PM Lee Hsien Loong delivered his National Day Rally speech on 17 August 2014 at the Institute of Technical Education College Central. He spoke in Malay and Mandarin, followed by English.
For the video with sign language interpretation, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.
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Rapat Umum Hari Kebangsaan 2014
Good evening and welcome back to Institute of Technology and Education (ITE) College Central. ITE were such gracious hosts last year that I decided to come again. But also one of my themes this year is ITE and Polytechnic students – their studies, their work, their careers, their future. So I think this is the right place to make the speech. But let me begin first in Malay as usual.
Saudara saudari sekalian. Selamat Hari Kebangsaan dan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!
Ramadan lalu, saya dan isteri “turun padang” ke Geylang Serai untuk merasai sendiri suasana perayaan di sana. Tahun ini, hiasan lampunya sungguh bercahaya dan berwarna-warni. Menarik sekali! Saya gembira melihat pengunjung berpusu-pusu ke bazar.
Saya juga berpeluang menyertai majlis iftar di Masjid Mujahidin di Queenstown. Masjid ini baru saja dibaik-pulih. Cantik sekali! Ruang solatnya lebih besar, ada laluan bebas halangan untuk golongan kurang upaya. Bilik darjahnya pula moden. App iPhone pun ada!
Masjid ini juga menampung jemaah dari Qaryah Kampong Holland. Saya tahu, jemaah Masjid Kampong Holland agak sedih meninggalkan masjid itu. Tetapi saya gembira kedatangan mereka disambut mesra oleh Masjid Mujahidin. Mereka sudahpun sesuaikan diri dengan baik di “rumah baru” mereka. Kerjasama dan pengorbanan seperti inilah yang kita inginkan untuk Singapura.
Semangat ini ketara dalam diri Generasi Perintis kita. Apabila kita Merdeka dulu, warga Perintis Melayu sebenarnya ada pilihan dan anda telah memilih untuk jatuh-bangun bersama Singapura. Pilihan anda ini telah membantu Singapura mekar menjadi sebuah masyarakat berbilang kaum dan agama yang unik – yang bersatu padu dan harmoni. Terima kasih kerana yakin dengan masa depan Singapura, dan bertungkus-lumus dengan kaum lain, untuk bangunkan Singapura.
Pakej Generasi Perintis adalah tanda penghargaan kita kepada golongan ini. Bagi masyarakat Melayu/Islam, MUIS dan Mendaki telah membentuk Jawatankuasa Bersama Generasi Perintis. Ia dipengerusikan Speaker Parlimen, Puan Halimah Yacob, dan disokong badan-badan Melayu/Islam. Ia telah jalankan pelbagai usaha baik, misalnya membentuk Sudut Kongsi Pandangan di Joo Chiat Complex untuk mendekati golongan Perintis dan keluarga mereka.
Seorang Perintis Melayu yang cemerlang ialah Encik Yusof Ishak, Presiden pertama kita. Saya gembira sekali, Puan Noor Aishah dapat bersama kita malam ini! Selamat datang Puan Noor Aishah. Encik Yusof lahir di Perak tetapi membesar di Singapura. Beliau cemerlang di sekolah dan aktif bersukan. Beliau juga memulakan Utusan Melayu, akhbar pertama milik orang Melayu. Akhbar Jawi. Pada tahun 1959, selepas Singapura memperoleh pemerintahan sendiri, beliau dipilih “Yang Di Pertuan Negara”. Kemudian, apabila Singapura menjadi sebuah Republik, Encik Yusof menjadi Presiden pertama kita.
Saya kenal Encik Yusof sejak saya kecil. Bagi saya dan adik-adik, beliau peramah orangnya. Saya masih ingat lagi, beliau juga suka merakam filem. Apabila Encik Yusof dan Puan Noor Aishah naik haji, beliau rakamkan pengalamannya. Pada masa itu, memang jarang-jarang kita dapat lihat rakaman mengenai Makkah dan Kaabah. Selepas beliau pulang, beliau menunjukkan filem itu kepada kami dan menceritakan pengalaman mereka di Tanah Suci.
Encik Yusof adalah seorang yang warak, dan pada masa yang sama rapat dan mesra dengan rakyat bukan Islam. Beliau juga menyokong kuat dasar-dasar berbilang kaum kita. Encik Yusof yakin dengan prinsip meritokrasi bahawa semua orang harus diberi peluang saksama untuk majukan diri melalui usaha masing-masing. Beliau juga menyokong dasar-dasar untuk memodenkan masyarakat kita dan membolehkan masyarakat Melayu/Islam bergerak maju bersama-sama kaum lain. Sebagai Presiden, Encik Yusof telah mewakili Singapura dengan cemerlang dan berwibawa.
