国庆群众大会 2010
亲爱的同胞
大家晚上好
我们刚主办了青年奥运会。这个体育盛会圆满结束，我们完成了任务， 在国际上赢得不少好评。我国选手也赢得好几面奖牌，值得我们自豪。这是举国上下一起努力所取得的成绩。
新加坡人四十多年来全民一心，才有今天的各种成就。我们去年面对危机时团结一致，新加坡因此成了最先走出衰退的国家之一，也取得十分强劲的经济回弹。今年的经济应该是一次大丰收，全年经济增长预料在13%到15%之间。这是很可观的数字，工友可以期待更高的工资和花红。
《联合早报》最近报道，就连7月歌台歌星的收费都提高了。唱的歌跟往年差不多一样，可是收费提高了。七月歌台的收费，可说是一项“行情指数”。我们不应该小看这个指数，它有它特殊的意义，因为它显示经济确实好转了，更显示老百姓和小商家也感受到了、受惠了，因此中元节就热闹起来了。
新加坡很快地摆脱困境，有两大原因：第一，我们采取果断的政策，包括“雇用补贴计划”(Jobs Credit)，在经济衰退的时候，它帮助许多国人保住了饭碗。由于公司留住工人，所以当全球经济开始好转的时候，公司能够迅速地应付新的订单，把握新的商机，因此我们整个经济可以迅速地回弹起来，所以Jobs Credit有双重的效用。第二，劳资政三方合作无间的关系。这样的合作关系，是我们度过重重难关的最大秘诀。我们应该加强它，使它成为持久的优势。
两座IRs（综合渡假胜地）已经开张营业，可以说是一片兴旺，开了个好头。两座我都参观过了：一个是圣淘沙的名胜世界，一个是滨海湾的金沙。两座都是人山人海。人们到那里买东西，享用美食，也到空中花园或者到环球影城游玩。当然，我相信有不少人也到楼下（赌场）看看。IR酒店的一位经理告诉我，许多酒店的房客是本地人，因为他们要享受一下那里的服务和设施。
我也到楼下看一看，是考察。我到赌场参观的时候，就遇到不少新加坡人。有一些甚至跟我握握手，说：“我是你的选民，希望你带来好运！”可是我希望他们只是为了满足好奇心，找一点刺激，也希望他们不要忘了自己的正业。明智之举是把那些赌博游戏和老虎机让给外国游客去玩，这个才是包赢的政策，因为外国游客去玩，可能输、可能赢，无论如何都会交赌博税。赌博税税收多了，财政有盈余，人人都有机会分享—包赢的！总的来说，IR为新加坡带来广泛的经济利益。它直接制造了两万多个就业机会，它为旅游业增添新的动力，更提高了新加坡的国际形象，让人们知道新加坡是个勇于创新、充满活力的都市。
新加坡的前景良好，但是我们不应该自满。为了保持长远的优势，为了维持我们的经济增长，我们必须积极提高生产力。什么是生产力？这是一个抽象的名词，不容易了解的一个概念。但是我们必须了解它，必须尽力去提高它。提高生产力，不等于延长工作时间或削减员工，而是找出更有效、事半功倍的工作方法，或者是满足市场上新的需求，以创造价值。
这不容易做到，尤其是对中小型企业来说，是很不容易做的事情。因为中小型企业必须放弃传统运作方式，采用新科技，全面革新业务，可能甚至需要进行合并，以取得规模经济的效益。提高生产力、电脑化、自动化，可以考虑，买一台机器不难。但是合并意味着两个小公司的老板变成一个小公司的老板。谁做老板？谁是打工的？那很不容易合并。我们了解中小型企业已经面对不小的压力。有种种迹象可以看出这一点，譬如说，传统杂货店已经由迷你超市所取代了。
十多年前，在许多邻里的购物中心，还可以看到传统杂货店，店里挂了一个牛奶桶，里面是放钱的。有顾客来，拉下来，跟顾客交易。今天，没有牛奶桶了。今天都是迷你超级市场。湿巴刹的生意也比较淡了。因为一般的职业妇女是到超级市场买菜、购物，一个星期最多去一、两次.。很多旧式的理发店也已经关门大吉了，特别是为男士服务的理发店。它们面对快速理发服务的竞争。这些新式的理发店很方便，理发十分钟，收费十块钱。
这些种种的迹象说明，中小型企业必须寻找新的生机，或另辟途径。政府其实已经制定了许多计划帮助它们转型和提升。这些计划包括提供财政援助，协助它们采用信息科技或改善服务素质。最近，我们刚刚推出两项新计划，协助中小型企业加强管理人才的能力，帮他们招揽大专毕业生。我希望他们会尽量利用这些计划，提升自己。政府也为中小型企业组织海外考察团，以探讨开拓海外市场的可行性。
