Speech by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) Volunteers' Day 2012 Appreciation Lunch cum Awards Presentation Ceremony

Mr Gan Kim Yong
Chairman of the CDAC Board of Directors

Mr Chua Thian Poh
Chairman of the CDAC Board of Trustees

Mr Baey Yam Keng
Chairman of the CDAC Volunteers Engagement and Development Committee

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

        Good afternoon.

        I am indeed happy to be here to honour the dedication and contribution of all the CDAC volunteers. Volunteers are the heart of community organisations such as CDAC and play an important role in their success and sustainability.  

        CDAC has about 3,000 volunteers who help out with various programmes and assistance schemes to serve over 61,000 beneficiaries. I am pleased to note that CDAC’s volunteers come from across all segments of our society. The majority of CDAC volunteers, more than half, are young people under the age of 30. One of the recipients of this year’s Commendation Award, Mr Chan Hee Teck, is 26 years old. Hee Teck started volunteering at CDAC when he was only 12. He started out by taking on administrative work and ad-hoc projects. Later, he became a volunteer tutor to guide weaker students under the Homework Clinic Programme. Hee Teck is now serving as a member of the CDAC @ Yishun Management Committee. Well done, Hee Teck. I hope to see many more young Singaporeans follow in Hee Teck’s footsteps and contribute to the community in their own ways.   

        Many CDAC volunteers are committed for the long term. Madam Chang Shin Yi is CDAC’s longest serving volunteer. She first volunteered with CDAC in 1992 after she moved to Singapore when she married a Singaporean. The volunteering experience ignited her passion in counselling and motivated her to deepen her knowledge to become more effective as a guidance officer and family befriender. Mdm Chang is now pursuing a Ph.D in Counselling and she hopes to contribute to counselling research in Singapore. Well done, Madam Chang.  

        There are also many senior volunteers at CDAC. More than two hundred CDAC volunteers are 60 years or older. CDAC is a wonderful example of an organisation that taps on the skills, talents and experiences of our seniors. For the seniors, volunteering offers the opportunity to give back to our society, and to keep themselves physically, socially and mentally alert. 

        It is important that volunteers are provided the necessary support to contribute to their host organisations meaningfully. I am glad to learn that CDAC has a Volunteers Engagement and Development Programme that trains its volunteers to implement CDAC’s core programmes, and to ensure that volunteers’ needs are looked after. Self-development courses and networking opportunities are also available for the benefit of its volunteers. With a well-structured volunteers programme, volunteers will feel a strong sense of responsibility and commitment towards the organisation and its cause. 

        CDAC also partners with clan associations to expand its volunteer base and offer the opportunity for clan associations to engage the community. For example, the youth group of the Chin Kang Huay Kuan, which had been volunteering in CDAC projects over the past few years, found their experience very fulfilling and decided recently to renew their commitment to support CDAC@ Redhill on a regular basis. I commend Chin Kang Huay Kuan for their involvement and I hope the support from the clan associations for CDAC will continue to grow.

Ladies and Gentlemen

        In closing, I would like to congratulate all the award recipients and express my gratitude to all the CDAC volunteers. By contributing their time, energy and skills to organisations such as CDAC, volunteers play a critical role in building a more caring and compassionate society in Singapore.

        Thank you.