Community Leaders,

Residents,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

                   Good Evening.  I am happy to join you tonight to celebrate our Nation’s 41^st Birthday.

The Drive to Stay Competitive

2                 When Singapore became independent in 1965, few thought we would survive.  Today, Singapore is often cited as a classic success story in the post-Second World War period.  Some developing countries want to study how we did it.  They send their officials to visit us, to learn from it.  But as Singaporeans, we know that success did not come easy.  We are where we are today because of over 40 years of concerted nation building efforts.  We achieved through the sheer determination and hard work of all Singaporeans.  We are led by an honest and effective government, which has never been afraid to take unpopular measures, when necessary, to ensure Singapore’s survival and progress.

3                 As Singaporeans, we cannot be complacent and must never take for granted what we have achieved.  Worse, we should not become disengaged armchair critics and simply complain when we do not like something.  We should get involved as active citizens and help make Singapore better.  Likewise, the Government will continue to do what is necessary.  

4                 The world has changed, and Singapore has to change with it.  A key challenge is for us to stay competitive.  There are two related concerns.  One is the rising number and improving quality of our competitors.  The other is  the limited size and quality of our population and consequently, our domestic workforce.

5                 With globalisation, more and better players have entered the economic arena.  Emerging economies are growing very fast. Countries like China and India can offer much of what we can, but at a much lower cost.  Their workers are “hungrier” and more willing to work harder.  Closer to home, our neighbours like Malaysia and Thailand are building up their capacity to compete, and even in areas like airports and seaports, where we had done well, but had not been seriously challenged in the past.  To sustain Singapore’s competitiveness, we need to move beyond the traditional manufacturing and service sectors towards one increasingly driven by knowledge and skills. 

Building Talent

6                 Our birth rate has been falling.  We had only 35,600 births last year.  Our total fertility rate is at a low of 1.24 and it has been below the replacement level of 2.1, since 1976.  To replace ourselves, we should have 60,000 births each year.  Falling birth rates is a world-wide phenomenon.  For us, the gap is too large to fill with resident births.  We have to top up our population and workforce with migrants.

7                 We have to continue to attract global talents and people with skills to augment our workforce.  We should encourage those who can contribute to settle down here.  This is the way to enlarge the economic pie.  There will then be more for everyone to share.  If not, as other countries get more competitive and if we let our workforce diminish, investments will go elsewhere, and there will be less for us to share.  We will then go downhill.

Making Singapore Our Home

8                 We have to keep our doors wide open, send a clear signal, and welcome global talents to make Singapore their home.  The grassroots organisations (GROs), along with all Singaporeans, have a critical role to help talents feel welcome, and better integrate into the local community and sink roots in Singapore.

9                 We are a small country with an open economy.  As such, we are not only susceptible to global business cycles, but also face uncertainties and threats from international events which are beyond our control, such as international conflicts and disease.  For example, the recent upsurge in the Middle-East conflict can cause oil and energy prices to rise higher.  As a result, transport and electricity charges will go up.  We must appreciate that complaining and asking for subsidies is not the answer.  Instead we must continue to be more productive and competitive, and grow our economy so we can earn more to defray rising costs. 

10               Similarly, if the Avian Flu does break out here, we must be resolute.  We should get ourselves prepared to deal with this public health problem.   One simple thing that all Singaporeans can do to protect themselves is to read the flu pandemic guidebook.   We must stay together - people, organisations and government - to fight the disease.  We can do it.   We did not panic, blame one another, or give up when SARS hit us in 2003. 

Contributions of the Grassroots

11               Tonight, five of our grassroots leaders will receive Bishan East’s Outstanding Service Medal, and ten will receive the GRC Distinguished Service Medal.  I congratulate and thank them for their consistent, untiring and selfless contributions to the community.

12               We will also be presenting the People’s Association Awards 2006 to 11 Bishan East GROs.  The Bishan Community Club (CC), its Women’s Executive Committee and Indian Activity Executive Committee have done even better this time round and have obtained the 4-star grade.  This is the highest star-rating for the best performing GROs under the PA Awards.  All six Residents’ Committees in Bishan East, as well as the CC Senior Citizens’ Executive Committee have done equally well, retaining their four-star grade.  The CC Malay Activity Executive Committee has also shown marked improvement, achieving 3-star grade, from 1-star in the previous year.

13               I am indeed very happy to see so many residents, from all walks of life, race and age groups, coming together to celebrate our nation’s 41^st birthday.  We should celebrate and value this spirit of togetherness.

14               I thank the Bishan East grassroots leaders for in organising tonight’s dinner.  I thank all of you, grassroots leaders and members, and residents, for playing a part in making Bishan-Toa Payoh a pleasant home.  Finally, I wish all of you a Happy National Day and an enjoyable evening. 

Thank you.

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