Chase your Rainbow

Amongst several national issues, PM spoke about youth and chasing your rainbow in his NDR last Sunday.

Just wanted to reproduce a speech I gave in my alma mater Raffles Institution almost ten years ago (2015) as the guest of honour in the school’s prefects’ investiture.

Long speech.

2015 Raffles Institution Prefects’ Investiture – GOH Speech

Thank you for the kind introduction.

Good afternoon.

Mr Chan Poh Meng, Principal

Mr S. Magendiran, Senior Deputy Principal

Deputy Principals

Teachers

Parents

Friends from other schools

Prefects

Gentlemen

A) Introduction

1) Two weeks ago, when I met up with Vice-Head Prefect Bryan, I asked him if there was any particular topic I should focus on for my speech today. I was given a blank canvas and complete freedom. I hope Bryan made the right decision. So here goes, what are the 7 qualities of a good leader? Are leaders born or made? Well, thankfully I won’t be speaking about that. But instead, I will try not to sedate you too much by speaking about something close to my heart “What makes a Rafflesian?”

2) I then asked Bryan about the Rafflesian spirit and if the students will respond if I did something. I don’t think anyone in my capacity has tried this before. So let me try to see if it still works, as it did in my time.

“Have you got the spirit, Can you show the spirit, One for All, All for One. R A F F L E S – RAFFLES!”

That was some spirit! Fantastic! Brought me back to my RI days right away. Mr Mag, different crowd, same spirit.

3) Thank you for inviting me to be part of your Prefects’ Investiture. It is indeed a pleasure and certainly an honour to be back here. When Mr Mag first contacted me some time back to be the guest of honour, I did not respond immediately:

? First of all, it’s been a while since I gave a speech. And I don’t think I have given a speech where the audience is predominantly more than 20 years younger than me.

? How do I connect with you? After all, you and I grew up in a different environment.

o Back in my time, we listened to Guns & Roses, Madonna from CDs. You probably listen to Taylor Swift and maybe not Justin Bieber on your mobile devices.

o I still remember dialing repeatedly on our fixed line phones to call in for radio dedications. You guys are now on the radio! Heard a group of you from Year 3 on Kiss92FM recently.

o Doing research meant heading to the library to pore over shelves of books. You now have information overload in the palm of your hands. And if you are really desperate, you can still ask Siri for help on your iphones.

o Mr Mag was our Prefect Master. You still have Mr Mag but in a different capacity and looking fitter than ever. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Mag on his long service award with RI. Teaching rambunctious RI boys is not easy, and you managed 30 different batches. Thank you and congratulations Mr Mag.

4) We are quite different. Yet I believe we are similar in many ways – after all we are Rafflesians.

5) We understand what the pursuit of excellence means with the rich tradition of the school behind us. We strive to live what Auspicium Melioris Aevi means to each of us. We went through, or are still undergoing, the stress of balancing school work and many other activities. It wasn’t easy and likely still isn’t. So allow me to share with you the journey that my Class of 92 went through.

B) Meritocracy

1) We were the last batch of students the school received as Secondary One students before it became independent in 1990.

2) We witnessed the RI move:

? Spent our first 1? years in the Grange Road campus which we have very fond memories of – the haunted clock tower, witnessing RGS girls having their PE on our school field from our classroom balconies.

? The second 2? years were spent right here in Bishan. Back then, there was no swimming pool, no boarding house, and certainly not the extended premises that is Year 5 and 6 now.

3) The Class of 92 came from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

? As for me, I grew up in Redhill or ang sua in the 1980s. Redhill then was a gangsters’ paradise, very different from the gleaming condominiums you see now. I attended a neighbourhood primary school which had Primary 7 and 8 Extended and Monolingual streams. Some of my schoolmates were real time gangsters with tattoos, the permanent ones, not washable. They may be 12 to 14 years old but commanded a group of much older youths outside school. Just to be sure there is no misunderstanding, Mr Chan – I am not advocating this form of leadership here. By the way, the school is now defunct.

? Home for me was a 2 bedroom flat with 7 other members of my extended family. In fact, I was considered lucky. Several of my schoolmates had larger families but were living in much smaller flats.

4) My good friend from RI and Vice Head Prefect of my year, Peter Chua, as well as several others of the Class of 92 came from similar, if not more challenging backgrounds.

5) Fast forward to today, the Class of 92 are in many varied professions:

o We have the expected architects, doctors, pilots, lawyers.

o Many are in the civil service - teachers, regulars in the Singapore Armed Forces, Police Force, with one in the CID. Adrian Tan is a school Vice-Principal, Desmond Lee is a Minister of State - I believe he is busy preparing for elections now.

o Andrew Ng was headhunted from Google to lead Baidu’s Artificial Intelligence Programme,

o James Chan is in the National Youth Council to promote volunteerism amongst youths.

o Mark Chern went through 6 years of arduous training in Nanjing and is now a certified Traditional Chinese Medicine Physician. So if you ever need acupuncture Rafflesian style, you know who to approach. Bring your school badge along - who knows, you may get a discount.

o We have another schoolmate that once provided security for international celebrities, singers, football stars etc when they were in Singapore to perform – you can appreciate how popular he was when we needed tickets. He is still in risk management today by the way – the financial kind.

6) Several have also started their own businesses:

o Abel Teo runs an advertising and events agency – handling marketing and promotional activities for movies like The Avengers, Ant-Man, Star Wars. Renato runs a travel agency in Bali, Indonesia.

o Boon Teck and Zul provide IT solutions for the retail, airline and hospitality industries.

o We also have a few restaurateurs – Terrence Kong started a restaurant that sells crab, as in the crustacean, at Mosque Street. Vincent Wong started a beer bistro with local delights in Yishun.

