#commUNITY on Campus

Hi everybody.

I want to say thank you so much for having me here today. I'm just going to say a few quick words.

I really like the vibe here. Everyone's relaxed, sitting down.

And, where are my panelists? Panelists, and moderator, you guys were amazing. Can I have another round of applause for them?

Really wise beyond your years. I can’t believe that you guys are all under 45 (years old), but it feels like you are really experienced beyond your years, and it's really amazing.

I was sitting there absorbing all of your wisdom, and one of the things that quite resonated with me was the question that someone asked just now: How do we have healthy discourse? How can we disagree with each other without having judgement, without feeling that you might get cancelled? That's a question that someone has asked me before, during one of the student conference, and in fact, I had exactly the same answer as Felicia (Chin).

I said, well, for us to have these kinds of positive discourse, we need to approach it with curiosity. It's about saying that, yes, you are different from me, but I want to understand who you are. I want to understand what you are coming from.

I think the reason why a lot of things are going on in many parts of the world is that you are putting forward your opinion, but you are closing your ears. You are not trying to understand what this person is all about. Everybody has a story, and I am sure, all of us have that. We all have a story, there is a reason why we become who we are.

I want to thank the panelists for being so vulnerable on stage, sharing what shaped your beliefs, and how we can, together, contribute to a society that's a bit more open.

I do think that it is even more important for our young people today, because online, there's a cloak of anonymity. I can say something and no one knows I said it. So over time, you have to figure out how to have these conversations in real life. Looking at each other, and figuring out what's the best outcome for us as a society.

So that brings us to the theme. I really like the theme: “The Village We Build”. What does it take to build a village?

We have heard it many, many times. It takes a village to raise a child. But I do think that even when we are not children anymore, we still need our own village. I need my village, you need your village. Everybody through, your ups and downs in life, does hope that there is someone there by your side.

I think that is something special that you can create here in Singapore. A very core part to that, is our very unique brand of being multiracial and multireligious.

Some of us, after living in Singapore for so long, take it for granted. But, back then, I was working at the Singapore Economic Development Board. So, what EDB does is that it brings foreign companies into Singapore, shows them around, tells them to please invest here and create jobs for our people. The thing that often wows them is not that we have glitzy buildings. It is not because we have a lot of technical stuff. It is really about the culture and the kind of people we are. You bring them around, and they see one street with a Church, a Mosque, a Temple. Everybody’s together, and we all call ourselves Singaporeans. That is something very unique that we have here, and I hope that we do not take it for granted.

When I say we don't take it for granted, what do I mean? It's not just that we should cherish what we have, but we cannot assume what we have today is what we need for tomorrow.

We have to continue to update what it means to all of us, and for the younger generation, you probably have a very different perspective of what does it mean to be a multiracial, multireligious society in Singapore.

And that’s why, seeing all of you here, seeing all the young faces, I am very happy that you have taken interest in such an important theme.

Taking it on your own, and trying to update this unique brand that we have in Singapore. I have friends from other countries that come in and say that “In Singapore, I feel safe to practice my beliefs”.

That is something amazing, and I think we should continue to give everyone levels of safety and security in Singapore.

So now, the last thing I'll talk about is Harmony Circle. How many of you here know about Harmony Circle before coming here today?

Harmony Circle is more of a community initiative. There are different Harmony Circles across Singapore. So, you are probably living in a place that has a Harmony Circle. It brings together the Religious Organisations and communities to come together for mutual understanding, to form friendships, to form partnerships, and of course, in times of need, do we know how stand up for each other. Very important, particularly in today's context.

And then, we have the Youth Leaders, who of course, are the ones over here as well.  So, if anyone is interested to join, look for all of us wearing the red colour shirt. We are all from the Harmony Circles. The Youth Leaders @ Harmony Circles are for the younger ones, who want to play apart in building your own brand of multiracial, multireligious society in Singapore. The event here today - #commUNITY on campus - this is something that they have done as well. The very first cross-campus event of its kind.

So, I really want to thank all of you again – the organisers, participants, and people who have decided to just drop by and spend your Friday evening with us.

Keep it going. I hope you made some friends, and I hope this event triggers you to find out more about the Harmony Circle, and what you can do to contribute towards Singapore future.

Thank you so much.