Social togetherness is something we must nurture, with hubs like the Wisma Geylang Serai making a difference in the community, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday.
Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, was speaking at the first anniversary celebration of the Wisma Geylang Serai, a near Geylang Road.
The celebration will end today and is expected to involve 10,000 participants in activities such as an inaugural singing competition, a community batik painting event that aims to break the Singapore record for the longest continuous batik painting, and other demonstrations and performances.
Mr Heng said Wisma Geylang Serai was the . attracted a record two million visitors.
He said: “What I found even more memorable was that the anticipation for Hari Raya was felt not just by the Malay community, but also shared by people of all races. This social togetherness is rarely seen in other parts of the world, and is something we must continue to protect and nurture.”
The facility offers amenities such as childcare and senior activity centres that serve the community’s daily needs. It also hosts special events such as film screenings, rock concerts and even arts festivals such as the Singapore Art Week.
Mr Heng launched a garden space at the hub as part of Wisma Geylang Serai’s eco-sustainability efforts.
He said the transformation of Geylang Serai over the years also mirrors the progress the Malay community has made here: “Each generation of Singapore Malays has been better educated, held better jobs and led better lives compared with their parents and grandparents.
“In 2017, one in three of our Malay workforce held professional, managerial, executive and technician jobs, up from about one in 10 in 1980. Nine in 10 Malay households now own their own homes.”
Malay/Muslim groups have also come together at the hub, including those that provide services such as social welfare support.
Mr Heng added: “Your cooperation to help those in need reflects the Malay community’s ‘gotong-royong’ (community spirit) and also the spirit of the Singapore Together movement.
“It recognises that every one of us can make a difference.”
Dr Maliki Osman, Mayor of South East District and adviser to Wisma Geylang Serai, said that having crossed the one-year milestone, the team is already looking ahead.
