Guest-of-Honour, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam,
and Ms Jane Ittogi
Senior Ministers of State,
Members of Parliament,
Leaders of Associations,
Principals, Teachers,
Fellow Council members
Ladies and Gentlemen, a very good evening!

First of all, a very warm welcome to the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan one hundred and eighty fifth Anniversary and Teachers’ Day Appreciation Gala Dinner.

We are deeply grateful to President Tharman and Ms Jane Ittogi for taking time off their busy schedule to celebrate this momentous occasion with us tonight.

Huay Kuan is deeply rooted in our heritage and at the same time, forward looking and heavily invested in our future. As you can see from the programmes before my speech, the lion dance, the martial arts, the drums and songs, all exude youthful energy and are at the same time deeply rooted in traditional culture and values. The discipline, the teamwork, confidence and respect for others, nurtured from young.

At this juncture, I would like to thank Principals, teachers and staff of our 6 affiliated schools and all the performance groups, for your dedication and hard work. Tomorrow is Teachers’ Day. On behalf of Hokkien Huay Kuan, I wish all of you Happy Teachers Day!

Education is the foundation of our nation. As Singapore marks its 60th year of independence, our 185th anniversary serves not only as a milestone, but also an inspiration for charting our next phase of growth. The story of Hokkien Huay Kuan is not merely one of past achievements, it lives on in the footsteps of each new generation who carries the torch forward. That is why we continue to uphold our rallying call: “Hokkiens, forging ahead together!”

This phrase not only reflects the unity of the Hokkien community, it is also a call to action in building an inclusive and progressive future. For education, for the unique Singapore culture, for the betterment of our nation—let us all, forge ahead as one.

Please allow me to continue in Mandarin.

各位来宾、师长，大家晚上好！

首先，非常感谢大家拨冗出席今天的晚宴，一起欢庆新加坡福建会馆成立185周年。许多社团都由会长亲自出席，大家的支持和浓情厚谊，我们铭记在心。

走过185年的岁月，福建会馆得到了许许多多社团领袖长期的鼎力支持，大家团结一致，共同带动社群发展，在资助教育、传承发扬本地华族文化、支持社会公益，以及维系多元种族社会和谐方面，尽心尽力，展现了持之以恒、坚定不拔的奉献精神！

为欢庆185周年，福建会馆第45届理事会全体同仁积极捐款，加上会馆基金的支持，共筹得185万元，捐给南洋理工大学，为大学体障学生提供更多的帮助和支持，例如购买交通工具，接送行动不便的学生往来课堂，或是为视障、听障学生购买学习辅助器材等等；其中部分捐款将会用于资助华族方言文化，特别是本地福建方言方面的研究。这笔捐款，延续了会馆先贤资助教育的理念，传承了以社会家国为重的美德。

今年也是新加坡欢庆建国60周年，黄循财总理在国庆群众大会演讲中提到：“传统华校教导学生自强不息，以家国为重，这样的精神影响了好几代人。他们默默耕耘，培养了一代又一代的社会栋梁。”

作为华社的一份子，福建会馆在新加坡建国以来积极推动培养本土意识，树立家国情怀，为华族文化自信与认同奠定基础，并与各族同胞一道，共同建设多元种族、多元文化的现代新加坡。

展望未来，福建会馆将延续“福建人，做阵行！”的精神，继续团结社群，在拥抱智能科技的同时，扎根本土文化，为和谐、进步、繁荣的新加坡共同努力！

谢谢。