SPEECH BY MR MASAGOS ZULKIFLI, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT,
AT SIA CARES OPEN HOUSE ON 23 SEPTEMBER 2023 AT SIA TRAINING CENTRE
Mr Goh Choon Phong, CEO of Singapore Airlines
Mr Chew Sutat, Chairman of Community Chest
Ms Latha Kutty, Executive Director of Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore
Mr Abhimanyau Pal, CEO of SPD
Donors, Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to the inaugural SIA Cares Open House.
2. This event is timely because this year, MSF is celebrating the Year of Celebrating Social Service Partners, and we want to recognise corporates like SIA for your contributions to the social sector, and we want to foster partnerships across the sectors. I’m happy to see many gathered here today, from SIA staff, to partners and donors, as well as social service agencies.
3. Corporates such as SIA, are deeply embedded in our society in Singapore. In our early years, the Government worked closely with SIA, to bring Singapore to the world and to bring the world to Singapore. The Government provided good education and an enabling business environment. SIA provided Singaporeans with good jobs and enabled the development of many industries. Our companies and our country prospered.
4. This close partnership across Government, businesses and individuals is what made Singapore successful. It is the foundation of the strong social compact we have today.
5. I’m glad that companies like SIA continue to give back today. There is a recognition that the companies have succeeded, enabled by our system, and a keen interest to contribute back to society and uplift everyone.
6. SIA and its staff have been participating in ComChest’s SHARE programme, donating regularly to social service agencies and their programmes. SIA staff also give their time to volunteer with agencies such as Willing Hearts and Singapore Children’s Society. By creating this culture of sustained giving, SIA has supported many programmes and services over the years, empowering individuals and strengthening families.
SIA’s donations
7. Today, I would like to thank SIA and its partners for their contributions of $2.6 million to Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore and SPD. Thank you. This came because many staff from SIA banded together to encourage giving. SIA also got their partners on board, with each dollar matched by another dollar from SIA. These funds will go a long way towards new facilities and assistive technology equipment for CPAS beneficiaries and the transportation of SPD Day Activity Centre users.
8. In addition to donations, SIA demonstrates that businesses can support the social service sector in creative ways to empower individuals. Recently, SIA collaborated with SG Enable to feature merchandise designed by artists with disabilities from the I’mable Collective in KrisShop. This created opportunities for persons with disabilities to showcase their talents and attain fulfilling and meaningful employment, while enabling SIA to showcase a wide range of products in KrisShop. We encourage more businesses to see how they can leverage their assets, their platforms, and expertise to sustain impact in the social sector.
Conclusion
9. We have an eventful morning ahead. I’m glad to hear that guests from across 30 social service agencies have been going on a behind-the-scenes tour of SIA cabin crew and pilot training facilities.
10. Once again, thank you. In this Year of Celebrating Social Service Partners, I would like to extend my appreciation to each and every one of you for your contributions. Let us continue to work together to nurture lives and build a caring and inclusive society.