Building Our Vision of a City Of Good Together

Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister For Law, at the City Of Good Summit 2025 on 27 March 2025

Mr Seah Chin Siong, Chairman, NVPC

Mr Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. A very good morning to all of you. I echo what Chin Siong said earlier, such a pleasure to see so familiar faces and meet new ones as well.
2. Last year, when we gathered for the inaugural City of Good Summit organised by NVPC,
1. We set out to create a platform for individuals who believe in the power of giving to come together.
2. We wanted to have them come together, to connect, collaborate as well as to inspire each other with stories and efforts.
3. We did so to realise our vision of Singapore as a City of Good,
1. Where each of us – a group of individuals, leaders, organisations, corporates – come together to give our best for others.
2. Where every act of generosity we believe will create an impact – a ripple effect that strengthen our society bit by bit.
4. Earlier on, we heard the analogy of a single thread. But if you put that thread together into a strong interwoven tapestry, that represents the fabric of our nation, each thread reinforcing the other, each thread different from the other, are woven together to make one beautiful tapestry.
5. I think this is what I would best describe the efforts of City of Good.
6. This year also marks Singapore’s 60th year of independence.
1. We celebrate the occasion, but it is also a period that we can use to reflect and introspect.
2. And to look at how the last 60 years and can take us forward to the next 100 years and beyond.
7. We are commemorating SG60 in a period of significant geo-political uncertainty – there is division, there is conflict, and I think if you look at the news, you would see much of it is about conflict, wars, climate disasters.
1. So, it is an opportunity for us as we commemorate SG60 to think about what we want for our Singapore in the future.
8. What kind of Singapore do we want to build, and how do we do it collectively?
1. We believe that true progress cannot just be measured in economic terms or technological advancements.
2. It is in the strength of our social fabric, our own individual resilience, our own collaborative partnerships that makes Singapore special,
3. and create an inclusive society where no one is left behind.
9. And to make sure we don’t just say that we want to build a society where no one can be left behind, what if we define ourselves, not by how successful we are, but we define ourselves by how much the last person in our society has progressed?
10. If we take on that lens for SG60, we look at that for the City of Good and as our objectives, I think we can go far.
11. We often define ourselves with success, or by success. But we can look at it the other way round, and define ourselves as how much we can give to each other.
12. As we move forward, we should continue to look out for our fellow citizens’ needs,
1. Establishing strong social networks, financial security for example for our elderly,
2. Providing every child, regardless of background, the opportunity to start at the same starting point.
3. So that the person’s opportunity to succeed will not be marginalised or diminished because of his or her stage in life.
13. To achieve this, the Government will continue to ensure that policies remain in place, and are strong and robust that help the bottom to uplift themselves.
14. We will ensure resources are properly channelled to uplift those who need support. But at the same time, we also need an entire ecosystem to sustain and amplify these efforts,
1. one where individuals, community partners, and corporates work hand in hand.
15. More importantly, when we act together, we move together, we build more than just a compassionate society,
1. we do so together in a united and resilient way.

Importance of Active Citizenry and Non-Profits

16. Today, if you just look around in our presence, we see a record attendance this morning. But we also see many more ground-up take root.
1. Everyday people coming together in extraordinary circumstances,
2. To address needs on the ground, plugging gaps that they see,
3. and improving the lives of those around them.
17. For example, BAGUS which stands for Building All Ground-ups for Success.
1. This initiative was launched last year and it has been supporting passionate individuals and groups that do just that – they look out for those in the community and work out how they can make a tangible difference to the people around them./li>
18. 32 Pages is one example.
1. I met 32 Pages and their founders last year at the launch of BAGUS Together.
2. 32 Pages seeks to bolster a child’s motivation to learn, and I think that is really important. Sometimes we overlook the fact that in their early years, these are the most important formative and foundational years of a child’s development.
3. 32 Pages seek to bolster a child’s motivation to want to learn, to enhance and capitalise their capacity to learn,
4. Build resilience, and cultivate socio-emotional well-being in our children.
5. In 2024, their ‘Little Readers, Big Thinkers’ programme took place over 30 weeks and impacted 30 families,
6. And children that have experienced the programme now show improved attention span and deeper interest in learning.
19. Beyond serving immediate needs, such non-profits can also shift mindsets and drive long-term social change, bit by bit on the ground in a far more sustainable way.
20. BapaHebat SG for example, supports fathers-in-need and incarcerated fathers on their fathering journey to help families break away from the poverty cycle.
1. Their Fathering Skill Building programmes and Equipping Workshops empower these fathers to take active roles in their children's lives, strengthening family bonds and improving their own parenting skills.
2. This developmental approach not only helps break stereotypes about marginalised fathers,
3. but also creates a positive cycle where children benefit from engaged father figures in their own lives, ultimately contributing to the family's journey out of poverty.
21. The Government will continue to empower our non-profits to ensure they have the resources and support they require, to continue to make an impact to the people around them and catalyse inspiration in the communities that they serve.

