Mr.Hussaini Abdullah, President of PERTAPIS

Members of the Committee and Staff of PERTAPIS

Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen

I am happy to join you today at the launch of PERTAPIS’ 50th Anniversary Book, titled “Nurturing Aspirations in Volatile Times”. 

The COVID-19 situation has delayed the book launch from last year. I am glad that we can celebrate this significantmilestone for PERTAPIS today. Congratulations on reaching 50 years of service and contribution to Singapore. This book is a testimonial of your dedication to the welfare of Singaporeans of all ages over the past five decades. Beyond running welfare homes which offer care and protection for disadvantaged children, women, and senior citizens. PERTAPIS has also expanded its outreach to provide treatment and rehabilitative services to substance abusers.

More than a safe shelter for those in need, I am heartened to see PERTAPIS provide the crucial support to journey with them, giving them much needed social and emotional support for the long haul. With the support of the President’s Challenge Empowering for Life Fund, the PERTAPIS Halfway House is also empowering its residents by helping them to pursue driving licenses as an employment skill set. Many of the residents have since been employed or are taking more specialised lorry driving licenses. These are notable achievements in helping individuals break through and go further in life.

PERTAPIS is also providing more upstream and continued support for the community, to help families thrive.  This includes the PERTAPIS Care and Counselling Unit, which provides family mediation and therapy, and various other counselling services. In this trying COVID-19 situation, the PERTAPIS Welfare Trust Fund provided crucial assistance for lower-income families, with food rations and other support.

Your work is especially crucial now as Singapore tries to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19. The community needs continued support to ride out this difficult period. As we look ahead to emerge stronger from this pandemic, PERTAPIS’ story of determination and unwavering commitment to uplift those in need is aninspiration for all of us. 

This story of determination is also often found in the stories of PERTAPIS’ beneficiaries. For example, W, who is a teenager now, was successfully reintegrated with her family two years ago, after journeying through various counselling and various programmes in PERTAPIS Children’s Home. W made the transition back to her mother with the support of her case workers, having grown to be a confident young lady in the process. Now, W is giving back by volunteering, and even received a volunteer appreciation award from a social service agency that used to help her. W is an inspiration for us. 

I am happy to note that PERTAPIS has a talent management process. It has given youngsters from different fields, including law, academia, engineering and aviation, an opportunity to contribute by being part of the PERTAPIS board. I understand that this book launch was spearheaded by one of them. Ihope they would gradually take on more senior positions over time and give back to the community. 

Leadership and good governance are critical factors in ensuring the relevance, vibrancy and sustainability of any organisation. Fresh injections of talent are needed for organisations to keep the flow of new ideas, develop new core competencies and remain connected to all segments of society that you serve. Nurturing new leaders in any organisation cannot be left to chance but will have to be done systematically with the support of experienced mentors and a nurturing environment.

The work of PERTAPIS will not be possible without the committed volunteers, partner organisations and generous donors, many of whom are here today. Thank you for contributing your time and effort,and for embodying the spirit of SG Cares. During this trying period, we need the community - be it individuals, corporates or community organisations - to step forward and extend a helping hand where possible. We can all do our part.  

We’ve seen in many parts of the world how the pandemic has widened inequalities as many people lost their jobs and homes. In Singapore, the government moved swiftly to introduce relief measures, including using our past reserves, to support jobs and livelihoods which have helped many Singaporeans. However, there will always be underserved communities who will need our support, and this is the best time for us to show our solidarity as Singaporeans through generous donations or volunteering ourselves.

The title of the book, “Nurturing Aspirations in Volatile Times’, is indeed most apt in describing the challenges that we face today. The pace of change has greatly accelerated due to technology, globalization and climate change, that unless we change and adapt fast enough, we will be left behind. This applies not just to countries but also to organisations and individuals. We must accelerate our learning curve and acquire knowledge, skills and competencies to build greater resilience and sustainability to meet future needs. 

In closing, I hope the current and future PERTAPIS’ teams find inspiration in the PERTAPIS story so far and continue overcoming challenges courageously. I am confident that you can do so, and I look forward to seeing PERTAPIS grow from strength to strength. I wish you many more years of success in caring and supporting Singaporeans, and that the community can continue to rally together and emerge stronger together.

Thank you.