SUSS Cheong Hee Kiat Lecture for Community Leadership

 Professor Tan Tai Yong, President, SUSS

Professor Robbie Goh, Provost, SUSS

Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President Emeritus of SUSS

Ms Thian Ai Ling, First Deputy Chairperson, Executive Council, SNCF

Mr Ang Hin Kee, CEO, SNCF

Students, Community Leaders

Ladies and Gentlemen

• A very good morning. It is a pleasure to be here for SUSS’s Cheong Hee Kiat Lecture for Community Leadership.

  • It is the second run of this lecture series where we gather people to highlight their ideas to shape the communities of the future.

• This year’s theme is about building a “We First” community, one that is important for our nation as we move forward.

  • People are often fascinated by how Singapore is organised - not so much about the hardware, but really about the software on how the volunteers on the ground help with mediation of disputes and come together to support community activities.

  • This is the software we have that should be preserved, and we need to make sure that this is protected as we continue in a world that is getting far more complex.

• We seem to be moving away from two very important ideals that the world had been focusing on for the last couple of years – multilateralism and multiculturalism.

  • I posit that the stronger our networks are, the stronger all of us will be as a society and as part of the global economy.

  • Multiculturalism is a fundamental plank upon which is what Singapore is built on.

• Thus, it is important for us to strengthen the soft power that we have, through multiracial, multilingual, multireligious identity, to be the strong glue to connect all of us together.

• And that is one of the reasons why the notion of a “We First” Singapore is important. We have been doing well, but we need to strengthen the social compact to be able to do better and to be able to move forward into the future.

  • We saw the “We First” spirit while we were in COVID-19, where neighbours helped one another.

  • It was also a time where the People's Association volunteers went out and gave care packs and goodie bags to people who were on home quarantine order.

• It's the same spirit that we need from the “We First” society that will see us through the challenges we face today, one where multilateralism seems to be fraying, and requires us to be stronger.

• As far as multiculturalism is concerned, “We First” does not mean “Me Second”. Our hearts are big enough to say we can look after the country and make sure that we can put other people ahead of us, but it doesn't mean we forget ourselves and our own families.

• We have to find a comfortable balance between the two, and there are three parts to highlight how we can do better as a society:

  • First as individuals, and

  • What can we do better as a community, and

  • What else can we do at the national level.

Individual Level: Cultivating “We First”

• Starting from the individual, it's about paying it forward and making sure that we are supportive. When we volunteer our time, we are able to help others, which is what ‘We First” is about, where communities continue to step forward and contribute.

  • Take for example, Blossom Seeds, a charity that operates an Active Ageing Centre. They exemplify this “We First” society as many volunteers come forward and support the work that Blossom Seeds does.

  • Many of our social services agencies, as well as community care agencies are avenues where many people volunteer their time to support our seniors and the vulnerable. This is what we'd like to see, individuals stepping forward so that no one is left behind.

• We had set up the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) in 2024 to serve as the first-stop for citizens to partner the Government and be connected to resources and networks to take their ideas forward.

  • Last year alone, we received over 1,600 partnership proposals from citizens.

• A few months ago, Prime Minister launched the new $50 million SG Partnerships Fund:

  • The Seed tier supports individuals, ground-ups and SG-registered organisations, through accessible and low-barrier funding of up to $5,000.

  • For projects that want to continue to grow and amplify their impact, the Sprout tier provides up to $50,000.

Community Level: Shared Experiences and Community Assets

• At the community level, we need the right structures to support a “We First” ethos.

• A “We First” society is built on a shared identity— one that is forged when people from all walks of life interact, bond and identify with one another.

  • In the past, these connections were woven into our daily lives. We grew up playing in the same void decks, watching the same local television programmes.

  • I remember going to the community centre with many others to do just that -  it was a commonplace where people could mingle and get to know one another, support local sports, and celebrated together as a community.

• Today, technology and changing lifestyles have increasingly individualised our lives.

  • But instead of fighting technology, we can leverage technology to change lifestyles and ensure we can be connected as a community.

• Underlining all of this would be the need for us to allow community outlets, such as Blossom Seeds, and many other agencies out there to lean forward, accept volunteers, and allow your volunteers to be part of your overall system.

National Level: Strengthening 3P Collaborations

• At the National level, we must strengthen partnerships between the People, Private and Public sectors, because no single sector can build a “We First” society alone.

• An example of this is the Singapore National Co-operative Federation or SNCF, which is the apex body for co-operatives. If you look at the way co-operatives function, the key function is about giving back and allowing for that social compact to form and to support those who need help the most.

  • That is some of the wonderful work that SNCF has been doing, exemplifying what it means to be a strong people, public and private sector entity, while at the same time bringing the community forward.

  • To reinforce SNCF’s partnership with MCCY, I announced during this year’s Committee of Supply Debate that MCCY will commit up to $30 million through the 10-year Transformation Roadmap.

  • I am heartened that SUSS is partnering us in this journey. The Professional Service Agreement between SUSS and SNCF will deliver a new leadership development programme to strengthen capabilities within the co-op sector.

  • These are wonderful steps where the strengths are combined to uplift society. This is precisely what we'd like to see, and it's the correct step forward.

• There have been other partnerships too. For example, MCCY partners with the Singapore Business Federation to provide companies with training, guidance and connections.

  • Companies are moving away from just once-off donations, and towards corporate social responsibility. The best way is to harness the energy and organise it better so that corporates who want to give can be connected to the people who needs the help and support.

Conclusion

• If we can harness the strength of Singapore, at all three levels – the individual, community, and national, we can build a stronger “We First” society.

• And in a world where we seem to be fraying at the edges, I hope that Singapore can show the world that we remain a bright, safe, secure, and stable place in the world.

• Thank you and I look forward to our Fireside chat.