National Day Rally 2015

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally 2015 Speech - English, Malay, Mandarin

PM Lee: Keeping Singapore special for the next 50 years
Multiracialism, self-reliance, mutual support and strong Govt-people bonds are key factors
By Zakir Hussain, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 24 Aug 2015

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong used his SG50 National Day Rally last night to remind Singaporeans of what it took to make Singapore succeed and what is needed to keep it special for the next 50 years.

He had no video clips or special effects as he paid tribute to the pioneer leaders and citizens who strived from 1965 to defend a suddenly independent Singapore, turn vulnerability into strength and remain united despite challenges.

It has been an exhilarating journey, he declared, adding that three factors helped Singapore get to where it is today: the determination to be a multiracial society; a culture of self-reliance and mutual support; and keeping the faith between the Government and the people.

He said the same elements were needed if Singapore is to celebrate SG100 from a position of strength.

Last night's Rally was held at the Institute of Technical Education's College Central in Ang Mo Kio. As always, Mr Lee spoke first in Malay and Mandarin, but there was a surprise before his speech in English.



Singer Kit Chan appeared on stage to deliver a soulful rendition of Singapore's best-loved National Day song, Home, dedicating it to founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who died in March, aged 91.

PM Lee noted that just two weeks earlier, the Padang had reverberated with the strains of the same song, as National Day Parade spectators sang along heartily.

He said the Golden Jubilee parade was much more than a big birthday bash. It celebrated the resolve to make Singapore succeed despite the odds and go from Third World to First.

He noted that policies to foster multiracialism - from making English the working language to ethnic integration in HDB estates - helped encourage communities to come together and were a key factor for Singapore's success.

"Some people may think that racial and religious harmony is not a problem any more and that I am making too much about this, but they would be wrong," he said. "Race and religion are always sensitive matters, especially for us, and in some ways more complex and difficult to handle than 20 years ago because religiosity has gone up."

Stressing the importance of self-reliance and mutual support, he said the ethos of a "rugged society" had to be ingrained in the young.

Especially crucial was the strong bond between the Government and people over the past 50 years. The Government, PM Lee said, did not shy from hard realities, and people trusted it to have their interests at heart as they supported it.

He cited the tough issue of land acquisition in Singapore's early years when land was needed to build homes, industrial estates and later, the MRT network. It was tough on landowners who suffered financial loss, and resettled families whose lives were disrupted.

"But if the Government had not done this, we could not have housed our population, we could not have transformed Singapore," he said. "There were sacrifices, but in the end, it was for the common good and everybody benefited."

New tough issues will come up - such as immigration and the need for foreigners in the workforce - a difficult issue because people have strong views, and every option for dealing with it has a downside.

"Whichever option we choose, it will involve some pain. But I believe that I am doing what Singapore needs and what best safeguards your interest," he said.

"It is my responsibility to make this decision, to make this judgment and then to act on your behalf. And having acted on your behalf, to account to you for the results and for the reasons why I decided the way I did. I owe it to you. You've elected me."

He said as a little red dot, Singapore had to be alive to its external environment. "South-east Asia is an exciting place to be, but also a rather dangerous place to live," he said.

A strong Singapore Armed Forces, successful economy, good diplomats and leaders all help to safeguard the country's interests.

Singapore has to be special, "a shining red dot", he added. "If we are soft and flabby, we are going to be eaten up. We have to be rugged, to have that steel in us. If we are divided, whether along racial lines or class lines, we can't survive."

For Singapore to continue to do well, a strong sense of national identity is also key. "After 50 years, this faith, this sense of togetherness and purpose, is stronger than before," he said, as he cited instances when the Singapore spirit shone.

"Fifty years ago, our challenges seemed insurmountable," Mr Lee added. "Fifty years on, our challenges are still formidable but they are far from insurmountable."

Returning to the Parade at the end of his speech, he recounted how he went down to the Padang to meet the youngest performers.

"They were in high spirits, their faces shone with excitement and hope. I thought to myself: These are the faces of the future of Singapore. 50 years from now, SG100... I hope they will be back at the Padang celebrating again, remembering SG50, congratulating one another on how much they have done, on how far they have come and looking at more young, radiant faces of children and many grandchildren and singing Majulah Singapura."

