When I accepted your invitation to speak at this year’s Pre-U Seminar, I asked the organisers what I should speak on. They suggested the title ‘Singapore@WAP’.

I asked myself: what does WAP stand for? In IT, it stands for Wireless Application Protocol. But surely this could not be what you were interested to hear. I thought that maybe you wanted to know more about War and Peace? Or how economies Withered and Prospered? I checked with the organisers. It turned out to be Work and Play.

So we gathered a sample of participants and asked what issues were on your minds. I received a whole cluster of ideas and feedback, but they all really boiled down to one major question: what should I do with my life?

The immediate issue was: what should I study at the University? This was linked to the next question: what jobs should I prepare myself for? Many of you dream of being artists, social workers, or adventurers. But you also realise that it is not so easy to earn a living in these ways, whether in Singapore or overseas. So should you chase your dream, or be practical? And should you pursue your future in Singapore, or abroad?

I cannot answer these life questions for you, and neither can the Government. You have to find the answers for yourself. But to do so sensibly, you must understand the world around you, how the environment is changing and what forces shape our future. You should know something about Singapore – our challenges, how we will tackle them, what sort of country we can make of this little island. Then you can make informed decisions about your personal futures.

So let me start by asking: what will the world be like when all of you step into the workforce?

First, it will be a more globalised world. With air travel and the Internet, every country is our neighbour. Economies are becoming more closely integrated with one another. MNCs operate globally, sourcing, producing and selling goods and services across geographical boundaries. Ideas and fashions travel far and wide. Young people exchange pop songs with strangers in faraway countries via KaZaa or WinMX, and pit their skills against one another in the game of Counterstrike.

But we are also exposed to the same threats as other countries. Computer viruses like Code Red spread around the globe within hours. Real viruses like SARS take only a little longer. In the 1950’s, the Asian Flu, travelling via ships and overland routes, took seven months to reach six continents. SARS, on the other hand, leaving Hong Kong on the jet plane, spread to six continents in less than nine weeks.

Another global threat is terrorism. There have always been terrorist groups in different countries – the IRA in Northern Ireland, the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, or the Abu Sayyaf in the Southern Philippines. But they were each fighting their own wars, and not linked up into a global network. But now we have Al Qaeda, a true MNC – with worldwide operations, regional commands, and local subsidiaries and affiliates. Al Qaeda is not a client of the EDB, but we discovered that it had a presence in Singapore, through the Jemaah Islamiyah group.

So for good or ill, we live in a more globalised world, and it will only become more linked up year by year.

Second, within this globalised world, Asia is the most promising and dynamic region, despite its current troubles. Much of this is due to the rapid rise of China.

China’s growth is not just impressive economic figures. Nobody who has visited Shanghai can fail to sense the buzz and the dynamism of the city. The Chinese people are ambitious and anxious to improve their lives and take their rightful place in the world.

I used to travel regularly to Suzhou, which is an hour’s drive out of Shanghai, where the Singapore Government was helping to develop the Suzhou Industrial Park. Along the road from Shanghai to Suzhou, you could see how the farmers lived. Many of the houses were multiple units, built side by side. First would be a small village hut, where the farmer’s family used to live with the farm animals. Then life improved, and he built a house twice as big next door, and moved his family there, leaving the animals behind in the old house. Then life improved further, and he built another house twice as big again, with ceramic tiles, colour TV and modern amenities, and moved up again. This is just one snapshot of a billion people on the move.

The Chinese are hungry to upgrade and learn. More people are learning English in China than anywhere else in the world. CNA recently broadcast a programme called "The Ascending Dragon". It showed thousands of Chinese gathered in an indoor stadium for an English lesson. They were learning how to pronounce the word "wonderful". I am not sure that is the best way to master English, but there is no mistaking their determination to learn and change.

India too is stirring. It began with MNCs outsourcing IT work from the US to Bangalore and a few Indian cities. Now Indian states are competing for foreign investment. It has become a self-fuelling dynamic of rising incomes, higher middle class expectations, and pressure on the government to reform.

Southeast Asia itself, where we live, has considerable economic potential. But it is a diverse region, with some countries doing better than the others. Vietnam, for example, is growing fast and holds promise.

Third, it will be a more uncertain and unpredictable world. We will try our best to discern which way events are moving, but we will still encounter sudden and unexpected twists and turns.

