Good growth, openness to foreigners, meritocracy must not be abandoned
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2012
AS SINGAPORE re-evaluates its national priorities, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday warned against going "overboard" and abandoning the values and principles that have got the country thus far.
He singled out three fundamental strategies on which there has been much debate recently: the pursuit of economic growth, an openness to foreigners and the system of meritocracy.
While acknowledging that the People's Action Party (PAP) Government must adjust where the balance is struck between these fundamental goals and their trade-offs, he sketched out the dangers of over-correction.
"We will calibrate to the left a bit, to the right a bit, but don't flip-flop and turn (everything) upside down," he said to an audience of PAP cadres at their biennial party conference. Mr Lee is secretary-general of the ruling party.
Those who charge that pursuing economic growth is the "wrong direction" do not properly appreciate the consequences of a long period of low or no growth, he said.
Low-wage workers will be hardest hit, he said. Young people will find their aspirations unfulfilled in Singapore and go elsewhere, leaving Singapore an "old folks' home".
Emphasising that the PAP Government is not trying to reach the same growth rate that Singapore achieved over the last decade, Mr Lee said that as the workforce grows at a slower pace, "even 2 to 3 per cent growth will be considered good growth".
"We are not aiming for a ridiculous high speed. We are aiming for a sustainable 2 to 3 per cent a year."
On meritocracy, Mr Lee readily conceded that it cannot mean a system in which doing well in school is the only route to success. But he worries when people say meritocracy is wrong.
"We are not aiming for a ridiculous high speed. We are aiming for a sustainable 2 to 3 per cent a year."
On meritocracy, Mr Lee readily conceded that it cannot mean a system in which doing well in school is the only route to success. But he worries when people say meritocracy is wrong.
What could replace merit as the basis for decisions on jobs or school places, he wondered.
"Do we look at wealth? Do we want that? Or guanxi, connections? Or you can go by race - 'That person is the right race, so he gets extra marks in the exam, extra advantage for schools admissions and for jobs.' - Is that the Singapore we have fought to build?" he asked.
Meritocracy was an issue that the founding generation of PAP leaders fought for, Mr Lee said, noting that "it was the reason we left Malaysia, because of this principle of equal opportunity and meritocracy. It's a principle on which we have built this society and this nation".
Meritocracy was an issue that the founding generation of PAP leaders fought for, Mr Lee said, noting that "it was the reason we left Malaysia, because of this principle of equal opportunity and meritocracy. It's a principle on which we have built this society and this nation".
On identity, he acknowledged Singaporeans' fear of being "swamped" by foreigners and a dilution of national identity.
But going too far with curbs on foreigners in order to protect the Singapore identity would turn the country "into a museum, not a living, vibrant city".
Before Mr Lee spoke, Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah referred to the "yin and yang" forces in these fundamental goals of the PAP Government. She told cadres that the debate should not be on whether the strategies are the right ones, but where to strike the balance on their innate tensions.
Before Mr Lee spoke, Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah referred to the "yin and yang" forces in these fundamental goals of the PAP Government. She told cadres that the debate should not be on whether the strategies are the right ones, but where to strike the balance on their innate tensions.
Close to 2,000 PAP cadres gathered at the Kallang Theatre yesterday to elect a new central executive committee - the party's first since Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Goh Chok Tong and four other former ministers stepped down last year.
Among the 12 voted into the committee yesterday were new ministers Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing.
Finding the right balance for Singapore to move forward
Finding the right balance for Singapore to move forward
At yesterday's PAP conference, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke of the need for a new balance in three key areas: economic growth, national identity and meritocracy. Rachel Chang reports.
Going for growth and liveability
THE economy is expected to grow by 1.5 per cent this year, and already there are "long faces".
Workers worry about smaller bonuses and increments. Businesses will create fewer jobs.
A long stretch of such slow growth or no growth would hit low-wage workers the hardest, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and they would find it even tougher to move up.
Young people looking for "opportunities, adventure and challenge" will head elsewhere, and "we will become an old folks' home in Singapore".