Parliament Highlights - 17 Aug 2015

Parliament passes Silver Support Scheme Bill
Seniors to enjoy payouts from 2016
By Walter Sim, The Straits Times, 18 Aug 2015

A new law detailing the framework and penalties for the Silver Support Scheme that was unveiled in this year's Budget has been passed.

This paves the way for 150,000 eligible Singaporeans, aged 65 and above, to get a quarterly payout of $300 to $750 from early next year.



The scheme's administrator - the CPF Board - will develop a system to automatically assess a person's eligibility, and to make payments to recipients. A commissioner will also be appointed to, among other things, review appeal cases.

Information will be pulled from government databases for means- testing. But safeguards will be put in place, and Singaporeans may opt out from this process, said Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say yesterday.

The scheme will be permanent and will apply to "both current and future generations" of elderly people. Mr Lim will also look into Dr Fatimah Lateef's (Marine Parade GRC) suggestion to allow payouts to authorised third parties or next-of-kin of those who are unable to directly receive the benefits.

The law will also make it an offence to provide false information to qualify for Silver Support benefits, or to receive a higher quantum. Those found guilty face a maximum $5,000 fine and a year in prison.

2015 National Day Awards

Order of Temasek (First Class)
Ex-minister given top civilian honour
S. Dhanabalan eighth person to get award; S R Nathan was previous recipient
By Chia Yan Min, The Sunday Times, 9 Aug 2015

Former senior Cabinet minister S. Dhanabalan has been conferred the nation's top civilian honour, the Order of Temasek (First Class).

Mr Dhanabalan, 77, is only the eighth person in Singapore's history to receive the award. It was last given to former president S R Nathan in 2013.

Mr Dhanabalan is a member of the Council of Presidential Advisers and the Presidential Council for Minority Rights.

He tops this year's list of 3,888 National Day Award winners, who include military staff, public servants, community and grassroots leaders and educators.

Former Singapore National Employers Federation president Stephen Lee, 68, received the Order of Nila Utama (First Class), another one of Singapore's highest state awards.

Six others received the Distinguished Service Order: non-resident ambassador to Israel Winston Choo Wee Leong; non-resident ambassador to Switzerland Tee Tua Ba; chairman of the Centre for Liveable Cities advisory board Liu Thai Ker; Gardens by the Bay chief executive Tan Wee Kiat; former Tiong Bahru MP Ch'ng Jit Koon; and former senior minister of state for education and the environment Sidek Saniff.

Sixteen people also received Commendation Medals for their contributions during the Sabah earthquake.

Parliament Highlights - 13 Jul 2015

Ministerial Statement on Sabah Earthquake

Schools to continue outdoor learning trips at home, abroad

But school trips to Mt Kinabalu temporarily suspended as a safety precaution: Minister
By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 14 Jul 2015

Schools will continue to provide both local and overseas outdoor adventure learning programmes for students because they are useful and effective tools for learning, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said in Parliament yesterday.

But as a safety precaution, all school trips to Mount Kinabalu will be suspended for the time being.

In a ministerial statement on the tragedy that befell Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) pupils and teachers when they went up Mount Kinabalu for a trip on June 5, Mr Heng said the earthquake in Sabah was an unforeseen natural disaster that could not have been prevented.



The 6.0-magnitude quake killed 10 people from Singapore, of which seven pupils and two teachers were from TKPS. An adventure camp guide from local firm Camp Challenge also died in the incident.

The school sent 29 pupils and eight teachers to Mount Kinabalu for its annual leadership camp for pupil leaders.

Said Mr Heng: "Whether a participant perished in the earthquake depended on where he or she happened to be at the time. It made no difference whether the participant was a child or adult, novice or experienced mountaineer.

"Seismologists considered the probability of such a destructive earthquake happening in the area around Mount Kinabalu to be unknown. There was no prior warning," he added.

"No matter how careful our schools may be in planning their overseas trips, events that are beyond our control and prediction may still occur, whether natural disasters or not."

Mr Heng said the Malaysian government has said it will assess and monitor seismic movements in Sabah and review its safety measures for climbers.

"Until the safety of Mount Kinabalu is ascertained by the Malaysian authorities, no schools will be allowed to take students there," he said.

But even as the Ministry of Education (MOE) is taking extra precautions with Mount Kinabalu, Mr Heng said outdoor learning journeys are "effective learning platforms" that build confidence, adaptability, and resilience.