有些中小型企业很努力的求新求变，已经实现“鲤鱼跳龙门”的愿望。让我举个例子，卖豆花水也许是一门小本生意，但是卖豆花谁也可以卖出一个春天来。举一个例子，大家所熟悉的 “Mr Bean” （豆先生）原本是珍珠坊的一个小贩摊位，跟新加坡许许多多的小贩摊位没什么差别。可是15年前，两位老板开始察觉一个大好商机：不少人把新鲜豆奶当作日常饮料，因为它健康又好喝。于是，他们买下了这个老摊位，开创了“豆先生”这个新品牌，更新了店铺，搬到购物中心，推出更多产品，包括日式煎饼、饼干和豆奶雪糕等。现在， “豆先生”拥有超过50家分店，雇用450名员工。它还成了“过江龙”，到东京涉谷(Shibuya)设立了分店.涉谷是东京有名的购物地带。.“豆先生”也面对一个竞争对手，也就是“豆乐”(Jollibean)。
商场如战场，适者生存。对商人来说，这种竞争压力很大，对消费者来说，这种竞争是良性的，因为商人各出奇招，推陈出新，将提高生产力，改善他们的服务水平、产品的数字，这样，最终受益的是我们大家。所以，竞争是好的。
我们的企业必须打拼，我们整体的经济也应该力争上游。其实我们不是唯一遇到竞争压力的国家，其他国家也面对同样的压力，包括中国，这个世界的工厂。中国经济增长很快，各地的工资不断上升，特别是在沿海地区。劳工密集的工业，比如制衣和制鞋业，已经逐渐地从中国沿海移向中国内陆城市，或者移到中国以外的工资较低的国家，比如越南或孟加拉。中国意识到这个问题，正在积极开发高科技产业。广东省省委书记汪洋就说，广东必须“腾笼换鸟”；意思是淘汰劳工密集的工业，引进高增值的经济产业。“腾笼换鸟”：把鸟笼打开，把一只新的鸟儿放进去。
新加坡也必须更上一层楼，否则我们的工人的工资将停滞不前，甚至我们一部分的工业可能会流失。多年来，我们已经进行了好几次的经济转型。汪洋书记知道我们经验丰富，所以在两年前，他率领一个很大的代表团到新加坡来，希望能借鉴我们改革经济的经验。大家都知道中国领导人强国富民的决心。所以新加坡也应该腾笼换鸟，加速改革的步伐，以免被迎头赶上。
改革经济需要多方面的努力，而教育是其中重要的一环。为了应付新经济的需求，我们要提升工友的技能，要为下一代提供最好的教育，这个我相信所有的父母亲都知道的。我们拥有良好和健全的教育制度，每一所学校都是好学校，都有优良的设施和敬业乐业的教师，都有多姿多彩的强化课程和课外活动。学生也有机会到国外旅游、实习和交流。
我们要让学生获得全面的教育：我们不希望学生只懂得应付考试，而是要做到德智体，三育并重，也要培养学生对艺术、音乐和设计等方面的兴趣，并激励学生学好母语和接触传统文化。我们的信念是：天生我才必有用。每名学生都应该有施展才华，发挥天分的机会。我们绝对不希望我们的学生“一考定终身”：考一次试，就决定一生的前途。不管是小六会考、中四会考，还是’A’水准会考。考试固然重要，但是考试不是人生唯一一件事情。考试也不是断定你的前途的最后一次机会。我们要让学生有更多选择、更多升学的途径，以及更多可攀登的高峰。稍后我将在英语演讲中，进一步解释我们的教育政策，以及我们的一些新的设想和计划。
我们应该栽培本地人才，但也必须选择性地引进移民、延揽人才。罗致人才，海纳百川，向来是强国兴邦的最好策略。我们小国寡民，加上生育率偏低，更需要这么做。有了足够的人才，新加坡才能够应付激烈的国际竞争，脱颖而出。对华社来说，来自中港台的移民带来多方面的贡献，尤其是文化和教育方面，因为他们可成为华文老师，加强母语教师的阵容，日后，他们也可成为我国文化精英的一分子。
不过，如果流入的移民太多，或者太快的话，可能带来一些负面影响，譬如影响我们的社会风气、或者给工人带来更大的压力，或者造成拥挤的现象，特别是在公共场所或地铁列车。政府了解人民对这些问题感到不安，并且正在寻找对策，以尽量化解问题。因为这些是真实的问题，但是这些也是可以处理的问题。
