Excerpts of Welcome Address by SGS General Director Mr Tay Eng Kiat at the Opening Ceremony of Punggol Soka Centre
Today, we are deeply honoured and grateful to have Minister Edwin Tong, Dr Janil Puthucheary, and all our distinguished guests joining us for the opening of our ninth Soka Centre in Punggol.
Opening of Punggol Soka Centre
I would also like to express our deepest appreciation to our mentor, Soka Gakkai International President, Dr Daisaku Ikeda, for his sincere prayers and warm encouragement for us over the past three years since we successfully won the bid for the land in April 2019.
Our appreciation goes to all SGS members for your prayers and sincere contributions towards the building of the centre, as well as the SGS project team, our project consultants and the main contractor for their hard work and contributions to the construction of this centre.
It is of great significance that we are able to open the ninth citadel of SGS in November, the 92nd Anniversary of the founding month of the Soka Gakkai.
With this new facility, we hope to do more to advance the cause of peace and happiness of the people living around Punggol and to build a better Singapore for all in the future.
It is our sincere wish that the new Punggol Soka Centre will be bustling with many wonderful faith activities and be a place for meaningful community engagements.
Dr Ikeda once said, “The Soka Gakkai centres are the power source of happiness and victory, and places imbued with a sense of assurance and the spirit of friendship. Hope, courage and wisdom well forth in the hearts of those who gather and start afresh from these castles of kosen-rufu. Their lives will brim with vibrant life force.”
Launch of Befriending Activity with St Luke’s Eldercare
Over the past 55 years, SGS has been blessed with the warm friendships of many partners in the grassroots and community organisations, religious groups and educational institutions.
On this joyous occasion, I’m most happy to launch a new community befriending initiative, a community collaboration programme with St Luke’s Eldercare Senior Care Centre, right here at Sumang in Punggol.
To end my speech today, I would like to share some words from Dr Ikeda, a great admirer of this Lion City, on his wishes for Singapore:
“Singapore is a crossroads where East meets West. It is a microcosm of the world and a picture of the world’s future. To be a citizen of Singapore is to be a global citizen. I hold the highest expectations for Singapore. I see the future of humankind in this country…”
With great diversity, Singapore can be a model for the peaceful co-existence of all people living in a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural society, originating from various parts of the globe, striving for the common good and the well- being of the community.
We all have an important role in contributing to bring all humanity together as a member of this beautiful planet with a shared destiny.
