SPEECH BY RADM (NS) LUI TUCK YEW, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION AND INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AT THE CEREMONY FOR THE CHEQUE PRESENTATION BY NGEE ANN KONGSI TO NGEE ANN POLYTECHNIC ON FRIDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2008, 12:00 PM AT THE NGEE ANN CONVENTION CENTRE, NGEE ANN POLYTECHNIC

Mr Teo Chiang Long

President, Ngee Ann Kongsi

 

Mr Tan Hup Foi

Chairman, Ngee Ann Polytechnic Council

 

Mr Chia Mia Chiang

Principal, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

 

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

 

 

Good Afternoon

 

Introduction

 

1.                        It gives me great pleasure to be here with you this afternoon to witness the cheque presentation by Ngee Ann Kongsi to Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

 

A Synergistic and Supportive Partnership

 

2.                        Ngee Ann Kongsi is a name that resonates with both the Teochew community and the general public.  Over the years, the Kongsi has remained steadfast as a strong advocate of education and has donated generously towards the pursuit of education in Singapore.  The single largest beneficiary of the Kongsi’s financial contributions is Ngee Ann Polytechnic.  The Kongsi’s presence and support, both in kind and otherwise, have contributed significantly to furthering the Polytechnic’s vision and strategic directions, and allowed it to introduce programmes that benefit and nurture its students in a holistic way.   Today, the Kongsi will present $5.6 million to Ngee Ann Polytechnic to go towards funding local and overseas student development programmes as well as promote student innovation and enterprise.

 

3.                        It was the Kongsi’s support and far-sightedness that resulted in the establishment of the Ngee Ann Girls’ School in 1940.  This school was renamed the Ngee Ann Primary School in 1980.  Ngee Ann College, the forerunner of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, was started back in 1963.  Today, the Polytechnic has grown into a leading institution of higher learning with more than 15,000 full-time students.  I believe the polytechnic’s success must be a matter of considerable pride within the Kongsi and its community. 

 

4.                        Going forward, I hope that Ngee Ann Kongsi and the Ngee Ann Polytechnic will continue to strengthen and deepen their historical ties.  One is a highly successful community organisation and the other, a well-established educational institution.  I hope to see successive generations of students reaping the benefits of a high-quality, Ngee Ann learning experience made possible by the enduring ties and shared sense of purpose between the two organisations.

 

 

A Varied and Valuable Education Experience

 

5.                        Indeed, Ngee Ann Polytechnic students have been able to enjoy a wide variety of enrichment programmes, overseas attachments and academic collaborations with other institutions with the help of Ngee Ann  Kongsi’s contributions.  For example, students from NP’s School of Film and Media Studies worked with the Communication University of China (CUC) and China Film Academy (CFA) to produce documentaries for MediaCorp Channel U, news and features for Singapore magazines, and a Chinese opera website. They also co-produced the Beijing-Olympic news items that were broadcast on MediaCorp Channel 8 news during the Olympic coverage season.  

 

6.                        Students also played a part in caring for the international community.  For example, they contributed to marine conservation efforts by constructing artificial reef structures for broken corals in a trip to Pulau Aur, West Malaysia in August 2008.  Others contributed to improve the lives of underprivileged children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia when they assisted the Unaccompanied Home of Cambodia (UNACAS) to set up new lodging facilities for these children in Mar 08.   These programmes provide our students with enriching experiences outside the classroom, by broadening their horizons and instilling in them a sense of social responsibility and awareness of global issues. 

 

Expanding the Kongsi’s Involvement

 

 

7.                        It is characteristic of the Kongsi’s commitment to education that they are now contributing not just to Ngee Ann Polytechnic, but other education institutions as well as other charitable causes in Singapore.  This move has greatly benefited Singapore’s education sector and I commend the Kongsi for its support and commitment towards the education and nurturing of our youth and community.  Let me give you some examples of how Ngee Ann Kongsi has contributed to Singapore’s education sector.

 

8.                        The Kongsi contributed to the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) and Pathlight School in April this year.  Because of this support, Pathlight is able to build a pre-vocational training centre at Ang Mo Kio to carry out its mission of supporting people with autism and helping them reach their potential.

 

Contributions to Academic Thought Leadership

 

 

9.                        The Kongsi has also expanded its involvement in the Singapore’s university sector.  The Kongsi donated $3 million to establish the Ngee Ann Kongsi Professorship in International Relations at Nanyang Technological University’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

 

10.                   Last year, the Singapore Management University named its 300-seater conference hall the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium in recognition of the Kongsi’s donation of $3 million, and also inaugurated the Ngee Ann Kongsi Annual Lecture Series this year.   The Annual Lecture Series will provide a platform for industry leaders and eminent scholars of international renown to share their knowledge and perspectives on business and society with SMU students and faculty, executives and civic leaders, entrepreneurs and government officials. 

 

 

Arts and Culture

 

 

11.                   The Ngee Ann Kongsi is equally supportive when it comes to arts and culture education.  For example, it has pledged $12 million to the School of The Arts (or SOTA) for scholarships and bursaries.  This donation, to be given to SOTA over six years, will be used in developing and nurturing the innate artistic ability of the most deserving of SOTA students.  The Kongsi’s generosity will, I am sure, contribute towards the ongoing transformation of the Renaissance City of Singapore.

 

Partnership for Education

 

12.                   Ngee Ann Kongsi’s efforts in reaching out to the community illustrate how philanthropic and other non-governmental organisations can make a big difference by supporting our educational institutions.  The role of education in supporting nation-building and helping every child stretch his or her potential is a very important one.  It is not a role that can be played by the Government alone.  To achieve the best educational outcomes, the Government has to work hand-in-hand with many partners, be it individuals or organisations. 

 

13.                   In this regard, I applaud the Ngee Ann Kongsi for its firm commitment and significant contributions towards education over the years.  We are better off with the support of such organisations – better equipped to prepare our young for the challenges of globalisation, and better positioned to offer a quality education from which our society will reap its benefits in time to come.

 

 

Conquering New Frontiers

 

14.                   To members of the Ngee Ann Kongsi, I congratulate you on the growth and success of your organisation which in turn enables you to make major contributions towards our society.  To the management and staff of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, I wish you all the best as your institution turns 45 this year.  I hope that with the strong support of the Ngee Ann Kongsi, you will go on to conquer new frontiers and achieve many more successes in the years to come.

 

15.                   Thank you.