有些人担心太多外国劳工涌入。政府也很注意这个问题，我们将继续控制外劳的流入。最近，我会见了几位来自亚细安国家的记者，有一位问我：为什么新加坡向来提倡自由贸易，却从来不提倡人口自由流动？我反过来问他：你国家人口多少？他说：8000万。其他九个亚细安国家加起来是五亿人，我说，这就是问题所在，因为我们只是个小红点，如果你们的人口的百分之一决定自由流动，流到新加坡来，我们就完了！所以政府对这个问题非常清楚，我们是不会搞错的。
可是我们讨论这个问题的时候，应该将移民和外劳这两组人清楚地分开来。我们引进外劳，是为了满足经济发展的需要。如果没有外劳的支援，难以维持经济的增长，更无法建造IRs，新地铁线，或新组屋。这些都是我们要的东西。如果我们希望建这些基础设施，不得不引进外劳，因为新加坡工人绝对是不够的，尤其是建筑工人，几乎是没有的。外劳会替我们建这些基础设施。本地商家向来都说工人难找，尤其是小商家。我每次到基层跟我们的基层领袖讨论问题的时候，那些办小型企业的，人数不少。他们都跟我诉苦：“我申请不到工作准证，请你帮帮忙。”包括咖啡店老板，因为找一个助手可能没这么难，但是找一个助手做到午夜，那不简单；做通宵的咖啡店，新加坡人就不愿意做了。在经济兴旺的年头，如果我们不引进更多外劳的话，我看我们会卡死我们的经济，会对我们造成很多损失。所以外劳是需要的，不过，外劳只是过客，不会长期逗留。而且，我们会限制他们的数量，确保外劳不超过总劳动人口的三分之一左右。所以，好的年头多一点，坏的年头可能就少一点。
移民有别于外劳；移民是指永久居民或新公民。移民带来深远的影响，关系的不只是我们经济的表现，而且是我们社会的和谐和我们国民的认同感。筛选移民的标准，因为这个原因，比筛选外劳的标准严格得多，移民人数也比外劳人数少得多，因为我们要尽量避免改变我国社会的本质。我们只将引进能够融入新加坡社会，又能作出贡献的人。
当然，有一部分新加坡人担心，新移民无法融入新加坡社会。政府也很关注这个问题，因为移民来自截然不同的社会，生活习惯和社会价值观跟我们的不尽相同。他们的衣着、他们的举止、他们的口音、他们的习惯，一看就知道不是新加坡人。不过，这也是可以克服的问题。我们将尽量鼓励他们跟其他族群相处，并且参与社区活动。如果他们能够入乡随俗，时间一久，就能顺利地融入社会。当然，语言是一个问题，新移民如果不懂得英语的话，在新加坡这样以英语为主要工作语言的环境里，他们肯定会觉得不自在。所以我鼓励新移民，学一些基本英语，至少能够沟通，搭巴士车、地铁、买东西，或是打个招呼。这需要花一点功夫，但是是有价值的。另一方面，新移民有许多值得新加坡人学习的地方。我们可以学习他们敢闯、敢试、敢拼的精神，他们求上进的决心和毅力。要做一个移民不容易：离乡背井、远走他乡，在另外一个国家落地生根，想办法找一份职业把家庭养大，除非有敢拼的精神，他们是不会来的。这个精神是可取的，我们应该从中学习。
新加坡人应该帮助新移民融入社会。宗乡会馆在这方面可以扮演积极的角色。在上个世纪20和30年代，会馆的主要使命是援助和安顿新来的移民，那时叫作“新客”。现在，在经过大约一个世纪后，宗乡会馆又再负起这个任务了。当然，新移民也为宗乡会馆注入一股新的活力，许多新移民成了一些会馆的生力军，使会馆的青年团壮大起来。近年来，我们还看到几所新会馆的成立，包括天津会，包括天府会 – 天府会是四川人组成的。最近几天，我在报纸上看到一个山西会的成立，是由山西人组成的。这是过去几十年来未曾见过的现象，我想是一个好现象。
许多新移民在这里生活很多年，已经成为我们社会的一份子。一些活跃的新移民还成立了新团体、设立网站，这个叫做《随笔南洋》，是新移民组织的，帮他们跟新加坡人交流、建立联系。《联合早报》也经常发表新移民的来信。这些移民表达他们对新加坡的体制和社会风气的赞赏，也表明他们在新家园落地生根的意愿。为什么呢？因为他们来自另一个社会，曾经在另一个体制下生活，所以他们感受到新加坡的独特、珍贵。新加坡人觉得很普通的、习以为常的、没什么特别的，对他们来说是很不寻常的，是很难得的，并且应该珍惜的。所以，像这样的人，我看他们也能够对我们做出贡献。
