At a reception held at the Harmony Diversity Gallery in the MND Building this afternoon, Ben J Benjamin, President of the IRO, thanked Mr Goh for agreeing to be its Honourable Patron, succeeding His Excellency President SR Nathan who served in the same position from 2012 to 2016.
Mr Benjamin said: “The IRO is deeply honoured to have someone of ESM Goh’s stature as our Patron. ESM Goh’s outstanding reputation as a respected and loved leader is a tremendous asset to our organisation and will boost our efforts to build trust and friendships across different religions in Singapore
ESM Goh said [“Religious harmony is a key pillar of Singapore’s peace and prosperity. I am pleased to accept the invitation to be the Patron of the Inter-Religious Organisation, which plays an important role in promoting and maintaining religious harmony in Singapore. I look forward to working with the IRO and its member faiths to further this cause. ”].
The IRO celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2019. Mr Goh is its third Honourable Patron, the first being one of its founding members, His Excellency the Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia, the Rt Honourable Malcolm Macdonald, who served from 1949 to 1955.
ABOUT INTER-RELIGIOUS ORGANISATION SINGAPORE
The Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore (IRO) was founded in 1949 with the objective to promote inter-religious harmony among the various religious groups in Singapore.
Ten (10) religions are represented in the IRO; Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Taoist, Jain, Christian, Islam, Sikh and Baha’i. A unique rotating annual presidency among the ten religions ensures that all member religions are given an equal opportunity to lead the IRO’s long-term efforts. For more information visit www.iro.sg
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Nazhath Faheema
General Manager
faheema@iro.sg