Mr Tan Gim Seng, Chairman, Singapore Buddhist Lodge Education Foundation
Mr Muhammad Khair Baharin, Secretary-General, Jamiyah Singapore
Mr Ling Kin Huat, Vice Chairman, Taoist Federation Singapore
School and association representatives, guests, parents, students
Introduction
1.Good afternoon, everyone.
2.Having heard Mr Tan’s speech earlier, one thing that reverberated with me as he was speaking just now was the phrase “加油”. I might not have fully understood what he said, but I could sense the enthusiasm in wanting to encourage our students and bursary award recipients.
3.That is really the crux of why we’re here today. The work of the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Education Fund cuts across communities and ethnicities to celebrate something that is so important – the education of the next generation.
4.So, I am delighted to join you today at the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Education Foundation Bursary Award Presentation.
5.Let me begin by congratulating all our bursary award recipients, for today is a celebration not only of your achievements, but also of the hard work, perseverance, and determination that brought you here. Each and every one of you has overcome challenges and stayed committed to your goals, and you should be proud of how far you have come.
Supporting our youths
6.I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Education Foundation for its longstanding commitment to supporting our youth.
7.Education is one of the most powerful enablers in life. While we celebrate the young ones today, all the people in this room – whether young or younger – and the good work that we do, is a result of a good education and the opportunity for education. If you ask Mr. Tan, Mr Khair, or Mr Ling, what is it that got us here where we are today, it is because we had the opportunity for a good education. And that is what we wish for our youth in the years to come.
8.Education opens doors, builds capabilities, and gives young people the foundation to shape their own futures. But for students to fully benefit from education, they must be able to focus on learning without the burden of financial worries.
9.This is precisely what the Foundation’s Bursary Award Programme has enabled for generations of students. Since the Programme started in 1979, it has disbursed more than $24 million dollars’ worth of bursaries, benefiting more than 43,000 students from our primary and secondary schools, from our junior colleges and our tertiary institutions.
10.Many of our young people have been given a helping hand through this programme amidst their challenging circumstances, so that they too could concentrate on their studies, develop their strengths, and pursue their aspirations.
11.This year alone, around half a million dollars will be disbursed to over 280 recipients.
12.Allow me to share the story of one of them – Nur Sabrina Binte Shahmudin, a JC2 student from National Junior College. Nur Sabrina will be receiving the Endeavour Award today. This award recognises individuals who have excelled academically, displayed leadership qualities and also contributed actively to their co-curricular activities.
13.Nur Sabrina has done well, both in and beyond the classroom. She was awarded the Prime Minister’s Book Prize for her academic achievements in 2025. More recently, she received the 2026 Northwest Outstanding All Rounder Student Award, given to exemplary students who demonstrate all-round excellence.
14.Beyond academics, Nur Sabrina has also participated in international performances as a member of her school’s Symphonic Band. She is also active in the Malay Cultural Society, representing her school in the Malay Theatre National Memory Project.
15.It is inspiring to see students like Nur Sabrina seizing the opportunities before her, and striving towards her full potential. Well done, Nur Sabrina!
Building opportunities together
16.I deeply appreciate that the Foundation works with different communities to support students, regardless of their race or religion. This is an important value in our society, as we are stronger when we look beyond our own communities and work together towards a common purpose, what more for something as important as education for our young.
17.Today’s ceremony is thus a very good reminder that opportunity is not created by individual effort alone.
18.While each student must put in the effort to pursue their aspirations, their journey is made possible by the support of many others: parents, teachers, educators, family members, and community organisations that step forward to help when help is needed.
19.To our bursary award recipients, remember that the bursary you receive today is more than just financial assistance. It is also a vote of confidence in your potential.
20.As you benefit from the support of others, my sincere hope – and I’m sure for many others in this room as well – is that you will carry the same spirit forward and create opportunities for others in turn.
21.This may take many forms – it can be coaching or mentoring a younger student, volunteering your time, or extending a helping hand to someone facing difficulties.
22.For some of you, it doesn’t have to be today. When you eventually succeed in life, when you eventually find value and the ability to contribute to something beyond yourself, take that step forward and pay it forward to others. Because today, others are paying it forward to your benefit as well.
23.That is how opportunity multiplies: when one person succeeds, they too can create more possibilities and help support others around them in turn.
24.So as you receive this bursary today, I encourage you to ask: What can I do, with what I have now, to make somebody else’s journey a little easier?
Conclusion
25.Once again, congratulations to all our bursary award recipients. We are proud of you and we wish you all the very best in your future endeavors.
26.Make full use of the opportunities before you. Work hard, keep learning, and certainly pursue your aspirations with confidence.
27.I wish each one of you every success in the years ahead. Thank you very much.