Sense Sep/Oct 2019
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A sense of belonging SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT STAFF CREDIT SEP/OCT 2019 MCI (P) 056/11/2018 CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED Singapore Government Staff Credit Co-Operative Society 45th Bursary Awards Presentation Ceremony 2019 Guest-of-Honour Ms Tin Pei Ling Member of Parliament for MacPherson SMC Saturday 24 August WHAT’S ON WHAT’S ON WHAT’S ON 4 Small Tokens with 6 The Allure of Hanoi and 9 Commemorating our Bigger Meanings Ha Long Bay 200-year History FROM THE CHAIRMAN CHAIRMAN John Raghavan, PBS, PB VICE CHAIRMAN Lim Huan Chiang, JP, BBM (L) MAKING HON SECRETARY Tan Hung Cheng, PBS ASST HON SECRETARY Lim Hee Joo, PBS 10,000 HAPPEN HON TREASURER S. Sundram, PBS ASST HON TREASURER Abdul Alim Karim, PBS The recent activity COMMITTEE MEMBERS Noorul Hassan Tan Pin Cheow surrounding Singapore’s S Mohan John Michael, PBS Ab Majid Sahid, PBS Lim Yuxiang Bicentennial has inevitably GENERAL MANAGER Martin Nathan, PB, PBS, Pingat Kepujian given us a lot to reflect EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Lim Huan Chiang, JP, BBM (L) (Chairman) upon – our aspirations, Tan Pin Cheow S Mohan Ab Majid Sahid, PBS Martin Nathan, PB, PBS, Pingat Kepujian our fears, our trials and SECRETARIAT Prabha Chandran Seth, PBM our triumphs. EDITORIAL & DESIGN INKGOT! Pte Ltd n just another 6 years (or 2025), SGS Co-op will be celebrating Sense is the bi-monthly publication of The its 100 years. This timeline is not too far off and will be here Singapore Government Staff Credit Co- operative Society Limited. It is not for sale. in a blink of an eye. It is also our aspiration to mark our 100th The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the anniversary with a special meaning – we hope to achieve a Society. No part of this publication is to be Imembership of 10,000. reproduced, stored, transmitted, digitally or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher. The information contained herein is accurate at time of printing. In the past few years, we have been hovering around 7,000. Yet with over 80, 000 civil servants in the workforce, it does not take much 1 Sophia Road #05-21 Peace Centre Singapore 228149 for each of us to play our part and ask a colleague to join our co- Tel: 63374936 (Main) operative. 69336776 (Activities) 69336778 (Savings) 69336779 (Membership) To bolster our outreach efforts, we have created a short 3-min 69336782 (Loans) Fax: 63396772 animated YouTube video (explaining what our co-operative does) IVRS 24/7 Hotline Tel No: 69336777 for members to easily forward and share with colleagues on your Email: [email protected] Feedback: [email protected] smartphone or on Workplace. Plus, you will be rewarded with $20 for Website: www.sgscoop.sg every new member you sign up. We are making this appeal in hopes Operating Hours: 9.00am to 7.00pm (Mon-Fri), 9.00am to 1.30pm (Sat) of avoiding hiring external marketeers to increase our membership. LONGEVITY OF SGS CO-OP Recently, we gave out 197 bursary awards to the hard working children of our members. This educational bursary award is an important investment and our conscious effort to groom our young. Printed by Xpress Print Pte Ltd It is our way of encouraging our children and showing our support in their pursuit of building a brighter future. 2 Sense It is also our responsibility to MEMBERS’ TOURS OVER champion such values and we will THE YEARS continue to do so in every area of our business. In fact, our recent 2013 – Palau Redang Cruise clean audit report acknowledged 2014 – Beijing, China the efforts we have put in place to Phnom Penh, Cambodia ensure good corporate governance Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam at every level. Jogjakarta, Indonesia 2015 – Bali, Indonesia We are always open to members’ Chennai, India inputs and welcome constructive Rome, Italy feedback and ideas to the Tanjong Pinang, Indonesia As our society grew over the betterment of our society through 2016 – Hong Kong SAR years so has the help and our feedback channels. 2017 – Yangon, Myanmar support we have given to our Phnom Penh, Cambodia members’ children. This giving is TRAVEL AS A FAMILY 2018 – Manila, the Philippines made possible because of every Taipei, Taiwan Since 2013, to engage and bond members’ contribution which 2019 – Batam, Indonesia members together, we have been snowballed to enable us to help Zhuhai & Macau, China organising travel tours and offering more children over the years. Not Hanoi & Ha Long Bay, these travel deals at preferential only do we intend to continue this Vietnam rates, including subsidies of tradition of supporting the young, around $50-$100 per person. To we intend to help more children those possibilities as well. Clearly, date, we have completed 17 such in future. the travel partner we choose tours, mainly around Asia, where to work with will need to fulfil a travel fares are kept reasonable in To ensure the long term tall order