Singapore, 13 October 2025 — Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (“SFCCA”) hosted a gala dinner this evening at the Fairmont Ballroom, Raffles City Convention Centre, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The dinner was attended by 1,000 guests, including SFCCA’s Patron, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong, who officiated the event as Guest of Honour, together with Ministers, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests.
Themed “Harness Community Spirit, Unite in Action, Build a New Chapter Together” (abbreviated as HUB, Mandarin: 和衷共济·同行绘新), the celebration underscores SFCCA’s enduring spirit of unity and mutual support, and its commitment to innovation and collaboration with all sectors of society in shaping a shared future.
During the dinner, SFCCA premiered two new short films. The first, a corporate video, is structured around three themes – Cultural Heritage, Building a Community, and Youth and the Future – showcasing the Federation’s growth and vision. It highlights SFCCA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the Chinese community and drive cultural preservation, reaffirming its commitment to its founding mission. The corporate video will be released in three episodes, with the first episode premiering on 14 October at 12 noon on SFCCA’s social media platforms. Subsequent episodes will be launched every two days thereafter.
The second short film was a special tribute to SFCCA’s late Founding President, Dr Wee Cho Yaw, expressing the Federation’s deepest gratitude and respect for his monumental contributions in laying SFCCA’s foundations, uniting clan organisations, and advancing the progress of the Chinese community.
In his speech, SFCCA President Mr Thomas Chua noted that the Federation’s forty-year journey had not been an easy one, and that its success has relied greatly on the strong support and trust of the nation and the pioneers of the Chinese community. He highlighted that SFCCA has evolved from “leading the Chinese community” to becoming “a vital bridge between the government and the Chinese community”. Mr Chua expressed hope that SFCCA will continue to play an important role in the years ahead, injecting new vitality into both the Chinese community and the nation as they work together to create a new chapter.
Mr Chua also announced that the Federation’s flagship project, Clan of the Year Award, will be revamped to focus on learning from exemplary models. In future, SFCCA plans to host forums inviting award-winning clan associations to share best practices and experiences, thereby promoting the collective development of the clan community.
In addition to celebrating its 40th anniversary, SFCCA took the opportunity to honour local Chinese clan associations with over 200 years of history, in recognition of their longstanding contributions to the preservation of Chinese heritage and community building. Commemorative tokens were presented to five clan associations (refer to Annex A) by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. SFCCA hopes these associations will continue their exemplary work and join hands in writing the next chapter of the Chinese community’s development.
That evening, Prime Minister Wong, Minister Chee Hong Tat, SFCCA President Thomas Chua, Honorary President Dr Chua Thian Poh, and Vice-President Zhong Shen Jian jointly officiated the unveiling of a commemorative plaque presented by the Prime Minister to SFCCA. Inscribed with the four Chinese characters “同行绘新” (Build a New Chapter Together), the plaque complements the “和衷共济” (Overcoming Challenges in Solidarity) plaque presented by the late Founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew during SFCCA’s 25th anniversary celebration in 2011. Together, the two plaques symbolise SFCCA’s commitment to carrying forward its legacy – upholding unity, integrity, and innovation – as it continues to work alongside all sectors of society to achieve new milestones.
