Closing Remarks by Minister of State Goh Pei Ming at "Let's Break The Silence Together" Launch on 26 August 2025

Community Partners in the protection ecosystem,
Ms Chua Sher Lin, Chief Financial Officer, Koufu Group Ltd,
Ms Teo Hui Leng, Senior Director of People, Ngee Ann Polytechnic,
Students and Staff of Ngee Ann Polytechnic,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1. Thank you for joining us to launch the refreshed “Let’s Break the Silence Together” campaign. Seeing all the different community partners gathered here shows that everyone has a role to play in tackling domestic violence. We have representatives from Child Protection Specialist Centres, Protection Specialist Centres, Family Service Centres, Crisis Shelters, hospitals, Koufu Group Ltd, and volunteers too. My special thanks to staff and students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic for hosting us today and earlier, I witnessed some of their exciting projects.

Importance of Tackling Domestic Violence

2. We are all here today as a community, with a shared sense of responsibility and understanding that every case of domestic violence is one too many. Strong and stable families are the foundation of a strong society, and it is where we should and must feel safe and supported. Domestic violence not only affects the victim-survivor, it breaks families, it breaks communities, and it offends our fundamental values as a society.

3. Danyya Ateera’s story of someone who is now an advocate and wanting to support other similar victim-survivors of domestic violence bears testimony to the grit and strength she has shown. We have just heard, in her journey, of how support and rallying around victim-survivors is so important, so that the individual can feel hopeful for a brighter future. One such person is our own MSF staff, Fayane who was her protection officer, and also Vivienne, who was then her psychologist to support her.

4. We have been able to tackle cases due to the collective efforts of all our partners here today. In this Year of Celebrating Social Service Professionals, I’d like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the protection professionals both in MSF as well as the wider sector, who navigate complex challenges with grit, moral courage and a commitment to do right by our clients.

5. Last September, MSF released the inaugural Domestic Violence Trends Report. From 2021 to 2023, we saw an increase in reported abuse cases with low to moderate protection concerns. This suggested greater awareness and willingness by victim-survivors and the public to report abuse and to seek help early. At the same time, we observed greater upstream detection and early intervention by our agencies. This helped to prevent cases from escalating in risk and severity, and this is a good sign.

Collaborative Effort to Tackle Domestic Violence

6. Domestic violence is a complex issue and requires a whole-of-society effort to address. Apart from public education, we have been working closely with community partners to put in place comprehensive legal and social service support. For example:

a. In 2023, a 24-hour Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT) was set up, to respond jointly with the Police to high-risk domestic violence cases with immediate safety concerns.
b. The Women’s Charter was also amended to strengthen protection for victim-survivors of family violence, such as allowing DVERT officers to issue Emergency Orders, and to enhance rehabilitation and accountability for perpetrators.

A Collective Campaign of Partnerships

7. Beyond the Government and the social service sector, we encourage more corporates, schools, community partners and members of the public to help detect and prevent domestic violence.

8. Today, our refreshed campaign, titled “Let’s Break the Silence Together”, harnesses this collective spirit to tackle domestic violence as one community. By saving the National Anti-Violence & Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) in your mobile phones and encouraging your friends and your loved ones to do so, you can break the cycle of violence and help save lives.

Extending Reach – Koufu Partnership

9. I would like to thank Koufu for their valuable partnership with MSF. As one of Singapore’s largest food court operators, you will help extend the reach of our campaign, by carrying the NAVH number on your mugs in all 67 Koufu and Happy Hawker outlets across the island.

10. Taking a step further, 77 Koufu food court managers attended the Domestic Violence Awareness Training last month to be better equipped with the necessary skills and information. Being on the ground, they act as eyes and ears to detect the signs and report domestic violence. l hope that more corporates will likewise join us in this meaningful mission.

Co-creation with Youths - Ngee Ann Polytechnic Partnership

11. I had the opportunity earlier to interact with many of our youths here during my visit to their booths. Through their final year projects, they showcased innovative ideas and how technology can be used to spread the domestic violence message. Educational institutions like Ngee Ann Polytechnic are important partners.

12. For example, Yi Kai and his team developed a Telegram bot which guides members of public on the steps that they can take when they witness abuse happening. There are also interactive games and even 3D Augmented Reality characters. Our youth are creative, passionate, and we hope to continue such partnerships to co-create exciting projects.

Closing

13. Together, we need to build resilient families, break the cycle of violence and keep vulnerable individuals in our society safe.

14. I hope to see more partners and Singaporeans join us in this meaningful movement. Please do share the NAVH number with everyone around you. Let’s Break the Silence Together!

15. Thank you very much.