第47届董事会会长拿督斯里吴木興博士BBM(L)在就职典礼上的致词 TEOCHEW POIT IP HUAY KUAN THE 47TH TERM BOARD INSTALLATION CEREMONY DINNER SPEECH BY PRESIDENT DATO’ SRI DR DEREK GOH, BBM(L)

TEOCHEW POIT IP HUAY KUAN THE 47TH TERM BOARD INSTALLATION CEREMONY DINNER SPEECH BY PRESIDENT DATO’ SRI DR DEREK GOH, BBM(L)

Our Guest of Honour, Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.

Our Special Guests, Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade & Industry (Minister Tan will join us at 9.30pm)

Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State for Defence,

Mr Chan Kian Kuan, Immediate Past President,

Excellencies, Senior Parliamentary Secretaries, Mayors, Members of Parliaments,

Presidents of local and overseas Teochew and Chinese clan and business associations, local civic organisations and government officials,

Mr Mark Tan, Event Organising Committee Chairman,

Distinguished Guests, sponsors and partners,

Life Honorary Presidents, Honorary Presidents, Honorary Directors and Directors of Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, Ladies and gentlemen,

A very good evening.

Thank you for being here on this special occasion, the 47th Installation dinner of the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan (TPIHK). The Teochew community is greatly honoured to have Deputy Prime Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat officiate this event.

To the 150 overseas guests and 850 local guests, Teochew brothers and sisters, friends and well-wishers, we deeply appreciate your presence.

At the onset let me express gratitude to my fellow board members for electing me as President of the 47th Board of Directors (2023-2024) of our association.

It is a great honour and one that comes with great responsibility. Singapore Teochew Poit Ip Huay is the apex organisation representing Teochews in Singapore. The current board has the responsibility of preparing our beloved association to mark its 100th anniversary in 2029.

Such an onerous task comes at a critical period for Singapore, the region and indeed the world. We have just emerged from the ravages of the pandemic. But storm clouds have already appeared with geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Amid such challenges, our leaders, including our DPM Mr Heng, have openly called to support Singapore Forward, a new social compact for the country. The Teochews in Singapore have long played an active role in supporting the community, and will actively participate in Forward Singapore conversations.
Our forefathers, seeking a better life when they left their hometowns, faced numerous challenges when they arrived here and other parts of Asia. They banded together to identify the problems facing the community. The Teochew spirit has always revolved around trust and contributing to the community, society and country that we live in.

Our association has inherited a great legacy that has withstood the test of time. We stand on the shoulders of giants as we prepare for a more challenging world even as the current board prepares the association and its members for our centenary.

For us to fulfil this responsibility we must not shy away from challenges.

First, we must set aside differences. How can contribute meaningfully to society, with impact, if we are not united? My board has already initiated dialogue among all eight Teochew district clans in Singapore. Last month, we visited Nanyang Pho Leng Hui Kuan, Singapore Kityang Huay Kwan, Teo Yeonh Huai Kuan and Huilai Countrymen Association. After the installation, we will continue to complete our visits to the other district clan associations. Together, we will actively participate in the Forward Singapore conversations with other Chinese civic organisations; especially the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA).

Second, we need to attract and engage Teochew youths, especially young professionals, to be active members and contribute to community and our country’s social compact. Our board seeks to foster appreciation of the rich Teochew heritage. The Teochew Festival aims to raise awareness of the Teochew cultural values amongst our younger generation, and share our rich heritage with other ethnic groups in Singapore. For the fair ladies, the Teochew Beauty Pageant instils the renowned Teochew traditions and best family practices.
Third, we must uphold the spirit of giving back to society. TPIHK will strengthen ties with grassroots organisations to care and support the needy and vulnerable groups regardless of race, language, or religion. We hope Teochew youth will rise to this challenge and participate actively in such programmes.

The Teochew diaspora is spread across all corners of the globe. But distance can sometimes keep us apart even if we share the same heritage and values. Our fourth pillar is to forge stronger ties with our overseas counterparts. In February after my appointment, I personally visited the Teochew International Federation and Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organisations in Hongkong, as well as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation of International Teochew Commerce & Industry, Shenzhen Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce and Qiao Shang Zhi Ku Research Institution in Shenzhen. I am happy that many of them have flown in specially to witness our Board installation this evening. A very big welcome to you, brothers!

After the installation, we will step up missions to the Chaoshan, China and ASEAN countries; and actively participate at International Teochew Conventions across the Asia region.

This will strengthen the Teochew network, increase entrepreneurship and improve networking for community and business opportunities. The Teochew Entrepreneur Awards underscore the entrepreneurial spirit of successful Teochew entrepreneurs in this age of globalisation and digitalisation.

To strengthen our international footprint, we will also be bidding to host the 24th Teochew International Convention.

In seeking to fulfil these objectives, my fellow board members recognise and appreciate the many leaders who have come before us. They have contributed much to build a strong TPIHK brand locally and internationally. TPIHK will engage with you to create more opportunities for members to excel beyond their respective expertise and current endeavours.

In accepting this great honour to be bestowed on me as President of TPIHK, I have adopted “Thriving Together, Excellence Beyond ” as the theme for my term over 2023-2024. Let us as Teochews stay united and thrive together for a brighter future.

On this note let me once again thank our Guest of Honour, Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, Hon. Advisers, Mentors and Sponsors for their support and encouragement to the 47th Board Installation.

Thank you. Enjoy the dinner and fellowship.

Now, I will say a few words in Mandarin:

尊敬的
王瑞杰副总理、
陈诗龙部长， 陈部长正在出席另一项活动，迟点才会到会场；
王志豪 高级政务部长；
高级政务次长、国会议员、各国驻新大使
八邑会馆 曾建權会长；
永远名誉会长、名誉会长、董事、
活动筹委会主席 陈俊元先生、
各位海内外领导、嘉宾
女士、先生们，大家晚上好！

感谢大家出席新加坡潮州八邑会馆第 47 届董事会就职典礼，特别感谢王瑞杰副总理，亲自监誓我们的就职仪式，还有现场一百五十位远道而来，给予祝贺的海外潮社领导，朋友们，谢谢大家的厚爱和支持！

处于后疫情，地缘政治紧张和经济前景不确定性的大环境下，新届董事会将面对不少挑战，但我们有信心，在前人搭建的良好基础上，进一步团结潮州人，将会馆的招牌活动，做强做大，我们也将竞标主办第 24 届的国际潮团大会，将潮州文化，潮州人团结、拼搏、诚信、孝顺的特质和精神更有系统和规模地传承给年轻一代。

接下来，我们会大力支持“新加坡携手前进”的号召， 配合社区和政府，为潮州人提供更好的服务和帮助，并加强与海内外潮州人的联系，为潮州商家创造更多与国内外潮商互动交流的机会，为新加坡的繁荣发展，种族和谐，做出更大的贡献。

“潮起同心，扬帆远航”， 在大家的关注和支持下，我们会以新颖创新的方式，将八邑会馆的会务带上更高的一层楼，为大家带来亮眼和不一样的体验。请大家期待！

谢谢大家！