[CDAC Punggol Student Service Centre Open House]
外交部长暨阿裕尼集选区国会议员杨荣文先生2008年8月30日上午9时于榜鹅学生服务中心开放日之演讲词

女士们，先生们，同学们:
1 我很高兴和大家一起参加榜鹅学生服务中心的开放日。

2 华助会在1992年5月成立。任务是“培养和发展华族社群的潜能，为多元种族的新加坡继续作出贡献”。为了达成这项任务，华助会推出了两项核心活动。一项是开办补习班以帮助成绩较差的贫苦学生；另一项是提供技能培训以协助低技能、低收入的工友。
3 华助会也设立了学生服务中心，为邻里的学生提供良好的学习环境。目前，华助会在各主要组屋区设立了十间学生服务中心。这些服务中心主办了各种各样与教育和益智相关的活动。

4 榜鹅学生服务中心在1993年11月设立，是华助会最早设立的两间中心之一。每间学生服务中心都由社区管理委员会负责管理以服务社区。管委会成员由社区里的基层领袖及活跃义工组成。

5 榜鹅学生服务中心座落在民防部队的防空壕内，为1,350名学生会员主办许多有意义的活动，以满足他们的需求。在过去一年里，中心就主办了超过200项活动，参与人次多达5,400名。

6 榜鹅学生服务中心管委会也为贫困学生提供各种援助计划，其中包括豁免参加费，以便让他们参与中心的活动。

7 榜鹅学生服务中心大约有50名活跃义工，他们献出宝贵的时间和精力，并发挥所长，协助组织各项活动，尤其是为学生提供功课督导和推行儿童启蒙阅读计划。一些义工如许佩君和王伟瑜，过去都是学生服务中心的受惠者，现在他们又回到华助会来帮助其他人。我在此向他们表示衷心的感谢，同时也希望更多的受惠者能加入义工团队。
8 在“2012愿景”的计划下，华助会将推动与社区共同主导华助会的活动。榜鹅学生服务中心将加强与社区基层组织及自愿团体的合作关系，以便帮助更多的居民，并成为我们社区的一部分。

9 我要借此机会呼吁所有居民积极支持榜鹅学生服务中心的活动，以便为较贫困的学生提供他们所需要的援助。
谢谢！









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[2nd Anniversary]
I was reminded by Ephraim that today is the second anniversary of my first blog posting two years ago. It seemed such a long time ago. Blogging and Facebook have become a part of my routine now. They help me communicate with members of a younger generation whom I don't often meet at house-to-house visits or neighbourood get-togethers.

Writing blogs forces me to organise my thoughts into a few short paragraphs. The blogs also serve as a kind of diary. I am grateful to Ephraim and Harold for having me post on their sites. It saves me the trouble of having to maintain my own blogsite.

Facebook is an interesting new phenomenon. The interactivity gives it a certain intimacy. For those who only read, Facebook must function also as a kind of reality TV.

Do also read my posts on Beyond SG

[The Singapore I Like To See When I Grow Up]
It is timely to talk about this today.

Two years ago on 30 August, Minister George Yeo made his foray into the blogosphere. Harold and I feel that it is a good time to innovate and get our youths out there talking. In view of that, we have launched the First George Yeo Blogging Competition.

It is open to Primary School, Secondary School/ITE and Junior College/Polytechnic students. The topic is "The Singapore I Like To See When I Grow Up".

What you have to do is to pen a short essay on the topic and submit it on www.whenigrowup.sg and you will stand to win attractive prizes.

The most important thing to us however is that you have fun! Join the competition now and win attractive prizes too.

[From six to eight]
Parliament has been debating by-elections but I shall leave that as it is. PM's take on it is a logical and calculated argument.

But today, this post is about numbers. Sometimes a larger number may not be better. Especially when it comes to GRCs and political openness.

It seems that the Government is trying to open up and to allow diverse views to reach out to Singaporeans. With the relaxation of rules on political films and the boldness in opening up Speakers' Corner for demonstrations.

This looks like we are finally taking a step forward. But by looking at past trends, it usually ends up with two steps forward and one step back.

Early this month, a Straits Times politcal correspondent wrote about the possibility of having eight-member GRCs. Following that, PM had hinted this morning that GRCs will mark their 20th anniversary this year and there could be a "relook" at that.

