Adeline and Kailin (the hugger and hug-ee :) ) are not blood relatives, yet they are family! Kailin was only 12 when she came to Singapore. Adeline, her schoolmate’s mother, took care of her and raised her to adulthood with her own daughter. Kailin, now 25 and a nurse, received her citizenship today from me. You can see how proud Adeline is of her ‘daughter’!
Kailin was one of the 150 new citizens we welcomed this morning in Teck Ghee. They are friends, schoolmates, co-workers, and spouses, and today they became members of our Singapore family.
Taking up a new citizenship is a big decision. You must uproot yourself, integrate into a new environment, and adapt to a new culture. You have to commit yourself to a new loyalty and allegiance, to the adopted country.
These new citizens have done that. But their journey should not end there. I encouraged them to deepen their roots here, to be active citizens, and work with other Singaporeans. Together, we can build an endearing home for everyone. – LHL
(MCI Photo by Chwee)
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