SM Lee Hsien Loong at the Automobile Association of Singapore SG60 Charity Fundraising Dinner

Mr Bernard Tay, President of the Automobile Association of Singapore;
Mr Carmelo Sanz de Barros, President of the FIA Senate (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile);
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen
Very good evening to everybody
I am delighted to join everyone at tonight’s dinner to celebrate our SG60 milestone together.

Acknowledge the AAS and the FIA’s work

I would like to first thank Mr Bernard Tay and the AAS for organising tonight’s dinner to mark the special occasion of our nation’s 60th birthday.

You may not know this, but the AAS has a rich and long history that goes back more than a century. Established in 1907, it has sought to advance the interests and the well-being of motorists and other road users in Singapore. Today, it is the leading provider of roadside assistance services here. It also provides other motoring-related services, like issuing International Driving Permits to motorists who are in Singapore and have come from abroad, or Singaporeans who intend to travel overseas. The services and value that the AAS provides, supports our community at large, and makes motoring smoother, safer, and pleasanter for all road users.

The AAS is a fine example of the ground-up initiatives that we encourage in Singapore. A group of people with a passionate interest in a subject organised themselves, persevered, and made a sustained contribution to society over many years. They filled a niche that is not so easy or natural for the Government to step into. And in so doing, they encouraged a whole-of-society approach towards tackling all kinds of issues that we face. The activists rolled their sleeves up to get things done, instead of just providing feedback, and asking the government to do more. They took a “We-First” instead of “Me-First” approach. And this is a positive and valuable ethos which strengthens our community and nation, and which we hope to foster and reinforce in Singapore.

The AAS works very hard as you heard the President tell you, on road safety. And today, Singapore’s roads are generally safe, but we can still do much better. Last year saw more traffic accidents compared to the year before that. The number of fatal accidents and road deaths went up too, as did the number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries. Speeding violations also increased significantly.

Each traffic accident is one too many; every life lost on our roads is a tragedy. Nearly half (46%) of the fatal accidents involved speeding, red-light running or drink driving. These accidents could have been avoided and should not have happened.

The Traffic Police is doing its part − turning on the speed enforcement function on more red-light cameras across the island, and raising the penalties for speeding – both fines and demerit points.

But a big part of road safety is for all road users to adopt good road safety habits, and to be considerate to other road users. Inculcating these desirable social norms goes beyond laws and penalties. It is a task which the AAS is well suited for.

I am very pleased that the AAS has partnered government agencies like Ministry of Education, the Land Transport Authority and the Traffic Police, as well as the Singapore Road Safety Council, to develop the School Road Safety Playbook, which we will be launching tonight. Children are an especially vulnerable group of road users. This practical guide builds on existing campaigns and initiatives, to instil in children safe and responsible road user behaviour. It is another tool in our toolkit to reinforce our road safety messages. It should go some way in teaching our children how to use our roads more safely, and to be safe and courteous road users as adults later on.

I would like to thank the AAS for its leadership and generosity in developing this playbook. I also thank the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for chipping in as well, with a €15,000 grant. The FIA does good work worldwide, to support programmes and initiatives that improve road safety, and make mobility solutions more sustainable. This certainly is one of those initiatives – the AAS has put your money to good use!

Beyond safety, I hope that everyone – motorists and pedestrians alike – will be more gracious toward one another on the roads, and indeed in our daily lives too. Together, we can build a safer, more inclusive and caring Singapore.

Acknowledge the Six Beneficiary Organisations

The AAS’ efforts exemplify the Singapore spirit of doing well, doing good, and doing it together. Tonight’s charity dinner is another AAS project making a contribution to society.

The dinner will raise funds for six beneficiary organisations – ACES Care HelpLife, Allkin Family Service Centre, APSN, the Association of People for Special Needs, Autism Resource Centre, Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC), and Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities.

Many of you would be familiar with these organisations. Each of them does good work on the ground, in its own way. They provide much-needed help to segments of society who will benefit from extra support − the elderly, families-at-risk, the disabled, or those with special needs. They raise awareness and mobilise the community on salient issues such as road safety, ageing in-place with dignity, and early intervention for those with special needs. Like the AAS, they live and practise the “We-First” instead of “Me-First” ethos.

I therefore express my thanks also to the beneficiary organisations, for your selflessness and community work all these years. To all of you who have donated so generously to this charity dinner, and to the AAS and its partners once again, for helping to build a better Singapore for all of us.

Happy SG60 birthday to all of you.

Thank you very much.

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