SOS and Seacare hosted their Lunar New Year Celebration and Long Membership Award presentation on Jan 27, which saw a strong turnout of maritime tripartite partners, associates and members at Fairmont Singapore.
The event was attended by Guest-of-Honour Grace Fu, Minister of Sustainability and the Environment, and Advisor to SOS.
In his opening address, General Secretary Daniel Tan welcomed attendees and expressed delight at the strong attendance and festive mood. Brother Daniel conveyed a message of hope and optimism, noting that the global pandemic was stabilising, and SOS had resumed ship visits and physical interactions with seafarers. He emphasised the importance of collaboration with maritime tripartite partners to improve the working and living standards of seafarers.
Brother Daniel highlighted the recent refurbishment of the Seacare Drop-In Centre at Pasir Panjang Terminal, providing a cosy ambience for seafarers to recharge and rejuvenate. He also noted that Seacare Co-operative has partnered with SOS and Chip Eng Seng Group to disburse Seacare Community Shop gift vouchers monthly to less privileged households.
In her speech, Sister Grace Fu extended her warmest wishes to all attendees for a happy, healthy, and prosperous Lunar New Year. Sister Grace expressed her admiration for SOS and Seacare’s efforts to support seafarers and their families, particularly during the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic. She highlighted the importance of collaboration and partnerships to address the issues facing the maritime industry and ensure the well-being of seafarers.
Long Membership Award presentation
As part of the programme, the SOS Long Membership tokens were presented to members. It was also the first time SOS presented the 50th year Long Membership category under the enhanced Benefit n Welfare scheme for members.
A token of appreciation was also presented to the Seafarers’ Provident Funds (SPF) Administrative Committee members to thank them for contributing to the scheme, which successfully ceased in 2022. The celebration continued with stage performances and the auspicious presentation of Year of the Rabbit coin sets by eight Gods of Fortune. Side draws were also conducted for participants.
The celebration was an excellent networking opportunity for industry and tripartite partners to connect, share ideas and discuss future collaborations. The strong turnout was a testament to the robust partnerships between SOS, Seacare, and the broader maritime community.
Click here for more feature stories in Samudra.