Kita akan memberi tiga penghormatan di atas segala sumbangan Encik Yusof kepada Singapura. Pertama, sebuah masjid akan dinamakan atas nama beliau. Kami telah berbincang dengan Mufti tentang perkara ini. Anda sudahpun tahu bahawa sebuah masjid baru akan dibina di Woodlands. Jadi kami juga telah berbincang dengan Jawatankuasa Pembinaan Masjid baru ini dan keluarga Encik Yusof. Terima kasih Tuan Mufti kerana memberi saya penghormatan untuk mengumumkan nama masjid baru ini iaitu Masjid Yusof Ishak. Kedua, Encik Yusof komited untuk mendorong kemajuan melalui pendidikan. Beliau juga banyak menyumbang kepada hubungan akrab dengan negara-negara jiran. Sejajar dengan sumbangannya ini, kita akan menamakan Institut Pengajian Asia Tenggara atau ISEAS atas nama beliau. Ia bakal dikenali sebagai, “ISEAS - Institut Yusof Ishak”. Ketiga, kita juga akan memulakan “Kerusi Profesor Yusof Ishak dalam Sains Sosial” di NUS. Pengumpulan dana akan diusahakan sebuah jawatankuasa yang dilantik Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.
Inilah caranya kita memastikan agar generasi Singapura akan datang, terus mewarisi kenangan, wawasan dan nilai-nilai yang dipegang teguh, Encik Yusof Ishak. Puan Noor Aishah, kami terhutang budi kepada suami anda atas segala sumbangan dan pengorbanannya kepada negara. Terima kasih!
Masyarakat Melayu/Islam telah mencatat kemajuan besar sepanjang setengah abad lalu, sejak Encik Yusof menjadi Presiden kita. Tahun demi tahun, pendapatan keluarga meningkat dengan kukuh, lebih ramai berpendidikan pos menengah dan kita kini ada lebih ramai PMET Melayu/Islam. Setiap tahun, saya mencari contoh-contoh orang Melayu yang cemerlang dalam pelbagai bidang dan saya nampak satu trend yang ketara. Semakin banyak contoh yang membanggakan, tahun demi tahun.
Tahun ini, kita ada lebih kurang 35 siswazah Melayu/Islam yang berjaya mendapat ijazah sarjana muda kepujian kelas pertama di universiti setempat. Dua daripada mereka, menarik perhatian saya. Afzal Ali, graduan Sekolah Undang-Undang NUS dan secara serentak, mendapat ijazah sarjana Undang-Undang dari Universiti New York. Afzal sedang mengikuti latihan guaman di firma ternama, Allen & Gledhill. Yang kedua ialah Fauziah Ally, seorang graduan Politeknik Singapura dengan diploma Sains Bio-perubatan. Beliau baru lulus dalam Sains Biologi di NTU. Kini Fauziah bertugas sebagai Pegawai Penyelidikan di Institut Biologi Molekular dan Sel, A*Star iaitu IMCB. Satu pencapaian yang mengagumkan. Syabas!
Walaupun banyak sudah dicapai masyarakat Melayu/Islam, masih ada cabaran yang perlu diatasi, misalnya tahap kesihatan. Terlalu ramai yang mengidap penyakit kronik seperti darah tinggi, kencing manis dan kegemukan. Antara sebabnya adalah makanan seperti nasi lemak, briyani, dan kuih muihnya – santan, gula, semua manis-manis dan sedap-sedap belaka!
Biasanya semasa Ramadan ramai yang kurus sedikit tetapi saya tahu ada juga yang naik berat badan. Sedikit sahaja. Mungkin kerana tak tahan dicabar sajian berbuka yang lazat. Jadi saya galakkan orang Melayu supaya lebih banyak bersenam. Kaum wanita ada kumpulan kebaya-robics tapi untuk kaum lelaki, apa pula ya?
Tetapi saya rasa sudah ada kesedaran. Semasa saya berbuka puasa di Masjid Mujahidin, saya perhatikan, tetamu di keliling saya, makan dengan berhati-hati. Yang lain saya tak tahu tetapi di keliling saya, makan berhati-hati. Nasi Bukhari yang disajikan nampak sedap sekali tetapi mereka tidak terus “terkam”. Malah mereka memilih untuk makan lebih banyak kurma dan buah-buahan. Jadi saya pun terpaksalah tahan.
