PM Wong reaffirms Singapore’s commitment to Palestinian statehood
PM Lawrence Wong visiting the Sree Narayana Mission in Yishun on March 2 for a Buka Puasa and relief packing event.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Anjali Raguraman
UPDATED Mar 03, 2025, 01:36 AM
SINGAPORE – The ongoing conflicts in Gaza and many other places reflect the current state of the world, where the superpowers are locked in intense contest and global institutions and norms are eroding, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on March 2.
While these are uncharted waters, Singapore will be able to navigate them successfully so long as Singaporeans stay a strong and united people, he said at a buka puasa – breaking fast – and relief packing event at the Sree Narayana Mission in Yishun.
At the same time, Singaporeans cannot turn a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza even though it is far away, PM Wong added as he pressed home the Republic’s consistent commitment towards helping the Palestinian people achieve eventual statehood.
“The suffering of civilians speaks to our shared humanity, and Singapore will do whatever we can to help,” he said.
“We will continue to work with our partners in the Middle East to support the pressing needs of Gaza.”
Addressing a crowd of more than 800 volunteers, community leaders and grassroots activists, PM Wong said the world is becoming a more dangerous place.
“The world is unfortunately starting to resemble a lawless jungle where might is right. And day by day, you can see signs of growing danger and turbulence all around us,” he said.
As a diverse society, Singaporeans may have differences, but must always remember they are one people living in peace and harmony together, regardless of race, language and religion.
“As we extend our hearts to those in need overseas, let us treasure and uphold all that we have here at home in Singapore... let us always treat one another with kindness and respect, for this spirit of solidarity is what makes Singapore special, and it is what will enable us to overcome all challenges and build a better future together.”
Earlier in the day, more than 300 volunteers of all creeds, races and ages gathered at Sree Narayana Mission to put together 5,000 Kidz Comfort Packs for children in Gaza.
Volunteers from Tampines Meridian Junior College, Nanyang Girls’ High School, Republic Polytechnic and groups like Soka Gakkai Singapore, AMP Singapore and Hindu Volunteers Network assembled the backpacks, which contained items such as snacks, a water bottle, a blanket, a soft toy and colouring materials.
Among the volunteers present was Ms Serena Teo, 36, who used her skills as a human resources professional to help with pre-event coordination and volunteer management.
She was heartened by the high turnout for the packing exercise. “When you have hundreds of individuals together, the efforts accumulate… every little bit makes a difference,” she said.
This was the fourth such exercise conducted by non-profit organisation Humanity Matters, which has already distributed 5,000 such comfort packs to Gaza City in July 2024, said Humanity Matters deputy chairman Noor Mohamed Marican.
PM Wong noted that many Singaporeans have donated generously, and volunteered their time and energy to ground-up relief efforts such as this.
“These contributions matter a lot. They may seem small compared to Gaza’s massive needs, but every action counts,” he said.
More than 300 volunteers gathered at Sree Narayana Mission to put together 5,000 Kidz Comfort Packs for children in Gaza.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
As a nation, Singapore has contributed more than $19 million to Gaza since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October 2023. On Feb 12, the Republic of Singapore Air Force delivered Singapore’s seventh tranche of humanitarian aid to Gaza via an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport.
According to the United Nations, some 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people – roughly half of them children – have been displaced by the war.
PM Wong said: “Besides providing humanitarian relief, Singapore will also fully back international efforts for a homeland and a state for the Palestinian people as part of a negotiated two-state solution.
“And we will continue to support the Palestinian Authority’s capacity-building efforts and support the Palestinians in eventually governing their own state.”
He said there will be more platforms to support Gaza during the fasting month, such as the new M3 Bazaar for Gaza booth at Bazaar Raya, the yearly Ramadan bazaar at Wisma Geylang Serai.
Launched on March 1, the booth has already raised $166,200 in aid for Gaza, with a goal of $600,000. It is organised by M3@Towns – a volunteering platform for the Malay/Muslim community – and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation.
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PM Wong said he was grateful that Singaporeans are stepping forward to contribute generously.
“We may be a little red dot, but we show through our actions that we have big hearts and we are a generous people,” he added.
At the event, home-grown shipping company Pacific International Lines and Humanity Matters signed a three-year agreement worth up to $1 million to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict or extreme climate events in Asean and the Middle East.
Since March 2024, the shipping firm has contributed to Humanity Matters’ relief efforts by providing sea freight and land logistics for five shipments of containers from Singapore to Gaza via Jordan. The shipments included medical supplies, water treatment systems, food and children’s care packs.
The agreement means the two partners will also collaborate on initiatives to protect vulnerable communities in Asean, including through language education, the provision of safe water, and coastal protection efforts.
Also present at the packing and community breaking fast event on March 2 were Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam as well as his fellow Nee Soon GRC MPs Louis Ng, Carrie Tan, Derrick Goh and Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
PM Wong said he was grateful that Singaporeans are stepping forward to contribute generously.
“We may be a little red dot, but we show through our actions that we have big hearts and we are a generous people,” he added.
At the event, home-grown shipping company Pacific International Lines and Humanity Matters signed a three-year agreement worth up to $1 million to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict or extreme climate events in Asean and the Middle East.
Since March 2024, the shipping firm has contributed to Humanity Matters’ relief efforts by providing sea freight and land logistics for five shipments of containers from Singapore to Gaza via Jordan. The shipments included medical supplies, water treatment systems, food and children’s care packs.
The agreement means the two partners will also collaborate on initiatives to protect vulnerable communities in Asean, including through language education, the provision of safe water, and coastal protection efforts.
Also present at the packing and community breaking fast event on March 2 were Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam as well as his fellow Nee Soon GRC MPs Louis Ng, Carrie Tan, Derrick Goh and Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
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