他们的下一代，更能够对我们做出贡献。让移民的孩子到我们的学校就读，就是促进融合的有效方法。他们的孩子有机会跟本地学生交朋友，每天在学校唱国歌、念信约，我们的价值观和社会风气，必将对他们产生潜移默化的影响。日子久了，他们长大成人之后，跟土生土长的新加坡人没有两样。其实你如果跟这些年轻人交谈，你有时听不出他是外国来的，因为他们的新加坡口音，无论是英语还是华语，跟我们的比较接近。
学校里的新移民也让新加坡学生获益不浅，因为新移民与本地学生一起学习，交朋友，增加了本地学生对其他国家的认识，也使本地学生更具备国际视野。
我知道有一些家长为孩子担心，孩子面对外来学生的竞争，第一，可能进不了他们想进的学校，第二，恐怕孩子赢不到奖项。以学校的学额来说，政府将确保学额不会供不应求。在报读小学的时候，如果需要抽签的话，国民学生有两票，永久居民学生只有一票，其他非公民排在他们的后面。此外，那些受欢迎的计划或课程，譬如直通车计划，我们将会在更多学校开办，让更多学生有机会受惠。
以学校颁发的各种奖项来说，其实，大家不需要太担心，因为你们应该对自己的孩子有信心。我们的学生是好学生。很多新加坡学生在国外得奖，或者在外国顶尖的大学名列前茅。
外国学生在一些领域强过本地学生。譬如，中国学生的华文和中华文化方面比较强，因此在参加华语辩论和相声比赛的时候占优势，是很自然的，不然的话，我看有毛病了。
不过，主办单位在举办华语辩论会的时候，他们也有办法。有些主办单位就规定，每个团队至少要有两名新加坡学生，让新加坡学生有机会参与。不过，你知道上有政策，下有对策。对策是什么？在学生群中找新移民，算作是新加坡学生，所以新公民两个，移民两个，包赢！
当然，主办单位以后还会有更妙的设想。我讲这个故事有一个原因，就是在国内，我们可以制定游戏规则，但是到了国外，游戏规则不是由我们决定的。我们迟早会面对国际竞争，因此最好在新加坡开始做好准备。所以我希望新加坡人积极看待外国学生的竞争，把它当作一种磨练，帮助我们准备面对国际上更加激烈的竞争。
实际上，我们都是移民的后代。我们的祖先选择移居，到南洋来打拼，最终在这里安家立业。最近我读了一本书，是朱亮亮女士写的书，书名叫做《追虹》，很有感触。朱女士在电视台工作多年，曾负责国庆群众大会演讲的华语部分。她在书中追述她的曾祖父那一代从潮州到南洋求发展的事迹，是19世纪末年开始的事情。她写的是四代人艰苦奋斗的故事。他们经历了世界经济大萧条，日军占领新马时期，战后反殖民地斗争等等风风雨雨，最终在新加坡落地生根，创立事业。这个家族的许多成员都很杰出，可说是一门俊秀，在各个领域作出贡献。许多新加坡人也有同样的家族史，也有很多故事可说，也有很多书可以写。今天的新加坡，是由移民先驱以及他们的后代建立起来的。因此，我们应该继续以宽广的胸怀欢迎新移民，让他们帮助我们建设一个更好的新加坡。
今晚，我谈了三个重要课题：改革经济，提升教育，以及移民政策。任何政策和社会环境的改变，都会给人民会带来不安，政府必定会采取具体行动，缓解这些政策所可能带来的一些负面影响。我希望大家放心，并且能够体谅和明白政府的用意。
亚洲一片兴旺，新加坡的前景也十分良好。为了把握良好机遇，我们必须不断提升，精益求精，使我们的政策和体制更完善、使我们变得更灵活，更有生产力和创造力。自独立以来，我们一直在追求进步，取得令人瞩目的成就，使新加坡赢得崇高的国际声誉。我们之所以成功，不是这些具体的政策。政策固然重要，可是最关键的秘诀是我们独有的新加坡精神 – 团结合作、不怕艰难、理智果断、并且让全民分享经济成果。我希望大家继续发扬这种新加坡精神，一起克服各种挑战，使我们这个小红点能够永久地、继续发光发亮。
谢谢各位。
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ENGLISH TEXT OF NATIONAL DAY RALLY 2010 MANDARIN SPEECH
My fellow Singaporeans, good evening.
