Mr Jonathan Lee, Chairman, Board of Directors, Hwa Chong Institution; Mr Desmond Ong, Chairman, Board of Governors, Hwa Chong Institution;

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1 SPEECH BY GUEST-OF-HONOUR, MR HO TONG YEN, CEO OF SINO- SINGAPORE TIANJIN ECO-CITY INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD (SSTEC), AT THE AWARDS PRESENTATION DAY IN HWA CHONG INSTITUTION, CHENG YI AUDITORIUM ON SATURDAY, 12 JULY 2014, AT 2:30 PM Mr Jonathan Lee, Chairman, Board of Directors, Hwa Chong Institution; Mr Desmond Ong, Chairman, Board of Governors, Hwa Chong Institution; Dr Hon Chiew Weng, Principal, Hwa Chong Institution; Parents, award recipients; Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon. 1 I am very happy to be here today, at the Awards Presentation Day of Hwa Chong Institution, my alma mater. APPRECIATION OF TEACHERS 2 About three months ago, I received an from Dr Hon, asking if I could fly to Singapore to speak on this occasion. I agreed immediately. I have known and kept in touch with Dr Hon for almost 30 years, from when I was a Secondary Three student in The Chinese High School. He was then my Physics teacher and form teacher. I still recall Dr Hon s lessons fondly. Dr Hon made Physics lessons fun, and inspired in his students a desire to inquire more. Even the punishments that he meted out were creative and memorable. Dr Hon s lessons were not focused mainly on getting us to 1

2 score distinctions, though as a result of the interest which he sparked in us, most of us did well in the examinations. 3 I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Hon and the teachers in Hwa Chong for having made a big difference to the lives of many of their students. Can I invite everyone here to join me in a round of applause, as a show of appreciation for our teachers? 4 Today is a day of recognition for our award winners, whose hard work have borne fruit; for their parents, family members and friends, who supported them tirelessly; and for their teachers who dedicated much time and effort in guiding their students. Congratulations and best wishes to our winners! RELEVANCE AMONG NATIONS 5 Since leaving Hwa Chong 25 years ago, I have spent around half my time living overseas. I spent 16 years in the Singapore Foreign Service, including overseas postings in New York and Taipei. Since 2011, I have lived in Tianjin, China, where I am involved in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City project. 6 My nomadic life-style is by no means unique. Many Singaporeans live and work overseas. Many of you will too in future. Many others will hold jobs in Singapore, which are closely related to the international economy, and which thrive on Singapore s role as an international hub. Singapore is a small country. Our economy, our continued peace and prosperity, and indeed our survival as a nation, are closely intertwined with developments in the rest of the world. It is thus important for young Singaporeans to have a keen interest in international affairs. 2

3 7 History has not been kind to small states. There have been many small states which existed, sometimes very successfully, for a while, only to disappear over time. Will Singapore continue to be a bright star in Asia 50 years or 100 years from now, or will we fade away over time, like a shooting star across a night sky? Will we continue to be a success story that others wish to emulate? Or a case study of what went wrong? There is no easy answer. Much will depend on whether Singapore can continue to get its policies right, whether we can stay united as a nation, whether we can remain competitive, and provide useful goods and services to the rest of the world. The world does not owe us a living. To thrive, we need to work hard, make friends, continuously improve ourselves and be on the look-out for ways to work with and be of value and relevance to other countries. TIANJIN ECO-CITY 8 Let me share with you one specific example of how Singapore is working with another country for mutual benefit the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City project. Climate change, environmental degradation and sustainable development are serious challenges facing the international community. In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the world s population lived in towns and cities. By 2030, 60% of the world s population or around 5 billion people are expected to live in urban areas. China is also urbanizing rapidly, and needs to find a practical model for sustainable urbanization. Singapore is a much smaller country, but we are widely recognized for being a highly livable, green city, where our citizens enjoy a high quality of life. There is therefore an opportunity for the two countries to work together. 9 In 2007, the governments of China and Singapore decided to cooperate to develop the Tianjin Eco-City, which can be a model for 3

4 sustainable urbanization in other parts of China. My company, SSTEC, is a joint venture company between a Singapore Consortium, led by the Keppel Group, and a Chinese Consortium. We are the master developer of the Tianjin Eco-City. 10 The Tianjin Eco-City brings together the ideas and best practices of China and Singapore, and incorporates many aspects of sustainable city development. For example, the Eco-City was master planned to encourage walking and the use of public transport, and hence reduce dependence on private cars. All buildings are environmentally friendly green buildings. We utilise renewable energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. To create a sustainable community for all segments of society, the Eco-City includes public housing, which took reference from HDB s experience. 11 The Tianjin Eco-City has received good international recognition for its efforts to promote sustainable urbanisation. In January this year, we were invited to speak at the United Nations Headquarters on the development of the Tianjin Eco-City. Many countries are very interested in what we are doing in Tianjin. Since the groundbreaking in 2008, a formerly barren and polluted environment has been transformed into an emerging green city, with more than 10,000 residents. Of course, six years is just the blink of an eye in the lives of cities. The Tianjin Eco-City is still a child and we would need to work hard to ensure that it continues to develop successfully. 12 The key point I am making today is not how the Tianjin Eco-City is doing, but how we can try to take advantage of international trends and challenges, in this case, rapid urbanization and environmental concerns in China, to seek opportunities for win-win collaboration. The Eco-City project has provided a valuable platform for the people of Singapore and China to 4