Mr Lee issued this warning after calls from some Singaporeans for the country to slow down.
They fail to realise that growth is necessary to improve lives and build a liveable city, he said.
"I think the people who say, don't worry about growth, or that we have our spectacles facing the wrong direction, I think they don't appreciate this point. We have to calibrate but we have to find the right balance."
The goal should be an optimum level of growth that provides the country with the resources it needs, yet gives Singaporeans time for family and friends, PM Lee said.
The Government is not aiming for "ridiculous, high-speed" growth, he said.
A good pace of growth would be between 3 and 4 per cent. And as the workforce grows more slowly in the future, even growth of 2 to 3 per cent would be "considered good growth", he added.
Why Singapore must remain open
AN IBM dictaphone, a Kodak camera and a clunky MP3 player - these were some of the items that have been sealed in the Science Centre's time capsule, first buried in 1973 and opened for the third time last week.
How "quaint and cute" they now seem is a reminder of how quickly the world moves, and why Singapore must remain open to it, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.
The rapid influx of foreign workers has made Singaporeans feel like their national identity is being diluted, he acknowledged.
But the answer is not to seal off the country like a time capsule; instead, the right balance must be found between a strong citizen core and an openness to the world.
"We cannot close up quickly, or else we will die," he said, warning against a Singapore that resists change, freezes as it is today and ends up a museum.
"We cannot just open up, or else we will be swamped," he added. "Diluted, dissolved, disappear."
There are programmes in place to strengthen the Singapore identity and the emotional ties that anchor citizens to this place.
Schools are renewing their focus on values, character and citizenship education.
Arts and cultural events and heritage trails highlight what is distinctive about Singapore.
National Service builds bonds, as do efforts to nurture communities in every town, and the ongoing national conversation.
Finally, going through tough times together, such as the Sars crisis and the global financial crisis, also strengthens people's sense of a Singaporean identity, the Prime Minister said.
'If not meritocracy, then what?'
THE Prime Minister agrees that meritocracy should not be about judging people by their academic grades alone, or letting the Primary School Leaving Examination decide a child's future.
But Mr Lee Hsien Loong also worries when Singaporeans charge that meritocracy is wrong, because "if we are not going on merit, how are we going to do it?"
Would Singapore then move to a system based on wealth, or connections or race, he asked. "Is that the Singapore we have fought to build?" he asked impassionedly.
If merit were not the governing principle, then a child from a poor family would not be recognised for what he was good at or invested in, he warned.
It was for this very principle of equal opportunity and meritocracy that Singapore left Malaysia, he said, referring to the founding generation of PAP leaders' campaign for a "Malaysian Malaysia" in the 1960s.
What Singapore needs is to calibrate its meritocracy so that society defines success and merit widely, and celebrates a whole range of talents, including the overcoming of adversity.
It also cannot be a system built on the idea of "every man for himself".
Mr Lee pledged that the Government would do all it can to boost those from disadvantaged backgrounds and help them achieve their potential.
It will keep open paths to success for different types of talent. And it will care for all Singaporeans, through schemes such as Workfare and ComCare.
He also urged the successful to contribute back to society, "so that more can succeed like you, so that people will see that the system is fair and support the system".
Singaporeans need to 'be aware of rapid changes around us'
By Lydia Lim, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2012
By Lydia Lim, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2012
THE interest of China's cities in working with Singapore will survive into the next decade only if the city state keeps abreast of them, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
He cited China's rapid development as an example of the large and fast changes taking place all around, which Singaporeans must be aware of and take into account as they meet to talk about their dreams for the future, as part of the Singapore Conversation.
In his speech to PAP activists at the party conference, Mr Lee said: "We are small and we are open and the changes happening around us are so large and so fast that they're going to have a huge impact on Singapore.
"We must factor them into our conversations for us to have any chance of making realistic plans and achieving what we dream of."
He recounted his visit to Tianjin last year. It is the site of a flagship Sino-Singapore project known as the Tianjin Eco-city.
