Date: 21 June 2025

Welcome Speech by Chairman of Singapore Cancer Society

Help the Children and Youth Programme Achievement Awards 2025

21 June 2025, 11am – 2pm

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Ng Kuo Pin, CEO of NCS 

Awards Recipients, Tutors, Supporters,  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

1. Good morning and our warmest welcome to the Singapore Cancer Society’s Help the Children and Youth Programme (HCYP) Achievement Awards Ceremony. 
   
2. Today, we gather to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our award recipients — young individuals who have faced adversity with incredible maturity, tenacity, and determination. Each of you has not only overcome the challenges that cancer brings but has also become a shining source of inspiration to those around you.  
   
   
3. It is truly a privilege for all of us to come together today to honour and witness your accomplishments. 

SCS Help the Children and Youth Programme 

4. Over the past 61 years, Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) has pursued its mission of minimising cancer and maximising lives. Among the many meaningful initiatives is HCYP, which supports children and youth of families impacted by cancer. 
   
5. Every year, through HCYP, SCS provides vital resources, emotional support, and educational opportunities. This includes the one-to-one home tuition programme, family engagement activities, and today’s Achievement Awards. Thanks to the consistent efforts of our dedicated tutors and staff, we are able to make a difference in the lives of these young individuals. SCS remains committed to empowering and supporting our children and youth to grow and thrive in their life journeys.

6.  As we deepen our work with families impacted by cancer, we understand that academic support is only part of the picture. Many of our children juggle caregiving responsibilities or come from households focused on a loved one’s treatment. For them, emotional expression, creative outlets, and extra-curricular enrichment can be just as vital as homework support. That is why, in 2024, HCYP began exploring non-academic avenues of development such as the arts. SCS is now working with The Rice Company Limited (TRCL for short) to offer access to dance, music, theatre, and visual arts through fully subsidised enrolment in The Little Arts Academy for our primary level students. We are grateful for TRCL’s generosity and support for our vision for holistic, child-centred support that nurtures both mind and heart. We have the privilege of having TRCL share about their programme later. 

Stories That Show What’s Possible 

7. Among this year’s Awards recipients is Angel Ng, whose late father was supported through SCS’s Welfare Financial Aid Programme. Angel joined HCYP three years ago and, under the guidance of her tutor, Ms Liew Mei Siang, recently achieved an overall aggregate score of 74%, graduating top of her class in Chinese and Element of Business. More than her grades, her teachers praise her discipline, initiative, and strength of character. 
   
8. We also celebrate the Hairman family, whose two sons, Muhammad Fakhril Haziq and Muhammad Fakhri Rafael, have made notable academic strides through HCYP. Haziq improved his PSLE results and has since shown great promise in secondary school, recently qualifying for the express G3 track for two of his subjects.  
   
   
9. His younger brother, Rafael, now in Primary 6, is known for his curiosity and diligence – always punctual in his schoolwork and asking questions to clarify doubts. With their youngest sister joining the programme this year, their family’s story truly is a testament to what long-term, personalised support can achieve across generations. 

Acknowledgement of Support of Singtel and Stakeholders 

10. Over the past 16 years, Singtel has contributed close to S$4 million to support HCYP. Thanks to Singtel’s generosity, we have been able to provide fully subsidised services to more than 3,000 children and youth from families impacted by cancer. This sustained partnership has created meaningful impact — and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Singtel for standing alongside us in the collective fight against cancer, and for helping to build a brighter, more hopeful future for the next generation. Thank you, Kuo Pin and the Singtel team!  
    
11. We would also like to thank our dedicated tutors, who play a vital role by offering personalised guidance and support to our students. Their efforts go far beyond academics — they contribute not only to the students’ success in school but also to their personal growth. Our SCS tutors consistently go above and beyond their duties. As mentors and role models, they serve as our “boots on the ground”, doing the hard work of guiding the students’ academic learning, as well as sharing valuable life lessons to encourage and support them through the ups and downs. Thank you, SCS tutors, for your incredible impact you have made!  

12. And to the parents and families with us today — thank you for being here to witness and celebrate your children’s achievements. I have no doubt you are incredibly proud of all they have accomplished. Your unwavering love and strength in the face of cancer have given them one of life’s most powerful lessons: the true meaning of resilience and courage. 

13. Today’s ceremony is made truly meaningful because of each one of you — thank you for being here to share in this special celebration of our awardees’ achievements. Please join me in extending our deepest thanks to all who have made this possible: our partner Singtel, the devoted family members, our dedicated tutors, the volunteers from NUS Business School, and my wonderful colleagues at SCS.  

Closing Remarks 

14. Finally, to all our award recipients — you have shown us that even in the face of great adversity, there is always hope, strength, and the promise of a brighter future. Your achievements stand as a powerful testament to your resilience and unyielding spirit. You have met immense challenges with courage, grace, and determination, and today, we stand beside you in celebration of all that you have accomplished. 

15. As you continue your journey, may you be surrounded by love, and, guided by hope, successfully navigating the challenges that come your way. Remember, you are not alone – we are with you every step of the way. Congratulations once again, and may you keep shining brightly wherever life takes you. 

Thank you. 

*****