5 further strengthen their cooperation and friendship, at the governmental, private sector and people-to-people levels. Hundreds of Singaporeans and dozens of Singapore companies have participated in the development of the Tianjin Eco-City. Many have used this as a springboard to enter the North China and sustainable development markets. COLLABORATION WITH CHINA 13 One of the international realities that you will face in your working lives is the rapid growth of China. According to the World Bank, China will be the world s largest economy in PPP terms by the end of this year. Many Chinese companies have become important global leaders, and many more will join their ranks. They will be a formidable force in the international economy. 14 Many young Singaporeans whom I have spoken to still have a misperception of China perhaps due to stereotypical images that they have read about or seen in movies. Many have yet to grasp the extent of China s economic transformation, or its rising affluence and influence, and how this will shape the world we live in. China s ascent will definitely bring about challenges, but it will also create many opportunities, for Singapore, Singapore companies and Singaporeans. As the Chinese saying goes, 危中有机, 事在人为. The question is: are our students adequately prepared to spot and seize these opportunities? 15 It has often been said that our common culture and language make it easier for Singaporeans to work with our Chinese counterparts. This is and continues to be true, but only up to a point. There are many differences between Singaporeans and Chinese nationals in how we see the world, and how we think about and solve problems. To be able to operate effectively in China and work well with our Chinese partners, we need to 5

6 have a robust understanding of China, the Chinese system, and the culture, values and aspirations of the Chinese people. 16 I am very happy to learn that over the years, Hwa Chong has continued to enhance its collaboration with top Chinese institutions,and provide immersion programmes and other opportunities for our students to be exposed to and have a deeper understanding of China. Since 2009, Peking, Tsinghua and Fudan Universities have granted admission to Hwa Chong students based on the Hwa Chong Diploma. This is an affirmation of the rigorous standards of Hwa Chong s education. OUTSTANDING HWA CHONG GRADUATES 17 I am glad to see that Hwa Chong s students are not just strong in academics, but have also contributed actively to the broader community. Let me highlight a few outstanding graduates, who can be good role models for their juniors. 18 The first is Hwa Chong Student of the Year, Arturo Neo Yong Yao. Arturo was the President of the 39 th Students Council. On top of his demanding academic schedule and CCA responsibilities, Arturo actively served the student body, and immersed himself in many roles and responsibilities, including participating in Overseas Community Involvement Projects (OCIP) in Cambodia and Nepal, and helping out as a writer at the weekly Meet-the-People sessions at the Tampines West ward. Despite the leadership positions which he held, Arturo is known for being humble, with his feet planted firmly on the ground, and for combining IQ with EQ. Arturo has received the NUS Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, and will be reading Medicine at the National University of Singapore. 6

7 19 Another exceptional graduate is Khan Azfer Ali. Azfer was born in Pakistan and does not speak Mandarin at home. However, he had no difficulty blending into Hwa Chong s culture. Azfer devoted a lot of his time to helping the underprivileged and rallying his peers to do likewise. He led The Day Without Shoes project to raise awareness about global poverty amongst his peers. He also helped to organize The Something Theory, a thought-provoking project that encourages students to be a part of something and hence raise their awareness of the immense capacity for each individual to bring about positive changes. Azfer has received the Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship, and will be reading Law at Cambridge University. 20 I would also like to mention Tham Wan Qing, a talented young lady, who took on multiple leadership roles. Wan Qing represented Hwa Chong in the Track and Field and Wushu teams, and was also the sports I/C for the Artemis faculty. Wan Qing has a heart for the community and participated in many Community Involvement Programme (CIP) activities. They include volunteering for an OCIP in Cambodia, providing tuition to needy children in Ulu Pandan, and being a member and organiser in the Artemis faculty CIP project for both her years in Hwa Chong. Wan Qing will be reading Chemistry at Imperial College London, under the Singapore Government Scholarship. 21 One common trait among Arturo, Azfer and Wan Qing is that they are all well rounded students, who used their time in Hwa Chong to participate in a wide range of activities, to hone their people skills, organizational skills, problem-solving skills and communication skills, while at the same time, always remembering the less fortunate and the importance of giving back to society. These values and skills may in the long run be just as important, if not more, than doing well in examinations. 7

8 22 At award presentation ceremonies, one does not usually talk about failures. However, failures are also a part of life. I hope that Hwa Chong s students have opportunities to take risks and learn to deal with set-backs in the safe environment of a school. Studies have shown that the experience of enduring some adversity can often toughen us up, help us build resilience and make us better prepared to manage other more difficult challenges in future. CONCLUSION 23 I would like to end by once again congratulating the award recipients, and recalling Hwa Chong s motto 自强不息. You have done well and built a strong foundation. But the road ahead is still very long. I encourage all of you to keep on learning and working hard, to keep Hwa Chong s flag flying high, and together with other Singaporeans, take our country to her next stage of development. I wish you success in your journey towards a very bright future. Thank you. 8