Honouring the contributions of our heritage patrons

Mr Ong Yew Huat, Chairman, National Heritage Board (NHB),

Patrons and supporters,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Good afternoon, and a very warm welcome to all of you. It is indeed my pleasure to be here today, to recognise the support you have shown towards our heritage sector.

The contribution of Our Patrons to Our SG Heritage Plan

2. As we navigate an increasingly complex world, it is crucial that Our Communities continue to strengthen our sense of identity and belonging as Singaporeans. I am glad that we have witnessed a growing awareness and interest in our heritage.

3. In 2017, the National Heritage Board (NHB) received a total of $5.5 million in contributions, from 67 awardees. We are very encouraged by the commitment of our long-term benefactors who supported us year after year. We are also equally happy to welcome 29 new patrons. This is a reflection of the importance we all place on our heritage.

Enhancing Our treasures through the strengthening of our museums and collections

4. It is with your support that our museums have been able to present artefacts that allow us to discover about ourselves, about Singapore and about the world we live in. Last year, National Museum Singapore marked its 130th anniversary with a series of exciting programmes. Many of you celebrated this milestone with the Museum: Founders' Circle patrons such as Mr Hugh Young and Mr and Mrs Raj and Mary Rajkumar, and corporations such as Edrington Singapore, Janice Wong Singapore, Pan-United Corporation, and Electronics and Engineering Pte Ltd. Lee Hwa Jewellery also issued a limited edition of 130 commemorative bangles, of which part of the proceeds went to the museum.

5. We have also been privileged to receive artefact loans and donations from the personal collections of our patrons. The late Mrs Pamela Hickley and her husband, Frank, were well known for building one of the finest private collections of blanc de Chine porcelain in the world. Back in 2000, they gifted their invaluable collection to the Asian Civilisations Museum. This time, we were honoured to receive their family's donation of a collection of Chinese and Vietnamese blue-and-white export wares from the 15th to 19th centuries.

6. The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall has also benefited from Ms Pauline Tan Wyatt's loan of two pocket watches. These watches belonged to her father, Mr Tan Chor Lam, a supporter of Dr Sun Yat Sun and one of the founders of the Tong Men Hui in Singapore. Our presentations are deeply enriched by personal collections and gifts such as these from our heritage patrons.

Increasing access for our communities through gifts of heritage

7. Thanks to your generosity, we are able to enhance our efforts in bringing our heritage beyond the museums, to the people. Our people now enjoy heritage and cultural offerings through our signature festivals, including the Singapore Night Festival and Children's Season. The Singapore Night Festival, in the last decade, has established itself as a 'must-see' for Singaporeans and visitors. It is a highlight of the Bras Basah-Bugis precinct's calendar, and contributes greatly to the vibrancy of the area.

8.  The festival owes its success to many supporters. They include the Singapore Management University, Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, DesignSingapore Council, Hotel Royal@Queens, CHIJMES, and Singapore Art Museum.

9. Children's Season 2017, a festival well-loved by the young ones and their families, saw the introduction of Children's Season's passports. This was a highlight for the children as they brought the passports to explore the various museums' programmes, while collecting stamps in exchange for gifts. The production of the passports was made possible by a donation from Tai Sun (Lim Kee) Food Industries Pte Ltd.  We are also grateful to Givaudan (“jee-vor-don”) for delighting our senses with their sponsorship of scent stations, such as at the Malay Heritage Centre's herb and spice garden.

10. To many, Singapore is special because of our multi-cultural and multi-lingual identity. I am heartened that the different language festivals (the Speak Mandarin Campaign, Bulan Bahasa and Tamil Language Festival) have received strong support from organisations and individuals. These include the Lee Foundation, which has generously contributed to all three festivals, and Mr Mohamed Abdul Jaleel, a long-time supporter of programmes by the Tamil Language Council.

11. The Museum Roundtable also forms an essential part of our heritage ecosystem. One example is the Intan, a private museum, which worked with HomeTeamNS to present PeranakanLand @ Tplay, which is an indoor playground at HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok. This collaboration provided NSmen and their families opportunities to experience the unique Peranakan culture and its traditions.

12. Together, these outreach initiatives allow us to bring heritage out of our museums, into the community. As a result, many more have the opportunity to appreciate and enjoy our rich heritage and culture.

13. In appreciation of your contributions, we are happy to present you with digitised reproductions of drawings from the William Farquhar Collection. Donated by the philanthropist Mr GK Goh, these drawings are among the most treasured artefacts in our National Collection, which Mr Chris Yap of Light Editions painstakingly digitised and printed on archival paper to be presented to you. We have specially chosen three drawings of spices and herbs from the Collection, namely pepper, Indonesian bay leaf and clove. These drawings not only reflect our former status as a spice trading hub, but also provide insights to our flora and fauna and the 19^th century European interest in natural history.

The importance of heritage for our future

14. From this, we see how heritage gifts such as these drawings can have a long-lasting impact. They allow us to understand our early history, which ties in with our commemoration of Singapore's Bicentennial next year. This is an important milestone for the understanding of our heritage as an entreport and a rest stop for seafarers, which eventually led to the growth of civilisations and diversity in our society. Each community brought with them different cultures, practices, traditions and religions. All these have come to influence who we are today.

15.  Our shared heritage is an important anchor to strengthening our cohesion, our resilience and our identity as a nation. As we look back, we will gain a better understanding of who we are as a society. This would in turn lay a strong foundation for our future and allow us to seize opportunities to progress and prosper as a nation. To do so requires the active participation of all Singaporeans, with the giving and support of our patrons, like yourselves, leading the way.

Conclusion

16. Finally, it leaves me to once again express my deepest gratitude to all our donors. Your gifts of time, treasures and resources demonstrate your commitment towards safeguarding our heritage and contribution to our nation-building. As we move forward, we count on your continued partnership as we work together to ensure that our heritage continues to be enjoyed and cherished by all, and is steadfastly passed on to our future generations.

17.  Thank you and I wish all of you a very pleasant afternoon.