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Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's
message for Singapore's young |
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Source: www.gov.sg |
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"...If I
were young in my 20s, Singapore is one of the best places to be in.
I can get a good education, a solid foundation for life to do best in
life.
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"Whether I
am Singaporean Chinese,
Malay, Indian or whatever, I can get a first rate education, enjoy
excellent health services, good and affordable housing and have a safe
environment to bring up children.
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"I can
maximise my opportunities by learning English as my first language, keep as
much of my Chinese as I can, and learn Malay as my third language so that I
can understand what people in Indonesia and Malaysia are saying on TV and the
press.
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"Because
English is my master language my Mandarin
can never be equal to that of China’s Putonghua, nor do I want to become
like one of China’s Chinese. Then my value-add to any China-Chinese joint
venture is zero. With 1300 million Chinese they do not need another Chinese.
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"It is
because I am a Singaporean Chinese with world-wide connections with Americans,
Europeans, Japanese, Indians, Asean and other peoples, who all use English as
the first or second language, so I can add value in any cooperative enterprise
with China-Chinese.
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"What I
need is enough command of Mandarin and understanding of present day Chinese
culture to work easily and comfortably with them. And with Singapore as my
home, the world is my oyster, for I can afford to travel anywhere in the world
for leisure or business.
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"...Singapore
has a Chinese majority, but whatever your race if you join us as citizens, we
accord you equal rights and equal opportunities. This is why we have been able
to have considerable inflows of skilled and educated Chinese, Indians,
Europeans, and others. Because Singapore is an open cosmopolitan society that
accepts and welcomes talent, so we have continued to thrive and prosper.
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"You
are better placed than your fathers: better educated, able to use English and
your mother tongue. Singapore is now a brand name for integrity, efficiency,
transparency, consistency and resourcefulness.
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"But what
my generation has is that fire in the belly. We knew war and enemy occupation.
We have experienced fear, hunger and hardship, the terrors of communist
insurgency, of communal riots and bloodshed. These trials and tribulations
have steeled us for life.
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"But your
generation has also gone through some rough passages - the Asian financial
crisis of 1997-2001, pressure from Indonesia under President Habibie who in
1999 warned us that we are a little red dot; and several difficult years with
Malaysia under Dr Mahathir.
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"And
you suffered the shock of discovering JI suicide bombers in Singapore in
December 2001; recession because of the Iraq war of March 2003; and SARS also
in 2003. You have been toughened
by setbacks.
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"What you
need is ambition, the determination and the dare to climb up to greater
heights..."
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Excerpted
from Singapore Government Press Release 20 Aug
2004
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Full
Text of Speech
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Singapore is one of the best places to be in