We have just hosted the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG). It was a success. We have completed our mission and won international praise. Our athletes did well and won several medals. We can be proud of their performance. We had a successful YOG because we have worked together as one Singapore.
Together, we have achieved much for over 40 years. Last year, we faced the crisis and responded as one united people. Hence, Singapore was among the first to come out of the downturn and had a very strong rebound. This year, the economy should do well with a full-year growth forecast of 13 to 15 per cent. This is a very handsome figure indeed. Workers can expect higher wages and bonuses.
Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that even getai performers are commanding higher fees. They sang the same songs as before, but are charging more now. We should not think of this “getai index” as unimportant. It holds special significance in that it shows that the economy has really turned around. It shows that the people and small businesses are feeling and benefiting from the recovery. That is why the Hungry Ghost Festival is bustling with activities.
There are two key reasons for the swift rebound in Singapore. The first was our decisive response and effective measures. For example, Jobs Credit has helped many Singaporeans keep their jobs during the downturn. As recovery began, companies with workers could seize opportunities and meet new orders fast, and the economy in turn could rebound quickly. So Jobs Credit has served a dual purpose. Second was the seamless tripartism between workers, employers and the Government. This partnership has helped us repeatedly overcome many crises. We should strengthen it and make it our lasting advantage.
The two integrated resorts have opened to a good start. I have visited both of them. One is Resorts World Sentosa, the other is Marina Bay Sands. Both are very crowded. People go there to shop and enjoy good food. They also visit the SkyPark or enjoy the rides at Universal Studios. Of course, I believe many also visit the casinos. A hotel manager told me that many hotel guests are Singaporeans. They go there to enjoy the services and facilities.
I also took a look at the casinos, well, just looking, of course. While looking around, I met quite a few Singaporeans. Some even shook hands with me and said: "I’m your constituent. I hope you will bring me good luck!" I hope they were just satisfying their curiosity and having some fun, and did not forget their proper jobs. It is best to leave the gambling tables and slot machines to the tourists. This is the only sure-win strategy for us. When tourists play, they may win, or they may lose, but either way the casinos will still have to pay taxes. If tax revenue from the casinos should go up, we will have budget surplus, and everybody gets a share of the cake, so this is what we call "sure win"! Overall, the IRs have brought benefits to Singapore. They created over 20,000 jobs and gave our tourism industry a boost. They have also enhanced our image as a creative and vibrant city.
Our prospects are good, but we must not become complacent. To maintain our long-term advantage and economic growth, we must raise our productivity. What is productivity? It is an abstract term and a difficult concept to grasp. But we have to understand it and do our best to raise its level. Raising productivity does not mean longer working hours or reducing staff. It means finding more effective and more efficient methods of doing things, or fulfilling new needs of the market to create value.
This is not easy, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). They would have to change their old ways, adopt new technologies and renew their business. They may even have to merge to obtain economies of scale. To raise productivity, a company can computerise or automate. It can consider buying a machine, which is not difficult. But a merger would mean that the bosses of two small companies will become the bosses of one small company. Who is going to be the boss? Who is going to be the worker? So mergers are difficult. We understand that SMEs are under pressure. There are many signs of this. For example, traditional provision shops have been gradually replaced by minimarts.
