Welcome Remarks by President Halimah Yacob at the Reception for Singapore Students in Kuwait City

Minister Masagos Zulkifli

Ambassador Zainul Abidin Rasheed

Members of Parliament Ms Joan Pereira and Ms Foo Mee Har

Fellow Singaporeans,

A very good evening to all of you. When I travel, I am always proud to see how well our young Singaporeans are adapting overseas.

This is my first State Visit to the Middle East, and I will be visiting Saudi Arabia after Kuwait. This is in fact the second State Visit from Singapore to Kuwait. Slightly more than a decade ago, the late President S R Nathan made our first State Visit to Kuwait.

During my discussions with His Highness Amir Sheikh Sabah today, I reaffirmed the warm and longstanding friendship shared by Singapore and Kuwait. In fact, one of the most tangible examples of this friendship is Singapore’s student community in Kuwait.

Since 1980, the Kuwait Ministry of Education has generously awarded scholarships for some Singapore students to study at Al Mahad Al Dini High School. More than 40 of your seniors have since graduated from Al Mahad Al Dini High School over the years.

As future asatizah, you will play an important role in promoting social cohesion back in Singapore while shaping the socio-religious life in our Muslim community. All Singaporeans, including Muslims, are free to practise our religions and live harmoniously with others regardless of race and religion. Not every country enjoys this privilege. Your religious training will therefore have to be contextualised in the wonderfully diverse society we have back home. In this regard, all of you have a critical role in providing spiritual and pastoral guidance to our Singapore Muslim community, which is ever more important in multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore.

As you continue your studies in Kuwait, I would like to encourage you to remain closely connected with each other, and support each other in 3SK1. I also hope that you keep in touch with your loved ones back home as I am sure they miss you dearly. We look forward to your return to Singapore.

I have been told that some of you have exams round the corner, and so let me also take this opportunity to wish you the very best. Work hard, and do us proud. But for tonight, take a well-deserved break, and enjoy the food and company. I look forward to getting to know all of you better this evening.

Thank you.