Investiture of The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan 40th Executive Council at Mandarin Orchard Hotel
07日
08月,
2010年
Synopsis
"Just as clan associations helped the early Singaporeans settle in Singapore, they can continue to help the current wave of new immigrants integrate into the Singapore society. I am therefore glad to see that the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan active in this area." said DPM Wong Kan Seng at the investiture ceremony of the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan.
Investiture of The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan 40th Executive Council at Mandarin Orchard Hotel - Speech by Mr Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, 07 August 2010
Mr Wee Cho Yaw, Immediate-Past Council President of Hokkien Huay Kuan
Mr Chua Thian Poh, Council President
Council Members
Hokkien Huay Kuan clansmen Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning.
Thank you for inviting me to the Investiture of the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan 40th Executive Council this morning.
In two days, Singapore will be celebrating 45 years of independence. In these 45 years, we have grown from a struggling newly-independent country to the cosmopolitan international city today. The success we enjoy today was due in no small measure to the foundation laid by our forefathers who came to Singapore in the early years of our history in search for a better life.
Despite their different backgrounds and cultures, the early generations of Singaporeans weathered many challenges together. Many decided to make Singapore their home and they contributed to nation building. Clan associations played a vital role in helping early immigrants settle in and become part of Singapore.
The role of clan associations
The early immigrants who uprooted themselves to seek better lives in Singapore relied on the strong sense of kinship and bond among their fellow clansmen. Clan associations helped new immigrants find accommodation, provided social support and looked after the education and healthcare needs. The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan was one of the pioneers.
The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan has a long and established history in Singapore. Since it was founded in 1840, the Huay Kuan has been dedicating itself to serving the needs of fellow clansmen. In the early years, it attended to the large numbers of immigrants from the Fujian Province of China. Over the years, it continued to evolve and made itself relevant to the changing society. For example, it set up the Hokkien Foundation in 1977 to provide financial support for the Huay Kuan’s promotion of education and social welfare by funding the various scholarships and other worthy causes. In 1986, the Huay Kuan took on the role of promoting Chinese arts and culture with the setting up of the Arts and Cultural Troupe (ACT). Recently in 2003, it established a Literary Award to promote creative writing, reading and raising the standard of Chinese among primary, secondary and tertiary students through the essay writing competitions.
Helping new immigrants integrate
The leadership transition today takes place in a vastly changed world. While Singapore has grown and prospered, we continue to welcome immigrants to Singapore. This is an imperative for us. For Singapore to remain economically competitive, we need to keep our doors open to those who can contribute to our growth and vibrancy.
Immigration is a key policy in our population strategy. Our birth rate continues to remain well below replacement level and we will need new immigrants to boost our population so as to ensure Singapore’s continued economic progress and survival.
Just as clan associations helped the early Singaporeans settle in Singapore, they can continue to help the current wave of new immigrants integrate into the Singapore society. I am therefore glad to see that the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan active in this area. For example, it invited more than 40 non-Chinese new immigrant families to the Yuan Xiao (元宵) celebrations this year, to help them understand more about traditional Chinese Hokkien festivities. Keep it up.
Continue to evolve and stay relevant
Other than helping new immigrants integrate into society, there are two other areas that the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan can contribute to the community. They are promoting Chinese language and culture and providing education support for the larger community.
With English becoming the lingua franca of Singapore’s society today, the Huay Kuan has devoted itself to promoting Chinese language, culture and traditional values. In 2007, it launched the Bi-Cultural Chinese Elective Programme (BiCEP) for its five primary schools to cultivate a core group of effectively bilingual students. For the wider community, the Huay Kuan gives out bursaries and awards to candidates, regardless of race, language or religion, to help them pursue studies in areas such as arts, culture and Chinese language. I am pleased to see that the Huay Kuan has held fast to the founding principle of providing education support to the community while coming up with new programmes to suit the needs of an evolving society.
Conclusion
Finally, let me thank Mr Wee Cho Yaw for his 38 years of sterling leadership of the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. Under his leadership, the six SHHK affiliated schools have flourished with three of them attaining the SAP (Special Assistance Plan) status by MOE. Membership numbers have also risen. The association is now housed in a new building which was officially opened in 2005, in a rousing Tri-Celebration that also commemorated the Huay Kuan’s 165th anniversary and the successful restoration of the 170-year-old Thian Hock Keng Temple. Mr Wee also initiated amendments to the constitution to put in place a system for leadership self renewal. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank council members for their dedication and service.
I also want to congratulate Mr Chua for taking on this new and important appointment. I am confident that under his leadership, his council will take the Hokkien Huay Kuan to new heights.
