Speech | Welcome Address by REDAS President at REDAS Mid Autumn Celebration 2026 | 23 Sep 2026
REDAS MID AUTUMN CELEBRATION 2026
23 SEPTEMBER 2026, WEDNESDAY, 12.30PM
PARKROYAL COLLECTION, MARINA BAY
WELCOME SPEECH BY
MR TAN SWEE YIOW, PRESIDENT, REDAS
Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Second
Minister for Finance and National Development
Patron Mr Philip Ng
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good afternoon, welcome to REDAS Mid-Autumn Celebration.
Allow me to wish all of you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival
中秋节快乐.
We are honoured to have our Guest-of-Honour, Ms Indranee Rajah, with us again.
Thank you for your steady support and for taking time to join the REDAS fraternity for this celebration.
Mid-Autumn has always been a cherished tradition for REDAS.
It is a time to come together, give thanks and celebrate the bonds we share.
At the heart of this festival is family.
That spirit brings us together today.
Building for Families
Just last month, at the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced measures to increase support for families.
Many of those, we understand, were among the first recommendations from the Marriage and Parenthood Reset workgroup that Minister Indranee chairs.
Stronger child support packages and incentives, and more flexibility for first-timer families to own homes.
This matters greatly to our industry.
Many of our members build the homes that young families move into.
More flexibility means making this journey easier for these families.
Housing and family formation are deeply-connected conversations.
Industry & REDAS Initiatives
Our industry’s role goes beyond the unit itself.
Our members also think hard about the spaces around it.
Be it the playgrounds and function rooms where a child’s birthday party happens.
Or the gardens and the communal decks where grandparents can mind the little ones while getting some fresh air,
Including the flexible layouts that let three generations live comfortably under one roof, or simply live nearby.
These are not add-ons.
They are where families build the life they set out to build.
Some may simply want to keep close to ageing parents, or keep generations within easy reach of one another.
When we get these spaces right, we help families meet their aspirations, whatever shape that family takes.
I encourage more members to keep pushing on this front, in how we design, build and shape our precincts.
Allow me to share a few ideas that came up in my conversations with others.
This is not a formal REDAS position, simply food for thought.
For larger developments, perhaps we could allocate a small percentage of units as larger, family size homes.
We could also exempt the GFA for householder sheltered and utilise it to bring back helper’s room into our floor plan.
In that same vein, we could also bring more childcare facilities nearer to homes and offices, with similar GFA exemptions.
These are just starting points, and I am sure many of you have better ideas.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.
Government, employers, developers and society, all have a part to play.
I welcome members to share your ideas.
Closing
We have supported Singapore’s nation-building before.
Now, as our nation’s needs evolve, we must be ready to build again, for the families Singapore needs to grow.
With our collective effort, and the government’s push for a fundamental shift in family support, we can help more Singaporeans start and grow the families they hope for.
On behalf of REDAS, thank you, Minister Indranee, for gracing our event and for your leadership on an issue that touches every family in Singapore, including our own industry.
Our heartfelt appreciation also goes to our generous sponsors, members, and friends for your steadfast support, and to Joseph and the Organising Committee for making this event possible.
Once again, 中秋节快乐, 阖家团圆!
May the Mid-Autumn Festival bring you and your loved ones, joy, good health and togetherness.
Thank you.