Ten years ago, we could still see provision shops in neighbourhood shopping centres. There would be a milk tin hanging in the shop. It is actually the “cash register”. When customers came to buy groceries, the shopkeeper would pull the tin down to put in the earnings and to give change. Today, the milk tins are gone. Minimarts are now all over the place. At wet markets, business is not as brisk as before. Nowadays, working women prefer to shop at supermarkets. They go about once or twice a week. Many traditional hairdressing shops have closed down too, especially barbers. They face competition from express services. These hair salons offer very convenient service, ten dollars for a hair cut delivered in ten minutes.
It is therefore clear that SMEs must find new ways to thrive. The Government has many schemes to help SMEs upgrade and transform, including grants to help them adopt IT and improve service level. We have just launched two new schemes to help SMEs strengthen their talent management capability, and to help them recruit graduates. I hope they will make the most of these schemes and upgrade themselves. The Government also organises study trips for SMEs to explore overseas markets.
Some SMEs have worked hard to innovate and have achieved their dreams of success. They have turned from “carps into dragons”. Let me give you an example. Selling soya milk may be a simple business, but it can be grown into a big business too. Well-known food and beverage chain Mr Bean was originally a hawker stall in People’s Park Complex, no different from the many hawker stalls in Singapore. But 15 years ago, two businessmen saw a great business opportunity. Many people drink fresh soya milk daily because it is healthy and delicious. So they bought over the stall and started a new brand, Mr Bean. They refurbished the store, moved to a shopping centre and launched more products including Japanese pancakes, biscuits and soya milk ice cream. Now, Mr Bean has more than 50 outlets and employed 450 workers. It has even ventured beyond our shores and set up an outlet in Shibuya, a well-known shopping area in Tokyo. Mr Bean also has a competitor, Jollibean.
It is a jungle out there and only those who adapt will survive. For businessmen, the pressure is tremendous, but for the consumer, it is healthy competition. When businesses try to outdo one another and start to innovate, they will raise productivity, improve service standards and increase their product figures. We are the ones who ultimately benefit. So competition is good.
Our businesses must strive to compete, and our entire economy must push ahead too. We are not the only country facing competition. Other countries face similar pressures too, including China, the factory of the world. China is growing very rapidly, and wages are rising everywhere, especially in coastal areas. Labour-intensive industries, such as garment and shoe factories, are gradually moving from the coastal areas to inland cities, or to other countries where labour is cheaper, such as Vietnam or Bangladesh. China is aware of this problem, and is pushing hard into high-tech sectors. Guangdong Party Secretary Wang Yang has said that Guangdong has to “empty its cage for new birds”, meaning the province must move out its old labour-intensive industries and attract new high-value activities.
Singapore must also move up, otherwise wages will stagnate and some industries may be lost. We have successfully transformed our economy many times in the past. Mr Wang knows we have a lot of experience in this, so two years ago he led a big delegation to Singapore to study Singapore’s experience. We all know that China’s leaders are determined to uplift their country and people. So we must also “empty our cage for new birds” and step up our pace to maintain our lead over others.
Transforming the economy calls for hard work on many fronts, and one key priority is education. To meet the needs of the new economy, we need to equip workers with new skills and provide the best education for our young. I believe all parents know this. We have an excellent and comprehensive education system. Each of our schools is a good school, with excellent facilities and dedicated teachers. There are interesting enrichment programmes and many co-curricular activities. Students also get to go overseas for tours, study trips and exchanges.
We want holistic education for our students. We want students to be more than exam-smart. We want them to develop morally, intellectually and physically. We also want to foster their interest in arts, music and design, as well their mother tongue and cultural heritage. We believe in the Chinese saying that each of us has something to contribute. All students should have opportunities to develop their talent and realise their potential. We do not wish their future to be determined by a single exam, whether it is the Primary School Leaving Examination, the O-levels or A-levels. While exams are important, they are not the only thing in life. They are also not a person’s last chance to a good future. We must offer students more choices, more pathways to higher education, and more peaks to climb. I will elaborate more on our education policies and some of our new ideas and plans in my English speech later.
We should nurture own talent, but we must also selectively bring in immigrants and attract talents. Gathering talent from all over the world has always been the best way to strengthen a nation. All the more so for us, as we are a small country with low birth rates. We must have enough talent to compete in the world and stand out. The Chinese immigrants from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan contribute in many ways to the Chinese community here, especially in terms of culture and education, because they can become Chinese language teachers and add to the pool of mother tongue teachers. In time, they may also become our cultural leaders.
