Singapore 21 - A New Vision for a New Era.


Now, let me turn to Singapore 21 - our Vision for a new era.

2. In January 1992, during the debate on the President's Address, I asked the House,

"To judge my Government not by what I say or can accomplish straight-away, but by what my Government will achieve at the end of its term of office. Edusave, independent schools, Medifund, home improvements - they need four to five years to show everyone what there is in it for them. If we go for short term, small benefits, and miss the long term, big benefits, we will lose our strategic way. This will spell ruin for Singapore."

3. We went the full term. We delivered on our promises. The people gave their verdict. They liked our programme. That was the main reason for our success in the General Election, not the corny excuses given by Mr Jeyaretnam for his defeat.

4. Today, I am again asking this House to take a long view, to look soberly into the future, weigh the strategic choices and make the right strategic decision. This House will lead Singapore into the next millennium. It has been self-renewed. It should be a future-oriented House, one with ideas, one which will deliver.

5. We know one thing about the future.

6. Globalisation will mean more intense competition. Many MPs have emphasised the need to sharpen our competitiveness to stay ahead. The Information Technology revolution will speed up the process of change itself. We must keep on learning and be quick to adapt to changes.

7. But there are many things in the future we do not know, and cannot possibly foresee. Twenty years ago, as a young MP, I had no idea that Information Technology would so change the way we live, or that Communism would collapse in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe so abruptly and benignly. Given that changes will be even more rapid and drastic in the future, what kind of a world will we live in in 20 years' time?

8. How do we prepare Singaporeans for this unknown future?

9. First, we need to understand, as far as we can, the nature of the game unfolding. Second, Singaporeans must have a goal to chase and a vision to carry this country forward.


Challenges

10. Let me talk first about the basic challenges facing every country, developed and developing, and then the challenges facing Singapore in particular.

11. All countries face a dual challenge. First is the economic challenge to maintain growth, create good jobs, and attract investments. All countries have to cope with an increasingly integrated and competitive world. To do well, their societies must motivate and reward risk-takers and entrepreneurs, the highly skilled and the more able.

12. Second is the social challenge to maintain social cohesion and to manage growing income differences between the highly educated and skilled and those who are less skilled and less mobile. The fast pace of technological change, coupled with the mobility of investments across international borders will mean constant change in a country's socio-economic structure. Industries will boom and bust. Companies will migrate or down-size. This will cause insecurity and social turbulence. Governments will come under pressure. Thus France has lurched from Left to Right and Right to Left, all within five years.

13. All countries will have to balance these two imperatives: economic competitiveness and social cohesion. Many developed countries are finding this balancing act very difficult. While the OECD countries are leaders in the knowledge-intensive industries, many are also experiencing uneven or declining education standards, high unemployment and social tension, especially in Europe. Growing juvenile crime, racial tensions, structural unemployment, job insecurity, an unsustainable state welfare burden, and loss of confidence in the future are straining their social fabric.

14. The experience of the developed countries holds lessons for us. They suggest the kinds of problems we may face in the future. Social divisions are not a major problem for Singapore today. But divisions may grow as our society matures and income gaps widen. We need to nip these issues in the bud.

15. The most pressing challenge facing Singapore today is to retain our competitive edge. Keen regional competitors are breathing down our neck. Our neighbours are aggressively upgrading their infrastructure. They are directly competing with our traditional economic strongholds, our port and airport. They are also seeking niches in the new knowledge-based industries, like Information Technology.

16. Our neighbours have the advantages of cheaper land and abundant labour, and the pull of larger domestic markets. They can copy successful strategies and acquire the latest technologies. But we still have the competitive edge of a better trained and disciplined workforce, higher productivity, and a more conducive total business environment.

17. We can meet the regional competition. But merely outperforming our neighbours is not good enough, nor is it our goal. There is a bigger arena and a bigger game in play.

18. Winning the Malaysia Cup or even the SEA Games championship may make us the best in the region, but we are still nobody in the world. Increasingly, Singapore will have to compete with both developed and developing countries for talent and investment. We are not only competing with Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai or Taiwan for investments but also Seattle, Atlanta, Dublin and Sydney. Unless we can develop into a world-class city, with capabilities equal to the best anywhere, we are just a tiny speck on the world map. We have to make it to the World Cup finals.

19. Besides economic competition, Singapore faces a far more fundamental challenge: rooting our best and brightest in this country. A recent survey by MasterCard found that 1 in 5 Singaporeans wishes to emigrate, despite Singapore's economic success. I am not sure how much to believe this survey, but there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest a potential problem. Choo Wee Khiang tells me that a friend of his was dismayed and shocked that his 15-year old daughter had talked to him about emigrating. So our key challenge is to build ties among the people and emotional bonds to this country. Deepening our sense of belonging will be a priority in this term of my Government.


