SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged Singaporeans to contribute
back to society.
He said the country's success cannot be measured just by GDP growth, but
also the growth of values such as compassion, altruism and empathy.
He was speaking at the Singapore
Children's Society (SCS) 60th anniversary charity gala dinner on Friday
evening.
Since it was established in 1952,
the SCS has reached out to more than 67,000 children, youth and families in
need.
Today, the SCS operates nine
centres islandwide, offering services in caregiving, preventing delinquency,
abuse or neglect, all-rounded development, rehabilitation, child welfare and
public education.
Noting the society's good work,
the Prime Minister said Singapore is better - for what the Children's Society
and other voluntary welfare organisations have done.
He said: "It is most
difficult to bestir ourselves, sacrifice our own time and energies, roll up
sleeves, do the heavy lifting day after day, organising, fundraising,
volunteering, and doing things which make a real difference to the lives of
others. And this is what SCS and many other VWOs have done, and Singapore is
the better for it."
Mr Lee noted that more
Singaporeans are also giving back to society.
He said volunteerism is on the
rise, while donations reached at least S$900 million last year - the highest in
10 years.
He said there is also greater
passion and awareness of social causes, especially among youth.
But as the income gap widens and
the sense of community changes with social media and the internet, it is
important for more to give back.
But it does not mean the
government will step aside.
"The government will always
do its part to help the less fortunate especially through education, through
housing, through financial assistance schemes but also through upholding
meritocracy and keeping paths up open," said Mr Lee.
He added: "Whatever your
family background, however difficult your family circumstances, if you are
working hard, if you have the talent, you can make it and the doors are open
and you can go all the way up to the top.
But Mr Lee stressed that the
government is not able to do everything for the less fortunate.
He said: "The government
cannot, and should not do, try to do everything. It is too impersonal. It can
be bureaucratic and help then becomes a matter of social administration, not of
care and compassion. And eventually, this fosters an entitlement mentality,
instead of a sense of mutual obligation of and of gratitude between the helpers
and the helped.
"Ultimately, it is not the
incentives which make the difference. We hope Singaporeans will participate and
will support such good works because this is the sort of people we are, and
because this is the kind of society which we want Singapore to be."
Mr Lee said Singapore
"cannot just measure our success by GDP growth, as important as it is, but
also by the growth of our values - compassion, empathy, altruism, love for our
fellow citizens."
Mr Lee added he is glad that many
Singaporeans feel the same.
Mr Lee said the government will
continue to encourage Singaporeans to give back to society, such as tax
deductions or matching grants. It will also promote volunteerism, especially
among the young.
The Singapore Children's Society
aims to raise S$1 million through the gala dinner, through the support of close
to 100 sponsors, donors and well-wishers.
Fourteen partners were honoured
during the dinner.
- CNA/xq/fa
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Healthcare and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN. Since we are currently changing the platform of www.yourvietnamexpert.com, you may contact us at: sbc.pte@gmail.com, provisionally. Many thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment