Hainanese clan association, at 170, continues to serve community: PM Wong

The Singapore Hainan Hwee Kuan continues to play a crucial role in drawing the Hainanese community together 170 years after its founding, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Dec 13.

- Ng Wei Kai

At a gala dinner celebrating the clan association's 170th anniversary, PM Wong said he hopes the community can continue working together to contribute to society.

"Unity is strength," he told an audience of about 820 in Mandarin. They included local clan members and representatives from overseas Hainanese clan associations, including those in Australia and Germany.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat was also present and gave out awards to scholarship recipients at the dinner, held at Bliss Garden restaurant at the Singapore Expo.

To stay united, association members should focus on the bigger picture when differences in opinion arise, working towards the community's larger interests, PM Wong said.

For early Hainanese migrants, the clan association was a second home and haven, he noted.

Today, it continues to shoulder the mission of uniting the community and spreading Hainanese culture and traditions, he said.

The Hainanese are a Chinese dialect group originally from Hainan island in the South China Sea.