Welcome Address by Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Tong SC, at the Mediators’ Appointment Ceremony and Appreciation Dinner 2026

Introduction

1.                 Good evening, everyone. My MinLaw colleagues, SMS Murali and SPS Eric, and Prof Ho Peng Kee, thank you very much for joining us. Prof, I think it must be your years of work in mediation, because you look exactly as I remember you from many years ago, when you used to teach me in school.

2.                 I would like to start by warmly welcoming all of you to this evening’s gathering.

3.                 We are always excited to meet with all our mediators, and always thrilled to listen to your stories – how long you have served, stories of the different cases that you have heard, and how you managed to find that bridge of peace in between.

4.                 We want to say a big thank you to all of you at the start of my speech, for not just being here, but for always showing up, always putting the extra hours to find a solution, even for cases that might seem so intractable, so difficult to solve.

5.                 Later on in my speech, I will talk a little bit about how successful all of you have been. Over the years, I have come to know many of you – not just as mediators, but on a personal basis, and I can personally attest to how committed and dedicated a group of mediators we have.

6.                 As you know, this year, we are commemorating 200 years since the Second Charter of Justice in 1826. 200 years ago, we had a document which established Singapore’s judicature and laid the foundation for our modern legal system.

7.                 The commemoration has given us an opportunity to reflect on how our legal system has evolved over the years, and to also, for me at least, discover some lesser-known parts of our history.

8.                 Some of you might know I have always had an interest in history. If I was not a lawyer, I would probably be a historian or a history teacher.

9.                 So I thought I would begin this evening with a story from our past that has an unexpected connection to the work that all of you do.

A Story from 1819

10.                 You all know that modern Singapore was founded in 1819.

11.                 To be precise, it was on 6 February 1819, when Stamford Raffles signed the Treaty of Friendship and Alliance with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdul Rahman. This allowed the British to establish a trading post here in Singapore.

12.                 But what is lesser known is that barely five months later, arrangements were already being made to address disputes and grievances within the new settlement.

13.                 On 26 June 1819, Raffles, William Farquhar, the Sultan and the Temenggong entered into another agreement, this time on how the settlement would be governed, in case there were disputes.

14.                 One provision caught my attention.

15.                 Every Monday morning, at precisely 10 o’clock, the Sultan, the Temenggong and the British Resident were to meet at a place called the Rumah Bicara, on the site of what later became the former Supreme Court building, now part of the National Gallery.

16.                 There, community leaders, including village headmen, would bring forward their grievances and complaints from their communities. Sounded a bit like what I do every week at the Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS)!

17.                 Residents who felt unfairly treated by their community leaders or any neighbours could also raise their grievances directly with the British Resident.

18.                 Mind you, this was in 1819, long before our modern courts, before our tribunals, and definitely before our Community Mediation Centres.

19.                 Of course, the Rumah Bicara was not a mediation centre in the form as we understand it today.

20.                 But this little story shows us that the work that we do has had early recognition from the very beginning. In fact, the very year Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore, they knew that we needed a framework to resolve disputes.

21.                 More than two centuries later, Singapore has changed tremendously, but some things have not changed and it is that we need to grapple with similar questions.

22.                 How much should we expect neighbours to resolve their differences themselves? Or do we need a framework or a figure of authority? When should the community step in to help? And when should the Government then step in to take a more active role?

Strengthening the Community Disputes Management Framework

23.                 These are questions that have shaped the recent changes to our Community Disputes Management Framework (CDMF). We passed it in Parliament more than a year ago, and we have been implementing it in phases because it is a novel piece of legislation. We want to implement carefully and strike the right balance, so that we do not encourage all neighbours to think that the moment there is a disagreement, the Government will somehow step in to resolve it for them.

24.                 Our approach has always been to encourage neighbours to resolve differences through communication, mutual understanding and reasonable accommodation. You give some, and I give some.

25.                 But sometimes, goodwill alone is not always enough.

26.                 Some neighbours just simply refuse to engage with one another. Some disputes start small, but they become protracted and deeply entrenched. In serious cases, residents should not have to endure that unreasonable conduct indefinitely.

27.                 We therefore felt that we needed an effective way to intervene within a framework, when amicable resolution proves difficult.

28.                 So, what we did was that after we passed the Bill, we started a pilot in Tampines in April 2025. We learned lessons from it, before we expanded the enhanced CDMF nationwide on 1 September this year.