With every adventure, there will always be risk

By David Lim, Published The Sunday Times, 28 Jun 2015

The tragic deaths of trekkers and adventurers on Mount Kinabalu following the June 5 earthquake in Sabah have raised the question about handling risk, and the appropriateness of mountain-based adventure activities for children.

Every year, globally, thousands of children travel to high altitudes without incident. These include trips to ski resorts, and hiking in countries with developed emergency and evacuation procedures, as well as to more remote destinations.

In assessing risk, it's important to separate what's known as "subjective" risks from "objective" risks.

Subjective risks refer to risks that are known and, to a degree, manageable. These include climbers' rate of acclimatisation as they move to higher altitudes.

Often, the faster the ascent, the higher the risk of adults and children being affected by acute mountain sickness and more serious conditions like fluids accumulating in the lungs (high altitude pulmonary edema) or brain (high altitude cerebral edema), both life-threatening.

Only one study has shown that children are more susceptible to altitude-based ailments, and that's only when they have prior or pre-existing upper respiratory tract illnesses. There is no conclusive evidence that they are more or less susceptible than adults to altitude problems.

However, there is an issue with what I term "competency reserve" that is of greater concern where children are involved.

In the presence of peers or a mixed group of peers and adults, some young children may find it hard to articulate how they feel, or draw attention to a specific health condition. This is less of an issue as children mature.

But pre-teens or more introverted teenagers may express problems like loss of appetite or poorly defined aches in a way that may mask more serious symptoms.

In general, the larger the gap between the existing competencies of a child or adult and experience and knowledge of a situation in the mountains, the greater the onus on the accompanying guide to ensure that the "controllable" does not spiral downwards into an "uncontrollable" situation.

SEA Games 2015: Singapore ends Games campaign with 84 golds

Thank you #OneTeamSG athletes!
As we get ready for the closing ceremony of SEA GAMES 2015, here's a video tribute to #OneTeamSG athletes and their extraordinary feats over the past 2 weeks of competition. We're so proud of each one of you. Thank you for inspiring us all!
Posted by Lawrence Wong on Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Golden harvest recognised as a haul of fame
Accolades for Team Singapore after only three sports fail to earn medals
By May Chen, The Straits Times, 17 Jun 2015

AFTER far exceeding all targets while shouldering the weight of expectations pinned on Team Singapore, it was no wonder that sports officials showered the team with superlatives as the 28th SEA Games concluded yesterday.

The 749-strong contingent received a glowing report card at a post-Games media briefing, with their performances variously described as "excellent", "fantastic" and "impressive".

By the time the Games' flame was extinguished last night, Singapore had amassed 84 golds, 73 silvers and 102 bronzes, surpassing its previous best haul of 50 golds from the 1993 Games - the last time the event was held on home soil.

It meant that the hosts were ranked second in the overall medal standings behind regional kingpins Thailand, a feat that has not been achieved since the 1975 Bangkok Seap Games.

* SEA Games 2015 Closing Ceremony

Chef de mission Tan Eng Liang, a veteran official who has led national athletes to 12 major Games, revealed that he had set an internal target of 64 golds before the biennial event kicked off officially on June 5. Matching the showing from 1993 was the minimum benchmark expected of the athletes, he said.

"Fifty was a very safe prediction," he explained. "The moment we hit my internal target, we knew that we were on the road to (even more). We are extremely pleased that we were able to achieve that."

Added Nicholas Fang, who was the SEA Games co-chef de mission: "It's not an overstatement. To be able to be among the top three nations speaks a lot about the performance of the athletes and the preparations that have gone in."

The success was attributed to a number of factors, among them the fact that being hosts meant organisers could, to a large extent, design the sports and events contested to maximise Singapore's advantage.

Netball, for instance, returned to the roster after a 14-year absence. Floorball made its SEA Games debut. Events such as the jumbo doubles in squash were also introduced. Singapore won golds in all these events.

Extra funding from SportSingapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council to the tune of more than $4 millionalso played its part in the overall achievement.

Medals were mined from 33 out of the 36 sports - only football, petanque and tennis finished empty-handed.

While he is personally disappointed at the performance of the Young Lions, Tan gave the team credit for trying their best - but also cautioned that sports which have reaped a less-than-ideal harvest must address what went wrong. He said: "I would expect them to do a detailed analysis and come up with some plan to bring them further if they want to improve."

Added Bob Gambardella, chief of the Singapore Sports Institute: "There's no looking back any more. We've had a great performance... and now the expectation throughout is that we're raising the bar. We have to be ready to meet those demands."

