Building our future Singapore together as one united people

Introduction

1.  Thank you, madam. Madam, the Singapore Spirit lies at the heart of our nation:-

a. It binds us, and it drives us forward as one people.

2.  At MCCY, we serve as the custodians of this spirit:-

a. Nurturing our nation's heart and soul

b. Transforming Singapore from a city into a home

c. One where everyone, regardless of their background, can contribute to our shared story

d. Whether it is in the arts, heritage or culture

e. Or in sports, music or religion – these are all strands of the Singapore spirit. Collectively, they make up the Singapore identity. One that is richly woven into our multi-ethnic tapestry.

3. The challenges ahead – both internal as well as external – will be daunting. Which is why we think that now, more than ever, we need to nurture and strengthen the Singapore spirit.

4. At MCCY, we will double down on our efforts to serve Singaporeans and build a society that can:-

a. Stand united and strong,

b. Embodying “We, the people of Singapore”

c. Enabling our diverse aspirations to shine

d. And building our shared future, together.

5. I thank the Members who have spoken, you have given us much to think about by way of ideas and suggestions. My colleagues and I will respond to as many as possible, in our speeches.

One Nation United and Strong

6. Over the years, we have built a strong united nation founded on key values:-

a. Like resilience, openness and self-determination

7. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Darryl David said, SG60 is an opportunity to reflect on our past. We agree. We should also celebrate our shared values and prepare for the future. Our pioneers embodied these values and etched them into our national fabric.

8.  Indeed, we should document and celebrate the stories of these pioneers, to preserve the values that make Singapore, well, uniquely Singapore.

9.  Through Project Citizens – The First Million:-

a. We will collect stories of our pioneering first citizens and share them through the Founders' Memorial to inspire future generations of Singaporeans.

We, the People of Singapore

10. Our nation's strength lies in our people.

11. Our shared values as well as our collective experiences – these are what bind us together.

a. We have witnessed this in so many previous moments that we've had. I am sure many of the members here will have their own account.

i. But just last year, we saw religious leaders coming together and  engaging in a historic interfaith dialogue with the Pope, or our residents enjoying arts in their own heartlands, as some of you have spoken about, through our program ArtsEverywhere@CDC, or athletes surpassing themselves at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and the many school and community events at Sports Hub, which have brought people together and many more.

12. These and other shared moments are the foundation of our identity as “We, the people of Singapore”.

a. In our highs, we celebrate together. In our lows, we support each other.

13. At MCCY, we will build on them and we will remain committed to creating opportunities and occasions for more Singaporeans to come together, to experience such moments.

14. In 2023, we opened the largest ActiveSG gym in Singapore at Bukit Canberra, bringing us closer to our goal of making sports a way of life for everyone.

a. We now have 28 ActiveSG gyms in Singapore, and 21 ActiveSG Sport Centres.

b. We are progressing on our plans to add other gyms and sport centres around Singapore.

15.  We have also re-imagined the Disability Sports Masterplan.

a. To increase accessibility and awareness of our disability sport programmes and activities, not only for the disability community, but also for the broader public – to drive greater awareness as well as stronger inclusion.

b. We will continue to reduce barriers and create more incentives to drive greater participation.

16. With this in mind, as part of SG60, we will be topping up the ActiveSG account with a further $100 credit.

a. We hope that this will further encourage sport participation across more community segments.

b. Mr Neil Parekh, who just spoke a moment ago, will be glad to know that previous instances of credit top-up that took place in 2014 and more recently in 2023 were positively received, with about two in three ActiveSG Members using the credits within a year of the top-up, and the announcement.

c. With this SG60 top-up, we hope that we can push on, to enhance mass sports participation, so that all Singaporeans can live better through sport.

17. Madam, in his Budget Speech, PM announced the SG Culture Pass.

18. Ma'am, this is a very significant move, to build a stronger affinity and appreciation for the arts and culture in Singapore. And through this programme, to also bring people together through this shared appreciation.

a. With the Culture Pass - all Singapore Citizens, 18 years and above, will receive $100 credit to encourage them to take part in and experience local arts and heritage offerings.

b. The Culture Pass is an integral part of our Arts Plan 2.0, aiming to foster deeper connection and appreciation between the Singapore audience and the arts and heritage in Singapore. And at the same time, this programme also seeks to strengthen the support for our own local practitioners.

c. To Mr Sitoh Yih Pin's question - It is my hope that this will ignite a passion for more arts appreciation amongst Singaporeans. And inculcate in, as many Singaporeans as possible, a lifelong interest in the arts and deeper appreciation in their own heritage