From the late 80’s, as Asian countries began to boom, everybody looked forward to an Asian Century. But in 1997 the Asian Century suddenly turned into the Asian Crisis. Confidence evaporated and panic spread from country to country. Now we face quite a different outlook and set of problems.

After the Cold War ended, pundits wrote about the end of history, and looked forward to an era of world peace. September 11 shattered that illusion. Suddenly we found ourselves in a new war against terrorism, which will last many years.

SARS is only the latest disruption which no one saw coming. The outbreak seems to be subsiding, but the war is far from over, and the disease may easily flare up again.

What does this world mean for us? In this new environment, we are no longer riding an escalator, which you step onto by attaining a degree, and after that the only direction is up. Life is now a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs. There will be new threats, but also exciting new opportunities.

As China and India prosper, millions of Chinese and Indians will become affluent. They will seek high quality medical care. They will need reliable and trustworthy bankers. They will want to travel and spend money. These are all opportunities for us. Indian tourists are the highest spenders, which is why Mustafa Shopping Centre at Serangoon Road is doing so well.

We must be able to sense opportunities even when they are embedded in a crisis. Even SARS – an unmitigated disaster for the world – has helped to sprout a few new businesses.

Many companies are now selling innovative temperature taking devices, cheaper or more convenient than the traditional ones. I have never seen so many types of thermometers in my life.

Even more creatively, the beauty industry is putting up its best fight against SARS. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, since people were wearing masks, fashion houses came up with designer masks, so that you can protect yourself and look good at the same time. And to make sure that you still look beautiful after you remove the mask, the cosmetic companies sell long-lasting lipsticks that will not smudge. Singaporeans should learn from the never-say-die attitude of these Hong Kong and Taiwanese businessmen, and their ability to see opportunities even in crisis.

Singapore can do well in this new environment, provided that we identify our challenges correctly, adapt quickly, and tackle them effectively. We face challenges in four key areas – the economy, racial harmony, social cohesion and politics. In each area we have set ourselves ambitious goals. And in each area we need to respond vigorously and creatively, to avoid serious problems and achieve the best for Singapore.

In terms of our economy, we are aiming to make Singapore a leading global city, a hub of talent, enterprise and innovation. But we will not get there by carrying on with our old policies.

We have therefore launched a major exercise to remake the Singapore economy. Changes to Government policies, such as taxes and the CPF, merely set the stage for growth. Singaporeans need to direct the story ourselves, and act it out with verve and passion.

The most fundamental remaking that we are aiming for is the attitude of our people. We must become more willing to take risks and more entrepreneurial. In good times, many bright graduates were happy to become employees, to work in MNCs or in the professions. They saw no point risking everything they had and starting a business from scratch. But in uncertain times, our street smartness, our readiness to be self-reliant and venture into new activities, becomes crucial.

More Singaporeans are starting to do this. I read about the two NTU students who after graduation decided to sell fish and pork porridge in a Clementi coffee shop. One had studied civil engineering, and the other banking and finance. But instead of looking for jobs in air-conditioned offices, they decided to rough it out. They said that they were doing it because of their passion for business.

You might ask what is so great about selling porridge. By starting this business, the two young men showed that they were prepared to work hard, and take the road less travelled. They will gain precious first-hand experience about how business is done, how to grow their little company, and how to manage their finances. All this will stand them in good stead when they go on to do other things in life.

As more Singaporeans learn to take risks and get their hands dirty, they will venture out to the region and the world, and build up the external wing of our economy.

It is starting to happen. In India, Singapore companies are providing master planning and architectural services, and pursuing opportunities in IT, logistics and healthcare. In China, Singapore businessmen are not merely in coastal regions like Shanghai or Xiamen, but have ventured into remote provinces. One businessman is in Inner Mongolia, producing flour and foodstuffs. Someone is even growing grapes and making wines in the Northeast, in Heilongjiang!

The second challenge is to strengthen our racial and religious harmony. Your generation has lived harmoniously with your fellow Singaporeans throughout your lives. But that does not mean that we can now leave racial and religious harmony to take care of itself. Nation building takes much longer than the 38 years we have had. We must continue to draw the different communities closer together, while respecting their different beliefs, languages, cultures, traditions and customs.

