News

The members of the D’Passion Wheelchair Dance Group are one step closer to perfecting their item for the Pre-Parade Segment of NDP2008 thanks to the 20 lightweight sports wheelchairs sponsored and handed over by Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) yesterday evening.

The $80,000 sponsorship was commemorated yesterday at Kampong Ubi Community Centre where Mr Tang Kin Fei, group president and CEO, presided over the presentation of the sports wheelchairs to the group’s representative.

The handing-over ceremony held special significance to the group and Sembcorp, as it marked the culmination of their cooperation to help the 24 pairs of dancers (12 physically disadvantaged performers paired with able-bodied partners) fulfill their dream of performing at a National Day parade. The sports wheelchairs, which are customized to allow for more complicated movements, will allow the dancers to perform a greater range of dance steps.

“We can’t wait to test out the new sports wheelchairs from Sembcorp,” remarked Mr William Tok (choreographer and co-founder of the group), “We finally have the right tools to help us move the way Latin dance really requires!”

Sembcorp’s contribution will not end here. Besides the sponsorship of D’Passion’s dance segment, Sembcorp’s participation in NDP2008 will be marked by significant staff involvement embodied in their 126-man strong marching contingent.

“At Sembcorp, we support this year’s NDP theme of ‘Inclusion’. We are proud to encourage both our staff and members of our community to celebrate the diversity we have here in Singapore! At the same time, we are happy to help fulfill the wheelchair dancers’ goal of showing Singaporeans that being physically disadvantaged is not a barrier to following one’s dream.” said Mr Tang.

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ABOUT SEMBCORP INDUSTRIES

Sembcorp Industries Ltd is a leading utilities and marine group. The Group provides centralised utilities, energy and water to industrial and other customers in Singapore, the United Kingdom, Asia and the Middle East. It is a global leader in marine and offshore engineering and also a provider of environmental and industrial park management services in the region. Sembcorp has total assets of over S$8.7 billion and employs more than 6,700 employees. Listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange, Sembcorp is a component stock of the Straits Times Index and several MSCI indices.

Note to Editors:
Following a recent company rebrand, please refer to the company as “Sembcorp” (with “S” in upper case and “c” in lower case), or “Sembcorp Industries” in full. Please also note that “Sembcorp” is not an abbreviation of “Sembawang Corporation” but a brandname in itself, and it is therefore incorrect to refer to our company as “Sembawang”, “Sembawang Corporation” or similar.

ABOUT D’PASSION

D’Passion Wheelchair Dance Group is a group which provides the opportunity for those with a passion for dancing to express themselves through movement, regardless of whether they are able-bodied or physically challenged. The group welcomes people of all races, languages or religions to join its programme. With each performance, D’Passion aims to boost the confidence and self-esteem of its participants. In addition, the group provides a platform for members to widen their social circle, equipping them with skills like teamwork and cooperation to take up challenges and excel in dancing for social rehabilitation and recreation.

The group meets for practise at the Kampong Ubi Community Centre, an arrangement made possible by its adoption by the Advisor to the Kampong Ubi Grass Roots Organisation, Mr Mohamed Maidin in April 2005.