19. Let me also thank Ms Usha Chandradas for her typically passionate support for the arts and for the Culture Pass. She had also raised several queries during the Budget debate, and earlier when she spoke. I will address the Culture Pass questions. My colleague, SMS Low, will address the other queries that you raise.

a. As I said - our aim for the Culture Pass is to impact as many Singaporeans as possible,

i. Especially those who have not attended or who do not usually attend local arts and heritage events, we want to change their outlook and hopefully, through the program and the experience that they go through, catalyse permanent interest in the arts amongst them.

ii. Therefore, the credits will not be transferrable to another person or directly donatable to arts charities, but they can be used to purchase tickets for family and friends so that they can go together and enjoy the programs together.

iii. Ms Hany Soh suggested for us to extend the scheme to younger Singaporeans. We do not currently have plans to do so. That's because younger audiences will be able to benefit from arts education and outreach programs that are embedded into schools, which NAC supports. Parents will be able to use their credits, however, to bring their children along for local arts and culture programs. And we hope that, overall, this can encourage Singaporeans to come together, engage in a shared experience of our local arts and culture.

b. This, Madam, is also why we focus on in-person experiences for the Culture Pass,

i. Rather than virtual experiences or purchases of artworks or art material, in-person activities create opportunities for all Singaporeans to come together and create a community around art appreciation.

ii. That said, we recognise that in some cases, for example in the literary arts, the primary mode of appreciation is through the written word, through books.

iii. The Culture Pass will therefore be available to support the purchase of SingLit books with the credits.

c. Madam, the Culture Pass levels the playing field for our local arts and heritage practitioners to come together and compete for and attract and gain new audiences.

i. So, let me reassure Ms Usha Chandradas that we will continue to ensure that diverse groups of all sizes will have fair access to the programme.

ii. We will pull all eligible offerings onto a single website, which will help publicise events from different groups, and this helps the smaller groups who might not be able to afford the resources to publicise, gain additional mindshare and publicity.

iii. There are also some understandable concerns that some parties may take the opportunity to profiteer.

• But I believe that with the wide array and variety of programmes to choose from,

• It suits basically everyone, whoever has a local offering, in arts, culture, and heritage, will be on the program

• We think that arts groups will be incentivised to price their offerings competitively, reflecting their true value.

d. But at the same time, having said that, we will also continue to monitor and review the effectiveness of the scheme.

i. We are looking at utilisation, and healthy utilisation would be one important indicator. So, I encourage all eligible Singaporeans to use their credits before they expire in December 2028.

ii. That's quite a bit of time, enough time for you to get engaged with the arts fraternity.We do not intend to impose a penalty for no-shows, but I do urge everyone to attend the offerings that you have purchased so as to not forfeit the credits.

e. Finally let me say to Ms Usha Chandradas that the Culture Pass initiative was born out of a lot of feedback and views given to us by the arts community. They gave us a lot of views, many of them were constructive. We worked on them, we tested it on them, and we had a dialogue with the arts and heritage community, and we have therefore come up with our Culture pass. It is in a form that, I think, is workable, but we will continue to take feedback from users on its implementation.

Sports Hub

20. Alongside the SG60 ActiveSG credit top-up and the SG Culture Pass,

a. We will also have a busy and bustling calendar of events to bring Singaporeans together over shared experiences:-

i. In October, the Singapore Biennale 2025 will bring art outside of traditional museum spaces and into the public realm.

ii. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin can also be assured to know that we will be leaning forward to provide a diverse portfolio of events at the Sports Hub.

• Madam, it has been about 2 years since we took back the Sports Hub.

• At that time, we made a commitment to:

  • Bring in more community and sporting events,

  • And to transform the Sports Hub into a vibrant space that all Singaporeans can enjoy and identify with.

• Since then, we have fulfilled this and done much more.

  • We saw an all-time high in the number of National School Games Finals held at the Sports Hub.

  • We have hosted a range of sporting and community events that we never had before at the Sports Hub, such as Let's Celebrate 2025 New Year Countdown, HYROX, Harmony Fest, and the recent Singapore Tennis Open – to name a few recent ones.

  • We also brought in top-tier global artistes, both western and eastern, into Singapore, for multi-night concerts.

  • And Members might know, we just announced this morning that Lady Gaga will be performing at the Sports Hub for a few nights in May,

  • This, Madam, did not happen by chance – the Kallang Alive Sport Management team has worked hard and worked innovatively to bring such events into Singapore.

  • And we will continue to hustle and bring in the best events across sport, entertainment and lifestyle to Singapore.

• With this wide spectrum of events across different genres,

  • Our 2024 event attendance increased by more than 50% compared to the year before, in 2023.