Tianjin has 15 million people. Its mayor told Mr Lee he planned to increase the city's population to 25 million, essentially "adding two Singapores".
He would do so by attracting bright people from other parts of China. His plan was to target those who sit the national university entrance exam but fail to get into the institution of their choice, and offer them a chance for a good education in Tianjin.
His aim: to grow Tianjin into a city that can rival Beijing and Shanghai in the future.
Yesterday, Mr Lee said: "There are many other cities like Tianjin in China, with big ambitions. Today they want to cooperate with us, they think there is something valuable to learn from Singapore.
"Ten years from now, what will the situation be? That depends on where we will be, at the same level, abreast of them. That depends on us, whether we make the effort."
In thinking of what they want in the future, Singaporeans also need to think of the world their children would be living in. It is about "gearing ourselves to do well in that future world".
PAP cadres urged to win trust of new generation
Be opinion multipliers and convince people of our cause: Chan Chun Sing
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2012
Be opinion multipliers and convince people of our cause: Chan Chun Sing
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2012
SINGAPOREANS' trust in the founding generation of the People's Action Party (PAP) will not be transferred automatically to its current activists, said Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing yesterday.
He exhorted PAP members to win their own mandate from a new generation of Singaporeans by emulating its founding members, who took "years of blood, sweat and tears going out to every street corner to convince people of our vision and values".
Speaking at the party's biennial conference, Mr Chan told cadres that "we too have to go to every street corner and cyberspace corner to convince people of our cause". This involves being able to defend the party's policy choices and being energetic "opinion multipliers" who can explain the circumstances the PAP Government faces, and the choices it makes.
If activists cannot answer simple questions on housing, transport or foreign workers, for example, "we lose credibility (and) people lose faith in us as party members, who supposedly have better access to the discussions and rationale for various things", he said. "People will wonder if we can even help them."
Mr Chan was the first of five speakers who sketched out their views on how the ruling party can forge a stronger connection with Singaporeans. Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport and Nee Soon GRC MP Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said party activists should harness the energies of the middle, "sandwiched" class in their communities and get them to be part of the solution to the problems they bemoan.
Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Low Yen Ling said the PAP should embrace and usher in an age of "visionaries", one where Singaporeans actively envision and forge the country's future with its politicians.
PAP branch chairman in Aljunied GRC, Mr Victor Lye, won applause for his speech on wresting the GRC back from the Workers' Party. He said winning back Aljunied, the first GRC the PAP has lost to an opposition party, is an uphill task but "not impossible".
Mr Lye, who took over as branch chairman of Bedok Reservoir-Punggol from former foreign minister George Yeo, said he has focused on building up a team of activists, and launched political and policy discussions. The aim is to be more targeted in reaching out to voters: first, to the PAP's core supporters; second, to swing voters, and third, to new voters.
A need to ensure PAP does not 'harden hearts'
Bedok Reservoir-Punggol Branch Chairman calls for need to highlight heart in policies
by Woo Sian Boon, TODAY, 3 Dec 2012
Bedok Reservoir-Punggol Branch Chairman calls for need to highlight heart in policies
by Woo Sian Boon, TODAY, 3 Dec 2012
The People's Action Party (PAP) must ensure it does not "harden hearts" in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to avoid a similar situation seen in the Workers' Party-held ward of Hougang, said PAP's Bedok Reservoir-Punggol Branch Chairman Victor Lye yesterday.
Speaking at the PAP's party conference, Mr Lye, who succeeded Mr George Yeo as the branch's Chairman after the PAP lost to the WP in Aljunied GRC in the last General Election, argued that the PAP should capitalise on their position as the opposition in Aljunied by addressing "the national desire for alternative voices" in Parliament.
To do so, Mr Lye called for the ruling PAP to return to "basics" by demonstrating more heart in policies, while communicating those to Singaporeans and connecting with them.
"At the national level, we need to communicate better and highlight the heart in our policies," said the 50-year-old. "We spend more time talking about the F1 race, explaining the IRs (Integrated Resorts) than we did (about) the population policies. In Aljunied, we must be prepared to argue for policies that are different from the Government, even if they are somewhat similar to the Opposition's."
