Speeches
Speech by RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, at the 30th Singapore Buddhist Lodge Bursary Awards Presentation on Saturday, 26th April 2008, 4.15pm at the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Auditorium
Mr Lee Bock Guan,
President of Singapore Buddhist Lodge
Mr Abu Bakar Maidin,
President of Jamiyah Singapore
Mr V R Nathan,
Advisor of Hindu Endowment Board
School Principals, Teachers, Students,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon,
Introduction
It is my privilege to be here today for the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Education Foundation’s bursary award presentation ceremony for secondary school students. I am heartened that the Singapore Buddhist Lodge has played an active role in supporting needy students, regardless of religion or ethnicity, to give them additional support in education and life. I was told that since 1979, the Singapore Buddhist Lodge has disbursed over $9 million to more than 20,000 students.
Strengthening Social Cohesion
From 2002, the Singapore Buddhist Lodge invited leaders and representatives from Jamiyah Singapore and the Hindu Endowment Board to participate in the planning and distribution of the bursaries. Your joint efforts in supporting needy students, and helping them fulfil their dreams and aspirations is most commendable.
It is heartening to know that the contributions come from many individuals and orgainisations and bursary recipients come from different ethnic groups and different faiths. This collaboration allows you to leverage on each other’s strengths, and serves as an example of how we can enhance understanding and cooperation among the different ethnic and religious groups and strengthen racial harmony in Singapore. This spirit of caring and sharing between people of different ethnic groups and faiths can only help to further strengthen social cohesion amongst Singaporeans.
Giving Every Child the Opportunity to Succeed
In addition to fostering racial harmony, the efforts by the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, Jamiyah Singapore, and the Hindu Endowment Board, also complement the efforts by MOE to give each child every opportunity to succeed.
Education is the fundamental approach we take to uplift all Singaporeans. We want to give our young the best start in life through our schools and tertiary institutions. No child is deprived of an education because of financial consideration. MOE has put in place various Financial Assistance Schemes to help needy students. Edusave and the Opportunity Fund help ensure that needy students enjoy the same enrichment opportunities within and outside of the classroom. I am heartened that there are partners in the community like yourselves, who see the value and importance of education, and who are coming alongside us to do their bit to help needy students.
Endeavour Award
Other than the bursary awards given today, this year will be the first year in which the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Education Foundation has introduced the Endeavour Award. This award is given to needy students who demonstrate not just academic excellence, but also outstanding performance and contribution in CCAs, as well as a moral and upright character. It also serves to encourage students to continue to strive for excellence in all that they do. I am pleased to note that this year, 11 students have been selected to receive the inaugural Endeavour Award.
To give you an idea of these young people’s accomplishments, let me tell you about two of them. Chua Seow Koon of Xinmin Secondary School is an exemplary student who is well liked by his peers and teachers. In addition to his academic abilities, he assumes leadership positions in class and his CCA, and carries out his duties with diligence, commitment and initiative. As the Chairman of his class and a senior officer in the St John Ambulance Brigade, teachers find him dependable while his peers and juniors look up to him.
Muhammad Haiman Bin Samad of Unity Secondary School, I understand, manages his time well between his studies and his CCA. As President of the CCA Council and Unit Sergeant Major in the National Cadet Corps (NCC), he displays great dedication and initiative in organising and planning in order to raise Unity Secondary’s CCAs and the NCC to higher standards. His conduct is commendable as he is respectful towards his teachers, and shows care and concern for his schoolmates.
Seow Koon and Muhammad Haiman’s achievements show that our young people can accomplish a great deal when given the right support and encouragement. I would like to congratulate all 11 Endeavour Award recipients, and all the bursary awardees. I encourage you to continue to do your best, not just in your studies and CCAs, but also to be responsible citizens with good character, and to be role models for your peers. I also urge you to remember the assistance and support you have received from society, and at every opportunity, to give back by helping others in need.
Giving Back to Society
Many of your predecessors have gone on to contribute to society. One such person is my parliamentary colleague, Dr Lim Wee Kiak. As an eye surgeon, Dr Lim not only uses the skills he learnt in medical school to help people who have problems with their vision. Dr Lim has also led voluntary humanitarian medical missions to neighbouring countries and served as team leader of the Singapore medical team in the United Nations Hospital in East Timor. In Singapore, he has volunteered his time to initiate numerous eye care programmes for the community, such as Project I-Care - an eye screening programme for residents of old folk’s homes - as well as programmes to provide free spectacles for children of needy families and free cataract surgery for the needy.
Conclusion
I encourage you to follow his example - to not forget the support you have received, and to do your bit to help society. You may choose a different profession from Dr Lim. No matter what you choose to do in future, remember to do what you can, with what you have been given, to help those who are in need and less fortunate than yourselves.
I congratulate once again all the bursary and Endeavour Award recipients, and wish you success in your academic career and in life.
Thank you.