We have specific reasons to worry about racial and religious harmony. Firstly, Singaporeans are becoming more religious, and therefore interacting less with others of different faiths. If Christians spend more time in church activities, Muslims in mosque activities, and Hindus at temple functions, this must mean that they will interact less with one another. Small differences, which are in themselves innocent and inconsequential, can also add up to segregate the different groups. For example, in schools all races play games together, but most basketball players are Chinese and most sepak takraw players are Malays. If we do not play the same games, or take meals together, or have friends from different communities, our links will be fewer, and our unity will be weakened.

A second big worry is what can happen if an extremist group like the Jemaah Islamiyah manages to carry out a terrorist attack in Singapore, and innocent Singaporeans are killed. The non-Muslims are bound to distrust and suspect their Muslim fellow Singaporeans, even though the vast majority of the Muslims would have had nothing to do with the attack. And the Muslims are bound to become afraid for their safety, living in a predominantly non-Muslim society. Overnight we would have undone many years of building trust and mutual understanding.

This is exactly what has happened in Russia. Muslims account for around 10-15% of the Russian population, quite similar to the ratio in Singapore. Last October, Chechen Islamic terrorists attacked the Moscow Theatre and took several hundred civilians hostage. Russian anti-terrorist troops stormed the building, killed the terrorists and rescued most of the hostages, but more than a hundred hostages died from the sleeping gas used. Since this incident, Russian society has become polarised. There is an "Islamophobia" in Russia, and Muslims have become targets of violence and hate crimes. Russian Muslims have become increasingly fearful to live in Russia. As one imam said "They (the Russian police) equate all Muslims with terrorists."

We must never let this happen in Singapore. We must make a conscious effort to enlarge our common ground. Our schools are key institutions for different races to learn and live together. Everyday, students recite the Pledge and sing the National Anthem, to remind ourselves that we are one people, working towards the common goals of happiness, prosperity, and progress for Singapore. Every year, we observe Racial Harmony Day. These are important rituals and moments. But even more important than observing these is to get our young to share experiences together in our schools, in the classroom or on the playing field.

We also need to keep up our efforts beyond the schools, in the workplace and community. We have made every HDB block and precinct racially integrated, so that we do not have any enclaves or ghettos forming. We involve all races in community activities. We strive for a spirit of give and take, so that our different customs do not cause inconvenience or nuisance to others. And after we discovered the Jemaah Islamiyah group, we set up Harmony Circles and Inter-Religious Confidence Circles, so that should any terrorist incident happen, the leaders of the different communities would already know one another and can work together to prevent racial clashes from flaring up.

Our third major challenge is to strengthen our social cohesion. Singapore is an egalitarian society. Advancement is by merit. It is not unusual for the son of a washerwoman or a labourer to become a professional, a businessman, or a Member of Parliament. We have no rigid class barriers. Most of us think of ourselves as middle-class – upper-middle, middle-middle, or lower-middle. We have hardly any underclass, sleeping on the pavements or scavenging for food, unlike in New York or London.

We must do our utmost to keep Singapore like this. Powerful forces will make us less open and less egalitarian. We must resist them. Globalisation will widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Those with the skills and the qualifications now have the world as their oyster, while those without skills find fewer opportunities open to them, and have to compete against the lower-paid workers in China and India. Further, as a society matures, it tends to become more stratified. The successful ones move up, and their children also do well, while the unsuccessful ones remain stuck at the bottom, and their children also struggle in school and in life.

In Britain in the past, class distinctions were very clear. The way a person dressed, the way he spoke, immediately labelled him as belonging to a particular class. Even if someone from the working class became successful and wealthy, he would be still regarded as "new money" and looked down upon by those with "old money".

In many Latin American countries, the gap between the upper and lower classes is enormous. The upper classes live in luxurious haciendas and circulate in high society, while the lower classes live in squalor and danger on the streets, in a totally different world, cut off from opportunities to uplift themselves.

We must never let our society become like that. We must uphold the fundamental principle of meritocracy, and always keep our doors open to talent. So whoever is prepared to work hard and upgrade has a shot at becoming successful, and if he does make it, then the society respects him for what he has achieved.

You are the more fortunate ones in our society. You have made it to junior college. Many of you will go on to university. Others are not as fortunate. They are less educated, less in tune with developments in the region and the world. Many will be less articulate, especially in English. They may even call themselves Ah Bengs or Ah Lians. There are some successful Ah Bengs, like Phua Chu Kang. No harm laughing at Phua Chu Kang in the sitcom. But in real life, we must not look down upon those less well educated than ourselves.

