MFA Press Release: Edited Transcript of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's speech at the post-Sabah earthquake thank you reception on 2 April, Kota Kinabalu

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan expressing the Singapore Government’s gratitude to the families of the late Mountain Torq trainers (L to R: Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anifah Aman, Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, mother of Valerian Joannes, Soutim Binti Sumbin, mother of Ricky Masirin, Sahiah Bintin Boliking)

Yang Berhomat Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Anifah Haji Aman and

Datin Sri Siti Rubiah Abdul Samad

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen,

1        Good evening and selamat petang.  Nine months ago, on the 5th of June 2015, tragedy struck.  It struck when an earthquake shook Sabah.  This was perhaps the strongest earthquake that Malaysia had seen since at least 1976. Eighteen young lives were lost, amongst them people from Malaysia, Japan, China and Singapore.  Ten people from Singapore lost their lives: seven students, two teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School, and one Singaporean instructor.  It was a tragic loss and I recall Singaporeans and Malaysians following the news anxiously, waiting for good news or confirmation of bad news. And as news gradually broke of the death toll, we grieved as families, as peoples, and as nations.  And in this time of great tragedy, Singapore also appreciated that we had a true friend in Malaysia, especially the people of Sabah.  The support and assistance that was rendered to us by all of you here brought immeasurable relief and consolation.  So we are here today and I am here to express on behalf of the people and government of Singapore, our deep gratitude to the people of Malaysia and especially the people of Sabah, and to the Government of Malaysia, for all that you did.  This reception is our small way of saying ‘terima kasih’.

2        We have all heard many moving stories that played out on the mountaintop as well as now here in Kota Kinabalu – the stories of the bravery, selflessness, sacrifice of the Mount Kinabalu guides and Mountain Torq trainers, who were with our students and teachers when the earthquake struck.  In the immediate aftermath, these heroes were at the forefront of the rescue efforts.  As boulders fell, and some of them were as large as cars, these guides and trainers used their own bodies as human shields to embrace and protect our young students.  They then did their best to help the climbers down to safety, before heading back up again in search for other climbers who needed help.  Many of you would have seen a widely circulated photograph of Rizuan Kauhinin, a guide, carrying an injured Singaporean student on his back for two kilometres down the mountain, before being assisted by other guides.  Because of the quick thinking, the bravery and the courage of people like Rizuan and the Mountain Torq guides and the people of Sabah, lives were saved and families were reunited. 

3        The leader of our Crisis Response Team is here – Deputy Secretary Lim Boon Wee from the Ministry of Education. So is the principal of Tanjong Katong Primary School Mrs Caroline Wu. And they can attest to the fact that we were assisted so graciously by so many Malaysian and Sabahan agencies during the search, rescue and recovery phase.  Your willingness to go the extra mile for us, even as you yourself were coping with grief and tragedy, was a powerful statement of the people to people ties and the friendships that exist between our two nations.  Thanks to all your collective efforts, 22 of our students and 6 teachers arrived back in Singapore safely, and we were able to repatriate the remains of seven Singaporeans within three days of the earthquake.  Wisma Putra and the Sabah State government, in particular the Tourism Ministry, played an instrumental role in facilitating all of this.  Gleneagles Hospital provided excellent care to injured Singaporeans, while the Royal Malaysian Police, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Sabah Health Department worked round the clock to help the families of the deceased.  Datuk Irene Benggon of the Sabah Tourism Board and the then-SilkAir Station manager, Wilson Tan and his excellent team, facilitated arrangements at Kota Kinabalu International Airport for the smooth return of the next-of-kin.  Last but not least, Sutera Harbour, and I am glad that Sam Goi is here tonight with us. He hosted our Crisis Response Team’s Crisis Ops Centre and the families of victims, provided them with a place of solace and privacy to grieve away from the public eye.

4        The events of last June were a difficult chapter in Singapore’s history. This was more so in a year when we were supposed to celebrate our Golden Jubilee.  The loss of young lives is always heart-breaking.  On 8 June 2015, a National Day of Remembrance was declared by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, with a minute of silence observed at the start of all Southeast Asian Games events on that day.  And about two weeks after the earthquake, several Mount Kinabalu guides and Mountain Torq trainers were invited to attend reunion events with the students and teachers at Tanjong Katong Primary School.  Stories of their courage and devotion drew many tributes from Singaporeans. 

5        Recognising the selfless efforts and courage of the guides and trainers, Singaporeans also wanted to do their part.  In response to requests from the public, Singapore’s Ministry of Education and the Temasek Foundation came together to establish the Sabah Earthquake Fund in June 2015.  Many Singaporeans and corporate donors have contributed to the fund.  A total of S$100,000 – about RM289,000 – was raised to support the guides and trainers in Sabah.  We have since disbursed about half of this to Mountain Torq and the other half to the Earthquake Disaster Fund administered by Sabah Parks, which will support the guides.  We hope that these donations will go some way in helping the guides and trainers to rebuild their lives.

6        To further express our gratitude, President Tony Tan awarded National Day Commendation Medals to five Mountain Torq trainers who accompanied our students during the expedition in June – these trainers are Hajiris Sulomin, Hilary Hendry Augustinus, James Maikol , the late Valerian Joannes and the late Ricky Masirin.  I am glad that the mothers of Valerian Joannes and Ricky Masirin are here tonight. We thank you for your son’s ultimate sacrifice to protect our children. We were also honoured to receive Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak and Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor at a reception in August last year, where they met with the families of the deceased Singaporeans.  These gestures have been deeply appreciated by the families and indeed by all Singaporeans.  The warmth and graciousness shown to the families demonstrate the strength and depth of the people to people ties between our two nations. .

7        The 22 students from Tanjong Katong Primary School who survived the earthquake have since progressed to the next stage of their education and the six teachers have returned to work.  They have demonstrated great resilience and courage.

8        Lastly, let me end with a few words in Malay.  Sebagai penutup, kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua kawan-kawan di atas keberanian dan bantuan anda. Kami sesungguhnya amat terhutang budi dan berterima kasih atas persahabatan yang ditunjukkan kepada Singapura.[1] 

9        Hubungan Malaysia-Singapura:

“Seperti aur dengan tebing”,  

“Ke bukit sama didaki, ke lurah sama dituruni”[2]

10      Terima kasih. Thank you all very much.  And I wish you a pleasant evening while we remember their sacrifices, courage and celebrate the strength of the human spirit. Thank you very much. Terima Kasih.

[1]        Translation: In closing, we express our gratitude to all friends for your courage and assistance.  We are truly very grateful and thankful for the friendship shown to Singapore.

[2]           Translation: The Malaysia-Singapura relationship is like roots and the river bank;  Scaling the hill and going down the valley together.  Meaning:  Like roots helping the river bank from being eroded by the flowing water, friends will do everything and take any challenge together.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

2 APRIL 2016