DPM Gan Kim Yong at the SCCC-SFCCA Spring Reception 2026

Please scroll down for the English translation of the Chinese transcript.

* * * * *

尊敬的蔡其生会长，吴绍均主席，各位来宾，大家新年好。

Let me take this opportunity to also wish our Muslim friends who are with us, including those who performed just now, Selamat Berpuasa, as they start their Ramadan festive season. I wish them all the best in their Ramadan.

在这新春佳节、万象更新的美好时刻，我非常高兴能够和大家一起在这里共聚一堂，共同来欢庆新一年的到来。

新春象征团结、团圆、希望和新的开始。在今天这个瞬息万变、充满挑战的世界里，我们不能有过一年看一年的这个态度，我们必须考虑得更长远—— 我们要思考如何建设我们的社会，我们要为下一代留下怎样的一个国家。

华社的角色｜多元社会中不可或缺的一部分

新加坡华社的发展，从来都是我国这个多元社会中不可或缺的重要部分。

在建国的路程上，华社通过自我动员、加强社区的凝聚力， 代代传承，联系社群、弘扬文化、推动公益，始终与国家发展同步前进。

正因为如此，华社的价值，不仅限于文化保存，更体现在它如何为社会凝聚人心、促进和谐、增强韧性。

一个更受考验的世界｜不只是地缘政治

今天的世界，更加复杂和动荡。地缘政治竞争加剧，全球经济贸易和供应链重组，社会情绪也更容易被身份、立场和情绪所撕裂。

但这些变化，最终考验的并不只是经济的竞争，而是社会的巩固、价值的清晰、和人民的同心。

在这样的背景下，新加坡华社尤其需要坚持：我们文化的认同和根基，必须建立于新加坡的多元社会、共守的原则和共同的未来。

宗乡总会｜联合平台，也是社会纽带

多年以来，宗乡会馆联合总会作为宗乡团体的联合平台，发挥着关键性的领导作用。

它不仅整合资源、联系会馆，更持续协助会员团体提升治理能力、推动社会关怀，确保会务能够稳健的进展。

例如，与新加坡社科大学合作推出会务与领导培训课程，协助各会馆在组织管理、规划和代际传承方面与时并进。

这些努力，让宗乡团体在保持自身特色的同时，也能更好地服务社会。

华族文化中心｜扎根本土，也连接多元

为了配合宗乡总会拓展华族文化与社群发展的使命，新加坡华族文化中心自2017年成立以来，始终坚持一个清晰的定位。

中心所推广的，并不是抽离本土语境的文化，而是以多元社会为基础、从本地环境中孕育出来独特的新加坡华族文化。

通过展览、节庆、活动和讲座，中心凸显不同族群之间的相互带动与共同价值。

例如，中心在2022年委约 Bhaskar’s Arts Academy，以印度婆罗多舞重新演绎《梁山伯与祝英台》。

2023年，中心与马来文化馆和印族文化馆联合策划《好好做人·家里做起》这个巡回展，展现三大族群共享的价值观。

这些努力清楚地告诉我们：文化不应分化我们，而是作为桥梁，连接社会、拉近人心。

这些努力也带来了成果。去年公布的认知调查显示，77%的受访者认为新加坡华族文化有别于其他地区，而深受本地多元社会影响。

这反映了国家社会对本土文化认同的提升，也肯定我们走的方向是正确的。

融合与新公民｜共同的归属

展望未来，华族文化中心将承担更重要的角色，致力协助促进本地居民与新移民的融合。

例如，与新加坡华乐团联合呈献的音乐会，通过艺术展现新移民成为新加坡公民的身份转变。

中心与宗乡总会合办的《爱国歌曲大家唱》，也持续加强新公民对国家的归属感和自豪感。

走向世界｜从根基出发

近年，华族文化中心也展开国际合作，与法国、马来西亚、泰国等国家的文化机构共同策划展览。

这些对外交流，并不是向外寻求认同，而是向世界介绍一个多元、开放、坚持原则的新加坡文化。

我们能够从容地与世界对话，这是因为我们清楚我们的根扎在哪里。

青年与接棒｜价值的延续

要让这些精神能够持续下去，年轻的新一代，可以说是任重道远。

通过“华社领袖班”等跨机构合作项目，华社正在培育一批既认同自身文化、也认同国家使命的新一代领袖。

他们必须把文化认同，转化为公共责任，并且贡献于社会。

文化自信、社会韧性与未来

在这个更加分化、更加不确定的世界里，华社关注的不仅仅是文化活动或者是会馆发展，而是我们要塑造怎样的一个社会，要把怎样的价值观，传承给下一代。

真正的文化自信，从来都不是向内看，而是清楚知道自己的根在哪里，而且能够有自信的在多元共生中迈进向前。

未来的世界，只会更复杂，不会更简单。新加坡的优势，也从来不是靠规模大、声量响，而是社会的稳固、价值的清晰，以及彼此之间的信任。

只要我们把根扎得深，我们就能在变化中站得稳；只要我们能够守住共同的价值，我们就能够在风浪中走得远。

让我们继续携手前进，以文化凝聚人心，以价值稳住社会，在这多元共生中，共同建设一个更团结、更有自信、更有韧性的新加坡。

谢谢大家，也恭祝大家马年健康幸福。谢谢。

* * * * *

Mr Thomas Chua, President of SFCCA
Mr Ng Siew Quan, Chairman of SCCC
Distinguished Guests

A very happy Lunar New Year to all of you.