  • We have reclaimed the Sports Hub as a place for all Singaporeans, and will continue to do so with the Kallang Alive Masterplan.

21. On the masterplan, Members might recall that the Kallang Alive Masterplan was first announced by PM at last year's National Day Rally.

a. As part of this plan, we will also be developing a new indoor arena and have precinct enhancements,

b. This will enable us to host more sporting, lifestyle and entertainment events, and also increase the vibrancy of the precinct with community sporting facilities and programs.

c. These developments will complement our plans for the home of Team Singapore – a topic on which I will return later in my speech.

Realising Diverse Aspirations and Celebrating Excellence

22.Third, Madam, we will continue to open up more pathways for Singaporeans to chart their own successes and reach their own full potential.

23. Let me speak about two areas: the arts and sports, and our plans to push the envelope a little further.

24. In the arts, we now have a vibrant ecosystem of world class, creative and dedicated practitioners. I would regard them as being amongst the best globally.

25. This success stems from years of careful planning and investment in our arts community.

26. Through strategic initiatives like the Arts and Culture Strategic Review and Our SG Arts and Heritage Plans, we have set out clear, multi-year plans, with strong foundations and have also taken a special care to nurture talent at every level.

a. We have established institutions like the School of the Arts and more recently, the University of the Arts Singapore or UAS, to shape the next generation.

b. We provide career resources and on-the-job training through platforms such as the NAC's Arts Resource Hub – particularly for the many free-lancers who contribute so much and thrive in the arts community.

27. We have made further commitments to supporting our arts and heritage community to allow them to thrive even more.

a. By unlocking spaces for experimentation and presentation, such as at Kampong Java.

b. By preserving heritage businesses through the work of the Inter-Agency Taskforce on Heritage Businesses, Traditional Activities and Cultural Life, which SMS Low will speak about.

c. And finally by catalysing funding with initiatives such as the $100 million top-up to the Cultural Matching Fund to encourage private patrons to support the arts and heritage.

28. Today, we are proud to have world-class institutions like

a. The National Gallery Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum for visual arts,

b. The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay for performing arts,

c. The National Museum of Singapore and Asian Civilisations Museum, amongst others, for heritage.

Design Museum

29. But, Madam, there is one area where we see untapped potential, and that is in the area of design.

30. Design is a key strength of Singapore.

a. We have after all been a UNESCO Creative City of Design since 2015.

b. Our people-centric urban design is renowned around the world.

c. Our designers have gained international acclaim, with many working at the highest levels around the world.

i. For instance, in the realm of fashion, we have Andrew Gn, who is based in Paris but very well known internationally. He will be exhibiting in the US later this year, the first retrospective of a Singaporean designer overseas.

ii. In addition, Singapore based jewellery brand State Property Fine Jewellery, founded by Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin, has been worn by the likes of Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama.

iii. In the realm of architecture, Kampong Admiralty designed by home grown architecture firm WOHA won World Architecture Festival's World Building of the Year in 2018.

iv. And in industrial design, Hans Tan's works have been collected by major international museums such as M+ in Hong Kong and Cooper Hewitt in New York.

d. We already have strong programs to groom the next generation of design talents.

i.  Such as those at UAS, which include cutting edge programmes such as Biophilic Design and Design for Social Futures. We should showcase and promote these talents even more.

e. But let me also add that design is not just about aesthetics. Good design makes our lives better, and can also be a key driver of innovation, value creation and international branding for Singapore businesses.

31. With that in mind, we think that a Singapore Design Museum could be a key addition to our growing arts and heritage landscape.

a. This museum could showcase the best of Singapore design and the talents of our designers to the world.

b. It would increase public understanding and appreciation of the importance of good design.

c. It would also serve as a hub for experiential learning, academy-industry partnerships and a creative laboratory for design practitioners.

d. And overall boost the growth of Singapore's design sector, which can also be an additional engine in our arts economy.

32. The Old St Joseph's Institution building at the heart of the Bras Basah Bugis historic district is a good location and a site for such a museum, which we are currently considering.

a. We envisage that this new design museum could become a centre of gravity for designers, practitioners, and creatives in the district, coming together as a hub, drawing energy and synergy from the surrounding arts, culture and heritage institutions.

b. We are currently assessing the suitability of the site for a Design Museum and will share more details when ready.

High Performance Sport

33. Let me turn to the second point on sports.

34. Mr Gerald Giam can be assured that we have and we will continue to strengthen our quality high-performance sporting ecosystem, for Singapore athletes.