Response

20. How should we respond?

21. We can continue as we are, pursuing our current strategies, perhaps with some minor course corrections, hoping that National Education will grow a stronger sense of national identity. If we do this, it is quite likely that we will enjoy several more good years.

22. But what if we should suffer an external shock and run into economic difficulties? Who would have anticipated the current strain in relations with Malaysia, a year or even six months ago? What will hold Singaporeans here? Affluence and prosperity cannot be the only glue holding us together. If Singaporeans are just economic animals, materialistic with no sense of belonging, they will be like migratory birds, seeking their fortunes in other lands when the season changes. They will have no cause to fight for, no community to live for, no country to defend and die for, only the pragmatic desire to get on and get rich. If it ever comes to this, Singapore will not survive as a sovereign nation.

23. To meet this problem, and other challenges now unknown, it will not do just to make minor course corrections, small improvements to a generally working model. We need a new vision for Singapore, an ideal, a fresh mindset. We need to move beyond material progress, to a society which places people at its very centre. Singapore 21 is my team's vision for the future of Singapore, a Singapore where people make the difference, where each citizen is valued, a Singapore which is Our Best Home, an ideal home which we will all help to build.

24. Singapore 21 is about what the people of Singapore want to make of this country. More than a house, Singapore must be a home. The Government can provide the conditions for security and economic growth. But in the end, it is people who give feeling, the human touch, the sense of pride and achievement, the warmth. So beyond developing physical infrastructure and hardware, we need to develop our social infrastructure and software. In Sony corporation, they call this "heartware". We need to go beyond economic and material needs, and reorient society to meet the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, cultural and social needs of our people.

25. Our concept of competitiveness must therefore recognise that the robust and successful societies of the future will be those which place people at the centre. Countries and societies which can develop and mobilise their people, and serve the human needs, goals and aspirations of their citizens will have a lasting edge. Singapore must be such a society.


Towards Singapore 21

26. There are several elements that I believe we need to adopt to achieve this.


Beyond Top Talent - Value and Develop People at all Levels

27. In a global, knowledge-based economy, countries which attract and mobilise human talent will thrive. We have to continue to draw in talent, but we must also continue to invest heavily in the education and training of our own people. We aim to maximise the talents and abilities of all Singaporeans, not just the best and brightest, but every individual.

28. Not everyone is equally talented. But every person has some useful ability. Our education system must therefore not only groom our top talent, but also recognise and develop a range of skills and abilities at every level. We have begun to move in this direction.

29. Not everyone can perform equally well. But every person who tries his best should have his contribution recognised. Our attitude should not be that only a few people at the top add value, while the rest only run the machinery. Every Singaporean has a contribution to make to his job, his company, his community and his country. But equally, he has a responsibility to keep himself employable and productive through continuous learning, and to play his part to the best of his ability.

30. This does not mean moving away from meritocracy. We must always give the ablest and most committed the scope and the support to develop to their full potential, so that they can contribute their maximum to society. But we must also develop all Singaporeans to their full potential. Countries with a larger population can afford to use their human resources less efficiently. But Singapore's talent pool is so small that we cannot afford any human wastage. Our system must not focus primarily on developing our top talent, but must value and develop people at all levels.


Beyond the Drive to Succeed - Passion for What We Do

31. Singapore was built by hard-working people who had the drive and determination to succeed. We must not let this work ethic weaken. But beyond the drive to get ahead, we must cultivate a sense of pride in our work and a passion for what we do. Many Americans have this quality. They have an intense interest and passion for whatever field they are in, which drives them to develop true expertise and to push the frontiers of their field. This quality has made them world leaders in many new technologies and disciplines. This is what R&D and innovation are about - people who pursue their interests and ideas with a passion, people prepared to be different from others - because they are thinking of new things. We must foster this sense of passion, this pride in work, both in the schools and in the workplace. So beyond the drive to succeed, we must have passion for what we do.


Beyond Success - A Sense of Service

32. The Government has shared the fruits of growth with all Singaporeans, and will continue to do so. But beyond our efforts to improve the lives of all Singaporeans, my hope is that Singapore will become a society where every citizen not only strives to get ahead, but also feels a responsibility to share success. Many of our founding fathers, like Tan Tock Seng, Lee Kong Chian, Govindasamy Pillai (a founder member of the Ramakrishnan Mission), and Haji Ambo Sooloh (a Bugis merchant and philanthropist), used their wealth to benefit others, not to flaunt their success or for personal glory, but out of a deep sense of responsibility to their community. They built schools and hospitals, and helped the needy and the weak.

