim, also very active in reaching out to the elderly, giving them friendship, giving them that sense that there's always someone whom they can rely on.

Plus, you help develop individuals. An example, which some of you may know – there is a photo of her downstairs too, by the way – Nur Ayuni Abdul Rahim. Nur Ayuni is a wonderful example of how individuals are developed. She was at Grace Orchard School. She was in one of our mainstream schools but had difficulty there. We know when you have some disabilities, even if they are mild, there is a way in which kids, when they are young, tend to bully you a bit. So she was much happier when she got to Grace Orchard, and really flowered. And she was then trained in your programme for early childhood education. She has become an assistant teacher in a preschool. She remembers the names of all the children, knows all their quirks, and loves singing with them. Someone the children love meeting every day. That’s Nur Ayuni, a very good example of someone who's been developed through your services. 

So I appreciate very much what you're doing. The way you demonstrate how goodness begets goodness, the way you reach out to the whole community regardless of race and religion, and the way you develop people - your volunteers, including your senior volunteers, as well as individuals with special needs. So I thank you for what you've done, and I hope this canopy you've created continues to spread love and care

A Good PLACE is the next step in your journey. And I wish you another 50 years, and more 50 years to come, of spreading love and care.