Opening remarks by Mr Moses Lee, Chairman, Tote Board, for the launch of Goh Chok Tong Enabling Awards, on 15th January 2019 3.30pm at Enabling Village

Emeritus Senior Minister
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

1. I am delighted to be here this afternoon at the launch of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards.

2. Let me start by sharing a well-known quote which states that “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” Though Singapore has transformed rapidly from a developing to developed nation status within 50 years, and we now enjoy a very high standard of living, we also recognise that there are social gaps and challenges in our community which we must address holistically to make Singapore a truly great and inclusive society.

3. For this reason, Tote Board’s Vision is to Give Hope to vulnerable groups and improve the lives of all in Singapore. A small percentage of babies are born each year with varying degrees of disabilities, from mild, moderate to severe. Tote Board has been working with social organisations to ensure that our community is able to devote sufficient resources to support parents and their children with disabilities until they reach adulthood and beyond. It is important that persons with disabilities are enabled and empowered to achieve their fullest potential and participate as integral and contributing members of the community.

4. Over the years, Tote Board has funded a wide range of initiatives and programmes that support the disability sector. Such initiatives include national level programmes like early intervention programme for infants and children, Special Education (SPED) schools via the Tote Board Social Service Fund (TBSSF) and the Tote Board Enabling Lives Initiative (TBELI).

5. We work closely with our partners SG Enable and National Council of Social Service (NCSS) to raise awareness of persons with disabilities and support projects that have potential to improve the quality of lives for them and their caregivers. For example, Tote Board supported the public education campaign “See the True Me”, which was launched in 2016 to encourage the public to look beyond disabilities and recognize their abilities.

6. Today’s launch of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards marks a significant contribution towards a more inclusive and caring Singapore. We are confident that the Awards will inspire many in this community to strive to do their best and fulfil their dreams.

7. Thank you.