SPEECH BY DR KOH POH KOON, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF MANPOWER AND MINISTRY OF SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AT AIN SOCIETY’S 7TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF DINNER ON WEDNESDAY, 21 MAY 2025, 7.00 PM, AT TANAH MERAH COUNTRY CLUB

Mr Seah Kian Peng, Speaker of Parliament

Mr Sebastian Low, Chairman of the Charity Golf Organising Committee

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Chairman of Business China and Former Parliamentarian

Sponsors and Donors

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Good evening. I am very happy to grace this occasion and join you today, not just for the golf but also for tonight’s dinner. I am glad to see many of you putting forth your time and your treasure to donate to Ain’s Society and especially for Project Kasih.

2. Cancer. I think most of you should know by now that cancer is one of the top diseases here in Singapore. Many Singaporeans, towards the end of their lives, will suffer from this disease. I am sure that amongst us, you would have known someone – a friend, an acquaintance, a neighbour, perhaps even a family member – who has suffered from cancer before. This is where what Ain Society is doing is important, because when a person suffers from cancer, it can be a very lonely journey. There are a lot of struggles, mentally and not just physically. It also affects the family to a large extent.

3. This is where Ain Society and the programmes that they are funding helps to support not just the financial needs of the individual, but also to help the family through counselling, support, and to walk the journey. We know today that a lot of treatments are available for cancer, leading to good chance of cure. But that journey itself – going through chemotherapy, surgery, and bearing with all the side effects and uncertainty before you are declared cancer-free in five years – can be a very daunting and lonely journey for many of these families. For example, in many of these families in the Malay community, religion and community support play a very important role. This is why Ain Society, by galvanising support from the community, serves to help this group of patients, especially the lower-income, walk this journey with more confidence. Your support will help them to overcome some of the challenges they have.

4. Some ask, if the Government has already provided enough subsidies and support, why do we still need to do fund-raising? We have the 3 ‘M’s – MediSave, MediShield Life, MediFund and subsidies – to help with the larger bills that those undergoing treatment will have to bear. But many a time, policies are like our five fingers. They help to lift up the majority of the people, but even as you close the fingers tightly, you see little gaps between your fingers. This is where the ground-up programmes that Ain Society funds will help to plug those tiny gaps, as they are a lot more customised to the individual needs that the broad policy framework cannot always do so. Being ground-up, such programmes would understand the needs of individuals better. The funding that is raised through these types of projects would also help to fund some of these more targeted needs and support the patients and their

families through their cancer treatment journey.

5. Let me share a conversation that I had with two Nanyang Technological University students some years back. One of them asked, why do we still need philanthropy and charity in raising money? Can’t the Government just provide more money and more subsidies to solve those problems? Another student asked a counter question – if the Government does everything, then what is there for volunteers and the rest of society to do?

6. I thought these two questions are very important as we think about charity. The reason is simple. If the Government does everything, then it becomes more of an entitlement than benefit. It means that the larger part of society does not have to chip in with any effort. As I mentioned, when a person suffers from cancer, it is a very lonely process. By fundraising and getting volunteers involved, it is to signal to the family that the larger society and eco-system around them actually cares for them and care enough to put in money, time and resources to support them in the journey. In some ways, through our Input Tax Credit (ITC) mechanism, the Government offsets the donations by 2.5 times tax deduction. The Government puts money in an indirect way. By doing it through the ITC and charity organisations, we catalyse the broader society to be involved, either by contributing your time, your treasures or your talent, in the philanthropy sector.

7. Ain Society is much more unique in the sense that the society’s mission is targeted towards the Malay-Muslim community. But I see that many of the donors and active participants who are here tonight are not from the Malay-Muslim community. This is a very important message that as a multi-cultural, multi-racial society, all of us are prepared to pitch in and help those in need, regardless of race, language and religion in Singapore. On behalf of Ain Society, I want to thank all of you for doing your part.

8. Coincidentally, Ain Society is also celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. In 2000 when they first started, I was told there were only 12 active volunteers. Today, they have more than 500 volunteers and have supported more than 1,000 families suffering from cancer. This is not an insignificant piece of work. Every cent that you put in goes some way towards making someone’s life journey so much better. On behalf of the recipients, I thank you all for your charitable actions and I hope that in time to come, you can bring more of your friends and those who are prepared to contribute time, talent or treasure, into this journey. Together, we can build a more compassionate and caring Singapore. Thank you for having me here.