Di sebalik cabaran ini, pada keseluruhannya, masyarakat Melayu telah mencatat prestasi yang baik. Kita mahu semua rakyat terus maju dan berpeluang untuk mengasah potensi, tidak kira latar belakang, asalkan anda rajin berusaha.
Kemajuan ini didorong dua kunci utama: pendidikan dan latihan kemahiran. Kini, semakin ramai orang Melayu/Islam berjaya ke universiti. Saya tahu ramai pelajar politeknik mahu ke universiti dan ramai pelajar ITE mahu ke politeknik. Jadi kita akan membolehkan lebih ramai daripada mereka berbuat demikian, seperti Fauziah Ally.
Tetapi laluan akademik tidak semestinya sesuai bagi semua orang. Ramai telah memilih untuk bekerja dahulu, misalnya Iswandie Wanhar. Beliau mula bekerja di ST Aerospace di bawah Skim Aprentis NITEC pada tahun 2000. Ketika bekerja, Iswandie lulus kursus NTC-2 dalam bidang senggara pesawat, aircraft maintenance, dan kemudian diploma. Beliau dinaikkan pangkat beberapa kali. Terbaru, sebagai Instruktor Latihan Teknikal. Kita mahu lebih banyak kisah kejayaan seperti kisah Iswandie Wanhar.
Sebab itulah saya membentuk Jawatankuasa ASPIRE yang dipengerusikan Cik Indranee Rajah. Tumpuannya ialah untuk mencipta lebih banyak peluang bagi rakyat Singapura maju, khususnya para pelajar ITE dan politeknik. Dengan inisiatif terbaru ini, saya yakin lebih ramai rakyat kita dapat menjangkakan kemajuan yang lebih baik dalam kehidupan mereka.
Dengan bekerja rapat, saya yakin kita akan terus maju. Inilah caranya masyarakat Melayu/Islam berkembang maju sepanjang 50 tahun lalu. Sedang negara bersiap sedia untuk sambut ulangtahun ke-50, tahun depan, marilah kita menjunjung semangat golongan Perintis kita dan perkukuh masyarakat berbilang kaum kita. Marilah kita beri rakyat peluang sepenuhnya untuk mencapai potensi mereka. Dan marilah kita kuatkan komitmen untuk membentuk Singapura yang lebih baik lagi bagi diri kita dan bagi anak-anak kita! Terima kasih!
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English Translation of National Day Rally 2014 Malay Speech
Happy National Day and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!
At the recent Ramadan, I visited Geylang Serai with my wife to soak in the festive atmosphere. The lights were prettier this year. They were glowing and colourful. Very attractive! I was happy to see the crowds at the bazaar.
I also had the opportunity to join in an iftar at Mujahidin Mosque in Queenstown. The mosque has been upgraded recently. It is beautiful. The prayer space is now bigger. There is barrier-free access. The classrooms are modern. There is even an iPhone app!
This mosque is also able to take in congregants from Qaryah Kampong Holland. I am aware that the congregants of Kampong Holland Mosque were rather sad to leave the mosque. But I am happy to see them warmly received by Mujahidin Mosque and settling in well in their “new home”. This is the spirit of partnership and sacrifice we would like to foster in Singapore.
Our pioneers exemplified this spirit. Pioneer Malays had a choice at Independence, and you cast your lot with Singapore. Your choice had enabled Singapore to grow into a unique multi-racial and multi-religious society. Thank you for having faith in Singapore, and working hard with other communities to set Singapore on a path to development.
The Pioneer Generation Package is an expression of our gratitude for this generation. To honour Pioneer Malays, MUIS and Mendaki set up a PG Joint Committee. It is chaired by Madam Speaker, Halimah Yacob and supported by Malay/Muslim organisations. It has been doing good work engaging pioneers, for example set up a Listening Point at Joo Chiat Complex to reach out to pioneers and their families.
One outstanding Malay pioneer is Encik Yusof Ishak, our first President. I am very happy that Puan Noor Aishah is here with us tonight! Welcome Puan Noor Aishah. Encik Yusof was born in Perak, but grew up in Singapore. He excelled in school, and was an avid sportsman. He also started Utusan Melayu, the first Malay newspaper owned by Malays. It was a Jawi newspaper. He became the Head of State after Singapore gained self-government in 1959. He went on to become our first President when Singapore gained independence.
I knew Encik Yusof when I was a young boy. He was warm and friendly to me and my siblings. He also enjoyed shooting on film. When he and Puan Noor Aishah went on Hajj, he shot films of his pilgrimage. In those days, it was very rare to see footages of Mecca, and the Kaaba. I remember him showing the films to us upon their return from the in the Holy Land, and telling us about his experiences.
