2005 Speeches
Remarks by Ambassador Lavin for Foreign Service National Dinner
September 3, 2005
Thanks, T.K., for those kind remarks. I understand that you’ve managed to pull together an unprecedented collection of lucky draw prizes, so perhaps you’ve found your true calling: shake-down artist!
I will start my remarks by taking a page from the National Day Rally Address:
Saya berasa sungguh gembira bersama anda semua pada malam ini. Anda semua kelihatan cantik berpakaian batik dan sarong.
[Same sentiments expressed in Mandarin.]
Okay, I promise not to deliver all my remarks in three languages, as the Prime Minister did. Ann and I are happy to be here with you all tonight. Thank you for including us. All of you look lovely wearing batiks and sarongs – my choice was easy. I don’t wear a sarong well. At least not as well as the Ming Emperor costume I wore last year.
On this happy evening, it is also time to reflect that this will be my final FSN dinner. So let me say a few words about the importance of the Foreign Service National staff, and why Ann and I are going to miss you.
In my view, the FSN staff is the backbone of the embassy.
You are the ones who provide the continuity and institutional memory for the Mission.
You are also the public face of the Embassy; indeed, most Singaporeans who come to the Embassy interact primarily with locally engaged staff.
You serve as a cultural bridge for our American colleagues, especially those who are serving in Asia or overseas for the first time.
For all these reasons, we thank you for your dedicated service.
We’ve been through some challenging times together, starting with 9/11 a few weeks after I arrived. SARS changed the way we do business. The economic downturn affected us all, though we are well into the recovery. The threat of terrorism remains in the region, and something that we all have to remain alert to, even here in Singapore.
We’ve faced these challenges together, and things are looking up. The Free Trade Agreement, the Container Security Initiative, and the SFA all stand out as highlights of our work together. Our law enforcement colleagues are working closely with Singaporean counterparts. Our efforts in support of tsunami relief give us all reason to be proud of our contributions in the region.
All of us in this room know that we’re the “good guys.” As Americans and Singaporeans, we know that a pluralistic, inclusive, peaceful society is the best framework for a better life for our citizens.
Some of my fondest memories of my tour include people in this room. Some were group activities like serving Thanksgiving meals or sharing in July 4th cakes. Or the celebration at the residence after beating Embassy Kuala Lumpur in the Games two years ago. Okay, we didn’t do so well last year, but we will win next year, since we select the games.
And there are many FSN accomplishments. For example, Chan Yiu Kei, Annie Tan, and Anna Govindasamy trekked up Mt. Fuji in Japan and to the base camp of Mt. Everest. Now they’re training for Mt. Kilimanjaro. Or Michelle Wai, who trekked up Mt. Stong in Kelantan last month. She’s also climbed Mt. Trinjani in Lombok and trekked up the High Pass in Sikkim.
Look at our commercial team: Last year, Luanne Theseira received Commerce's Customer Service Award. This year, Jayacely Joseph earned the same award. Also this year, Nancy Goh received Commerce's award for helping U.S. companies at Asian Aerospace. And collectively, our FSNs in FCS were awarded the global Lawrence Payne Award this year. I can tell you that this fabulous record did not escape the notice of the Secretary of Commerce and how proud I was that your achievements had reached to the cabinet-level.
In a slightly different pursuit, Cliffy is a member of the Elvis Meet-up Group in Singapore. He’s performed at Lau Pa Sat, the Esplanade and East Coast Park, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to convince him to perform for us later this evening.
And several FSNs have attained degrees while I’ve been here. Raymond Chang from GSO completed his Bachelor of Science (with honors) in Electrical Engineering from Nothumbria University. He can tell us later why he chose a British rather than American university. Thomas from RSO earned his Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Oklahoma City University. Chia Swee Hoon in FCS completed her MBA from the University of New York at Buffalo. And Sean O’Hara from ODC graduated this year from the Tufts Fletcher School with a degree from the Global Masters of Art Program. Sean is the first Foreign Service National to be funded by the Department of Defense and it was a pleasure for me to come and address his class. Congratulations to all our colleagues who have been pursuing their education while working at the Embassy.
I also want to thank several FSNs who have been an important part of our lives and our family over the past few years. We have been fortunate at the residence to have Tony and Ah Wee run things for us and help with all of the many functions over the past few years. Margaret Samuel served as residence manager for most of that time and brought her aplomb and her sparkle to the job. And in a very strong motor pool, we have been fortunate to have two of the best in Yahya and Sing. Yahya, incidentally, is the longest serving FSN in the embassy, with 34 years of service.
I am sure I have overlooked all sorts of other examples. The point is that on our embassy team, we have an extraordinary range of talent, of drive, and of initiative. You have a lot to be proud of. I share that pride. The time for my departure from post is drawing near. Sometimes in life we move on in our jobs, but that does not mean that we move on in our friendships. Ann and I will carry you in our hearts as we move on.
From the whole Lavin family, our thanks for making our time in Singapore so special. I hope our paths will cross again.