Members of the Changkat Community Centre Management Committee;

Senior Citizens' Executive Committee;

Citizens' Consultative Committee;

Residents and friends;

I am pleased to be here tonight with so many of you to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Festivals are appointed times of celebration passed down from generation to generation. Every festival has its purpose and its significance to the people who celebrate it. It is often accompanied by a gathering and a feast among family and friends, and there is always something for every one.

The Mid-Autumn Festival has been celebrated by many generations of Chinese people around the world. It is a time for family members to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and good fortune. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns.

Although we do not have the four seasons as in the temperate countries, yet the Mid-Autumn Festival, like many festivals in Singapore, presents a wonderful opportunity to gather families, friends and neighbours together. Chinese, Malay, Indian and other races alike can learn to appreciate one another's traditions and culture through the celebration of such occasions.

I am thus delighted to be part of this happy occasion and would like to thank the Changkat grassroots members for organising this event and inviting me to be part of it. Indeed, Changkat has been celebrating the Moon Cake Festival with residents since the Constituency was first established in 1984.

I would now like to take this opportunity to announce the Northeast District Golden Senior Citizens' Search. The Northeast District Golden Senior Citizens' Search is a joint project of the Northeast Community Development Council (CDC) and the Senior Citizens' Executive Committees of the Community Centres/Clubs located in the Northeast District.

Since the formation of the Northeast CDC in November last year, it has been keen to support meaningful activities that encourage the development of a caring community towards the elderly. The CDC hopes to cultivate respect and recognition for the elderly and their contributions to society over the years.

Other than encouraging the community to respect the elders, the CDC also hopes to identify the senior citizens who actively pursue the philosophy of "life's still great after 60" through the Golden Senior Citizens' Search. The Golden Senior Citizens' Search is open to all residents of the Northeast District (i.e. Aljunied, Pasir Ris, and Tampines GRCs). It comprises two categories of awards. The first is the Golden Age Award and the second is the Golden Heart Award.

The Golden Age Award recognises senior citizens older than 80 who have contributed much to society by bringing up a happy and close family. The Golden Heart Award is intended for those who are 70 and above who are leading active, happy and healthy lives after their retirement and are committed to serving their community and country. The award is particularly for those who have a "golden heart". That is, they are helpful, kind hearted and gracious in their ways.

All of us recognise that the family unit is the building block of society. The elderly who have played the important role of bringing up families where the members are closely knit and are productive citizens should be recognised as models for the rest of us. Our senior citizens form a significant part of our society. Through the Golden Senior Citizens' Search, the Northeast CDC also hopes to encourage the healthy elderly to continually serve and be involved in meaningful activities, both at home and in the community.

I would like to encourage residents and friends to actively support the Northeast CDC in this Golden Senior Citizens' Search by nominating your parents, grandparents, neighbours or your friends who you think deserve the awards. I wish the organisers of this meaningful event success. Thank you.