Having an eight-member GRC system is not something that is not possible. Take for instance PM's ward Ang Mo Kio and Seng Han Thong's SMC Yio Chu Kang. Both town councils are run together - they have merged citing efficiency gains - as Ang Mo Kio-Yio Chu Kang Town Council. In fact, if you go to Ang Mo Kio and count the number of MPs on the national day billboards, you see seven members.

By that logic, it seems that such moves may and could be looked into in future. If you ask me, such a grouping is no different from having a super-large GRC. The intended purpose of the GRC system is to allow minority representation. But underlying it, is how the ruling party uses it to keep its stability.

But if you ask me, I am all for keeping the status quo of GRCs.

Relaxing controls on political films and public demonstrations and the use of online media during the next elections reflects a step forward for democratic development in Singapore. But by increasing the number of members required for a GRC from six to eight marks a shift back.

Why do I say that?

Simply because an increase in the number of members required for a GRC from six to eight makes it more difficult for the opposition to contest in the next elections. It is not as though they have had an easy time before with rules on minimum-sum deposits. And these deposits are only refunded if a minimum percentage of votes for the opposition are reached.

Further, the GRC system requires the need for minority members. Having a higher number for GRC could mean having more minority members. This may in turn allow for more minority representation but it also means more minority talent searches for the opposition camp.

Having said all that, there is still a way out. Opposition members could just stick to contesting SMCs instead of GRC. Unless of course SMCs disappear from the map altogether.

Perhaps to ensure more opposition members in Parliament and no undermining the stability of the ruling party Government, there could be further tweaks to the other MP schemes that allow diversity. This is something that I am in favour of.

Still, the time for such changes may not be ripe and it is not up to citizens to decide.

[By-Election Debate in Parliament]
Yesterday's debate on by-elections in Parliament was very good. Prof Thio Li Ann's speech was in her usual way academic in tone and comprehensive. Dr Loo Choon Yong in contrast was down-to-earth and commonsensical. Mr Siew Kum Hong had a lively debating style which enlivened proceedings in the House. Later Mr Gautam Banerjee gave his views as a an immigrant. I thought the speeches of the 4 NMPs added a new dimension to what might otherwise have been the usual exchange between the PAP and the Opposition. Ms Sylvia Lim surprised everyone by her proposal to amend Prof Thio's and Dr Loo's proposal. In fact, it was more than that: she wanted to turn the debate about by-elections into a debate about GRCs. Unfortunately, it was ruled out of order. Speaker Tarmugi told her that she could raise GRCs separately on another occasion and PM added later that he would welcome a full debate on GRCs especially since this year is the 20th anniversary.

PM's explanation about our system of by-elections went back into history and the chronic instability of the 50's and early 60's when MPs could simply switch sides. Malaysia's by-election law was forced on us at merger. Once we separated, MM Lee Kuan Yew immediately changed the law back to what it was (and is today). PM saw democracy not as an idealised model but as a practical evolving system by which Singaporeans order their own society, feeling our way across the river, stone by stone. It reminded me of Devan Nair's book about Singapore many years ago: Socialism that works. Well, we are also a democracy that works. Not perfect to be sure, but not bad at all. Not for us the excitement of Permatang Pauh.

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[6th World Malayalee Conference]
SPEECH BY GEORGE YEO, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT THE 6TH WORLD MALAYALEE CONFERENCE ON 22 AUGUST 2008 AT 2.30 PM AT ORCHID COUNTRY CLUB

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,

Namaskaram

1. Let me first welcome all those who have come to Singapore for this 6th World Malayalee Conference from far and near. We are delighted to play host. Singapore is after all an important node in the Malayalee worldwide web.

2. Having so many Malayalee friends and having to work with so many Malayalees internationally, I have long wondered how the Malayalees have come to be such a talented tribe, or should I say conferederation of tribes, with a cosmopolitan outlook making them ideally suited for the opportunities which globalisation brings.

3. When I first heard of Kerala's self-description: 'God's Own Country', I thought, hmm, quite an extravagant claim. But mulling it over, there is some justification. And one can view it from different perspectives.

4. Last week, I met a Christian Malayalee pastor who told me that his ancestor was a Brahmin who converted to Christianity by the Apostle Thomas himself two thousand years ago. Of course, Thomas went there because there was already a thriving Jewish community in Cochin long before that. Adi Sankaracharya, one of the most important teachers in Hinduism who set up the four peethas in the four corners of India, was born in Kaladi in the 8th century. The Ayappan temple in the western ghats is one of the holiest in India. Whether it is Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity or Islam, the Malabar coast has a long tradition of hosting ancient religious communities going way back. So, maybe, it is God's own country after all.