29.                 Under the Mediation Direction framework, authorised officers can now require disputing neighbours to attend mediation at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC).

30.                 This addresses a longstanding difficulty where one party’s refusal to participate could then completely stymie and prevent mediation from taking place altogether.

31.                 We have also expanded the Community Relations Unit (CRU) nationwide to address severe neighbour noise disputes. Noise is the biggest category of disputes between neighbours.

32.                 CRU officers are empowered to investigate complaints, issue warnings and, where necessary in some cases, issue abatement orders requiring the nuisance to stop.

33.                 In addition, parties who reach a mediated settlement may, with mutual consent, go on to register their agreement as an order of the CDRT. This gives the mediated agreement the force of law.

34.                 These changes give residents more effective avenues for resolving disputes, backed by stronger powers to intervene where necessary.

35.                 But our intention is not for the Government to step in into every disagreement, as I have mentioned.

36.                 We want neighbours to take responsibility for resolving their own disputes. When you are two persons who live 24/7 side by side, there must be some degree of accommodation because you see each other all the time. If you have to resolve your dispute only by an adjudicatory order, then you can be sure that there will be retaliation. So we want to find accommodation.

37.                 It is about striking the right balance between personal responsibility, community support and Government intervention.

38.                 I have seen firsthand myself, as an MP, why getting this balance right is so important.

Beyond Settling the Dispute

39.                 I am sure many of you have volunteered in some capacity or other. You have seen these disputes arise, and sometimes when they are not settled early enough, they become entrenched. I have seen my fair share of neighbour disputes, whether at MPS, or during house visits, or through residents who come to me directly.

40.                 Sometimes the neighbour’s dog is barking too loudly. Or the neighbour’s trees are hanging over and shedding leaves. Or the neighbour is singing too loudly, or has pet birds and so on. It is a range of different disamenities. On its own, it is not unlawful. But I can understand the disamenity it causes. So, it is a fine balance of how far we step in.

41.                 Over time, if you do not resolve this, our fear is that the dispute can become personal, when neighbours feel ignored, unfairly treated or disrespected.

42.                 By the time that happens, resolving the original complaint, whether it is noise, trees or some encroachment, may not be enough., Because it has developed, there will be other issues that are now at play.

43.                 So an abatement order may stop a noise nuisance and a CDRT order may require a neighbour to comply with certain obligations, but neither necessarily resolves the resentment or the distrust that has developed.

44.                 Unlike parties to a commercial dispute, neighbours cannot then go their separate ways after an order has been made. They may continue living next to each other for many years to come. That is why, having debated this very carefully, first within Government and then in Parliament, we felt that community mediation can make a real difference.

45.                 Beyond reaching an agreement, mediation can help neighbours understand each other’s perspectives, rebuild trust, and better manage future disagreements amongst themselves.

46.                 It is not just about settling the dispute. The dispute is just, in many ways, an excuse to try and bring the parties together on a more holistic basis.

47.                 This becomes especially challenging when parties have been directed to attend mediation.

48.                 Some, as you might know, may arrive at the CMC very angry and very upset that they have been asked to come. They might become very defensive, closed up, and refuse to engage, or simply take unreasonable positions knowing that the other party will then be encouraged not to proceed. Oftentimes, we see this.

49.                 That is precisely when your skills and experience become so important.

50.                 You help people look beyond these differences, open closed doors, and pierce that angry exterior to reach the softer side, and find that common ground.

51.                 The law can require parties to attend mediation, but it cannot make them listen, understand one another, and take that first step to rebuild trust. That takes patience, empathy and skill.

52.                 As more reluctant parties come to mediation, we will continue supporting all of you, as mediators, in dealing with this – with the training and guidance to manage these difficult conversations.

53.                 Ultimately, the success of our enhanced framework rests on all of you. It is not just on the powers that we have conferred, but on the skills of each of you as you deal with the cases.

54.                 I know the cases are different. Some of them require a lot more time and patience to resolve, and I thank you very much for that.

Appreciating Our Mediators

55.                 That brings me to all of you this evening.

56.                 I know from my colleagues at the CMC how much time, patience and care each of you devote to each mediation. You take every case seriously. Every case is important to you, and you often do this after your own long workday or at the expense of family or personal time over the weekend.

