Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Mr P Thirunal Karasu, Chairman of Narpani Pearavai andChairman of the Organising Committee of tonight's dinnerMr M Rajaram, Chairman of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Co-Chairman of the Organising Committee of tonight's dinnerDistinguished guestsLadies and gentlemen
Introduction
Vanakam!
I am deeply honoured to be here tonight for this gathering of the Indian community in Singapore. I wish to thank the People's Association Indian Activity Executive Committees' Coordinating Council (PAIAEC CC) and the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) for organising this dinner. I am particularly happy that community and grassroots leaders, leaders of social and cultural organisations, representatives from welfare homes and lower income families, representatives from the Hindu Endowment Board, temples, mosques and churches, students, are all with us tonight. Your presence makes this a more meaningful and joyous occasion. The Indian community is an integral part of our multi-racial society. The government has always paid close attention to the well being of the Indian community, and to issues that concern them. As Prime Minister, I will maintain this approach. I will work closely with the community and its leaders, to help the community to progress, and to build a nation for all of us in Singapore.
Progressing Together In a Multi-Racial Society
Singapore is a multi-racial, multi-religious society. More importantly, it is a society which upholds multi-racialism as a fundamental principle. We set out to create a Singapore where each person is treated fairly and equally. Where nobody is either privileged or disadvantaged because of his skin colour. Where the minority communities have the space to maintain their own cultures and ways of life, and are neither pressured nor hemmed in by the majority community. Where the different communities live harmoniously together. And where all the communities benefit from the nation's progress. Our multi-racialism is rooted in the history of our nation. The circumstances under which we became independent left an indelible mark on our society. After Singapore joined Malaysia, the PAP government of Singapore fought strenuously for a Malaysian Malaysia in which all races would be treated equally, as was guaranteed under the Malaysian Constitution. We fought against those who sought to preserve the system of Malay dominance and racial politics. But the Malaysian central government could not accept this. The differences proved to be irreconcilable. They led to racial riots, and finally separation and independence in 1965. After independence, the PAP government was determined to safeguard the minority communities in Singapore. It vowed never to allow the minorities to be treated in the way that Singaporeans had experienced as a minority in Malaysia. That is why we made multi-racialism a cardinal principle from day one, and have upheld it for 40 years. An equally fundamental principle of our society which complements multi-racialism is meritocracy. A person's advancement in Singapore depends on his ability and contributions, not on his family connections, social circle, race or religion. We offer full and equal opportunities to all. If a student has ability, he will get the education he deserves, however poor his family background. If a community has difficulty catching up, we will help it make progress, especially through education and training. But we will not prop it up with special privileges or racial quotas, which do nothing to improve the abilities of the community. So when someone succeeds in Singapore, everyone knows that he done well through his own efforts and not because of any unfair advantage to the group he belongs to. We take these ideals very seriously. As one immigrant Indian who took up citizenship wrote to me: "Here in Singapore, I have discovered that ideals actually mean something in politics. Multiracialism, meritocracy, integrity and efficiency are not just words in the wind mouthed by changeable politicians and passing parties, but are objective standards that leaders are willing to be judged by. As a result, multiracialism and meritocracy have transformed Singapore. The achievements of the Indian community testify to this. The community has progressed in step with other Singaporeans, and done well across the board. Families have enjoyed rising standards of living, workers and professionals have found better jobs, and students are doing better in our schools and tertiary institutions. Many Indians have risen to the top, based on their own hardwork and merit. In politics, the community has produced many outstanding leaders, who have held office as Member of Parliament, Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and President. Indians have distinguished themselves as judges, doctors, civil servants, SAF commanders, entrepreneurs, artists, union leaders, teachers, and academics. At the workplace, the proportion of Indians who become professionals, managers, executives and technicians has doubled in the last ten years. The Indian community has also become more integrated into Singapore society. It has drawn closer to the other communities, while keeping its distinctiveness. We notice this gradual integration taking place in our daily lives. We see Indians and non-Indians actively participating in each other's festivities. In HDB estates, many Indian residents are active grassroots leaders, working together with the other races to organize community events for all. It is not uncommon to hear Indians chatting with neighbours in fluent Chinese or Malay. In schools, non-Indian pupils are learning to perform Indian dances. And there is a good Chinese and Malay following for Indian food and Bollywood movies. Last year, when 500 celebrity film makers, actors and actress congregated in Singapore for the International Indian Film Academy Awards, the excitement among Singaporeans of all races was remarkable.
Our society is not a melting pot. Neither the government nor the people want our diverse cultures to be totally blended and homogenised. Indeed in schools pupils can learn not only Tamil, but also other South Asian languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati and Bengali (as community projects taught on weekends). But we are gradually enlarging the common ground shared by all communities. Students of all races attend the same schools, where they study the same curriculum and say the National Pledge together; the men train and sweat together in National Service; we cheered together for the Lions during the Tiger Cup competition; and we felt solidarity with our fellow citizens when we all pitched in to help the victims of the tsunamis. Slowly but surely, we are integrating as one people.