5. When I first visited Trivandrum with my wife in 1986, we were struck by how lush and green the land was and how much it resembled peninsular Malaysia. I think it must be the greenness of the land that gave kathakali its unique character. The coconut trees, the backwaters, the people all seemed strangely familiar. Confronted by some rubbish outside the zoo, the tour guide quickly blamed migrant workers from a neighbouring state. With high educational attainments and strong international connections, the Malayalees are rightly proud of their own history, culture and identity even though they may belong to different sub-groups.

6. Over the centuries, sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the western ghats, the monsoons have brought to the shores of Kerala all kinds of foreign influences which have inter-mingled with the ancient traditions of India to create a special breed of high performers. The same monsoons facilitated the journeys of Malayalee men overseas in search of fame and fortune. A strong matrilineal culture ensured that families stayed strong even when fathers were away for long periods.

7. During the Raj, many came to British Malaya and Singapore. Educated and speaking English, they became clerks, teachers and junior assistants to the British in the plantations, towns and cities, both in government and in the private sector. With strong families and strong emphasis on education, their descendants continue to do well in independent Malaysia and Singapore.

8. The same story is repeated in the US, Europe, the Middle East and India itself. So many of India's most prominent diplomats are Malayalee. Without the Malayalees working in the Gulf states, the economies there will grind to a halt.

9. Singapore's Malayalee links to India, the Middle East, Europe and the US are natural ones which the World Malayalee Conference should help to invigorate.

10. Looking ahead, the rise of China will open a new chapter in the fascinating history of the Malayalee people. It is not a new story because Malabar's links with China are old ones. The origins of Chinese shaolin gungfu in kalaripayatthu are well known. Many Chinese are familiar with the story of how Bodhi Dharma brought the martial art from India to China but most do not know that it came from Kerala. Many Chinese would be surprised to learn that the beautiful fishing nets in Kerala came from China but all Malayalees know that. In the early fifteenth century, the treasure ships of the Ming Admiral Zheng He visited the ports of the Malabar coast on all their voyages. The official annal, The Overall Survey of the Ocean Shores, recorded the Admiral's visit to Calicut, and how having given imperial honours to the king, Vana Vikraman, the Admiral also erected a pavilion with a ceremonial stone tablet. The king, actually the zamorin, was described as a Brahmin and a Buddhist, and had Muslim chiefs. The Chinese observed that when the zamorin died, the throne was passed to his sister's son. They also noted that the people of Calicut were honest and trustworthy.

11. At the ports of Calicut and Cochin, with Malayalees playing host and middlemen, the Chinese met Arab, Iranian and Venetian traders. Here were communities with deep links to East and West, benefiting from the exchange of goods, techniques and ideas. That is all part of the Malayalee DNA which should serve the community well in the coming years.

12. I believe Singapore will play an important role in this next phase because we are strategically positioned in between India and China. Indeed Singapore was established as a trading post of the British East India Company from Calcutta precisely to service India's China trade. India was the jewel in the crown, and China was India's biggest trading partner. In the new East-West trade of the 21st century, Singapore will again play this role. The Indian community in Singapore is growing faster than any other community for this reason.

13. In October, the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or Overseas Indian Diaspora Conference will be held in Singapore. The theme is 'Towards a Dynamic Diaspora'. The Malayalees have gone beyond that because it always had a dynamic diaspora. I welcome all of you to this World Malayalee Conference and wish you a very successful meeting. I also wish all Malayalees a Happy and Bountiful Onam next month.







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[Meeting Residents and 7th Moon Dinners]
I visited residents at Blks 509 and 510 Hougang Ave 10 on Thursday evening, followed by a dialogue session at the void deck of Blk 511 for those living in the vicinity. Told everyone that the lift upgrading work will begin in November. There is bound to be some inconvenience but having the lift landing on every floor is becoming more urgent as the population ages.





One resident complained about dog poo being thrown which I gently requested the residents a floor above to avoid doing. Another complained about foreign professionals next door making too much notice which I also put across in the gentlest possible way. Best to keep small problems small.

But on the whole, there were few complaints. During the dialogue session, one Primary 5 kid (Jeremy) came up to me to ask if he could be my friend on Facebook. I said, of course. When I opened my account back home, his request had already come in. That really cheered me up.

