SMRT Journeys for Good Launch

Mr Seah Moon Ming, Chairman, SMRT Corporation

Distinguished guests

1. Good afternoon. Last month, as we celebrated Singapore’s 61st birthday, I was reflecting on what makes our island, our little island not just where we live, but the home that we love. And three things came to mind.
   
   a. First, a home is where everyone can belong and thrive;
   
   b. Second, a home is where we have strong bonds, harmony and cohesion; and
   
   c. Thirdly, a home is where people look out for one another, lending a listening ear or a helping hand when needed.
   
   

2. These are not abstract ideals. They are built in everyday ways – when neighbours look out for one another, when communities make space for different needs, and when businesses use their strengths to support the wider good.
   

Corporate assets can become powerful platforms for good

3. SMRT has shown us how corporate assets can become powerful platforms for good.

4. Three months ago, MCCY and SMRT announced a three-year collaboration under “Journeys for Good”.
   
   a. Through this partnership, SMRT has committed to provide selected Institutions of a Public Character – or IPCs for short – with free advertising spaces across its transit network.
   
   b. These advertisements will appear on MRT platforms, at bus shelters, and on trains.
   
   c. Millions of commuters take our trains and buses every day.
   
   d. By opening up these spaces to our charities, SMRT is helping worthy causes reach out to Singaporeans where they already are – on their daily journeys.
   
   

5. Today, I am pleased to join everyone here for the launch of the inaugural Charity Train.
   
   a. As commuters travel on this train, they will encounter the stories and causes of 12 IPCs selected for the “Journeys for Good” initiative.
   
   b. I hope that a simple idea like this can help more Singaporeans discover the good work of these charities, understand the communities they serve, and see how each one of us can play a part.
   
   

6. We are turning everyday commute into a moment of awareness – helping commuters pause, reflect on the needs around us, and consider what small action they might take, whether by giving, volunteering, sharing the cause with others, or simply looking out for those in our community.

Corporate giving can begin with what you already have

7. I hope more companies will draw inspiration from SMRT’s example, which is giving can begin with what you already have.
   
   a. Donations and volunteer hours matter deeply, but giving back does not always require you to start something new.
   
   b. It can just begin with a question every organisation can ask: “What do we already have, and how can we use it to benefit the community?”
   
   

8. For SMRT, it is a transport network that reaches millions of Singaporeans.
   
   a. For others, it could be expertise, spaces, technology, networks, or trusted relationships.
   
   b. The form may differ, but the spirit is the same: so, use what you have, for the good of others.
   
   c. As you heard from Chairman Seah, it’s not just about the assets or the spaces they have, but they are also contributing cash from their cost savings towards this cause.
   
   

9. So, I encourage every organisation to look at your assets, capabilities and the relationships you already have, and consider how they can create support, visibility, opportunity or hope for others.

Conclusion

10. In closing, I would like to thank SMRT for your partnership with MCCY, and it is very apt cause I wear two hats, one in MCCY, one in MOT. I hope that this partnership reminds us us that generosity is not only about what we give, but also about what we make possible for others.

11. As commuters board this Charity Train, I hope each journey reminds us of a simple but powerful message: when we use what we have to lift others, we build a Singapore that is not only prosperous, but genuinely caring – one journey and one act at a time. All the best for the partnership and all the best to the IPCs. Thank you very much.