Speech by SMS Murali Pillai SC, Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport at the Rotary Club of Tanglin
20 June 2026 Posted in Speeches
Mr Henrik Bresman, President of the Rotary Club of Tanglin,
Mr Norbert Meuser, Incoming President of the Rotary Club of Tanglin,
Rotarians,
Friends from Malaysia and the Philippines,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Introduction
1. A very good evening to you. Somewhere in Tacloban, Philippines, there is a medical centre that this club helped build. The people who walk through its doors today – mothers in labour, children needing emergency care – may not know that your Rotary Clubs – Makati South and Tanglin and others funded it. But the centre is there. It works. It gives hope. It saves lives.
2. Rotary’s motto is Service Above Self. This Rotary year, Rotary International has chosen the theme: “Create Lasting Impact.” These are not separate aspirations. Service above self is how lasting impact happens. When the purpose is the people you serve, not the recognition you receive, the work takes on a life and meaning of its own.
3. We meet at difficult times. The situation in the Middle East continues to send ripples through the global energy markets and supply chains. Singaporeans are already feeling the effects in their daily lives. The Government stood up the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee to coordinate our national response – securing supplies, supporting households and businesses, and keeping our critical systems running. As a small and open economy, we cannot insulate ourselves completely. But we can choose how we respond. And in uncertain times, service that is sustained – not reactive, not temporary, but lasting – matters even more.
4. The Rotary Club of Tanglin demonstrates this. Here in Singapore, you have endowed scholarships at the Singapore Institute of Technology for students from lower-income families pursuing nursing, speech and language therapy, and allied health. You have co-hosted events for less privileged residents. And overseas, you have partnered the Rotary Club of Makati South for humanitarian relief after the typhoons that struck the Philippines late last year – continuing a bond of service that stretches back to the construction of the Abucay Health Centre in Tacloban after Typhoon Haiyan. These efforts are part of a wider Rotary tradition of tackling the world’s most persistent challenges – from eradicating polio to promoting peace, supporting education, and empowering communities across generations.
5. Each of these is an act of service above self – people from different backgrounds, professions, and generations choosing to ask not “What do I gain?” but “How can I contribute?” And each will outlast the Rotarians who made it possible. The young man or woman who receives one of those scholarships may spend decades caring for patients – many of whom may not know their names, and none of whom will ever know yours.
6. The Rotarian spirit is something that resonates with me. Since joining legal practice 30 years ago, I volunteered at weekly legal clinics in Bukit Batok. I also took on cases on behalf of people who could not afford a lawyer. That pro bono work shaped how I think about service as much as anything else in my career. I suspect every Rotarian in this room knows exactly what I mean. It is not just about giving. I believe if not for my pro bono work, I may have become too cynical a person. So, active service helped me develop a better personality.
7. Tonight we mark the passing of leadership from Henrik to Norbert. Henrik, I may not have had the privilege of seeing your year unfold week after week, but the strength of what you are handing over tonight tells its own story. A club that is active, connected, and ready for the year ahead did not arrive at this point by accident. Thank you Henrik and the outgoing leadership team for your dedication and service over the past year. .
8. Norbert, you take on this responsibility at a moment when sustained, purposeful service matters as much as it ever has. Leadership in Rotary is about inspiring people, building friendships, nurturing future leaders, and mobilising goodwill into meaningful action that leaves a lasting impact. I wish you well and hope that under your leadership, this club will continue to grow in relevance, compassion, and impact.
9. And to the Rotaractors, Interactors, and young leaders (and I must confess that I looked at the dictionary, and I couldn’t find these words Rotaractors and Interactors) — the chain of service that began when this club was founded in 1984 continues through you. You are not the future of Rotary. You are already its present. Your energy, innovation, and idealism are vital in ensuring Rotary remains dynamic and impactful for generations to come.
10. The spirit of Service Above Self is over a century old. It endures because it encompasses something timeless: that a life given to others builds something that outlasts the giver. Norbert mentioned to me just now that this is the motto that binds the more than 36,000 Rotary clubs across the world.
11. As this club begins a new Rotary year, may you continue to create lasting impact through the values you embody: integrity, friendship, service, and humanity. The medical centre in Tacloban will still be standing long after tonight’s dinner is forgotten. May everything you do this year leave that same enduring mark. Thank you for your attention.
Last updated on 20 June 2026