16 LUMEN | EVENTS
Even though Seetoh plans to retire in five years ’ time , he will continue promoting street food culture to Singaporeans through a campaign and programme . “ There is a lot of interest in it , ( from multi-agencies and multi-companies ) and I am going to join all the dots and say look , let ’ s do this and then we will seek the future of street food culture , exciting . We will breed the next batch of street food heroes , and put it on the table for everybody to see .”
President Tony Tan Keng Yam – in his closing remarks at the 2nd Fullerton-SJI Leadership Lecture Series touched on the concept of Social Reserves , the intangible bonds that will help the nation ride through difficult times .
An old boy of St Patrick ’ s School and then SJI , the President remarked he had benefitted from the Lasallian education , and remained grateful till this day to his teachers and the LaSalle Brothers who taught him and his peers to realise their potential , lead useful lives and contribute to society . “ By example , they showed us what it really meant to be people of integrity and people for others . At St Patrick ’ s and SJI , in addition to learning life skills and academic knowledge , we experienced the meaning of service to the community , the importance of respecting differences of views ,
and the value of diversity .”
“ SJI was founded more than 160 years ago on the vision of the Reverend Father Jean Marie Beurel to serve everyone in our multiracial , multi-religious society . I am glad that SJI to this day still adheres to Father Beurel ’ s vision although SJI has gone through many changes to adapt to an evolving educational landscape and to meet the needs of newer generations of students . In the Lasallian tradition , SJI continues to embrace all members of our community regardless of race , language , creed or religion . SJI students are taught to see themselves as part of a larger community , and to serve all segments of our society . These Lasallian values are timeless and remain as relevant today as in Father Beurel ’ s time .”
As a small nation that built its economy without any natural resources within 48 years , and became first world from third world country in one generation , the President highlighted the importance of maintaining the nation ’ s Financial Reserves , as well as the importance of building up her Social Reserves . “ Economic growth and financial stability remain fundamental to Singapore ’ s progress and prosperity . But they are not everything . For Singapore to continue developing and to thrive as a nation , we need something more – what I would like to call “ Social Reserves ”... Our Financial Reserves are like the piggy bank of a family and Social Reserves are the bonds that unite the family . The Social Reserves of a nation are the intangible ties that bind us to one another , the goodwill that makes us look out for one another even during difficult times ; they are the resilience to overcome
Like SJI , which embraces students from any race or creed , inclusiveness is a cornerstone of our society .
President Tony Tan Keng Yam challenges and constraints , and they give us tenacity to progress as individuals and as a nation .”
Dr Tan emphasized that every Singaporean must be involved in growing the nation ’ s Social Reserves , which cannot be left in the care of others . “ Our cultural diversity and vibrancy is our strength and we all must play our part in maintaining the mutual respect for the different languages , traditions and religions in our midst . Singapore has welcomed people from all over the world as a trading port since the 14th Century . Like SJI , which embraces students from any race or creed , inclusiveness is a cornerstone of our society . Singapore is and must remain as an open economy to continue to generate opportunities for all . As citizens in a multi-cultural and global city , every Singaporean has a part to play in enhancing the understanding of and respect for the different cultures among us .”
Another way that Singaporeans can contribute towards our Social Reserves is to care for the people around us . As President Tan had the privilege to meet people from many walks of life , and is encouraged by many Singaporeans who serve the communities around them . “ I am happy that SJI continues to emphasize community service to build up our boys to become ‘ Men for Others ’... For Singapore to develop further , we need to build up our Social Reserves , which contribute to social stability and resilience . Everyone has a part to play in building up our Social Reserves . Both Financial Reserves and Social Reserves will reinforce each other to continue creating opportunities for Singaporeans to build a better future for ourselves .”
This page ( top ): The President and his wife interacting with the Senior School students