Progress must go hand in hand with identity and community: PM Wong

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s goal is not merely to help each person go further or faster, but to ensure that progress remains rooted in one’s identity and connected to the community, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

He was speaking at the Tamils Representative Council’s (TRC) 75th anniversary celebration at The Ritz-Carlton on Sept 19.

Citing the Tamil saying thani maram thoppaagaathu, meaning “a single tree does not make a grove”, PM Wong said Singapore is stronger when its people grow together, stay connected and give back to the communities that supported them.

“When we understand our heritage, know the values we stand for and have a clear sense of who we are, we have greater confidence to engage the world around us,” he said.

The council, which was founded in 1951 to bring Singapore’s Tamil organisations under one umbrella, is a non-profit organisation that works to uplift the educational and economic status of Tamils in Singapore. It now represents 42 affiliated organisations and more than 30,000 people.

PM Wong commended the efforts of TRC and its youth wing for helping new generations of Tamil Singaporeans understand their heritage, stay connected to their community, and take pride in both their Tamil and Singaporean identities.

PM Wong pointed out that an important part of TRC’s work is its emphasis on education as a pathway to opportunity and a means of uplifting families and strengthening the community.

The council will expand the G. Kandasamy Education Trust Fund to support students pursuing higher education. Launched in 2000 to help lower-income Tamil primary school pupils, the fund provides bursaries of up to $500 to qualifying individuals and has given more than $700,000 to over 5,000 pupils since its inception.

For the expansion, TRC has signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with the Singapore Indian Education Trust and raised $500,000. Lower-income students from the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities will be eligible for bursaries of up to $500 each. 

PM Wong said TRC also hopes to support young people through career planning, internships and leadership development, reflecting Singapore’s broader approach of giving them strong foundations, agency and confidence. “TRC’s goal is very much aligned with our national objectives to give every Singaporean a chance to realize their potential and to build a better future for themselves and their families,” he said.

Beyond helping individuals fulfil their potential, the Government would continue supporting community organisations in forging stronger partnerships, PM Wong said.

One such effort is the Indian Engagement and Development Initiative (INEI), announced in March to bring the Indian community and religious organisations together and better coordinate their work. It is co-chaired by Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.

PM Wong said INEI was taking a leaf from TRC’s book, which showed that different organisations could retain their identities and strengths while working together to achieve more.

“I hope that the TRC will play an active role in INEI and help shape the next chapter of our Singaporean Indian community,” he said.

TRC president V. Pandiyan also thanked PM Wong and other government leaders for speaking out against recent racist comments targeting Indians.

The comments followed reports that nine Singaporeans were missing in the Nepal floods. Some said that the missing Singaporeans were “not our own” and used a derogatory term for Indians. 

Temasek chief executive Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara was also targeted over reports that Air India was seeking funding from shareholders including Singapore Airlines. Commenters alleged that he favoured the airline because of his ethnicity. Police have identified and interviewed five people over the comments. 

Pandiyan said that the community was grateful that PM Wong and other government leaders had spoken out “firmly, publicly and directly” against racism.

He added: “Racism against one community wounds every community. When we stand together, Singapore stands stronger.”