But immigration may have negative impact if it is a case of too many too fast. There are concerns that the tone of our society may be affected, the competitive pressures on workers may increase and public congestion could occur, especially on the MRT trains. The Government understands the concerns of Singaporeans over these issues and will find ways to mitigate their impact. These are real but also manageable issues.
Some people worry we may take in too many foreign workers. The Government will continue to monitor this closely and control inflows. Recently, I met some ASEAN journalists. One of them asked: "Why does Singapore support free trade but not free movement of people?" I asked this journalist: "What is the population of your country?" He replied: "80 million." I then explained to him: "That is the issue. We are just a little red dot. ASEAN has a total of 500 million people. If 1 per cent comes to Singapore, we will be swamped." The Government is very clear on this. We did not get it wrong.
We should make a distinction between immigrants and foreign workers when discussing this issue. We bring in foreign workers to meet the needs of our economic development. Without their help, it will be hard to maintain our economic growth. Without foreign workers, it will be hard to build IRs, the MRT system and HDB flats. If these are what we want, we will have to bring in foreign workers because we definitely do not have enough Singapore workers, especially those in construction. So foreign workers will help us build the infrastructure we want. Local businesses, especially SMEs, often say they can’t find workers. Whenever I go down to the ground to talk to the grassroots, there are always small-time businessmen, and there are quite a few of them, who would tell me about their problems. They would say: "I can't get the work permits, can you help?" It is the same for coffeeshop owners. For them, finding a worker is not difficult, but finding one who is willing to work till midnight, now that is not easy. If it means working through the night, Singaporeans will not be willing to do it. When the economy is growing, we will need to bring in more foreign workers. If not, I think we will end up stifling the economy to our own detriment. Hence, we do need foreign workers, but they are transient workers. They won’t stay forever. And we would also limit their numbers to about one-third of our workforce. We will bring in more of them in good times, and fewer in bad times.
Immigrants, however, are different. They are not foreign workers. They are either permanent residents or new citizens. Their impact is far deeper and longer than that of foreign workers and is not just on our economic growth. Immigrants also affect social harmony and national identity. It is for this reason that approvals are based on stricter standards for immigrants than for foreign workers. We also have far fewer immigrants than foreign workers. This is because we want to maintain the character of the Singapore society. We welcome immigrants who can integrate into our society and contribute to it.
Some Singaporeans worry new immigrants cannot integrate into the society here. The Government also tracks the integration of new immigrants. These people come from many different societies, and their habits and values may also be different from ours. From their dressing, mannerisms, accents and habits, we could tell straightaway that they are not Singaporeans. But this can be managed. We will encourage new immigrants to learn to mix with the different communities here and urge them to participate in community activities. If they can do that, they will be able to adapt to our society over time. Of course, language is an issue. If the new immigrants do not speak English, they will definitely feel out of place in Singapore where English is the predominant working language. Therefore, I encourage new immigrants to learn some basic English so that at the very least, they will be able to communicate with others in their daily lives, for instance when taking a bus, boarding a train, shopping or simply saying "hi". This would take some effort but it is well worth it. Conversely, Singaporeans can also learn a lot from new immigrants. We can learn from their indomitable spirit and determination to excel. Being an immigrant is not easy as they have to leave their homeland and sink their roots in another country where they have to find ways to make a living and raise their families. Unless they have a dare-to-do spirit, they would not have come. This spirit is commendable and we should learn from them.
Singaporeans should help immigrants integrate into society. Clan associations, for example, can play a positive role to integrate and settle new immigrants. In the 1920s and 1930s, they had helped new immigrants, or “sinkeks” as they were called at the time. And now, almost a century later, the clan associations can take up this role again. New immigrants also bring new energy to the clan associations and have helped to revive their membership and expand their youth groups. In recent years, we have even seen new associations being formed, including Tianjin Association and Tian Fu Association, which was set up by new immigrants from Sichuan. Recently, I read in the papers that Shanxi Association has also been set up by new immigrants from Shanxi. This is something we have not seen for many decades and I think it is a good development.
