Opening Remarks by President Halimah Yacob at Chingay 2020 Appreciation Lunch for Major Contributors

Mr Desmond Tan, Chief Executive Director of the People’s Association

Partners of Chingay Parade

Ladies and Gentlemen

A very good afternoon to all. Let me begin by wishing everyone a happy Lunar New Year. Xin Nian Kuai Le!

I am pleased to once again host the Appreciation Lunch to thank you – the partners, donors and volunteers - for making this year’s Chingay Parade a success. In particular, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to PA, the Tote Board Group, Singapore Tourism Board, and all the community and corporate contributors for making Chingay 2020 a memorable event.

My husband and I attended the Parade last Saturday and the energy we felt from you and the audience was exhilarating. Over a thousand enthusiastic performers and audiences brightened the procession route with their colourful costumes, from the F1 Pit Building all the way down to The Float @ Marina Bay where the River Hongbao celebrations were taking place.

I met many of the performers before the Parade, and was heartened to see the diversity of the different groups. The Chingay Parade started decades ago as part of the Chinese community’s tradition and culture. Today, we see groups from different cultures and background adding their own flair to the Parade. Our young performers kept traditional art forms alive with their own innovative touches, such as jumping stilts and inflatable lion dance. Persons with special needs or disabilities from different social service agencies were also given the opportunity to showcase their talents and zest. The Parade has evolved to truly reflect the spirit of Singapore – a diverse, multicultural and inclusive society.

This year’s Parade is unique because we are currently facing a global and national health challenge. The Novel Coronavirus is an evolving threat to all of us, and Singaporeans are understandably concerned. I am glad that despite the inconveniences of preventive measures such as temperature screening, the Parade went ahead smoothly and we managed to continue this important yearly celebration as a united people. As I looked at the crowd, I was happy to see them enjoying themselves.

I am aware that there were calls to cancel the Parade because of concerns over the spread of the virus. As I had mentioned earlier, this is something that the organisers took very seriously and had put in place the necessary precautions. The perennial challenge for us in such a situation is how to maintain a balance between continuing our lives normally and taking extreme precautions such as cancelling major events. In balancing this, we also need to ensure that our whole society and economy does not come to a standstill. We must continue to function and not allow panic over the virus to disable and debilitate our society. The most important thing is to take precautions and to heed the advice of the Ministry of Health on the situation. If at any time, we reach a stage where drastic actions are necessary, they will be done. Otherwise, we know that the government is doing its work in dealing with this crisis. We can also do our best to protect our families and ourselves by practising good personal hygiene, looking out for timely health information and supporting our healthcare professionals and front-line staff who serve the public tirelessly. This crisis gives us a chance to show our mettle as a people, not just during this period, but also after this virus has blown over as we continue to focus our energy and efforts towards strengthening our economy and improving the lives of Singaporeans. We know that this virus will have an impact on our economy, so we need to continue to stay and work together, not just to overcome societal issues, but also to ensure that our economy recovers so that we can continue to improve the welfare and lives of our people.

2020 marks the People’s Association (PA)’s 60 years of Community Building, and since last September, 60,000 people from all walks of lives from around the country have contributed messages reflecting our community values to the Bridge of Harmony float as a commemoration of the occasion. I have to say that that float was one of the most impressive displays last Saturday. In a way, it is also a reflection of the strength of our community in action, and a poignant reminder of how important the community is even in the current fight against the Novel Coronavirus. Governments around the world are working hard to prevent the spread of the virus, but the authorities alone cannot curb the outbreak. A strong and united community response is also needed, as we need to look out for and help each other. On this note, I would like to express my special thanks to the many workers and volunteers who have worked hard to ensure the Chingay celebrations went ahead as safely as possible. Many worked behind the scenes to plan and implement the preventive measures, such as setting up thermal scanners to monitor people’s body temperatures and measuring the temperatures of performers, so that everyone can enjoy the festivities.

In closing, let me thank everyone again for putting up a spectacular Parade last weekend. This year’s Chingay Parade was truly a symbolic and breathtaking spectacle, and it would not have been possible without your efforts and contributions. I look forward to your continued support for next year’s Chingay.

Thank you and enjoy the reception!