Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered his National Day Rally last night (20 August) at the ITE headquarters, and among the topics her spoke about was the 100th birth anniversary of his father and Singapore founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Snippet of PM Lee’s speech
Lee Kuan Yew’s 100th birth anniversary
In a few weeks’ time, we will be marking the 100th birth anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. It is timely to reflect upon the values and ideals championed by Mr Lee and the founding fathers., and for us to renew our commitment to these enduring values and ideals.
I spoke in my Malay speech earlier about an exhibition now on at the National Museum: Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit. The exhibition tells the story of the birth of our nation. It transports us back to our early years of nation-building. It honours the indomitable spirit of the Pioneer Generation. They dared; they fought ferociously for Singapore; they never gave up. And thus they turned mudflats into a metropolis, and took us from Third World to First.
But our forefathers built more than a nation of bricks and mortar, skyscrapers and a thriving economy. They created a nation founded on ideals: justice and equality; religious freedom and racial harmony; a commitment to excellence; a fair system of meritocracy; and an uncompromising insistence on honest, clean government.
“I will do my utmost to keep the system clean”
Integrity and incorruptibility are fundamental to Singapore. They are the foundation on which we run a clean and effective Government, and deliver results for Singaporeans. Mr Lee Kuan Yew considered these the most crucial ideals of all. On his 90th birthday, he came to Parliament to attend the sitting. We celebrated his birthday in the Members’ Room.
We were all there – PAP MPs and Ministers, Opposition MPs led by Mr Low Thia Khiang, as well as NMPs. Frail and ill, Mr Lee said just a few words. He spoke only about one thing – he reminded us Singapore must always remain clean and incorruptible, and Ministers and MPs have to set the example. Otherwise, he said, we are finished.
I will never forget those brief words. For the sake of the country, I will do all I can to keep faith with Mr Lee’s hope. No matter the price; no matter the embarrassment or political cost – I will do my utmost to keep the system clean. Every generation of PAP leaders must also stand by this – this is what Singapore depends upon.
The ideals I spoke about are not just abstract aspirations. They are our compass; they guide every decision we make. They give purpose and meaning to our nation building. They make Singapore stand tall amongst the nations of the world.
Covid seems like a bad dream
By upholding these ideals, we have over decades built a high trust society. One where people trust one another – “regardless of race, language or religion”. Where the people and the Government trust each other too, in big ways and small. This is what saw us through the ups and downs over the past 58 years, and this is how we weathered COVID-19.
COVID now seems like a bad dream. Confused, receding, getting forgotten. But the pandemic could well have been a real nightmare. Things could easily have gone horribly wrong, as they did in many other countries. Thankfully, we avoided disastrous outcomes, and averted the loss of many, many lives. Our people came through safe and sound; our economy revived in good shape; and our society has grown more united, not less. We owe this to our collective efforts, and our strong mutual trust, which we must strengthen and deepen to secure a bright future for our people.