SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH AT THE OPENING OF FEI YUE AAC (FAJAR)

1.       Good morning. Selamat pagi. Vanakkam. 大家早上好. Thank you Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Adviser for Bukit Panjang SMC, and the Fei Yue team.

2.       I am happy to join you in celebrating a milestone in Bukit Panjang’s history. I am very excited for this because I also want to attest to the hard work that Mr Liang had put in. There is a Chinese saying, 台上一分钟， 台下十年功 . There are a lot of things behind the scenes and work that had to be done to bring this to fruition. It is such a wonderful outcome. You have a good partner that you are working with and a wonderful space. I understand it is at an ideal location near the Pang Sua Pond, the Marina Bay of Bukit Panjang. You are all very fortunate. I think it is important, and this is really part of ongoing efforts that the Ministry of Health is doing to make sure there are provisions for the ageing population.

3.       By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 or above. We value our seniors and want to make sure they age well. There are a lot of things to put in place to ensure that there is a match between healthy life expectancy and healthy age. We want to age well and continue to be engaged in the community. Therefore, spaces like this are important. This is one of the many places that we are opening up, the Active Ageing Centres (AAC), to ensure there are platforms, opportunities and programming for people to come together and age well. I hope this is a gift to the residents of Bukit Panjang. It is now upon you to use the space well. I am glad to know that the AACs are well-utilised. The challenge is to make sure it is meaningful and inclusive, which brings many people together with meaningful programmes that will ensure our seniors live their golden years in good health.

4.       I see there are grassroots leaders and participants of different age groups here. I am happy to see that. I think these are the ingredients, you have all that it takes to make a good community that is supportive. I hope that you can build wonderful memories in this space. My best wishes to all of you. Stay healthy and well. Thank you.