33. We must keep this noble tradition alive. Beyond donating to charity, every Singaporean, no matter what his station in life, can do something to help others and his community, whether through voluntary welfare organisations, or simply by getting involved in community work in his neighbourhood.

34. Not all well-off Singaporeans contribute to charities. Some feel that by paying taxes, they are already subsidising the poor and needy. But paying tax is the legal obligation of every citizen. It is not philanthropy. It offers nothing extra for the community. We need to change the mindset of such people, to get them to feel that they owe a social responsibility to others for their success and affluence.


Beyond Tolerance - Respect and Gain Strength from Diversity

35. In many societies, race, language or religion will take on increasing importance either as a rallying cry or as an anchor in an uncertain and fast changing world. Look at the divisions Pauline Hanson has generated in Australia. But Singapore is a multi-cultural, multi-religious society. So we must distinguish ourselves as a society where the different races respect and accept one another, and the majority makes room for the minority to succeed. Everyone, Singaporeans and visitors alike, regardless of their cultural or religious background, should feel comfortable in Singapore.

36. But while recognising and celebrating the importance of each community's heritage, our shared national identity must come before our cultures of origin. As our pledge reminds us, first and foremost we must be Singaporeans, one united people regardless of race, language or religion. And we must guard against individuals or institutions which would stir up religious or racial divisions in society.

37. As a society we must be willing to respect and accept a greater diversity in ideas. Why do some societies, like the US, produce more ideas and innovation than others? Education systems have something to do with it. But the broader social environment is critical in supporting creativity and innovation, whether in the arts, sciences, research, industry or politics.

38. We have to move beyond tolerance, to respect the different cultures in our midst, and to gain strength from diverse ideas. But there must be individual responsibility and a sense of accountability to the broader community. Rights and duties are inseparable, two sides of the same coin. This is the way to become a cosmopolitan, creative and cultivated society, which attracts top talent from all over the world.


Beyond Leadership - Civil Participation

39. Outstanding leadership and sound government will always be crucial. The government has to provide the best conditions for security and economic growth. Yet leadership and government will not be enough. We need a civil society to mobilise our people's energies and talents, and to create a cohesive and resilient nation. When people participate actively and become involved in community and national issues, they build ties among themselves and bond to the country.

40. We must change the mindset that only a few leaders at the top of the system need to think and take responsibility for social and national issues, while the rest of society can simply mind their own business and go about their daily lives. All Singaporeans must feel a responsibility for solving local issues and shaping their own communities. They should not wait for the Government to solve every problem. The Government itself must be prepared to take a step back and perhaps even a back seat, especially on local community issues, and allow some free play to develop.

41. One good way to do this is for concerned citizens to get involved in voluntary work or in the running of their own local communities, through the Town Councils, CDCs or RCs. Singapore's political life must evolve in the direction of greater participation by the people, more willingness to shoulder responsibilities, and more giving to the country than taking.


Conclusion

42. In future the competitive advantage of nations will lie in their people - how a society is organised to maximise and mobilise the potential of its people, and how it serves the material, spiritual, intellectual, political, social and emotional needs of its citizenry. The ideas I have put forward are to develop a cohesive and resilient nation, a people fully equipped to compete in the future and a people with emotional stakes in Singapore.

43. Singapore 21 will help us to pre-empt the problems faced by many developed countries today as they try and maintain economic dynamism while managing growing social divisions. We should focus on building capabilities, resilience, and "heartware" for the future, rather than just going for growth and trying to reach developed country status.

44. To work through these ideas will require fundamental changes in our approach. We need time to build a consensus about the need for such a change of course, and to work out what exactly the new course should be. We are already taking major initiatives in education. The public sector is actively thinking for the future, preparing for scenarios which we hope to avoid but which we must be ready to cope with.

45. But this is only half the story. The other half depends on Singaporeans feeling a responsibility to contribute their ideas, and committing themselves to participate actively in their communities and in national life to make our vision of a best home a reality.

46. Singapore is about people. It is only in Singapore that we, as Singaporeans, have the freedom to build the kind of environment we want to live in, work and bring up our children. That is what being an independent, sovereign nation means. In no other country will we have the same opportunity to shape a country we can be proud of. I hope that Singaporeans from all walks of life will rise to the challenge and make the difference, for Singapore and for your children.

47. Singapore 21 is about a Home for a People, not a hotel. A Home where we feel comfortable with ourselves, where we look after one another, where everyone makes the country succeed. Our vision for Singapore is not houses of bricks and mortar, but homes with hearts and dreams. People who feel confident and secure. People who believe in Singapore and its future. Let's work together to make Ours the Best Home.