Let me take this opportunity to also wish our Muslim friends who are with us， including those who performed just now, Selamat Berpuasa, as they start their Ramadan festive season. I wish them all the best in their Ramadan.

It is a pleasure to join you at this Spring Reception as we welcome the new year together.

Chinese New Year symbolises reunion, hope and new beginnings. In a world that is changing faster and becoming more complex, we must think longer term — about the kind of society we are building, and the kind of country we want to pass on to the next generation.

The development of Singapore’s Chinese community has always been an integral part of our multicultural society.

Across different stages of our national journey, the Chinese community has organised itself, strengthened community bonds, ensured intergenerational continuity, and contributed through cultural and charitable efforts — growing in step with Singapore’s development.

This is why the value of the Chinese community goes beyond cultural preservation — it lies in how it brings people together, strengthens social cohesion, and contributes to resilience.

Today’s world is becoming more complex and contested. Geopolitical competition is intensifying, global trade and supply chains are being reshaped, and societies are more easily polarised by identity and ideology.

Yet at the deepest level, these changes are not only about economic competition, but about whether societies remain cohesive, values remain clear, and people remain united.

In this context, it is especially important for the Chinese community to be clear: our cultural identity must remain firmly anchored in Singapore’s multicultural society, shared principles, and common future.

For many years, the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations has played a vital, leading role as a unifying platform for clan associations.

Beyond pooling resources and connecting associations, it has supported its members in strengthening governance, catalysing social care, and ensuring sustainable development.

For example, its collaboration with the Singapore University of Social Sciences has introduced training programmes to help clan associations keep pace with developments in organisational management, planning and succession.

These efforts allow clan associations to preserve their distinct identities, while contributing more effectively to the wider society.

To complement this mission, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre has maintained a clear focus since its establishment in 2017.

What it promotes is not a detached or imported culture, but a unique Singapore Chinese culture shaped by and rooted in our multicultural context.

Through exhibitions, festivals, programmes and talks, SCCC highlights the influences and shared values across Singapore’s different communities.

For example, in 2022, SCCC commissioned Bhaskar’s Arts Academy to reinterpret the Chinese classic Butterfly Lovers through Bharatanatyam dance.

In 2023, SCCC collaborated with the Malay Heritage Centre and the Indian Heritage Centre on ‘The Good Hood: Where Values Come Home’, highlighting shared values across communities.

These efforts send a clear message: culture should not divide us, but serve as a bridge that brings society together.

These efforts have also borne fruit. A public perception survey released last year showed that 77% of respondents recognise Singapore Chinese culture as distinct from other Chinese cultures, shaped by our multicultural society.

This reflects growing confidence in our local cultural identity and shows that we are moving in the right direction.

Looking ahead, SCCC will take on a larger role in facilitating integration between locals and new citizens.

For example, concert collaborations with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra will portray the immigrant journey and celebrate new citizens’ contributions.

The National Day Sing-Along, organised with SFCCA, continues to strengthen a sense of belonging and national pride among new citizens.

In recent years, the SCCC has also embarked on international collaborations with cultural partners from France, Malaysia and Thailand.

These engagements are not about seeking validation, but about presenting to the world a Singapore that is diverse, open and principled.

It is precisely because we know where we are rooted that we can engage the world with confidence.

To sustain these values, the next generation is crucial.

Through initiatives such as the Chinese Community Leadership Programme, we can nurture a new generation of leaders — confident in their heritage and committed to the nation.

They will need to translate cultural identity into civic responsibility and social contribution.

In a world that is increasingly divided and uncertain, the Chinese community’s focus goes beyond just programmes or institutions.

Instead, it is about the kind of society we want to build, and the values we choose to pass on to the next generation.

True cultural confidence is never about turning inward — it comes from knowing clearly where we are rooted, and being able to move forward confidently in diversity.

The world ahead will not become simpler. But Singapore’s strength has never been size or volume — it lies in social cohesion, clarity of values, and trust among our people.

So long as our roots run deep, we will stand firm amid change; so long as we hold fast to our shared values, we will be able to go far, even in rough seas.

Let us continue this journey together — using culture to bring people together, values to anchor our society, and multiculturalism to build a Singapore that is more united, confident, and resilient.

I wish everyone a healthy and blissful Year of the Horse. Thank you.