Happy National Day, Singapore

August 9, 2012

Happy National Day, Singapore

Today is Singapore's National Day. It is the 47th Year of Independence as well as my friends, associates as well as you suggest the counterparts in the Republic the sincere congratulations. We instruct you all years of one after an additional prosperity as well as peace.

I additionally take this event to appreciate my friend, Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia, His Excellency Ambassador Ong Keng Yong as well as his staff for inviting my mother as well as you to the National Day reception at the Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

You have made enormous swell given the day you left Malaysia upon Aug 9, 1965. you would not censure you for being unapproachable of what you have finished for yourself as well as your country. But as the friend, you hope you might be permitted to contend which Singapore contingency right away take the regional approach via ASEAN which has only celebrated the 45th Anniversary to safeguard the policies as well as actions contribute to the mutual progress, assent as well as stability. Your destiny is really most intertwined with Malaysia as well as the rest of ASEAN. And the rest of the globalised universe too.

To symbol this occasion, you thought it is appropriate to post Prime Minister His Excellency Lee Hsien Loong's National Message for the great of Singaporeans, wherever they might be around the world, who occur to revisit this blog. Majulah Singapore. Good luck as well as Best wishes.Din Merican

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< span>National Day Message to All Singaporeans from His Excellency Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore

My Fellow Singaporeans,

We applaud National Day amidst an unsettled world. Europe as well as the US face serious mercantile problems. Middle East is you do improved than other regions, though China as well as India have been negligence down as well as tensions have been simmering in the South China Sea.

Against this backdrop, Singapore is you do utterly well. Our economy grew 1.7% in the initial half of 2012 as well as you have been upon track for 1.5-2.5% expansion for the year. Internationally, Singapore's station is high, whether with rising countries similar to India as well as China or advanced nations similar to the US. Domestically, you have been clearing the backlog of applicants for HDB flats, building some-more MRT lines as well as upgrading the bus services. Our GST Vouchers as well as U-Save rebates will assistance lower-income households cope with inflation.

Today Singapore is the success story, though the universe is not station still. The next two decades will be really different. The rising economies in Middle East have been some-more advanced rapidly. Breakthroughs in scholarship as well as record will renovate the lives. Singapore will confront most brand brand brand brand new hurdles as well as opportunities.

We contingency ask ourselves the little fundamental questions: What destiny do you see for Singapore? What kind of home do you instruct for the children? you believe all of us instruct to be unapproachable to be Singaporeans, as well as to live in the successful nation which meets the aspirations. What does this mean?

First, Singapore contingency regularl! y sugges t hope of the improved future. We contingency regularly be the satisfactory as well as only multitude which creates opportunities for all. A nurturing as well as open environment which gives each citizen the possibility to pursue his dreams. A forward-looking community where each era improves upon what they have inherited as well as hands the improved Singapore over to their children. This is the approach to base able as well as enterprising Singaporeans here, as well as enthuse all of us to keep upon improving Singapore.

Singaporeans all instruct the most appropriate education, to perform their intensity as well as be improved people. We will equip them with skills as well as knowledge to flower in an capricious world. We contingency work with relatives to bring their young kids to some-more next to starting points for primary school, by great as well as affordable childcare as well as kindergartens. We will open up some-more pathways in the preparation system, to perform the different aspirations of the young. Let us hope for each kid for the test of life, not only the hold up of tests.

Second, Singapore contingency be an thorough multitude with the heart. We urge meritocracy, to be the cause of everybody to try their best. But particular feat contingency be tempered with the mutual obligation. The successful ones have the avocation to contribute behind some-more to society. We need to treat one an additional with grace as well as respect, as well as to share the fruits of success widely, so which no Singaporean is left out.

We have strived for such an thorough Singapore for most years. Our home tenure programme gives each citizen, abounding or poor, the interest in the nation. Our universal as well as almost giveaway preparation complement equips each kid with the collection to succeed in life. Our healthcare complement provides each Singaporean with great quality as well as affordable care.

But as brand brand brand brand new needs have emerged over time, you have exten! ded the amicable reserve nets. We introduced ComCare to assistance the needy, as well as Workfare for low-income workers. Low- as well as middle-income couples right away get Additional Housing Grants to buy HDB flats. In schools, Opportunity Funds enable reduction well-off students to participate entirely in enrichment programmes as well as investigate trips.

This year's Budget was the further major step. We introduced brand brand brand brand new programmes. The Silver Housing Bonus is benefiting the ageing population. Increased subsidies for home-based caring have been assisting some-more family groups with elderly parents. These have been not one-off gestures, though the carefully written package which lays the basement for stronger reserve nets for the future.

We will set up upon these initiatives in the sustainable way. The Government will do some-more though it cannot do everything. Every Singaporean contingency fool around his partial in creating an thorough Singapore. This is how you can maintain the joined community, as well as do the most appropriate for ourselves as well as one another.

Third, Singapore contingency be the home which all of us love. We have built the unique home upon the little island, distinguished the shift in between preserving the aged as well as embracing the new. Let us have it even better. A pleasing home with green spaces, blue skies as well as transparent waters, only similar to here in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. A cherished home where you set up treasured memories as well as lifelong friendships. A safe home which you will defend.

This feeling of belonging as well as temperament is generally important for an open multitude in the globalised world. But it is additionally harder to maintain when you have brand brand brand brand new immigrants as well as foreign workers. We have been managing the influx to minimise the strains upon the infrastructure as well as society. But Singaporeans contingency remain assured as well as open, as well as welcome t! hose who will have firm the group as well as assistance us as well as the young kids do better. For their part, brand brand brand brand new immigrants contingency have the effort to confederate into the community. They contingency take the amicable values, the informative values, adopt the amicable norms as well as commit their faithfulness as well as adore to Singapore.

Even as you keep the multitude open to immigrants, you will bring up the own next generation. Singaporeans do instruct to grow their own families. Many couples do instruct to have children, as well as you will do some-more to await their family hold up as well as parenthood. you am happy which you design some-more Dragon babies this year, though the fertility direction is still declining. We contingency go over the Chinese zodiac as well as plunge into the underlying causes of the low birth rates. If you can emanate some-more supportive amicable attitudes as well as work environments, as well as abate the burdens of parenthood, you will assistance couples to have some-more kids.

Beyond specific issues similar to immigration as well as procreation, you need to examination the policies some-more broadly, quite amicable as well as preparation policies. To still be the resplendent red dot twenty years from now, you contingency rethink the approaches, as well as reinvent ourselves. We contingency expect changes as well as hope for for what lies ahead. Singaporeans will remain at the heart of all which you do, as you update the policies to most appropriate serve the people. Core values such as meritocracy, multi-racialism as well as financial prudence cannot change. But within these extended principles, you should examination what needs to shift as well as where you should act some-more boldly.

I have asked Minister Heng Swee Keat to chair the cabinet of younger Ministers to take the fresh demeanour at what you have been doing. We will engage Singaporeans in this review, as well as set up the extended accord upon the approach f! orward. you ask for your await in this exercise.

Singapore is the shared home. What Singapore becomes depends upon what you have of it. With the resources, the resolve, as well as the imagination, Singapore is well placed to flower in the changing world. Let us all work together so which the young kids can regularly find here hope of the improved future, an thorough multitude with the heart, as well as the most appropriate home for ourselves as well as the families.

Happy National Day!