PM Lawrence Wong at the Humanity Matters Relief Packing Exercise for Gaza and Buka Puasa

Representatives of Humanity Matters and Sree Narayana Mission
Members of the Presidential Councils on Religious Harmony and Minority Rights
My Cabinet and Parliamentary colleagues
Ladies and gentlemen

Good evening, and I am very happy to join all of you on this first day of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a time of devotion and reflection. It is a time when we are encouraged to help the less fortunate.

And so, it is very appropriate that this evening we are gathered here at Sree Narayana Mission, a place dedicated to serve the vulnerable, with Singaporeans of all races and religions. We come together, not just to break fast as one community, but also to share our care and solidarity with those suffering in Gaza. And I am glad to see so many volunteers just now doing their part with the relief efforts. Let us give all of them a big round of applause. Thank you everyone!

Gaza may be far away, but we cannot turn a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding there. The suffering of civilians speaks to our shared humanity.

And Singapore will do whatever we can to help. We will continue to work with our partners in the Middle East to support the pressing needs of Gaza.

As a nation, we have contributed over S$19 million to Gaza. The RSAF recently sent our seventh tranche of assistance to Jordan for delivery to Gaza.

But besides providing humanitarian relief, Singapore will also fully back international efforts for a homeland and a state for the Palestinian people, as part of a negotiated two-state solution.

We will continue to support the Palestinian Authority’s capacity-building efforts.

And support the Palestinians in eventually governing their own state.

But ground-up initiatives like these also make a difference.

Many Singaporeans donate generously. Many volunteer their time and effort to relief efforts like these, like what you are doing here at Humanity Matters. These contributions matter a lot. They may seem small compared to Gaza’s massive needs, but every action counts.

In this month of Ramadan, there will be more platforms to support Gaza. For example we launched the M³ Bazaar for Gaza booth at Geylang Serai yesterday. It is part of the M³ Aid for Gaza campaign, to support the RLAF’s ongoing fundraising efforts.

I am grateful that Singaporeans are stepping up, stepping forward, to contribute generously in their own ways. We may be a little red dot, but we show through our actions that we have big hearts, and we are a generous people.

It is hard to say how the situation in Gaza will unfold in the coming days, weeks or months. Sadly, the ongoing conflict there – and in many other places in the world – reflects the state of the world we are in. The superpowers are locked in an intense contest. Global institutions and norms are eroding, and the world is unfortunately starting to resemble a lawless jungle where might is right. And day by day, you can see signs of growing danger and turbulence all around us.

So, we are entering uncharted waters, but we will be able to navigate them successfully. So long as we stay strong and united as one people. So this evening, as we extend our hearts to those in need overseas, let us treasure and uphold all that we have here at home in Singapore. We may have our differences, we are a diverse society, but we will always be one people, living in peace and harmony together, regardless of race, language or religion.

Just as we are doing today for buka puasa, let us always treat one another with kindness and respect.

For this spirit of solidarity is what makes Singapore special. And it is what will enable us to overcome all challenges, and build a better future together.

Thank you once again. And to all our Muslim friends, selamat menyambut bulan Ramadan dan selamat berpuasa.

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