Speech by President Halimah Yacob at the Goh Chok Tong Awards Ceremony 2020

Mr Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister,

Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon. I am happy to join you today at the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards Ceremony.

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It is therefore apt that we gather to recognise the achievements and potential of persons with disabilities.

This year’s Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards have received many outstanding nominations.  Today, we are presenting the awards to 16 of these nominees in recognition of their significant contributions to our society. Let me share two of the many positive stories among our nominees.

Ms Sherena Loh is a recipient of the Achievement Award and co-founder of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore), or MDAS. Sherena was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 15. Despite her disabilities, she rose above her circumstances, and co-founded MDAS in 2000 as she saw the need to help young children living with muscular dystrophy. Today, MDAS operates a Skills-for-Life centre and Respite Care service, which help to improve the quality of life for persons with muscular dystrophy and their caregivers. 

Another example is the recipient of the Achievement Award, Dr Azariah Tan. Despite having only less than 15 percent of hearing ability, he defied the odds and pursued a music career as a pianist. Azariah’s achievements are recognised locally and internationally. He received the VSA Arts International Young Soloists Award in Washington DC and was named Honoree at the Ten Outstanding Young People Singapore in 2014. Above all, Azariah has been using his talent to give back to the community. He regularly performs at fundraising concerts and charity events, including the True Colours Festival in 2018. He also volunteers with social service agencies such as Very Special Arts Singapore to address the needs of the disability community. Azariah’s dedicated commitment to serving the vulnerable community is indeed commendable.

Like past recipients of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards, Azariah and Sherena have achieved and contributed much to our society in their own unique ways. Many of you have truly exemplified the spirit of positivity and resilience. You have shown that persons with disabilities can also contribute and bring value to organisations, businesses and our society.

As a society, we can do more to support persons with disabilities in their integration into the wider community. In this regard, employers play a key role in empowering persons with disabilities. Earlier this year, I launched the President’s Challenge Enabling Employment Pledge to encourage employers to provide more training and employment opportunities to persons with disabilities. In October, I launched the Enabling Mark, a national-level accreditation framework by SG Enable that benchmarks and recognises organisations for their practices and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment. I hope these initiatives will encourage more employers to provide employment opportunities to persons with disabilities amidst this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic. By bringing the various stakeholders together, we can empower persons with disabilities to achieve their fullest potential where they can participate as integral members of society.

The 16 award recipients are truly outstanding individuals.  Not only have they been able to overcome adversities that are far larger than what ordinary people experience, all of them have also been making significant contributions to society through volunteering, mentoring and helping others to overcome their difficulties.

In closing, let me thank the key partners: Mediacorp, SG Enable, Tote Board and UBS, for making today’s celebrations possible. This year’s award ceremony also kicks off the Enabling Lives Festival, a series of events led by SG Enable and its partners to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and the fifth anniversary of the Enabling Village.

Once again, congratulations to this year’s award recipients. Let us continue to provide persons with disabilities with opportunities to pursue their talents and aspirations. I wish all of you every success as you continue to inspire us through your actions. Thank you.