Encik Yusof was a religious man, and at the same time had close and friendly relationships with non-Muslims. He strongly supported our multi-racial policies. He believed in meritocracy – that everyone should have equal opportunities to advance themselves through their own effort. He had also advocated policies to modernise our society and which had enabled the Malay/Muslim community to make progress together with other communities. He had represented Singapore with dignity and distinction as President.
For his contributions to Singapore, we will honour Encik Yusof in three ways:
a. Firstly, a mosque will be named after him. We have consulted the Mufti on this matter. As you know a new mosque will be built in Woodlands. We have also consulted the new Woodlands Mosque Building Committee and Encik Yusof’s family. Thank you Mufti for giving me the honour tonight to announce the name of the new mosque. It will be known as Masjid Yusof Ishak.
b. Secondly, Encik Yusof was committed to progress through education. He also helped strengthen ties with our neighbours. Hence, we will name Institute of South East Asian Studies (ISEAS) after him. It will now be known as “ISEAS – The Yusof Ishak Institute”.
c. Thirdly, we will also start a “Yusof Ishak Professorship in Social Sciences” at NUS. Fundraising will be led by a committee appointed by Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.
These are ways in which we ensure that future generations of Singaporeans will hold dear the memory, ideals and values of Encik Yusof Ishak. Puan Noor Aishah, we are grateful for all the contributions and sacrifices made by your late husband to the nation. Thank you!
Malay/Muslim community has progressed dramatically in the half century since Encik Yusof was President. Year by year,
i. Household incomes have increased steadily.
ii. Many more make it to post-secondary education.
iii. Many more Malay PMETs
Each year I look for examples of Malay/Muslims who have excelled in different fields. I notice a trend - there are more and more outstanding examples, year by year.
This year we have about 35 Malay/Muslim first class honours graduates from local universities. Two caught my eye. They are:
a. Afzal Ali who graduated from NUS Law School, with a concurrent Masters of Law degree from New York University. He is now a pupil at Allen & Gledhill.
b. Fauziah Ally, who graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Biomedical Sciences. She then went on to obtain a First in Biological Sciences at NTU. She is now a research officer at A*STAR’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB).
Outstanding achievements. Congratulations!
Although the Malay/Muslim community have made much progress, there are some remaining challenges such as health. The incidences of Malay/Muslim patients with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are all too prevalent. This is partly because of the food - nasi lemak, briyani and Malay cakes etc. are so delicious but rich and sweet!
Usually during Ramadan, most would lose weight but I know some actually gained weight! Perhaps this was due to the irresistible iftar spreads. I encourage Malays to exercise more. The women folks have their kebaya-robics groups. What should the men do?
But there is greater awareness now. During the iftar at Mujahidin Mosque, I noticed those around me were watching carefully what they ate. They did not immediately “attack” the delicious Nasi Bukhari but ate more dates and fruits instead. So I too had to restrain myself!
Despite the challenges, overall community has done well. We must ensure that all Singaporeans can make progress. Where every one of you can realise your potential, regardless of family background, and so long as you work hard and put in the effort.
Education and training are a big part of the solution. In education, more and more Malays are making it to university. Among the rest, I know that more polytechnic students want to go to university and more ITE students want to go on to polytechnic. That is why we are helping more of them to do so like Fauziah Ally.
But academic route may not be suitable for everyone. Many have chosen the working route, e.g. Iswandie Wanhar. Iswandie joined ST Aerospace under the NITEC Apprenticeship Scheme in 2000. While working, he completed NTC-2 in aircraft maintenance. After that, he did his diploma. He performed well and was promoted several times, most recently to Technical Training Instructor. We want more success stories like Iswandie Wanhar’s.
That is why I set up the ASPIRE Committee chaired by Ms Indranee Rajah. Its focus is to create more opportunities for Singaporeans to progress, especially ITE and polytechnic students. With this latest initiative, I am confident that more Singaporeans can expect to do even better in their lives.
By working together, I am confident that we can continue to progress. That is how the community has thrived over the past 50 years. As we prepare for our 50th birthday next year, let us uphold the spirit of our pioneers; strengthen our harmonious, multi-racial community. Let us give our children opportunities to realise their full potential. Let us reaffirm our commitment to make Singapore an even better place for ourselves and our children!
Thank you!
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National Day Rally 2014 (Malay Speech with English dub + Sign Language)