Opening Address at Great Indian Food Festival

Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower, Little India

Mr Gurcharan Singh, President of the Indian Restaurant Association of Singapore (IRAS), Mr S Mahenthiran, Honorary Secretary of the IRAS,

Mr Chandra Das, High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Members of the IRAS,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

1. Vanakkam (Hello/Greetings)! I am delighted to see everyone here at the Great Indian Food Festival.

Significance of Indian cuisine in Singapore’s vibrant food scene

2. Indian cuisine is an integral part of Singapore’s culinary and cultural heritage, adding much flavour and spice to our very diverse and vibrant food scene.

3. Singaporeans have embraced Indian dishes and adapted them to local tastes, creating tasty delights like our local versions of roti prata, fish-head curry and Indian rojak.

Supporting our multi-ethnic food culture

4. To make sure that we can continue enjoying these local cuisines, and to preserve our unique and multi-ethnic food culture, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has worked closely with the IRAS to include cooks in Indian restaurants in the Non-Traditional Sources (NTS) Occupation List. Through the NTS Occupation List, Indian restaurants can hire cooks from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

5. I am happy to report that more than 400 Indian restaurants have made use of this scheme to meet their manpower needs. The Government is always here to see how we can better support you. So we are glad that we can support your community to showcase, preserve, and celebrate our rich Indian culinary heritage. We will
continue to work closely with industry partners, chambers, and trade associations to promote and preserve Singapore’s unique multi-culturalism.

Recognising the Indian community’s efforts to preserve and promote local Indian culture

6. Little India, as one of our key cultural precincts in Singapore, is testament to the importance of community partnership. IRAS and the Little India Shop Owners and
Heritage Association (LISHA) have been instrumental in engaging business owners and rallying ground support to ensure that Little India is a thriving and vibrant precinct.

7. It is no surprise that Time Out named Little India the coolest district in Singapore last year! Every year, locals and international visitors can look forward to the festivals such as Deepavali, Pongal and Indian New Year that showcases Singapore’s unique Indian heritage.

8. And now, tonight, with the return of the Great Indian Food Festival, visitors can also experience and savour the authentic local Indian culture through performances,
hands-on workshops, and most importantly, the gathering of extraordinary culinary delights.

Conclusion

9. Once again, a big thank you to the IRAS for your continued efforts to support and promote our rich Indian heritage. As we enter the month of December, I also want
to wish all of our migrant workers a very Happy International Migrants Day in advance.

10. With this, I wish everyone a wonderful and delicious evening ahead. Nandri (Thank you)!