7) These are my schoolmates. I listed out these various careers with a point to make. All 372 of us from the Class of 92 came from diverse backgrounds, spent the same 4 years in RI but left since to take on varied professions. I believe each one of us is leading a fulfilling and enriching professional life of his own.

8) Our years in RI have broadened our horizons and opened new doors. We are all thankful for the school’s education that has allowed us to be socially mobile. Your route may be the same but do not be afraid to chart a different path, within the law of course.

C) Pursue Excellence – but not-at-all-cost

1) To some of you who think that you are not performing that well now, feeling that you are always chasing the pack, do not ever feel disheartened. You are in the oldest and one of the best schools in Singapore (if not the best). It is not by chance that you are here.

? Make the best of your time here in RI. You have a great team of teachers, the best programmes and resources. The brightest students of your cohort. Enjoy the intellectual discourse with your peers. Absorb as much knowledge as possible. Make friends. Do your best whate’er the test and the rest will fall into place.

? There are many of you who have brilliant minds – almost superhuman! Stretch yourself! Aim high! Be the first Nobel prize winner from Singapore!

2) But at the back of it all, I think it’s also important to realize that this is not a pursuit of excellence at-all-cost. It’s not the end of the world if something does not work out the way you want.

3) I am humbled to have the opportunity in my current role to travel the world, looking at hotel acquisitions in different countries, interacting with people from many nationalities and cultures. And across all levels – from CEOs, hotel owners to the bell-boys and housekeepers. This is something I would have never imagined doing as a boy growing up where I was. It is my firm belief that this school had provided me the foundation for where I am now.

4) Gentlemen, as an old boy who has been in the workforce for some years, besides academic and sporting excellence, I would encourage you to develop your “soft skills”, your emotional quotient. Hone your listening skills, and cultivate the ability to relate to others, regardless of their academic or economic backgrounds. Think global. Be global ready.

D) Share Our Blessings

1) Whilst we have the privilege of being schooled in this institution, we can share our blessings with others. On this note, it’s heartening to know that the school has set up the 1823 Fund to provide financial aid to deserving students and support projects with a strong community impact. I commend you students for initiating and actively participating in these activities.

2) When the Class of 92 had our 20th year reunion dinner in this same school hall a few years back, we raised some $32,000 for the Raffles Scholarship series specifically for needy students.

3) I would imagine that some from my cohort may not have considered applying for RI under the independent regime where the school fees jumped multifold. Deserving students should never be denied an education in RI due to the lack of finances.

4) It is our fervent hope that RI will continue to be an inclusive and diverse school for all.

E) Prefects

1) In this inclusive and diverse school, prefects are, to begin with, students of the school. The Raffles Institution Prefectorial Board is the foremost student leadership board in the school, rich in history and tradition.

2) To the Executive Committee and the 28 newly minted prefects from Josh Chua to Luo Tianhao, congratulations on your appointment!

3) This Prefects’ Investiture is a simple but momentous ceremony. You are seated here on stage because your peers have given you their vote of confidence, the same ones you will lead and rally. Your family and loved ones are here too to witness your investiture. You should be very proud of yourselves. I still remember the day when I received my prefect’s badge on stage with my parents watching from below. They didn’t say much but I believe they felt immense pride that their son was appointed as a prefect and in RI, no less.

4) To lead this diverse group of RI boys will not be easy. It will be a challenging but exciting journey for you. As representatives and leaders of the student population, more will be expected of you, to be the all-rounder with qualities I mentioned earlier, good people skills, having empathy and still be firm and fair in the execution of your duties. Take this challenge head on. Wear your prefect’s badge with pride. Channel this pride to good use by setting an example for your fellow Rafflesians.

5) Enjoy your journey. The comradeship that you forge in your years in the prefectorial board will last well into your adult years. Even to this day, when my batch of prefects meet up every now and then, we will still talk about the things we did some 20 years ago - the events we organized for the students, the school spirit at the various interschool competitions and the occasional combined activities with RGS prefects etc.

6) I wish you every success in your RIPB journey.

F) Conclusion

1) To conclude, I think no one epitomizes the Rafflesian Spirit more so than Singapore’s founding father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

2) It was an emotional time for many Singaporeans with his passing in March this year. Emotions were laid bare for all to see. I suspect, the reason for the ‘vulnerability’ is because of a deep sense of gratitude to Mr Lee and the pioneer leaders who defied all odds to transform Singapore to what she is today.

3) As I was watched the special tribute of Mr Lee’s speeches late into the night following his passing, something he said struck a chord which I feel is rather apt for this occasion.

4) I quote.

“There is a glorious rainbow that beckons those with the spirit of adventure. And there are rich findings at the end of that rainbow."

"To the young and the not too old (which includes the teachers and I), I say look at the horizon, find that rainbow, go ride it. Not all will be rich; quite a few will find a vein of gold but all who pursue that rainbow will have a joyous and exhilarating ride and some profit.”

Unquote

5) I say to my fellow Rafflesians, Be inspired by the generations of Rafflesians before you, do your best whatever the test. Keep the Promethean flame burning and our colours flying. And I hope you will find your own rainbow.

Thank you.

Auspicium Melioris Aevi

Shall we end it like how we started? Warren, Bryan why don’t the prefects lead us in the spirit cheer.