57.                 But your efforts have made a real difference, and I thought I will share some details with you.

58.                 From January to September this year, 221 voluntary mediation cases were conducted at the CMC. Of these, 185 were successfully settled – that is close to 85 per cent.

59.                 That is a remarkable testament to the patience, skill and strong degree of empathy that all of you have shown in each of these cases. I want to pause for a while and ask you to give a round of applause for yourself. I think you all deserve the applause. You deserve the fact that you are being honoured this evening, and we thank you for being part of this community.

60.                 But I also know that your contributions go well beyond just the cases that you settle. Those are just numbers.

61.                 Much of your work happens quietly, away from the glare of the public eye when no one is watching. Many of you also devote time to mentoring newer colleagues and training the next generation of mediators, generously sharing your wisdom, experience and expertise from the years of experience that you have gained.

62.                 I want you to know that your contributions are very deeply appreciated, and never taken for granted. We might not always see the work that you do because it is done behind closed doors and away from the public eye, but we would like you to know that all of this is always appreciated.

63.                 To all our mediators being reappointed, I thank you very much for continuing to serve. Earlier on, SMS Murali and I were just commenting that in this room, we see hundreds, if not thousands, of years of collective experience. We see many of you continuing to come back year in and year out, day in and day out, and we are so grateful to all of you for this. Your willingness to give your time and experience, after all this time, really means a great deal to us.

64.                 To our 12 newly appointed mediators, a very warm welcome to you. I want to assure you that you will feel at home with the CMC family. After a while, this will become your second home. You will learn generously from your experienced colleagues. They will share with you their skills, their tricks and the little bit of empathy that unlocks that individual who comes before you. I am sure you will find the work both meaningful and rewarding.

65.                 To those receiving promotions and awards, my warmest congratulations. This is a well-deserved recognition of your skills, expertise and commitment.

66.                 I also want to take a moment to thank your families. Not all of them are here, but it is important that we thank your families. It is because of what they do, how they support you at home that you can do what you do. So, I want to thank them for their understanding and support, which makes your volunteer service possible.

67.                 And finally, to the CMC team and to all our partners – CRU, HDB, PA, ServiceSG Centres, SPF and the State Courts. you can see there is a big machinery behind what we do, I want to thank you for the work that you do, often behind the scenes to support our mediators. I am very sincerely grateful to all of you for your generosity and partnership.

68.                 Because of all of you, we are able to help neighbours resolve their disputes amicably.

New CMC Logo

69.                 But for people to seek help, they must first know where to go, and who to approach.

70.                 That is one reason why we have chosen to refresh the CMC logo.

71.                 The new logo spells out “Community Mediation Centre” in full, so that its name is more easily recognised and understood.

72.                 If you look closely at the letter “M” for “Mediation”, you will see three connected figures – two disputing parties, and a mediator bringing them together.

73.                 We felt that it is a simple but deeply meaningful symbol of what community mediation is all about – finding that bridge to bridge differences, and eventually finding common ground and moving on from there.

Conclusion

74.                 Let me go back to where I started – Rumah Bicara (not the Room for Bickering!) of 1819.

75.                 More than 200 years have passed since those Monday morning meetings. Singapore, of course, has changed enormously, and so have the tools we use to resolve disputes.

76.                 But for 200 years, one thing has remained constant – and that is the need to, with empathy, find common ground. Nothing works without empathy, without a sense of being understood or a sense of understanding. Not just what the problem is, but what the emotion is behind the problem.

77.                 So the need to find common ground, even when we disagree, remains just as important today. After all, what makes a community strong is not just how well we settle our disputes, but how we treat one another when we disagree.

78.                 After we settle, it is always easy, we are all friends. But what we do with our neighbours, when we are still disagreeing with one another, is the hallmark of a harmonious society.

79.                 The framework that we have and the efforts of all our mediators give parties the assurance that there is help and that there is a way for them to reach across their differences and find a solution.

80.                 Being a community is really all about looking out for one another, and learning to live together despite our differences.

81.                 That is this spirit that had kept Singapore strong. It has been 200 years since we inherited the Second Charter of Justice and set up our legal system. But I must say that, in the 200 years, we have made it our own. It works for Singapore, it matches the aspirations of an evolving Singapore, and most importantly, it is at the heart of the legal system that we operate today.

82.                 So, on that note, I want to say tonight is your night. Please enjoy and thank you very much for being here.

Last updated on 21 October 2026