The Way Forward
In this era of great changes, Singapore must rethink many policies and plans, but we will never compromise on multi-racialism and meritocracy. The government will provide space and opportunities for all Singaporeans, and treat all races equally. Provided we preserve the unity among all Singaporeans, and maintain the spirit of give and take between the communities, we will continue to progress together. Within this framework, the Indian community can contribute to Singapore in several specific ways. >Firstly, the Indians are a creative and entrepreneurial group, and a great asset to our economy. When individuals do well in business or in the professions, they make this a more vibrant economy. In addition, our Indian community gives us invaluable linkages to South Asian countries. Singapore seeks to prosper by riding on the emergence of China and India, both of which present us with many opportunities. With India opening up, our bilateral trade is booming, tourism is growing, and investments are expanding in both directions. >Both the Singapore and Indian governments are keen to work together for mutual benefit. We are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) which will bring our economies closer together. This week the Institute of South Asian Studies was opened in Singapore. It will further strengthen the bridge between Singapore and the South Asian region. Our Indian community helps us to know the cultures of South Asia. And even the non-Indian Singaporeans, who have grown up in Singapore, feel very comfortable working with South Asians. For their part, South Asians see us as a good base to do business in East Asia or even the Asia Pacific. So 1,400 Indian companies have set up in Singapore, the fourth largest contingent of foreign companies here. </p>
In the same way, our familiarity with the Chinese culture and language is an asset in China, and our understanding of the Malay culture and language is valuable in Malaysia and Indonesia. Few other countries in the world enjoy such entree into all three of India, China, as well as Southeast Asia. This gives Singapore a unique edge in connecting with the region and tapping into its growth.
Secondly, we are attracting a healthy inflow of South Asian talent who want to migrate here. Some come directly from South Asia, while others have spent time in the west but decided that they prefer to settle in Singapore. They find us an Asian society, different from the Americans and Europeans, or even the Chinese and the Japanese. They are at ease living here and want to raise their children here. Many of them are highly qualified, or have skills which will be valuable us. Their children do well in our schools, and they will enrich our Indian community, just as previous generations of Indian immigrants did.
But the immigrants are new to Singapore, and will not be totally familiar with our culture and way of life. They need to find their way around and learn about living in Singapore. Singaporean Indians are well placed to help the new immigrants to integrate into our society and adapt to our egalitarian social norms. I would urge you to make them feel welcome, whether at work, in HDB neighbourhoods, or in temples, so that they not only stay here as guests, but strike roots here and make this their home.
Thirdly, the Indian community needs to continue to help its less privileged members to catch up. While the majority of Indian Singaporeans have done well, we must be careful not to leave behind a minority who are unable to take care of themselves or their families. We must continue to make sure that this group receives the help they need, so that they can get back on their feet, and their children can break out of the poverty trap.
SINDA, together with the other Indian community organisations, has done an excellent job. It has mobilised the successful members of the community, and got them involved in helping their less successful brethren. It is running tuition programmes, helping poor families to own computers, teaching the lower-educated workers IT skills, and awarding bursaries to help Indian children in their studies.
These efforts have shown results. Indian students are steadily doing better in schools. In 1993, slightly less than half (46%) of the Indian community's primary one cohort attained post secondary education. Ten years later (2003) the figure had risen to almost three quarters (71%). This is an important achievement; post-secondary education is the vital first step for lower-income families to uplift themselves. I believe Indian students can do even better and urge them to strive to achieve greater heights.
Finally, Indian culture contributes to the richness and vibrancy of the Singapore's cultural scene, and to the cosmopolitan tone of our society. We have made significant investments in cultural hardware – restoring old historical buildings into museums, galleries and theatres, and developing icons such as the Esplanade. But we also need software – the talent, the art work and the performances to make Singapore a vibrant cultural city.
The Indian community has much to offer. Groups such as the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (classical music and dance), the Singapore Indian Orchestra and Choir, and individual award winners such as Mr K. P. Bhaskar, Mr Rama Kannabiran (Tamil literature), and Noni Kaur (Young visual artist), continue to uphold traditional Indian culture in a modern multicultural Singapore. Their artistic expression appeals to the young and old, Indians and non-Indians, Singaporeans and overseas audiences alike. With the talent and creativity of the Indian community and our special connection to South Asia, I believe the Indian art and culture will flourish in Singapore.
More broadly and fundamentally, Singapore's ethos incorporates elements from all the ethnic groups, despite our population being majority Chinese. The multi-racial mix not only enriches our society, but also makes it more open, better attuned to our external environment and especially to our Southeast Asian neighbourhood. Because our different races have to get along with one another in Singapore, so they are better able to understand and work with people in other countries who have other cultures. If we had been a purely Chinese society, like Hong Kong or Taiwan, we would found it much harder to and get along with our neighbours. This is a crucial difference which the minority communities make to Singapore.
Conclusion
I would like to thank the Indian community for honouring me with this dinner. The community has made many contributions to nation-building over the past 40 years. Great opportunities and challenges lie ahead. Your resilience, commitment to self help and enterprising spirit stand you in good stead. I am confident that the community will continue to thrive as we move forward, contributing to Singapore's success while benefiting from it.
Let us all, regardless of race, language or religion, work together to build a vibrant and inclusive nation which we can be proud to call home.
Nandri .
