Chinese New Year Message 2015 by PM Lee Hsien Loong

Our Family

Chinese New Year is a time to celebrate with our families. It is a time to reflect on the blessings of having a family – to thank our elders for what they have done for us, to appreciate our spouses, to shower love on our children.  It is a time to enjoy the simple goodness of family.  

So even if we may be busy, travelling or living in far flung lands, unable to come together physically for the New Year reunion, let us make the effort to connect with one another.  On this most important festival in the lunar calendar, let us pause and remind ourselves of what truly matters in life, of what it means to belong to a family.  

The Government is doing all it can to help people build strong families.  We are encouraging couples to have more children. The Marriage and Parenthood Package will support them, as will more affordable childcare and pre-schools.  This year, we look forward to celebrating the birth of many Jubilee babies.  We are encouraging three-generation families to stay close-knit, and making it easier for young couples setting up home to live close to their parents, through targeted housing grants.  The Pioneer Generation Package, Silver Support and MediShield Life will lighten the burden on families taking care of elderly parents. 

Beyond our immediate family and relatives, we should also strengthen our larger national family. Singaporeans need to take care of one another, and especially of fellow citizens who are vulnerable or less fortunate.  We are strengthening our social safety nets. We have made it easier for low-income families to own their homes, introduced MediShield Life to give more protection against large hospital bills, reviewed CPF Life to help families better prepare for retirement, and expanded Workfare to support low-income workers and their families. The state and the community are bearing more risk on behalf of individuals, to give those who need help more peace of mind.  We are all in this together. 

We are doing all this to help our families stay together, not to supplant the role that families play.  Our family ties must not weaken, unlike what we have seen in other societies where the state has taken on more responsibility.  We must not let this happen in Singapore – either to our individual families, or to our larger national family.

Strong families are the bedrock of our society. Family members not only take care of each other.  They laugh and cry together.  Every member is shaped by every other.  Our families inspire us to be better, not just for ourselves but for each other.  Our families are always there for us, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse.

Generous social policies and grants by themselves do not grow strong or happy families.  A family is not just about whom we are related to, but how we relate to each other. Therefore, let us make the effort to build strong families – to spend time with each other, nurture our children, respect and care for our elderly parents, and through our deeds help those in greater need. 

If each of us plays our part, Singapore will continue to prosper and do well, not just economically, but as a harmonious and cohesive national family, diverse yet one.

Happy Chinese New Year!

家

农历新年是阖家共庆的佳节。在这喜庆节日，大家能深切体会到家的温馨。家中晚辈会向长辈拜年表达感激之意，并献上祝福，大人则会给晚辈发红包或压岁钱以示关爱，一家人开心庆团圆，沉浸在简单的幸福中。

正因为这个节日背后的深刻意义，即使我们工作忙碌、正在远行或是人在他乡，无法与家人一起吃团圆饭，我们也要尽力设法与家人保持联系。在这华人一年之中最重要的节日，我们不妨花点时间思考，生命中最重要，最珍贵的东西究竟是什么？家，对你而言又有着怎样的意义？

政府正竭尽所能协助国人建立温馨和乐，同时凝聚力强的家庭。我们通过“结婚与生育配套”，鼓励已婚夫妇生儿育女，并为家长们提供可负担得起的托儿和学前教育服务。我们希望今年新加坡会迎来很多千禧宝宝！为了鼓励多代家庭同住一个屋檐下，在生活中互相扶持，我们推出了三代同堂家庭组屋单位。我们也通过具有针对性的住屋津贴，鼓励年轻夫妇住靠近父母。另外，我们也透过建国一代配套、乐龄补贴计划和终身健保计划，来协助需照顾年长父母的子女减轻负担。

除了我们的家人和亲属，我们也应该加强新加坡这个大家庭的凝聚力。国人应该互相照顾，并向社会上的不幸人士和弱势群体伸出援手。我们正努力加强社会安全网，这包括协助低收入家庭拥有自己的房子。另外，今年底终身健保计划推行后，国人在面对庞大医院帐单时将不必担心付不起医药费。政府也检讨了公积金终身入息计划，协助各个家庭更好地规划退休生活。我们也扩大了就业补助计划，为低收入工友和他们的家人提供更多的支持。政府和社会人士将为需要援助的国人承担更多风险，让这些人士能更安心生活。我们会齐心协力，确保这些人不被抛在后头。

这些政策不是要取代家庭扮演的角色，而是为了协助维系家庭的向心力。我们不希望看到家庭关系变得薄弱；在其他一些社会，由于政府为家庭承担起更多责任，反而削弱了家庭关系。我们绝不能让这种情况发生在新加坡——不论是个别的小家庭乃至我们的新加坡大家庭。

凝聚力强的家庭是我国社会的基石。家庭成员之间互相照顾、互相影响、同甘共苦。家，激励我们向上向善，为自己也为家人谋取幸福。不论我们健康或病弱，不论我们处在顺境或逆境，我们的家会一直守护着我们，关心着我们。

单凭慷慨的社会政策或津贴，并不能打造幸福美满的家庭。家，不仅仅是我们和亲人之间关系的代名词，它更深层的意义在于我们如何维系亲情。因此，让我们用心经营我们的家：多抽空陪伴家人、教育孩子、尊敬和照顾年长的父母，以及积极帮助身边的人。

只要我们各尽本分，新加坡必将继续昌盛繁荣，不仅是取得经济上的繁荣，也能在这个多元社会，共筑一个和乐融融，和谐温馨的大家庭。。

最后，祝大家新年快乐！

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