A note from our President

Photo credit: MDDI

“The ultimate objective is something intangible. We're really developing a community of respect. It's intangible. It's a culture. But we're at the stage of our development as a country where the intangibles matter more in our own lives, and in national life. And they even matter in our being able to achieve our tangible goals.

Developing that community of respect – not just respecting our differences, but respecting the effort, skills, and contribution that every individual brings – is what creates unity. But it’s more than that. It's actually one of the most powerful ways in which we uplift ourselves.

We uplift people not just by financial resources, not just by opening up opportunities, but by helping them develop that intrinsic motivation to go further. And the respect we lend each other is the most powerful source of intrinsic motivation. Knowing that you can do it. Everyone can do it. That's how we rise together.”

— President Tharman Shanmugaratnam