The PAP also has to address a perception among some members of the public that the party's transport and housing policies are aimed at maximising profits, he argued.
Mr Lye, an investment consultant, called for a review of how public transport is run, so that "Singaporeans can be put at the heart of the policy while achieving operating efficiency".
While he acknowledged it will not be easy for the PAP to win back Aljunied, Mr Lye argued that "candidates who can work ground-up and have a good policy understanding" should be selected. "In Aljunied, we must ensure we do not harden hearts, like it has become in Hougang," he said.
"In Aljunied, we need to make clear that we have candidates with the right party values. Otherwise, it will be seen as a half-hearted attempt, and we have to do it early so we can rally the ground."
Responding in his speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the PAP's last elected Central Executive Committee has made progress, "but more work has to be done", including in Aljunied and Hougang.
"I think Victor Lye spoke for all the Aljunied members. They are regrouping, they are giving the Members of Parliament in Aljunied a tough fight, and I think they have the support from all of us, all over Singapore," added Mr Lee.
PAP beefs up ground engagement
Party machinery, communication channels also strengthened
By Tessa Wong, The Straits Times, 2 Dec 2012
Party machinery, communication channels also strengthened
By Tessa Wong, The Straits Times, 2 Dec 2012
In a better shape now, the party will have to continue to work hard to maintain the trust of Singaporeans and win their mandate.
He was speaking at the party's annual awards ceremony at the Kallang Theatre, attended by 1,600 members, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is party secretary-general, and other Cabinet ministers.
Said Mr Khaw: "For the next phase of Singapore's development, the party has to continue to work hard to maintain the trust of Singaporeans, win their mandate to govern the country and lead Singapore to further success."
The ruling party would need to evolve to remain in tune with the times, he added.
This was important to "inspire hope for the future, strengthen our heart for one another, and share our love for our common home", he said.
"Let us press on to achieve our vision to secure a better future for generations to come," he urged the audience.
On the party machinery, Mr Khaw, who is the National Development Minister, said the party had strengthened "considerably" its ground engagement in recent months.
This was done internally within the party and externally with residents.
The party has also enhanced its capabilities and reformed its internal organisational structure, he added, without giving details.
Mr Alex Yam, deputy executive director at PAP's headquarters, said the party has been steadily centralising some operations such as communications, since last year's General Election when it lost for the first time a group representation constituency (GRC) - Aljunied.
The move towards stronger communication channels was in response to post-election feedback that the party needed to improve on this front.
Hence, staff at the party headquarters in Bedok now do more coordination to ensure branches give consistent messaging on policies.
Branch secretaries are also now briefed more regularly on policy changes so they can explain them better to members and residents. The centralised database of party members' particulars has also been cleaned up and reorganised so that branches can keep in better contact with members.
The council for the PAP's policy forum, which helps members understand the policy-making process and engage with party leaders on national issues, has also been expanded.
It has been reorganised with new sub-groups that mirror the structure of the government parliamentary committees.
On the outreach front, branches have stepped up their frequency of house visits, dialogues and community programmes, and expanded their presence on new media by setting up Twitter accounts and websites.
Yesterday, 396 party members received awards. Among them were Mr S. Puhaindran, 75, who won the Meritorious Service Medal, and Mr Ong Eng Kam, 72, who won the Dedicated Service Star award. Both veteran activists are retirees.
Other winners included Yuhua activist Lim Eng Wang, 61, a polytechnic lecturer who has been a PAP member for 25 years. He won a Long Service Medal.
He agreed with Mr Khaw on the need for PAP to continue striving to win the people's mandate.
"With last year's General Election, where we lost a GRC, we now have to work even harder to win back those who voted for the opposition. We have to get all Singaporeans to feel that they are needed and included in this country, to have that sense of belonging," he said.
The party will meet again today for its party conference, where it will elect a new central executive committee. PM Lee will also speak at the event.
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