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Speech by Mdm Halimah Yacob at the 60th Anniversary Dinner
Speech by Mdm Halimah Yacob at the 60th Anniversary Dinner
“60 years is a very long period to exist. But then, we all agree that the number of years that a school exists is not the only measure of a school’s success or failure. Rather, it is the kind of students that you produce and unleash upon this world that is of greater importance. I would like to believe that TKGS has produced students who have all contributed to our society, not just to themselves, and in their own way made Singapore a better place to live in.
This is the funny thing though. People always think of contributions in terms of the big things, the top positions, the huge title that one holds, the amount of money that you have accumulated and the academic achievements that you hang on the wall. Those who don’t fall into these categories, often feel that they have nothing to contribute. This is very far from the truth. I believe that everyone can achieve great things if they can let go of their fears and be inspired by the things around them.
Let me share with you three stories of ordinary Singaporeans who have achieved extraordinary outcomes in their lives. Some months ago, I opened an art gallery along Jalan Sultan. Among the items displayed were the works of an artist who created cameras out of everyday things that we use such as a Coca Cola cans. Each camera takes many painstaking months to complete and he can create cameras out of any item that you provide to him, making these cameras not just functional items but also interesting art and conversation pieces. So, what we see as the impossible and unthinkable, his curiosity and creativeness has made possible. He has definitely contributed something to the world of art, innovation and creativity. He took everyday things and was inspired enough to convert them into art pieces. Nothing was too mundane for him.
My second story is about a young woman who was one of the first batch of students to graduate from the Singapore Institute of Technology. 24 year old Zahirah graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Nevada offered through SIT. Zahirah lives in a shelter run by New Hope for homeless Singaporeans. She is the third of six siblings and her family shares the shelter with two other families. When interviewed by Berita Harian, the local Malay newspaper, she told them that she could only study late at night because she had to do part time jobs daily due to severe financial difficulties and reached home only after 11 pm.
However, even if she had wanted to study in the daytime, there was no space as the shelter was very crowded and the only table that she could use was fully occupied by the other families for taking their meals and other activities. She is now working and hopes that someday her family could purchase their own flat so they could move out. When we think of homeless people living in shelters, the images in our minds are one of pity because of their hopelessness and helplessness. Someone like Zahira has busted that stereotype and shows us that everyone is capable of achieving something great in their life with a little bit of support, encouragement and, most of all, their own belief in themselves. I am sure that Zahirah must have had many moments of self doubt but she never allowed them to bring her down.
My third story is about an old lady who lives in one of the blocks of flats in my constituency, Bukit Batok East. She lives with her low IQ daughter and most of the time she is busy collecting cardboards to sell. Sometimes, her daughter follows her and helps to collect the cardboards. I have tried many times to offer her financial assistance but her reply was always the same. ‘No, thank you’. She says she can take care of herself. It would have been so easy for her to accept help as she could easily come under long-term public assistance but this plucky ‘aunty’ refuses it.
Every day we hear stories of such people. Their stoicism, courage and strength in the face of adversity never fail to amaze me. They are able to rise above the adversities and challenges facing them and achieve things that would have floored many of us. They inspire us through their examples, show us the meaning of selflessness, humility and contentment, and make us better persons. In this way, they have contributed to the betterment of our society.
I am glad that TKGS now has an award called the TKGS Values-in-Action Award for students who have contributed significantly to community service. This is a good move. I hope that this award will inspire students to be better persons and go on to achieve great things not only through their studies but also through developing their compassion and care for other people so that they will contribute to the society they live in.
Coming to this dinner has evoked memories about my time in TKGS, which were mostly pleasant. The strongest memories were the friendships that I had forged during that period. I have lost contact with my friends after all these years, but they were the important ingredients in making school life so much more enjoyable in those days. So, young TKGIANs, your life is yours to create but each one of you is certainly capable of achieving great things provided you acquire the ability to see, feel, sense and reach out and be inspired by the people and things around you. Always remember that when you contribute to others, it is actually the time when you begin to contribute to your own development. Thank you.”
This is the funny thing though. People always think of contributions in terms of the big things, the top positions, the huge title that one holds, the amount of money that you have accumulated and the academic achievements that you hang on the wall. Those who don’t fall into these categories, often feel that they have nothing to contribute. This is very far from the truth. I believe that everyone can achieve great things if they can let go of their fears and be inspired by the things around them.
Let me share with you three stories of ordinary Singaporeans who have achieved extraordinary outcomes in their lives. Some months ago, I opened an art gallery along Jalan Sultan. Among the items displayed were the works of an artist who created cameras out of everyday things that we use such as a Coca Cola cans. Each camera takes many painstaking months to complete and he can create cameras out of any item that you provide to him, making these cameras not just functional items but also interesting art and conversation pieces. So, what we see as the impossible and unthinkable, his curiosity and creativeness has made possible. He has definitely contributed something to the world of art, innovation and creativity. He took everyday things and was inspired enough to convert them into art pieces. Nothing was too mundane for him.
My second story is about a young woman who was one of the first batch of students to graduate from the Singapore Institute of Technology. 24 year old Zahirah graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Nevada offered through SIT. Zahirah lives in a shelter run by New Hope for homeless Singaporeans. She is the third of six siblings and her family shares the shelter with two other families. When interviewed by Berita Harian, the local Malay newspaper, she told them that she could only study late at night because she had to do part time jobs daily due to severe financial difficulties and reached home only after 11 pm.
However, even if she had wanted to study in the daytime, there was no space as the shelter was very crowded and the only table that she could use was fully occupied by the other families for taking their meals and other activities. She is now working and hopes that someday her family could purchase their own flat so they could move out. When we think of homeless people living in shelters, the images in our minds are one of pity because of their hopelessness and helplessness. Someone like Zahira has busted that stereotype and shows us that everyone is capable of achieving something great in their life with a little bit of support, encouragement and, most of all, their own belief in themselves. I am sure that Zahirah must have had many moments of self doubt but she never allowed them to bring her down.
My third story is about an old lady who lives in one of the blocks of flats in my constituency, Bukit Batok East. She lives with her low IQ daughter and most of the time she is busy collecting cardboards to sell. Sometimes, her daughter follows her and helps to collect the cardboards. I have tried many times to offer her financial assistance but her reply was always the same. ‘No, thank you’. She says she can take care of herself. It would have been so easy for her to accept help as she could easily come under long-term public assistance but this plucky ‘aunty’ refuses it.
Every day we hear stories of such people. Their stoicism, courage and strength in the face of adversity never fail to amaze me. They are able to rise above the adversities and challenges facing them and achieve things that would have floored many of us. They inspire us through their examples, show us the meaning of selflessness, humility and contentment, and make us better persons. In this way, they have contributed to the betterment of our society.
I am glad that TKGS now has an award called the TKGS Values-in-Action Award for students who have contributed significantly to community service. This is a good move. I hope that this award will inspire students to be better persons and go on to achieve great things not only through their studies but also through developing their compassion and care for other people so that they will contribute to the society they live in.
Coming to this dinner has evoked memories about my time in TKGS, which were mostly pleasant. The strongest memories were the friendships that I had forged during that period. I have lost contact with my friends after all these years, but they were the important ingredients in making school life so much more enjoyable in those days. So, young TKGIANs, your life is yours to create but each one of you is certainly capable of achieving great things provided you acquire the ability to see, feel, sense and reach out and be inspired by the people and things around you. Always remember that when you contribute to others, it is actually the time when you begin to contribute to your own development. Thank you.”