Speech by President Halimah Yacob at the Lunch Appreciation Function for Chingay 2023 Major Sponsors, Donors, and Key Contributors

Mr Jimmy Toh, Chief Executive Director of the People’s Association

Partners and Sponsors of Chingay 2023

Ladies and Gentlemen

A very good afternoon to all and let me begin by wishing everyone Xin Nian Kuai Le!

I am pleased to host today’s Appreciation Function to thank the support of everyone here – sponsors, donors, partners, performers and volunteers for making Chingay 2023 a success.  As the first year forward after its golden jubilee, Chingay 2023, themed ‘Embrace Tomorrow’, completes the trilogy that began in 2021 with “Light of Hope”, followed by “Ignite Our Dreams” in 2022. It calls on Singaporeans to cherish the present and embrace tomorrow together as a community with hope, dreams, and confidence as we commit to a brighter Singapore.

My husband and I were delighted to have attended the Chingay Parade 2023 at the F1 Pit Building last Saturday. It had been two years since we were able to experience the Chingay Parade physically. I believe that Singaporeans and friends around the world were electrified by the vibrancy of the performances put up by more than 3,000 local and international talents and the return of the life-sized floats alongside the mini floats created by our community. I am happy that families, friends, and neighbours have come together to form precious memories in co-creating the mini floats and bringing the community spirit to the Chingay Parade.

The local multi-cultural performances by our Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian friends showed the beauty of our different cultures and strength in diversity. I am also heartened to see the Chingay Parade continuing to be inclusive, with opportunities for people of different abilities to co-create the Chingay experience altogether. For some of them like Mdm Aisah Ibrahim from the Faith Music Centre – a music centre dedicated to persons with disabilities, the participation in the Chingay Parade meant a lot to her. Despite her recent fall at home and having to miss a practice session, she continued to strive on and put up a wonderful performance. I applaud and commend the efforts of our performers who have inspired us greatly with their passion, dedication and resilience – in overcoming all odds and embracing tomorrow with positivity and confidenc

There were close to 20,000 physical audiences at the parade this year. Local and international audiences who could not join us in person were able to catch the parade live through the webcast. I was glad to see performers from all walks of life showcasing their varied talents and passions, from different genres of dance to martial arts and sports, performing in front of the large-scale container art installation which acts as the parade’s performance backdrop.  The design concept came from Chingay 2023’s art director, Sam Lo who worked with eight local artists and over 500 community participants, comprising mostly youths to spray paint their vision of “Embrace Tomorrow” on the containers.  

Besides the container art installation, the youths also express their creativity and aspirations through the Rabbits ART-Venture project. Together with community artists, over 2,000 students from eight schools and institutions used their imagination and creativity to decorate the Chingay Rabbit in various sizes based on the theme ‘Future Singapore’ and showcased their installations during Chingay. I am glad to hear that the students were happy to be given the opportunity to create these artworks and bond with their fellow classmates and friends beyond their regular curriculum.

This year, Chingay also brought many community talents to bring cheers to residents in the heartlands. The Lesslars, a Eurasian family band of four, had been crowned the Chingay Parade 2023 ‘Community Star of the Year’. It was a heart-warming sight to see family performing together on the same stage, and I hope they will continue their strong bond, passion and love for music.

In closing, I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the People’s Association, Singapore Totalisator Board, Singapore Tourism Board, all sponsors, donors and participating organisations for your valuable support. Chingay is a wonderful showcase of Singapore’s rich multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan cultures, and a unique local tradition that many households have enjoyed for years. The contribution by each and every one of you present today, from performers to sponsors, have made this possible. I hope that all of you will continue to support Chingay in the years to come.

Thank you.