Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore and our Guest of Honour;
Dr Abdul Malik Hassan, President of SMCCI;
Board Members; Past Presidents;
Distinguished guests;
Members and Partners of SMCCI;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, and a very good evening!
CELEBRATING 70 YEARS OF ENTERPRISE
1. It is a pleasure to join you tonight as Patron of SMCCI as we celebrate 70 years of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
2. Seventy years is a remarkable milestone.
3. Generations of entrepreneurs have built SMCCI into a Chamber that supports businesses and contributes to Singapore’s growth.
4. When SMCCI was established in 1956, Singapore was a very different place.
5. Our economy was different.
6. The opportunities available to businesses were different.
7. And the challenges our entrepreneurs faced were different too.
8. Yet one thing has remained remarkably constant.
9. Businesses that endure keep learning, earning trust and adapting to change.
10. We saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic.11. SMCCI helped SMEs, including home-based businesses, access support and adapt.
12. Together with community partners, it also helped provide meals for families in need and frontline workers.
13. For SMCCI, the next chapter is not just about keeping pace with change, but helping our businesses get ahead.
BUILDING STRONGER, MORE COMPETITIVE BUSINESSES
14. So, what will it take for our businesses to succeed in the years ahead?
15. Competition is increasingly global.
16. AI and automation are changing how businesses operate.
17. This calls for Ilmu — the willingness to keep learning and adapting.
18. How can AI help us become better at what we already do?
19. For some businesses, it can improve productivity.
20. For others, it can strengthen customer service.
21. For many SMEs, it can make capabilities once available only to much larger companies far more accessible.
22. That is why I am encouraged by SMCCI’s partnership with SGTech through the AI-Ready Enterprise Initiative.
23. It will support up to 60 enterprises and develop Digital Champions who can guide fellow entrepreneurs.
24. Ultimately, the goal is not simply to get more businesses to use AI. It is to help them become better businesses.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS, OPENING NEW MARKETS
25. Stronger businesses must also be ready to seize opportunities beyond Singapore.
26. For many SMEs, regional growth can begin with the right customer or partner.
27. I am encouraged that SMCCI and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation will sign an MOU tonight to explore opportunities in the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone.28. I hope SMCCI will forge more such partnerships with industry associations, connecting SMEs to best practices, expertise and wider networks.
29. This is how we help SMEs compete, expand and thrive in a changing economy.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERS
30. But as our businesses grow, we must also think about the opportunities we can create for others.
31. Take Shahid Selamat of HaBeeBee Enterprise.
32. With support from SMCCI Board Member Abdul Latip Isnin, his products reached supermarket shelves during Ramadan — opening a new market for his microbusiness.
33. Another entrepreneur secured S$5,000 in seed funding through an SMCCI programme to grow her sticker business, Mushling Sprout Co.
34. At a recent SMCCI meeting, I was heartened when Board members asked how the Chamber could contribute more — not just seek Government assistance, but use its collective strengths to help others.
35. Imagine what more SMCCI could achieve by bringing its members together to help fellow businesses and the wider community.
36. Perhaps this is one expression of Ihsan in business.
37. Not only asking how far our own business can go, but also asking who else we can help along the way.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE FUTURE
38. Our Committee for Economic Resilience, co-chaired by Dr Wan Rizal and Mr Saktiandi Supaat, is listening to businesses and workers on how we can seize new opportunities.
39. I look forward to working with SMCCI to turn these ideas into action.
40. Allow me to continue in Malay.
MAJU BERSAMA
41. Saya yakin ramai dalam dewan ini masih ingat bagaimana mereka mula berniaga.
42. Ada yang bermula dengan modal kecil. Ada yang mengambil risiko membina perniagaan sendiri. Ada juga yang meneruskan perniagaan keluarga.
43. Di sebalik setiap perniagaan, ada pengorbanan. Ada cabaran yang perlu diharungi. Dan ada impian yang ingin dicapai, demi masa depan diri dan keluarga.
44. Hari ini, persaingan semakin sengit dan cabaran semakin besar.
45. Saya tahu bukan mudah untuk terus bersaing, lebih-lebih lagi bagi perniagaan kecil yang mempunyai sumber yang terhad.
46. Namun, AI dan automasi boleh membantu meningkatkan produktiviti dan mengurus perniagaan dengan lebih cekap.
47. Sudah tiba masanya untuk usahawan kita melangkah lebih jauh. Bukan sekadar menyesuaikan diri dengan perubahan, tetapi berani merebut peluang, meneroka pasaran baharu dan mengembangkan perniagaan.
48. Di sinilah pentingnya peranan SMCCI.
49. Dengan sokongan, ilmu dan rangkaian yang lebih luas, usahawan kita tidak perlu menghadapi cabaran ini bersendirian.
50. Kekuatan SMCCI bukan hanya terletak pada kejayaan anggotanya, tetapi juga pada keupayaannya membuka lebih banyak peluang untuk usahawan lain turut berjaya.
51. Namun, kejayaan bukan sekadar keuntungan atau pertumbuhan perniagaan.
52. Ia juga tentang peluang yang dapat kita buka untuk orang lain.
53. Peluang pekerjaan, peluang untuk usahawan muda bermula, dan peluang untuk perniagaan lain berkembang.
54. Kita boleh membimbing usahawan muda, membantu perniagaan kecil dan berkongsi pengalaman.
55. Inilah semangat Ihsan yang ingin kita terus pupuk.
56. Kita mahu melihat perniagaan kita bukan sahaja terus maju, tetapi turut membuka jalan untuk orang lain berjaya. Kerana apabila lebih ramai usahawan berjaya, seluruh masyarakat kita turut maju bersama.
THE NEXT 70 YEARS
57. When SMCCI celebrates its centenary in 2056, I hope people will look back on this generation with pride.
58. That we had the courage to seize new opportunities.
59. That we helped others succeed.
60. And that we left the next generation with an even stronger foundation than we inherited.
61. The first seventy years were built on the determination of those who came before us.
62. The next seventy years are ours to shape.
63. Let us build a stronger business community. One that lifts others, opens doors
for the next generation, and leaves a legacy we can all be proud of.
64. To Dr Abdul Malik, the Board, Past Presidents, members and partners of SMCCI — congratulations once again on seventy remarkable years.
65. Thank you.
Wabillahi Taufik Walhidayah Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.