Remember that if we succeed, it is not purely through our own efforts. It is also because we are fortunate enough to live in a society which gave us the opportunities, and enabled us to do well. Imagine if you had grown up in a village in India or China. Your experiences, and your future, would have been quite different. If those less successful than you did not uphold the system, you would never have made it.

This is why we have a responsibility towards our fellow Singaporeans, especially those who are less successful. We must extend them a hand and help them to do better. This sense of shared destiny, of belonging to the same nation, is vital for maintaining social cohesion.

Our fourth challenge is political. To tackle all our other problems, our citizenry must be informed, engaged, and committed to Singapore. And we must build a broad political consensus on the strategies and goals for our country.

I do not mean that the Government is always right, or that everybody must have identical views on every issue. Quite the contrary – the more diverse our perspectives are, the better we will understand our problems and the more creative our solutions will be. But we all need to accept and share certain fundamentals, such as meritocracy and multiracialism, or the need for all Singaporeans to benefit from the country’s progress. Otherwise we will find ourselves at cross purposes, and the country will lose its sense of direction, or worse be paralysed or split apart.

Up to now, Singapore has enjoyed a strong political consensus. Even Mr Chiam See Tong and Mr Low Thia Khiang basically accept the same fundamentals as the PAP, and uphold the same system. But just like with racial harmony, we cannot take political consensus for granted. We must work to renew and sustain the consensus with each new generation.

The way to do this is not through indoctrination, but by getting Singaporeans to understand the issues facing the country, and what we can do about these issues. This is why we spend much time and effort on national education in schools. Some students think that the government is trying to brainwash them. I am sure we can improve the delivery of national education, but we are not looking for set answers. What we really want is to make you think critically about the issues. We would be quite happy if you came up with arguments why your teachers or textbooks were wrong, provided of course your arguments are not illogical.

Each generation also needs to produce its own leaders. To function well, the leaders and the people must forge close bonds with each other. This only comes about as we tackle problems together, and the leaders and the people get the measure of each other. It is in crises that we discover the true mettle of leaders, and the real grit of the people. Nobody would wish for crises like SARS just to test ourselves. But crises will come anyway, and we must use them as opportunities to bond with each other, so that when the next crisis hits us we will be stronger and better prepared.

Given the new environment we are living in, and the challenges that Singapore faces, how do you fit in? Put simply, you should seek to find and realise your own potential, pursue your passions, and at the same time contribute to society.

First, realise your individual potential. You owe this to yourself, as well as to your parents and teachers who educated and developed you, and made you what you are. Singapore has always been about full and equal opportunities, and enabling every citizen to fulfil his potential. The Singapore that we are building will offer you the opportunities to excel and pursue your dreams. Not just the 5 ‘C’s or traditional career paths, but a diverse range of job opportunities, career and life choices.

We are changing our education system to bring out the best in our students and develop their special talents. It is not good enough for our schools to be good on average. We want our schools to produce peaks of excellence in diverse fields – in the arts, the sciences, and the humanities. We do not want to add more workload and stress on students or teachers – there is more than enough of that already. But we do want students to learn to be more creative, to do more team work and project work, to acquire a social conscience, and to be something more than examination answering robots.

We are attracting more international talent to live and work here. They bring different backgrounds and skills, complement our own talent, and create a more vibrant economy which offers more opportunities for Singaporeans.

Right now everyone is worried about jobs, but this will not be a permanent problem. When the economy recovers, which in time it will, it will create a wide range of jobs for everyone.

One growth area is the media industry. There are already many production houses and international broadcasters in Singapore, including Discovery, National Geographic and MTV. We are also hosting game companies, such as Vivendi and Electronic Arts. The industry needs more graduates with public communications skills. So NTU has been recruiting more students into its Communications Studies faculty, to service such industries.

Another promising area is computer graphics. EDB has been working with game companies in Japan to launch programmes to train computer graphics designers. A good designer needs a rare combination of skills – he must not just be a good artist, but also have a strong grasp of mathematics and physics. It is not easy.

Many of you have seen the movie The Matrix: Reloaded. There was one Singaporean on the team that did the special effects. Mr Nickson Fong graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with a diploma in graphic design, did a master’s degree in computer art in the US, and went on to Hollywood. He was in charge of the smoke and explosions.

