Mr Heng Chee How, Mayor of Central Singapore Community Development Council

Venerable Seck Kwang Sheng, Chief Administrator of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

Mr Yeh Chien Ee, President of Shan You Counselling Centre

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

The past few years have been unusually challenging for Singapore. Since the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, the economy has suffered several external shocks that led to an unfamiliar roller-coaster growth path. This has put severe pressure on families hit by financial hardship.

Terrorism, a concept that seemed so distant just a few years ago, has raised its ugly head right at our doorstep. Thanks to good intelligence, we have prevented the terrorists from inflicting damage on our land. But the threat posed by terrorism is real and will have to be addressed. Again, Singaporeans have to grapple with something unpleasant and unfamiliar.

While it is natural to worry about these new challenges and how they would change the Singapore landscape forever, I take heart in the fact that many Singaporeans have taken things in their stride and shown tremendous resilience and compassion in these changing times.

In the midst of an economic downturn, it is heartening that Singaporeans had the compassion to contribute more than $5m dollars at the Ren Ci charity event. In the midst of terrorist threats, the Muslim community showed great courage and unity when it openly and clearly stood shoulder to shoulder with other Singaporeans and supported the government’s stand against the Jemaah Islamiyah. All this augurs well for the cohesion and resilience of Singapore society.

Today, we witness yet another expression of compassion by our community as we open the SunLife Youth Development Centre. This centre is especially significant as it is a partnership between the grassroots organisations -- Central Singapore CDC and Kolam Ayer Citizen’s Consultative Committee -- a voluntary welfare organisation -- Shan You Counselling Centre -- and a religious organisation -- Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. To me, this is what we in Singapore should strive for – working for a common purpose despite our diversity and differences.

I understand that the Centre plans to develop youth in our community through broad-based youth development and experiential-learning programmes. Programmes such as the Secondary School-based Social Work programme will provide counselling and guidance to students who may face difficulties in their school or family lives. The centre also services the needs of Out of School Youth through the Noble PAL programme jointly organised with the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association. This programme aims to befriend and guide out-of-school youth back to school or to keep them engaged in other healthy activities.

I applaud those who have initiated this project and the many volunteers who have and will put in time and effort to help the youths. Our youth is the future of Singapore. Every one of them is important and must be given all the opportunities to develop their potential in life. I hope your actions will inspire many more to step forward and do more for our community.

I wish the Centre every success in this worthwhile project. Thank you.

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