Corporates as a Force for Good

22. At the same time, corporates also have the power - and I think in some ways we have not tapped into this sufficiently – to shape communities and the wider society.
23. In fact, corporates have the potential to lead sector-wide social impact, such as by guiding others to develop new skills.
1. This is what the Company of Good Queen Bee initiative aims to kick start.
24. The latest collaboration under the Queen Bee initiative is ‘Scale with Purpose’.
1. This was co-created with Hewlett-Packard (HP) Singapore, to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with better sustainability practices through one-to-one mentorship.
2. Over a five-month period, HP Singapore dedicated more than 170 hours to curate the programme.
3. A total of 15 HP Singapore staff were directly involved in the programme, ranging from engineers to directors,
4. mentoring SMEs and conducting sessions to share expertise on sustainable manufacturing.
25. This has benefitted businesses like Matex International,
1. as the mentorship enhanced Matex’s strategic planning,
2. and enabled Matex to establish clear, actionable targets to reduce emissions and improve sustainability.
26. Larger corporates with deeper experience sharing their know-how, walking the journey together with SMEs, showing them the ropes, and eventually allowing them to journey on their own.
27. More broadly, corporates are in a good position to nurture a wider spirit of contribution in society.
1. The SGSHARE programme, under the Community Chest, encourages greater giving in celebration of SG60. Such greater giving, even with the modest amounts, will significantly support various social service programmes.
2. I encourage corporates among us to adopt the SGSHARE auto- inclusion scheme, for your employees to start making small monthly donations to communities in need,
3. And eventually over time become the changemakers that we need in Singapore.
28. Sometimes, it may be easier to give financial or fiscal resources. It is often time much harder to give time and talent.
1. So, I encourage you think about it holistically. I encourage you to think about what more you can do, to give more than just financial resources, to make a personal investment in different causes because that really moves the needle.
2. When the community that you serve see that you are not just giving financial resources but you are there side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder with the next volunteer on the ground making an impact, I feel that this goes a long way.
3. It changes mindset, it shifts behaviour, and allows people to think that we can truly build an inclusive society where no one gets left behind.

Conclusion

29. Ultimately, we are all here today I believe, and I am firmly convicted because we share a common goal.
1. We want in our own way - in our small but tangible way - to build a Singapore that is not only successful but also compassionate.
30. As I said, think about what has made us successful in the past 60 years, and think about how to go to the next 100 years and beyond. If there is one thing we have learned over the past 60 years, I believe it is this:
1. That Singaporeans are big-hearted, when push comes to shove, we will deliver.
2. And it is when Singaporeans come together with a shared sense of purpose, collectively we can really achieve remarkable things.
31. I encourage all of us, if you haven’t started, today is the best time. Let us continue on this journey together,
1. To build Singapore into this City of Good, made up of all of us individuals here and out of this room, community partners as well as corporates.
2. So that Singapore remains not just as that tiny red dot that is known to be efficient and prosperous with first grade infrastructure, but also known as people with heart - caring for one another, and making sure we are an inclusive and a compassionate society.
3. As we approach SG60 with this spirit of wanting to leave Singapore in a better place that was left for us by our forefathers, then I think we can really look forward to SG 100 and well beyond the next 100 years.
32. I want to encourage you that today is not just a session on learning and listening to presentations, but it is also an important occasion to build networks, make new friends and find opportunities to come together. Collectively, we can all be stronger than the sum of our parts.
33. Thank you very much.