including, an affordably spite of a packed itinerary tailored sustainability of our co-operative, priced plan. to suit the preferences of our we too hope that our children will members. join our society when they join To conclude, I am reminded of the the workforce in future, and pay upcoming Deepavali and would Furthermore, we have received it forward by giving back to the like to wish you and your families numerous commendation on the generations that will come after peace, health and prosperity! excellent tour co-ordination such them. as land transfers, fee-inclusive LEAD WITH INTEGRITY activities and scheduled meals that make the entire travel experience As a credit co-operative advocating hassle-free for members to truly financial prudence, values such unwind and relax. as integrity, trustworthiness and John Raghavan PB, PBS transparency underlie our core Seeing how such tours appeal to Chairman beliefs. It exemplifies how we have the majority, we will continue to led and managed our society over organise more tours and secure the years to ensure the healthy better travel deals in the near growth of our members’ savings. future. In addition, we have noted on recent requests for farther Every cent is hard earned and must destinations such as London and be put to hard work to ensure the New York and, are open to explore positive growth of our savings in building a nest egg for our future. Correction in Jul/Aug 2019 issue Likewise, every cent spent must We were alerted to an error in our previous SENSE issue on Page 7 where the be scrutinised and accounted for, advertisement wrongly state that the Gala Dinner tickets were “open for booking because it affects how much we from 1 August 2018”. It should have been “open for booking from 1 August 2019”. We apologise for the error and any inconvenience it may have caused. will have in future. SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2019 3 WHAT’S ON Small Tokens with Bigger Meanings SGS Co-op Annual Bursary Awards 2019 GS Co-op’s 45th Bursary Awards Presentation Ceremony “Education is about enabling us and empowering Swas held on 24 August 2019 us to capture opportunities that present where award winners and their themselves in the real world, and as such families came together with Guest- of-Honour Member of Parliament, Ms has to keep pace with what is happening Tin Pei Lin. in the real world. We have to be able to anticipate upcoming trends and This award recognises students who opportunities in our future so that after not only excel academically but have graduation, we will be able to continue to demonstrated exemplary values, contribute meaningfully to the lives of our civic responsibility and achievements family, country and fellow Singaporeans.” in non-academic domains such as leadership, co-curricular activities and Guest of Honour, Ms Tin Pei Ling, service to the school or community. Member of Parliament This year, a total of $46, 750 was Whilst our Primary and Secondary rapidly-changing times. She said that awarded to 197 deserving students School award recipients would have education is about empowering us from upper primary to tertiary levels. collected their awards from our SGS to capture opportunities that present Co-op office, the older recipients themselves in the real world such “I tell the members received their awards on this that we would be able to contribute every year that Saturday. meaningfully to the lives of our family, while what the country and fellow Singaporeans. Co-Op gives For the first time in the past 45 years, is a small the number of tertiary level applicants A big hearty congratulations to all our token, the awards go a exceeded applicants from the other award recipients and their families long way for levels, a clear indication that more of for supporting them in their learning the children, our children are going on to pursue journey! especially those higher education. from lower-income Applications for the bursary are families. Sometimes they do not have pocket money to buy something that they want, so In her opening address, Ms Tin open from January to April each year this award will help them get something that expressed her congratulations with further details made available they want to reward and motivate themselves to this year’s recipients and also via SENSE and forms available at to continue doing their best.” reiterated the importance of being our SGS Co-op office. Look out for Mr John Raghavan, Chairman of SGS Co-Op adaptable and resilient in the face of it next year! 4 Sense Our Proud Recipients and Their Parents “I am grateful to be given the “My daughter is not a first- “I’ve always been very hands- “We always encourage our opportunity to win this award, time awardee, but every time on since I was a child, and I children to do the best that they and it certainly motivates me she achieves something as a want to be able to support can and lead their life to to work harder towards result of her hard work, it Singapore’s aging the fullest, so that the my goals.