Good morning,
dear colleagues at Temasek,
Temasek Trust, Temasek Foundation,
Temasek Trust Asset Management, and
Stewardship Asia Centre.
 

Thank you all for gathering here before we set off for our Temasek Community Day. I’m glad to see so many familiar faces, all of us united by our shared commitment to give back to the community.

Today is a significant day for Temasek, as we were founded 50 years ago on 25^th June 1974.

Today’s event not only marks our history, it is also a testament to our enduring commitment to make a positive impact on the world around us. Apart from donating philanthropic gifts to the community, getting our staff to volunteer in community activities speaks to Temasek’s Purpose.

T-Touch, our staff volunteer initiative, started back in 2001. This volunteer-driven initiative sees our people coming together and putting in their time, ideas, and efforts, for the community. It highlights our dedication to contribute to society beyond our core business activities.

As a global investor, our social license to operate depends on our ability to create value for all stakeholders, including our local communities. Hence, we organise our Community Day every year, to make a difference.

This Community Day is particularly special as we are organising it with our partners from the People and Private sectors, including Temasek Trust, Temasek Foundation, Lions Befrienders as well as our portfolio companies. The activities today support our community objectives of Connecting People, Uplifting Lives, Protecting the Planet, and Advancing Capabilities. Through these activities, we showcase the diversity of our beneficiaries, young and old, and reaffirm our commitment to making a meaningful difference as OneTemasek.

Together with 16 community partners, we will enhance HDB void deck spaces through artwork and engage the community through a care-pack distribution; some of us will refresh homes of disadvantaged seniors living in one-room flats; others will plant trees to support biodiversity and to combat climate change; we will also prepare our youths for employability through learning visits to our portfolio companies.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the T-Touch organising committee for their tireless efforts in making today’s event possible. I am sure pulling together this group of more than 500 enthusiastic volunteers is no small feat.

Our journey has always been about doing things today with tomorrow in mind. Reflecting this commitment, I am pleased to announce the launch of a new gift to the community on our 50^th anniversary — the S$150 million T-Spring gift, aimed at advancing capabilities in Singapore and building a resilient, future-ready workforce.

It has various elements, including scholarships to bridge industry skill gaps, fellowships to drive innovation and develop solutions in Singapore, as well as skills development to upskill workers in at-risk sectors and enhance employability of vulnerable groups such as seniors and neurodiverse individuals.

This T-Spring gift is a tribute to past, present, and future generations. It reflects our intergenerational focus and underscores Temasek’s roots, recognising human capital as the driver of our journey and its role in our contribution to Singapore. Much like the season of Spring, it brings new life and hope, serving as a springboard to enable others to move forward.

On a separate note, I am pleased to announce the refresh of our Temasek Charter. We have reviewed our Charter every few years since it was introduced in 2002. Our first Charter reflected our Singapore-centric focus and set out our role in nurturing companies with the potential to grow into successful international businesses as well as defined the type of businesses that Temasek would hold or divest. This served as an important public marker to our stakeholders.

In 2009, as we expanded overseas, we updated our Charter to emphasise how we operate based on commercial principles, delivering long-term value as an active value-oriented investor, active shareholder, and responsible corporate citizen.

In 2012, we further distilled our Charter into three roles as an Active Investor and Shareholder, a Forward-Looking Institution, and a Trusted Steward.

Fast forward to 2024, we face a changing world with a different set of challenges. As we push ahead on our T2030 strategy, we embarked on a refresh of our Charter to ensure it remains relevant to our roles and core focus. This public marker will be launched today. With our Purpose as the North Star that explains why we exist, our Charter is a living document that outlines who we are and what we do.

The refreshed Charter reaffirms our commitment to our stewardship roots to deliver sustainable returns over the long term, and to do things today with tomorrow in mind. And it reflects our belief that even in the midst of storm clouds, we will move forward with commitment, resolve, and optimism towards a brighter future for all.

Let us remember that our community efforts are an ongoing commitment to making the world a better place. I wish everyone a fruitful and inspiring Community Day.

Thank you.