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Speech at Opening Ceremony of READ! Singapore 2010

Mr Gan Kim Yong , Minister for Manpower , Conrad Centennial Singapore Hotel

Skills, training and development

Ms Yeoh Chee Yan,
Chairman, National Library Board (NLB)

Dr N Varaprasad,
Chief Executive, NLB

Board Members of NLB,

Members of the READ! Singapore Steering Committee,

Distinguished Guests and Partners,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

  1. Good afternoon. I am very happy to join you at the launch of READ! Singapore 2010. This is the sixth year of the READ! Singapore campaign and I am glad that this initiative has struck a chord among many Singaporeans.

    Growth of READ! Singapore Over the Years
  2. READ! Singapore has extended its reach into our community through a series of activities and partnerships. The campaign has reached out to over 100 schools, government agencies, community organisations and welfare homes since its launch in 2005. The campaign has clearly left its mark, with about 80 reading clubs formed across Singapore.
  3. These include the Taxi Sifu Reading Club for taxi drivers, Jean Yip Reading Club for hairstylists, reading clubs for senior citizens at public libraries and community clubs, reading clubs for healthcare professionals and those formed at various government ministries and statutory boards. The reading clubs have successfully reached out widely across the community, and include people of all ages and from all walks of life, drawn together by their common passion and love for reading and sharing.
  4. Personally, I have been involved in some of the READ! Singapore programmes in the past few years including those at my own constituency. I am pleased to note the positive impact this initiative has on my constituents. The community clubs in Choa Chu Kang now run regular reading carnivals and book discussions. We also launched the Chua Chu Kang Tamil Reading Club last November, and the group now meets every fortnightly.
  5. Besides forming reading clubs, READ! Singapore has also trained more than 800 reading facilitators to conduct reading sessions in various organizations and institutions. The increasing number of participants over the years as highlighted earlier by Dr Prasad, and the wide support for the campaign illustrate the huge success of this initiative. My heartiest congratulations to READ! Singapore for its achievement as a national literacy movement in Singapore!

    Developing Fruitful Partnerships
  6. Of course, the success of READ! Singapore would not have been possible without the support of its partners. I am pleased to note that READ! Singapore has doubled its pool of partners from 40 when it first started, to over 80 today and they contribute in a variety of ways. Some of the partners such as the Building Construction Authority, People's Association and the National Trades Union Congress have encouraged their staff to participate in book discussions. Another partner, SilkAir, made available selected READ! Singapore short stories onboard its flights for its passengers through its Booklovers on Board programme since June 2008. Through such collaborations, we hope to nurture a reading culture among our people.

    Engaging the Community through READ! Singapore
  7. READ! Singapore also offers a good platform for the community to engage one another. It promotes dialogue and cross-cultural exchange through book discussions, meet-the-author sessions and outreach activities held at the public libraries. By cross-translating selected short stories into the four official languages, the initiative provides the public an opportunity to learn more about other cultures and enhance their appreciation for our multi-racial society.
  8. This year's theme, "Roads Less Travelled" would resonate with readers, especially those who want to embrace a less trodden path. In one of the poems selected for this year's initiative, Ulysses by the Merlion, Singapore author Professor Edwin Thumboo highlighted the sense of resilience and optimism among Singapore’s new migrants who had to overcome the odds to blaze new trails. They were united by a common belief and dream, despite coming from vastly different backgrounds and cultures. I hope that the selected novels, short stories and poems will inspire you to overcome barriers to realise your dreams.

    Conclusion
  9. Let me end by commending NLB and the READ! Singapore Steering Committee for your hard work and passion in promoting this meaningful reading initiative. There is a Chinese saying “书中自有黄金屋、书中自有颜如玉” which when loosely translated, means that “Reading is the route to success”. I encourage everyone to pick up a book today and open your mind to new insights as you embark on a fulfilling learning journey.
  10. Thank you.