Many new immigrants lived here for many years and have become part of the Singapore society. Some of the more active ones have even set up new groups and web communities like Sgwritings.com. This website was set up by new immigrants to help them interact and network with Singaporeans. The Lianhe Zaobao also publishes letters from new immigrants. These letters show their appreciation of Singapore’s system and society, and their intention to settle here. Why is this so? This is because they come from different societies and have lived under another system, so they feel that Singapore is unique and precious. Things that Singaporeans think are ordinary and expected are to them unusual and hard to come by. They treasure the opportunity to be part of Singapore, and I think they will contribute to our society.
Their next generation would be able to make greater contribution. One way to promote integration is to let the children of immigrants attend Singapore schools. Their children would be able to make friends with local students. They will sing the national anthem and recite the Singapore pledge together. They will imbibe our values and social norms. As time passes, they will grow up no different from local-born Singaporeans. If you were to talk to these young people, you may not be able to tell that they are from another country as their accents, whether English or Chinese, will be very close to ours.
Singaporean students also benefit from the presence of their foreign classmates. These students study together and become friends. Singaporean students learn about other countries from their foreign classmates and acquire international perspectives.
I know some parents worry about the competition their children face. First, they worry that their children may not get the school places that they want and second, they are concerned that their children may not be able to win school prizes. On school places, the Government can ensure there is enough supply to meet demand. During the Primary One registration exercise, if balloting is necessary, citizens will have two ballots, PRs one ballot and the rest will have to queue behind. In addition, the Government is also preparing more schools to offer popular programmes including the through-train programme.
On school prizes, we should not be too worried, but instead should have more confidence in our children. Our students are good. Many of them also do well overseas, winning prizes or topping their classes at top universities.
In some areas foreign students are better than Singaporeans. For example, students from China are better in Chinese than Singaporeans. This is a natural advantage for them when taking part in Chinese debate or cross-talk competitions. This is to be expected. I think something would be amiss if this is not the case.
But organisers have their ways of dealing with this. By requiring the debate teams to have at least two Singaporeans, Singaporean students would have a chance to take part. But you know, you can have rules but there is always a way to circumvent these rules. So what is the solution? Well, get new Singaporeans to fill up the quotas. Find two new citizens and another two new immigrants to form the team, and voila, a sure-win strategy!
Of course, I am sure the organisers will respond with something creative in the future. But I do have a reason for telling this story. In our own country, we can set the rules. But outside Singapore, we do not set the rules of the game. Competition is global and we have to face it whether we like it or not, so it is best that Singapore gets ready now. So I hope that Singaporeans will view competition from foreign students with a positive mindset. We can only improve with competition and it is this resilience that will help us prepare for tougher international competition.
In reality, we are all descendants of immigrants. Our forefathers came to South-east Asia to find a living and made their home here. I recently read a book "Chasing Rainbows" by Ms Choo Liang Liang. It was a moving book. Ms Choo worked in TV broadcasting for many years and used to take care of the Chinese part of the Prime Minister’s National Day Rally speech. Her book described how her great grandfather came to “Nanyang” from Chaozhou, China, in search of a better life. The story began in the late 19th century. She wrote of the struggles of four generations as they experienced the Great Depression, the Japanese occupation, and post-war anti-colonial and political struggles. Finally, her family settled in Singapore. Many in her family have outstanding talents and contributions. There are also many other Singaporeans with a similar family history, all with many stories to tell and many books to write. Singapore today has been built by immigrants and their descendants. Let us open our hearts to welcome new immigrants and welcome them to help us build an even better Singapore.
Tonight, I have covered three topics: Economy, education and immigration. Any change in policy or society can lead to unease and the Government will take action to mitigate some of negative impact. Please do not be unduly worried. And I hope everybody will understand and appreciate the Government’s intentions.
Asia is prospering and Singapore’s future is bright. We must seize this opportunity to uplift ourselves and excel. We must improve our policies and systems so that we are more nimble, productive and creative. Since independence, we have pursued excellence and achieved results. We have built a strong reputation for Singapore. The secret of our success lies not in our policies - though they are important - but our unique Singapore spirit. It is what makes us stay united and unafraid of difficulties. It is what drives us to make rational decisions and share success together. I hope we will continue to cherish and nurture our Singapore spirit. With the Singapore spirit, we can overcome challenges together, and make Singapore our brightest Little Red Dot.
Thank you.