Streats interviewed Mr Fong. He said that he missed his friends and Singapore, but there are fewer work opportunities here for him. But EDB is making progress in developing the industry. One day maybe the special effects of big Hollywood movies will be done out of Singapore. Then people like Mr Fong can make all the smoke and explosions back home.

Young Singaporeans today are therefore spoilt for choice. Which brings me to my second point: when facing diverse life choices, pursue what you feel passionate about. Because you can only do something well if you feel strongly about it.

Many of you dream of doing something different, of becoming artists, sportsmen, social workers or adventurers. It is natural and good that young people want to pursue dreams rather than live humdrum lives.

In the end not everyone will do what he or she dreamed of doing when young. As we gain experience in life and know ourselves better, we reassess our goals and may make other choices, often practical ones. But making a practical career choice need not mean being bored and passionless.

Some of you want to be doctors and lawyers, not just because it is a good way to make money, but also because you feel passionate about saving lives, or upholding justice. Some of you want to be entrepreneurs, not just to make a fortune, but to create a novel product or service that will meet the needs of others. And if your ambition is to do research, you need a strong sense of curiosity, an obsession to understand the world around us and discover something new about it.

You are not the first ones to have to agonise over your career choices. Many generations of young adults before you have confronted the same questions, and had to make similarly difficult choices. When I was your age, I was fascinated by mathematics. I could quite happily have pursued it seriously and become a professional mathematician. But then I would have ended up in some university, probably overseas, researching some abstruse branch of mathematics which only a tiny number of people understood. Then the PSC offered me an attractive scholarship to serve in the SAF. I decided to take the scholarship, study mathematics for my degree, and after that come back to serve. The SAF was then a very young and raw organisation, and there were obviously many urgent things needing to be done. It was an exciting challenge.

In Cambridge, I did well in my first year examinations. After that my tutor spoke to me. He strongly urged me to change plans and take up mathematics as a career. He said it would be a waste if I gave up the subject. I should give up the army instead. So I wrote him a letter to explain why it made sense for me to stick to my plans. I had a responsibility to return to serve. In a small country, every person counted. I could not assume that if I opted out, it would not make a difference.

My tutor was persuaded. I graduated, joined the SAF, and learnt many things never taught in a mathematics course – how to lead and motivate people, how to build and run an organisation, and what we needed to do to secure and defend Singapore. It was quite a different challenge, but at least as demanding, intellectually and emotionally.

Then one day Mr Goh Chok Tong, who was the Minister for Defence, asked me if I would enter politics. That set me on another path, one which requires total commitment and passion. As Dr Goh Keng Swee once said, in Singapore when you enter politics, you are not taking on a job; you are entering holy orders. And that is how I find myself here today, explaining to you how to think about choosing your career.

Going back to the big question: What should I do with my life?

My short answer is: you have to decide. Each of you will choose a different path. It will depend on your interests and aptitudes, your ambitions and passions, your loyalties and responsibilities. Some of you may feel pressured to make certain choices, by friends, or parents, or society. Remember that nobody else can validate your dreams. Ultimately, it is your life, and your choices.

But I do hope you will give some weight to your parents’ advice. You may not always think they are right, but they are older and more experienced, they know you, and they have your interests at heart.

I also hope that you will give some thought to your obligations to society, and how you can contribute back something to the society which has nurtured you and made you what you are.

Material success matters, but it is not everything. You will surely also want to live fulfilling lives by pursuing your passions. But fulfilment is not to be found solely in pursuing your own interests. It also comes from participating in something bigger than yourself, in leaving Singapore a little better than you found it.

If by the time you retire you have attained the 5 ‘C’s, what is the significance of that? But if you have helped to improve the lives of others, if you have touched them in some way, that is precious and lasting. Whether it is teachers moulding a new generation, or health care workers nursing SARS patients, igniting our passion often involves searching within ourselves to discover how we are best able to serve others and contribute to society.

There should be no great dilemma between pursuing our passion, and doing something lasting and worthwhile. Some JC students are already contributing to people around them in their own ways, on top of their schoolwork. And they do this out of their passionate interests.

One SAJC student juggles her time between schoolwork and volunteer social work. She is an Exco member of the High Five Youth alumni club of Central Singapore CDC, which organises youth activities. One very successful project that she was involved in is ART Tapestry, a charity event to showcase youth talent.

