SPEECH BY DR AMY KHOR， SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND MANPOWER， AT THE YAH! GRADUATION CEREMONY， 29 DECEMBER 2013

Mr Paul Beh, Chairman of Montfort Care,

Distinguished Guests,

YAH! Graduates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very happy to be here this morning to celebrate with you the graduation of 123 seniors from YAH! My heartiest congratulations to all of you! You are indeed role models of lifelong learning for all of us.

2          Singapore’s population is ageing.  You have heard it said many times by now.  There are many challenges with an ageing population, but the good news is that an older population need not mean that our society will be less dynamic or vibrant than what it is today. The key to vibrancy lies in enabling our seniors to age actively and healthily. The government is making strenuous efforts in this area – from promoting active ageing programmes in various communities in Singapore, to working with community leaders to make our built environment more senior friendly, to promoting health screening and health management. We hope to create a city for all ages, one where our seniors can also enjoy life to its fullest and age gracefully in place.

3          To build a city for all ages is a whole of nation effort. I am very encouraged and heartened by the efforts of community organizations like YAH! in driving a ground up movement to promote active ageing and a positive mindset towards ageing and our seniors.

4          YAH! has gone beyond providing courses to seniors, to catalysing volunteerism and community work among its graduands. It has also embarked on promoting a positive societal mindset towards ageing through campaigns such as “I Love Seniors”. We need more community voluntary organizations like YAH! so that active ageing can take root and become the norm among seniors in Singapore.

5          Ultimately, however, the texture of our society is defined by the population itself. Individuals like our YAH! graduates today can make a difference simply by embracing active ageing as a way of life.

6.         As graduates, you can be role models of continual learning to other seniors, and even to the young as well. Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young”. Take Ms Iris Eng as an example. Joining YAH! was a big decision for Iris because she is English educated and Mandarin is not a language that she was confident with. But she gave it a shot. Iris is here with us today as one of our graduates. She shared with us that the programme expanded her social network and provided a fresher outlook towards ageing. For the very first time in her life, she gave a presentation in front of an audience in Chinese - a language that she was not used to speaking. Bravo, Iris!

7.         You can also make a difference by being ambassadors of active ageing. You can reach out to other seniors and encourage them to also adopt a positive attitude towards their golden years, to get out, to be active and to keep on learning.  

8.         Finally, you can make a difference through active community involvement in various areas. Through your contributions – be it to promote anti-gambling or to reach out to seniors in nursing homes or to promote filial piety – you serve as living proof that seniors are active contributors to society and are our precious assets.

9          To all our graduating students, I hope that you can continue to learn and stay active, even after today. My heartiest congratulations once again on reaching another milestone in your long life! I wish you the best of health and happiness.  May today be the start of many more exciting and fruitful adventures for you!   

10    现在让我以华语和同学们说几句话。

11    很多人都把人口老龄化形容成是个“银色海啸”。有一些人也把老年和疾病或残障挂钩。我们常听一些年长者自称，“我老了，不中用了。”

12    其实这种观念是错的。每个人都会老，这并不是什么灾难。最重要是生活过得快乐，活得健康，过得充实。如果每天唉声叹气，不再学习，不再成长，那年轻人也会未老先衰。相反的，只要活到老，学到老，不断贡献社会，充实自己，那年龄也只不过是一个数字罢了。

13    我们的挑战，是如何在人口老龄化的当前，塑造一个温馨、有活力、亲乐龄的社会，让每个新加坡人都能快乐和有尊严地原地养老。

14    这是一个全民的爱心工程。最重要的一环并不是硬件设施，而是人们对老年和年长者是否有很正面的态度。

15    要改变社会对年长者负面的观念，没有什么比年长者的身体力行来得有震撼力。如果我们的乐龄人士都很积极地面对生活，对社会付出贡献，那我们就可以教育国民，乐龄人士也是社会和国家的宝贵资产。

16    快乐学堂的同学们就做到了这点。拿袁滫芳女士做个例子。她毕业后，还积极地加入快乐学堂的快乐俱乐部，为独居老人伸出援手，并举办不同的活动，把快乐带给别人。她也参与快乐学堂“我爱乐龄”的社会教育活动，和理工学院的同学一起到裕廊坊（Jurong Point） 鼓励民众停下脚步，为所爱的年长者，写出他们心里感激的话。而白惠娟女士在2009年毕业后，积极地参与社区义工活动。她当反赌博大使，热心地传递不要滥赌的讯息。她的孩子已经被母亲影响，也积极参与义工服务。

17    我为这些同学们鼓掌！你们是我们的好榜样。我希望同学们可以坚持，不断地把积极和正面的人生观传达给更多的年长者，帮助他们积极地度过晚年，从而也让社会对年长者改观。

18    我相信，快乐学堂的同学们，可以成为社会一股正面的动力，帮助我们打造一个更美好，更亲乐龄的社会。让我们一起加油，努力吧！

19    谢谢大家。