OUR PARTY marked its 70th anniversary with a Dinner and Awards Ceremony bringing together over 3,000 activists on 23 Nov.
It was a time for close camaraderie, thunderous cheers, and the honouring of activists. Our party paid tribute to Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong and his contributions to the party— and strongly reaffirmed our commitment to all Singaporeans.
“Comrades, we must cherish the trust that Singaporeans have placed in us with great responsibility and humility,” said Party Chairman Heng Swee Keat to our activists. “You are the foundation of our Party’s mission to serve our people — to build a fair and just society.”
Recognising those who serve: Sec-Gen Lee Hsien Loong and all our PAP comrades
Chairman Heng also presented a memento to Sec-Gen Lee Hsien Loong for his immeasurable contributions to our party and our country. The memento, a watercolour painting of Sec-Gen Lee, showed him amiably engaging with neighbourhood residents at a bustling hawker centre.
The painting is a tribute to Sec-Gen Lee’s steadfast leadership. In his two decades as Prime Minister, Sec-Gen Lee steered Singaporeans through the Global Financial Crisis, established programmes and policies like SkillsFuture, the Pioneer Generation Package, and ComCare, while never losing the common touch.
“Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart to all of you — all the comrades in the PAP — to my colleagues and those who have worked with me in the Branch, in the Government,” said Sec-Gen Lee, as our assembled activists raised their glasses to him. “Whatever I’ve done as Sec-Gen and as PM has been done with your help and support, and could not have been done without that.”
Recognising those who serve: Comrade S Vasoo and 448 unstinting activists
To equally loud cheers, a total of 448 Party activists received awards across 10 categories as well, ranging from Youth Medals to Long Service Medals to Commendation Medals.
This recognition was for how these activists work unstintingly on the ground; they are the unsung heroes of our Party. They help their neighbours, day in and day out, in constituencies across Singapore. They speak up for causes important to other Singaporeans and our Party, including Enabling Youths, Mental Health and Climate Action.
Comrade S Vasoo received the highest honour of the evening — the Meritorious Service Star, for 40 years of service to Teck Ghee Branch, our Party and Singapore.
Known affectionately as “the poor man’s MP”, Comrade Vasoo always looked out for low-income families, people with disabilities and lonely seniors. In 1976, he established a first-of-its-kind social aid centre to vulnerable people in Teck Ghee. This pioneered what would eventually become Singapore’s strong network of Family Service Centres.
“Life is a network of interaction, and what is important is to help each other. To see how we can move forward,” said Comrade Vasoo. “And when we have many helping hands coming together, it becomes a lighter load to help us bring change and betterment for the community.”
A Singapore of hope and opportunity — then, now and for generations to come
The Dinner and Awards Ceremony was also a chance for 3,000 Party activists to catch up with each other, as well as with MPs, past and present.
It was a chance for everyone to reminisce about their years well-spent serving fellow Singaporeans on the ground.
Outside the dining hall, a massive picture display commemorated key moments of PAP history. These moments included our activists carrying big brooms to clean up the streets and corruption of 1950s Singapore. They also included our Party fielding five pioneering women candidates in the landmark 1959 General Elections.
The display also featured then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew declaring in his storied 1980 Fullerton Square rally that “Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him!”, as well as the PMs who have followed him in stewarding the nation, from Comrade Goh Chok Tong in the 1990s to Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong in the 2000s to Deputy Secretary-General Lawrence Wong on 15 May this year.
Our little red dot now faces an uncertain world, with rising geopolitical contestation, increasing climate change and the global stressors of cost of living, job and immigration.
Here, the PAP will remain responsive to the evolving aspirations of Singaporeans, driving progress and inclusivity for all.
As Chairman Heng said to our activists, “With a strong mandate, we can bring Singaporeans together, and take Singapore forward together. Let us remember that our core values remain as relevant now as when the Party was founded.”
“Let us build Singapore …a Singapore of hope and opportunity for our children and the generations to come,” he added.
Here’s to another 70 years — and more! — of building a strong nation, and helping our fellow Singaporeans realise their dreams!