Another VJC student who graduated last year was concurrently heading a division of his parents’ company, while being a JC student. The company sells clean room and other industrial equipment. During school vacations, he would make overseas sales trips. His principal supported him because she had faith in his abilities. And last year, even as he was preparing for his A-Levels, he still managed to bring in several million dollars of sales for the company. Fortunately he also did rather well in his examinations.

I know some young people feel that they were born too late – all the good things in life, such as cheap cars and houses, have been taken up already by their parents’ generation. Instead, their lot is to deal with formidable economic, social, and political challenges. Some may think that it is better to up stakes and go somewhere else where life is better.

This is a profoundly mistaken view. Think about it: you have choices which your parents never had. Our economy now offers a wide range of jobs. Our society invites and accepts a broad spectrum of ideas. You can even choose whether to stay in Singapore or to leave.

How did you come to have these choices? It is through the country investing in you, and our schools equipping you with the best skills, skills that enable you to compete with the best in the world, and if you so choose to go elsewhere. All of us speak English, which makes us highly marketable all over the globe.

This is the dilemma for the Government. The more successfully we educate you, the more mobile you become. But if the best educated up stakes and leave, then Singapore will regress and fail. It is right to invest in our people. But we can only continue to do so if those who benefit the most from this system contribute back to it their fair share and more.

Every generation has to set its own goals. If you seek rewarding challenges, building the new Singapore will offer you challenges aplenty. The two JC students I cited, and others like them, are already starting to do their part. The climate is difficult, but the opportunities are there. You are lucky to be young in this exciting era. Shaping tomorrow’s Singapore in this bracing environment is work not just for a select few, but for a whole generation of young, energetic, and idealistic people.

I know that JC students are often sceptical of the Government. You sometimes doubt that the Government knows what it is doing. You may think that it is not listening to your concerns, or responding sensibly to them. In fact we are most interested in what young Singaporeans think, because you are the future of Singapore. What do you want in life? What motivates you? Who among you will emerge as leaders? These are important questions.

We are also interested in getting young people involved thinking about Singapore’s problems as early as possible. If you have a view to contribute, there are many avenues for doing so. There is no need to hold mass rallies in your JC, like the Communists used to do in the Chinese middle schools 50 years ago. The Government conducts public consultations on all kinds of policies. Your views may not get accepted immediately, but if you believe in them you should continue pushing for them, until either you persuade the Government or you get a good answer why not.

We read the letters published in the newspapers, and regularly respond to particularly good letters, as well as particularly bad ones. If you have something to say, you will be noticed. In fact one student who wrote many critical letters later became my press secretary.

A Chinese saying goes "Wealth does not go beyond three generations". Because the first generation creates the wealth, the second maintains it, and the third squanders it.

As third generation Singaporeans, you must prove this saying wrong. You can draw inspiration from Bill Gates. His full name is William H Gates III, as he is a third generation child. He comes from a well-to-do family. His father, William H Gates II, is an attorney in Seattle. But Bill Gates wanted to do better. He started programming at age 13, and went on to found and build Microsoft.

Having succeeded, Bill Gates does not want his children to live off his success. He has announced that he will eventually give away most of his wealth to charity, leaving only a small portion to his children.

If we develop the mentality of living off the previous generation, our wealth will disappear very quickly. But if each generation strives to make things better for the next, like what Bill Gates did, life will steadily get better.

The first and second generation Singaporeans built this country. They were pre-occupied with basic issues like economic survival, and building a stable and peaceful society. Many were and still are driven by the idea that their children should enjoy a better life than themselves, and be spared the privations and dangers they themselves experienced. So when they hear WAP they immediately think about War And Peace, or Wither And Prosper.

As third generation Singaporeans, you probably worry less about these basic issues, even though they have not disappeared. You worry about how to balance Work And Play, and pursue your passions and aspirations.

But Singapore is always work-in-progress, always improving, and always striving for new achievements. We are building from a stronger base, and climbing to a higher level. Your challenge is to leave Singapore a better place then when you entered it. So fulfil your individual potential, pursue your dreams and contribute to society. If all of you do that, you will build a new Singapore for your next generation. Then your children will lead better lives, and need not worry about what you worry about today. And WAP will mean something different for them.

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