Speeches
Speech by Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Education, at the National Day Celebrations cum Opening of Heritage Centre on Friday, 7 August 2009, at 7.45am at Singapore Chinese Girls’ School
Mr Cecil Wong, Chairman, SCGS Board of Directors
Dr Serene Toh, President, SCGS Alumni
Mrs Low Ay Nar, Principal, SCGS
Parents, Teachers and Students
Good morning.
I am pleased to join you in celebrating our 44th National Day as well as the opening of the SCGS Heritage Centre. Let me also congratulate the school on your 110th anniversary which you celebrated two weeks ago.
Come Together: Reaching Out, Reaching Up
Our National Day celebrations serve as a reminder of our nation’s history and achievements. We have much to be proud of. We attained independence against all odds and our nation has not just survived but thrived. Singapore today is a vibrant, bustling world-class city and an attractive place for global businesses and first-class talents. All these have been built up over the years by the untiring industry and unwavering commitment of our people. Today, in the midst of a difficult year with the global financial crisis and the H1N1 pandemic, our people continue to face the future with confidence — determined to remain united and to overcome the challenges ahead.
Even young people like you have a role to play in nation-building. We need young people like you to step up. You are Singapore’s future. So I urge you to come together and give of your imagination and passion to build a future that is filled with opportunities and hope for all Singaporeans.
Let us reach out to all Singaporeans and to reach up towards our hopes and aspirations. I am glad that this year’s theme for National Day is reflected in the spirit that led the pioneers to set up this school in 1899. The pioneers reached out to young girls who were in need of an education and had the courage to persist in this mission even during the war years to instil in these girls the belief that they were capable women of character and were assets to the nation. And since then, SCGS has not wavered in its mission to imbue this same belief in generations of girls that passed through its portals.
Sincerity, Courage, Generosity and Service
The willingness to follow your passions, regardless of whether they lead to fortune and fame; the courage to question conventional wisdom and rethink old dogmas; the commitment to serve your community and do things that make a difference in this world. These are the qualities, I am certain, your founding fathers, Dr Lim Boon Keng and Sir Song Ong Siang, would have been proud to see in the thousands of SCGS girls that have gone on to become movers and shakers of Singapore and the world. I am, therefore, honoured to open the SCGS Heritage Centre, an embodiment of the daily labour that has shaped a 110-year legacy of nurturing and producing students of distinction.
You are rightfully proud of what you have achieved as a school and I hope that the Heritage Centre will be an extension of your efforts to educate and nurture women of substance. While it tells of the history of the school and the nation, I hope that the stories will inspire the students to stay anchored to Singapore while pursuing their dreams and aspirations to study, work and live overseas. I urge the students to retain their ties to their alma mater for this is where minds have been enriched, talents enlarged and hearts entwined.
In your pursuit of excellence, may you, within your own sphere of influence, demonstrate Sincerity, Courage, Generosity and Service.
I wish all a joyous and meaningful day ahead.