He also noted that campaign funding for specific events will be explored in the future to help athletes set their sights on bigger stages.

For now, officials are hopeful that the contingent's success at the SEA Games will serve as inspiration for athletes to strive for loftier goals, while also providing a launch pad for budding future athletes.

Said Tan: "The SEA Games is one step in a series of major events that leads to the Olympics. These successes will hopefully spur us on to do better at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

"These Games have produced numerous heroes and heroines, and they're all inspiring and encouraging role models for younger athletes to follow."

Kinabalu nudists: Don't cover up good sense

By Fui K. Soong, Published The Straits Times, 13 Jun 2015

CRISIS often brings out emotions that rule over rationality because fear of the unfamiliar is an unknown.

A flurry of chats among my relatives pertaining to the recent earthquake in Sabah sparked an interesting point for us to ponder upon the many ideals we hang on to.

When an unknown fear eclipses our senses, do we believe it or continue to follow rational thinking?

A cousin of mine living in Canada lamented the way local media deliberately twisted news of the remand of "some happy tourists" in Sabah to suggest the archaic parochialism so often stereotyped by narrow-minded right-wing writers.

Right away, words like "strictly conservative Muslim country" and other associated words conveniently come into play. Their contradiction is both blinding and glaring at the same time.

Is the concept of individual liberalism justified over the control of society?

I subscribe to the early philosophers of the Enlightenment as the movement has, without doubt, brought about phenomenal societal changes in modern times.

Women's rights comes to mind as an important milestone, for example.

The recent tragedy on Mount Kinabalu ended 18 precious lives, and drove villagers into a frenzy of fear that saw some abandoning their homes as tremors continue to shake the ground.

Some foreign media, angered by the fact that the Malaysian government had seemingly acted in a barbaric fashion by arresting the nudists for "causing the earthquake", started attacking the local authorities for their actions.

Sabah earthquake: Day of National Remembrance in Singapore on 8 June 2015

Day dedicated to memory of fallen climbers
Nation to observe remembrance day today; more bodies are identified
By Rahul Pathak, Associate Editor, News, The Straits Times, 8 Jun 2015

FRIENDS broke down and strangers were moved to tears as eight people who had left Singapore to climb a mountain returned from its slopes in body bags.

Two other Singaporeans are still listed as missing after last Friday's earthquake on Mount Kinabalu rained rocks on the climbers.

Yesterday appeared to be a day when grief touched political leaders and regular folk. Today will be a day of national remembrance as Singapore reflects on the young lives cut short abruptly.

State flags on all government buildings will be flown at half-mast, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. At all venues where the SEA Games are being held, the day will start with one minute of silence.

"We hope that this collective expression of sympathy and support from all Singaporeans will give solace and comfort to the families and loved ones of the victims," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post.

After two days when many of the victims from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) had been deemed missing, but not confirmed dead, a flurry of identifications was announced yesterday.

Five of those named yesterday - Rachel Ho Yann Shiuan, Sonia Jhala, Emilie Giovanna Ramu, Matahom Karyl Mitzi Higuit and Ameer Ryyan Mohd Adeed Sanjay - were all 12 years old. Also on the list were their teacher, 29-year-old Terrence Sebastian Loo Jian Liang and adventure guide Muhammad Daanish Amran, 22.

Carrying its sad cargo of bodies, a Republic of Singapore Air Force plane made its way back here last night.

This means that only 13-year-old Navdeep Singh Jaryal Raj Kumar and teacher Mohammad Ghazi Mohamed, 35, are still listed as missing from the group of 37 that TKPS had sent to Kota Kinabalu.

The school opened its doors despite the June holidays to pay homage to the seven pupils and two teachers who may not return to its campus.

Hundreds of mourners - including weeping pupils, deeply sad alumni and strangers who simply wanted to express their solidarity - gathered at the school to pen their thoughts on little white cards and simply exchange hugs.

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who came to offer words of comfort, said: "My heart weeps for them. So many young lives perished, teachers too, all just starting their lives, so it has come as a shock to us."

Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Indranee Rajah was struck by the manner in which parents of pupils were supporting one another.

"For the families who are bereaved, and even for those whose children have come back, I think they should know that they all have friends here who are supporting them," she said.

"The staff and obviously the nation feel very deeply for those who have passed away."

The school reached out to console the bereaved families yesterday. Today, the nation may do the same.