35. Mr Giam spoke of structures and pathways, so let me elaborate on the structures and pathways that we have previously put in place and which we will continue to put in place.

36. Madam, we might have a small population base, but we are committed to a system which can identify the best of them, and bring out the best in them.

37. We know that being a full-time athlete in Singapore can sometimes be tough.

a. Balancing intense training

b. With competition schedules, often overseas

c. And at the same time, the athlete having to meet other life priorities, often requiring sacrifices to be made.

38. But it is also rewarding and fulfilling and many of our athletes strive to reach the peak of their potential.

39. That is why, over the years, we have reshaped and refined our sporting policies and programs

a. to help mitigate, minimise, if not, remove these trade-offs,

b. enabling our athletes to develop, to train, to compete and to flourish, at the highest levels.

40. We start when they are young.

a. We tap into the sports co-curricular activities in mainstream schools, starting with Primary Schools,

i. Which are often our youths' first exposure to sports,

ii. We cast the net wide, to identify as much talent as possible at a young age. That answers Mr Giam's point which I agree with, that we should start when the athletes are young.

b. We also do it through the ActiveSG Academies and Clubs which SportSG manages,

i. Where we first identify, and then nurture young athletes across a wide range of sports,

ii. Ensuring a healthy and regular pipeline of talent.

41. And for those who have set their minds on sport from a school age:

a. We have the Singapore Sports School that provides a dedicated specialist environment to support both education and training,

i. We have also made this available to high performance athletes regardless of the school that they are studying in.

ii. So, you might be in a different school but you can come into Sports School for a period, for a season, to train for a programme, and go back to your original school thereafter.

b. We have put in place a comprehensive sport science and medicine program through the NYSI and SSI

c. Ensuring our athletes can manage both the pressures as well as the physicality of high performance sport.

42. And for those who may have reached the crossroads between sports and some other career,

a. We have significantly enhanced our athlete support policies, for instance to name a few:-

i. We went upstream to support athletes with performance potential beyond the SEA Games, and welcomed the first batch of spexPotential athletes in April 2024,

ii. We also launched the spexEducation Undergraduate scholarship, and CPF top-ups to our spexScholars, both in August 2024.

43. These are changes that help to prolong the livelihood and the period of competition at the highest level for our athletes, and they are the latest in a series of efforts we have made to strengthen high-performance sport in Singapore.

a. Over the years, we have consistently refined this approach, ensuring that athletes have the right infrastructure, adequate resources, and multiple opportunities to excel.

b. And these developments are not just one-off adjustments—

i. they represent a concerted, strategic, long-term commitment to building a sustainable and thriving sports ecosystem.

44. As I mentioned earlier, we will have the home of Team Singapore as part of the Kallang Alive Masterplan:-

a. where all the elements of high-performance sporting development will be integrated in one campus,

i.  so athletes can stay, train, study, compete – and repeat, until excellence becomes intuition.

ii. They will also have dedicated access to sport science and nutrition and supported by the relevant NSAs.

iii. This will significantly strengthen the pillars on which sporting success in Singapore can be advanced.

45. As Members will know, it will take a few years for the home of Team Singapore to materialise under the Kallang Alive Masterplan.

a. But we intend to jumpstart the progress now.

b. While we may not be able to speed up its physical redevelopment and construction, we can nonetheless start now to organise ourselves around an integrated structure, designed to push Singapore's sporting excellence to new heights.

46. Let me explain this in some detail.

47. We intend to introduce a new entity that will house all our dedicated sports institutions under one umbrella.

a. We will first integrate the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) and the National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI) in April.

i. This will enhance our end to end service delivery to our athletes across the youth and senior spectrum.

b. Thereafter, in a few years' time, we will consolidate this with the Singapore Sports School into a new entity.

i. While the Sports School will remain as a school and retain its brand and identity, this consolidation will more closely integrate Sports School with the rest of the high performance sporting system.

ii. We will also streamline touchpoints with stakeholders involved through an athlete's life, such as parents and NSAs. We will then be able to develop a centrally-coordinated pathway that can provide better visibility and assurance to our athletes.

iii. We will grow and retain our talents in sport science, sport medicine, administration as well as burgeoning sport technology, which we will harness,

• By having more professional development opportunities to rotate them across different sports and profile.

• Sometimes it is useful to deploy our sports scientists across different sports to gain more experience. That is what we will do.

iv. These moves will collectively strengthen and deepen the integration between the key aspects of high-performance sport.

v. We will have multiple layers of support converging around the athlete, supporting them through their journey, from youth right through to senior levels.

vi. And we will, with this program, be able to hit the ground running once development of the new Kallang Alive Masterplan is completed.

