PM Lee Hsien Loong's speech at the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan 180th Anniversary Celebrations and Commemorative Book Launch on 15 November 2020.
新加坡福建会馆 陈精毅会长
各位理事
现场以及线上的嘉宾朋友
大家傍晚好!
今年,新加坡福建会馆庆祝成立180周年。我很高兴受邀出席今天的活动,为会馆的180周年庆特辑主持推介仪式,并和大家一起回顾福建会馆悠久的历史和福建先贤们的事迹。
福建会馆在1840年成立,当时距离新加坡开埠只有20年左右。因此,会馆见证了我国从开埠到建国,从英殖民地发展成为独立国家的历史过程。会馆的发起人,如陈笃生、薛佛记、陈金声等,都是热心公益的华社领袖。他们出钱出力,修建庙宇、创办医院和学校,设立自来水厂等等,不但为乡亲解决生老病死、衣食住行、就业、婚姻和教育等问题,也为新加坡华社的发展做出巨大的贡献。
如今,福建会馆能够与时俱进,历久弥新,继续弘扬本地华族和福建文化,积极为国家培育人才,确实非常难得。今天发布的180周年庆特辑,就通过大量报刊新闻史料,来讲述福建会馆和新加坡社会发展之间的历史关系。这包括会馆对本地教育和华族文化事业的贡献,例如在1915年创办崇福女校;在1950年代捐赠土地,兴建南洋大学;在1980年代末成立文化艺术团、华族舞蹈团等。步入21世纪以后,会馆更是从本地走向国际,在2012年筹办了历来规模最大的世界福建同乡恳亲大会。这些重要的里程碑,在当时都具有划时代的意义,也显示福建会馆能够随着时代转变而转型,继续扮演重要的角色。
如今,在庆祝创会180周年之际,它也将捐款180万元给新加坡理工大学(SIT),建设东南亚第一所拥有微电网的大学校舍。从创办小学和中学,到资助本地各所大学,福建会馆多年来为新加坡培育不少人才,尽心尽力协助我国成为首屈一指的教育枢纽。
受冠病疫情影响,福建会馆虽然不能为180周年会庆举办盛宴,但今天的新书发布会除了有现场嘉宾,同时也在线上直播,让更多人能够参与其盛。这再次显示,会馆在面对挑战时能灵活变通、积极应对。
接下来,我希望本地各个会馆都能够把握时机,在保留传统文化和坚守使命的同时,不断推陈出新。宗乡会馆在华社扮演着加深族群和国民身份认同感的重要角色,让华社成为推动社会进步的一股重要力量。因此,我希望会馆和华社团体能够越办越好,吸引更多年轻人加入,薪火相传。
在此,我恭祝福建会馆会务蒸蒸日上,继续为国家和社会做出贡献。也希望福建会馆在未来的日子里,能百尺竿头,更进一步!
现在,让我用英语讲几句话。
Good evening to all of you. Congratulations to the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan on your 180th anniversary. With COVID-19, you could not hold a big celebration this year but you persisted and found a good way to mark this important anniversary. Not everyone can be in this room here, but I know that many Hokkien Huay Kuan members and supporters are watching elsewhere in this centre and also online.
Hokkien Huay Kuan has evolved together with Singapore for nearly 200 years. To be able to adapt to the changing environment, and keep the Huay Kuan thriving – that is an exceptional achievement. The values embodied by the founders of Hokkien Huay Kuan, the sense of responsibility, trustworthiness, stewardship and the dare to change have undergirded the leadership of the Association through the years and down the centuries.
The Hokkiens through the Huay Kuan have also embraced Singapore’s unique multicultural and multiracial identity, so that it not only looks after Hokkiens and the Chinese, but also provides support to all Singaporeans, including non-Chinese, Malays, Indians and many other minorities. It is with this spirit of giving back that many leaders have served the Huay Kuan and contributed to its cause of promoting education, arts and culture and social services in Singapore, and have done many other public service responsibilities and roles, and contributed to the broader society of Singapore.
I hope that the Hokkien Huay Kuan leaders will continue to help the younger generation to imbibe these values, and that Hokkien Huay Kuan will continue to grow from strength to strength. Happy 180th anniversary! Thank you very much.
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