Speech by NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng at Lau Pa Sat 130 Years Anniversary

Group CEO FairPrice Group Vipul Chawla,
NTUC Enterprise Deputy Chairman Kee Teck Koon,
Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board Melissa Ow,
Chief Executive of National Heritage Board Chang Hwee Nee,
Business Planning and Development Director of Singapore Land Authority Carrie Wong
Sisters and Brothers,

Introduction

Good morning!

I am delighted to join you this morning to celebrate the Launch of Lau Pa Sat’s 130th Anniversary Celebrations.

History and Success of Lau Pa Sat

Brother Vipul has really articulated the rich history of Lau Pa Sat in his speech. Today, it is with great honour that I am here representing NTUC, who plays a small part in this rich heritage of Singapore and Singaporeans are proud of.

Across the span of 130 years, Lau Pa Sat was not marked just by a simple success story, but by myriad many ups and downs. I heard and really enjoyed the song composed by Dick Lee, “The Song of Lau Pa Sat”. As a Singaporean, I have many fond memories of Singapore and Lau Pa Sat. It is not just the taste of Singapore, there were also the smells of Singapore.

Today, everything is in tip-top shape as you walk around. In the 1970s, when I was a small boy, Lau Pa Sat was not as grand as it is now. Honestly, it was tired. In fact, it was so tired that it had to be shut down. For a few years, Lau Pa Sat was across the street, just a row of shops beside our Singapore Straits. Despite the smells, it still evokes a wonderful sense of pride on how our heritage of Lau Pa Sat has progressed into what it is today. From a fish market in the 1800s to a thriving Lau Pa Sat in the 21st century that mirrors the history of our country. I am so proud of this journey.

Thank you to our Government sisters and brothers, represented by Melissa Ow from Singapore Tourism Board and Chang Hwee Nee from National Heritage Board, to allow NTUC to have this part in our heritage, and hopefully to propel and sustain the proud legacy of this Singapore icon.

If you look at where we stand today in Singapore, it’s truly fantastic. Today, we celebrate a hawker centre. Recently, I visited the UN in Geneva, for the International Labour Organisation debates with employers and government representatives. In one instance, a union leader from another country was given the global platform to voice out concerns, and he used he leveraged the platform to criticise his president and the unfairness of society to workers in the country. Yet after his speech, where we met up as union brothers, he was rational, pleasant and very amicable.

I believe that employers in that country have their reasons to do what they do in and the government face different challenges to prioritise their priorities. In Singapore, unlike in his country, we have a system that fosters collaboration for win-win outcomes. Thankfully, just like Lau Pa Sat, we have found common spaces and interests, and importantly, humility across all different segments of our society. This allows us to say, “Let’s hear your point", “What are the areas of common agreements that we can pursue our common interests together”. Lau Pa Sat is a small reflection of that spirit in Singapore.

Are there problems in society? Yes. Are there issues in Lau Pa Sat? Definitely, we can’t run away from all those things, but in the process of solutioning, let’s keep up that spirit. I can assure fellow Singaporeans and our government agencies entrusted with the rich heritage icon of Singapore that NTUC will do our part - putting our investments to make Lau Pa Sat shine for the next 70 years.

One small way we will contribute is by translating the flavours of Lau Pa Sat into Satay Buns and it will be afforded to our members at $2.50 together with a cup of kopi or teh. If you’re not a NTUC member, please join us to enjoy this, otherwise you will pay $3.

I’m very proud of Lau Pa Sat and the work that FairPrice Group has put in place through very difficult five years and navigating through the pandemic. Now, as Singapore recovers, look at what Lau Pa Sat is doing; it’s thriving but the journey will continue. We want to be part of this wonderful iconic story and I’m glad that we have different parts of society partnering with us to move our Lau Pa Sat story and more importantly, our Singapore story forward.

Thank you and enjoy your morning.