Building and Owning our Future Together

48. Madam, shifting gears slightly, as we progress through SG60 this year, and look beyond, we also want Singaporeans to lead and own our future. So let me conclude my speech with some brief points on the community.

49. In times of crisis – particularly during COVID, or the global recession, or even in our daily challenges,

a. Singaporeans have shown remarkable generosity and spontaneity,

b. Spirit, in both small and big ways,

c. To care for and help each other out.

50. We want to tap on this innate generosity, this strong spirit as it speaks to the essence of who we are as Singaporeans.

51. As we move forward in SG60 and beyond, it is therefore crucial that we continue to nurture this spirit of contribution, and make sure that no one is left behind.

a. It is this sense of empathy and care for fellow citizens that is the hallmark of a progressive and inclusive society, one where we look out for one another as fellow citizens.

52. To do so, and push this along, we are partnering with the National Council of Social Service on the SG SHARE programme.

a. This programme multiplies the impact of modest donations over a period of time, to support various social service programmes under the Community Chest.

53. Beyond monetary donations, we also encourage more Singaporeans to volunteer for causes which are meaningful, and which matter to them.

a. With curated volunteering opportunities across a spectrum of different causes, including children, families, seniors, education and sports, we have served more than 1 million beneficiaries.

54. We will also support ground-up initiatives from the community through Our Singapore Fund, or the OSF.

a. This fund serves as the seed to kickstart meaningful ideas for Singaporeans, by Singaporeans.

b. For example, the OSF has helped The New Charis Mission, a non-profit, to expand the reach of “The Unlabelled Run”.

i. The run brings together groups of different backgrounds, with the aim of building an inclusive and compassionate society. Originally started to support ex-convicts in their reintegration journey into society, this event has since expanded in 2024 to support the special needs community as well as the elderly runners, with the aid of OSF. The Unlabelled Run is just one of the many success stories of the OSF.

c. Since OSF's launch in 2016:-

i. About $8 million in funding has been disbursed to over 700 citizen-initiated projects, across areas such as enhancing neighbourhoods, developing digital literacy, and building resilient communities.

d. And we look forward to supporting even more of such ground-up projects.

Conclusion

55. Madam, as we stand at the threshold of SG60,

a. We do so as a people forged by resilience,

b. Woven together by shared experiences,

c. And bound by the unwavering belief that we can build a better future, if we build it together.

56. Because of the tenacity of past generations,

a. We are more than just a city—

i. We are a nation, a home, a people

ii. Who dare to dream, dare to persevere, and dare to rise above challenges.

57. SG60, therefore, is not just a time for celebration.

a. It is a moment for reflection, for renewal, and for recommitment.

b. As we honour our past, we must also look ahead –

i. To our next bound of our journey.

c. The Singapore of tomorrow will not be built by chance, nor by circumstance.

d. It will be built instead by all of us—

i. By every artist who expresses our identity; every athlete who pushes the limit of excellence, inspiring us; every young Singaporean who steps forward with a vision and a voice.

58. Over the past five years,

a. I have had the privilege of working alongside my MCCY colleagues in shaping a more inclusive, vibrant, and united Singapore.

b. Just as we have done in the past, we have strengthened the ties that bind us, we have championed the Singaporean identity that is confident and outward looking.

c. Through our shared national experiences, we have woven a richer, more interconnected national tapestry. One that tells the story of our people, our passions, and our aspirations.

59. This tapestry, however, is still being woven.

a. It is in every Singaporean who comes together—

i. On the field, in the theatre, in our community spaces—

ii. To share in something greater than ourselves.

b. It is in the stories of our pioneers that we preserve,

i. The dreams of our youth that we nurture,

ii. And the sense of belonging we create for every Singaporean.

60. At MCCY, we will continue to stitch all of these threads together—

a. To champion the arts,

i. So that our culture remains vibrant, and our stories are told;

b. To elevate our sports,

i. So that our people can excel, aspire and inspire;

c. To empower our young people,

i. So that they do not just inherit our future but actively create it.

61. But this future is not for MCCY alone to build. It belongs to all of us.

62. So I say this to every Singaporean:

a. Your dreams matter.

b. Your contributions count, and

c. Your actions shape our shared destiny.

63. So let us go forward with confidence, with courage, and with conviction.

a. Let us embrace the challenges ahead with the same pioneering spirit that has brought us this far.

b. And together, let us continue weaving our national tapestry—

i. Strong, diverse, and uniquely Singaporean—

ii. Into the next great chapter of our story.

iii. Thank you, madam.

Speeches

Arts & Heritage

Charities

Community

Resilience & Engagement