After the dialogue, I went across to Blk 522 for the 7th Moon dinner. As I had quite a big dinner before the walkabout, I refrained from gorging further. Instead I went around toasting the guests with a glass of Carlsberg. I had given a bottle of Russian ginseng liquor which was auctioned off for a thousand bucks. It was an official gift to me which I had bought over some months ago.

7th Moon dinners are part of our tradition in Singapore. When my father was a storekeeper along the Singapore River, the coolies there had their 7th Moon dinners too. I remembered my father bringing back quantities of pork, duck, fish and fruits. Meats were scarce then. I am always impressed by the eloquence of the 7th Moon auctioneer.

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[NDP08 Celebrations Concert 'Come Together']
The concert last Friday at Marina Bay attracted a crowd of almost 10,000. It was organised by the Family Life Centre which has done very good work in Singapore. I was particularly touched by the work they do for families of prisoners.

It was a pleasant evening with songs by the Beatles and other oldies. Tan Soo Khoon sang Elvis Presley while playing the guitar. He told me later that he was nervous but he looked pretty professional on stage to me. Anita Sarawak put in a wonderful performance early in the evening and received loud applause. My wife and I met her earlier before the show started and were surprised by her youthfulness and high energy.



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[Almost there]
Earlier this month, I blogged about the Containart Pavilion by Japanese artist Shigeru Ban. Very soon, the pavilion will be complete and artists will be swinging by to do up their works.



The progress of the Containart Pavilion, though slightly delayed, is on track. The final portion of the roof and the foyer will be completed soon. At least, we are way in advance for the opening on 11 September. I'm looking forward to catch the installation part and soak in the chaotic and intense atmosphere.



There has been a lot of behind the scenes planning for this as well as the countless site visits, meetings, discussions, negotiations and aruguments. The result is this magnificent IKEA blue coloured structure (as playwright Ng Yi-Sheng describes).





Hang in there. It's gonna be less than a month till the exhibition opens.

[Mysterious South Beach]
As the leaves fall and the old coat of paint is scrapped from the walls of South Beach Development, one of the sites of the Singapore Biennale 2008 located along Beach Road, a different feeling erupts.





I recall the early days of my internship where I roamed the dark site. It seemed dark and spooky and uninhabited. Now, we can see this historic building in a new light.

Built in the 1930s, the significant uniqueness is in its architecture. The three Art Deco Style blocks - blocks 1, 9 and 14 - that has a glorious past have been reinstated as part of the Biennale.



There's the Drill Hall, which is being retouched for French artist Felice Varini, who will be doing up an anamorphic work. It will be an adventure of discovery for visitors (I won't say too much yet).



The one thing that runs throughout the site, which strikes me the most, are the arches. It is somewhat like my alma mater - St. Andrew's School.



A slab of memorial inscription adorns the entrance paying tribute to the Singapore Volunteer Corps. Accompanying it are the intricate designs.



I made an attempt to juxtapose the old building (one that has been there for at least 80 years) with the portable toilet (that may very well just be there for just over 80 days).



Social commentary? Perhaps.

[Lessons from a wheelchair]
I was wheelchair bound for 400 meters.

It was quite some time back when I tried this. Last year, I wanted to race with my junior, Ephraim, who is wheelchair bound during an event called Trilympics.

With the Olympics going on, it is good to talk about fighting spirit, teamwork and national pride - all of which are the core values of Team Singapore.

Looking at how the wheelchair bound manoeuvre their rolling machines, I thought I could do the same. Well, not until I really tried it. The first time, I had to learn to get the method right but this is made more tough as I have sweaty palms.

Then, when you have got the method correct, you try for speed. And that is where the problem lies. The faster you go, the more abrasion. Abrasion then leads to blisters.

For a normal person to feel like this is already very painful yet alone someone who is disabled. You can really feel their drive to push on, to live and to succeed.

These few months, I have been reflecting and I realise that whatever one does, it is important to lead a healthy life and stay healthy. Cost of medication is high when you are sick. Then, there are the many check-ups that one has to undertake. So the best is to eat well, rest well, study hard and play hard.

It is all about balance. And that is something I will attempt to find in my life - the balance between school work and CCA, the balance between community service and meeting friends. Well, I must learn to treasure all that I have.

[Things I will miss]
There are many things I will miss when I leave the Singapore Biennale office. Officially, my stint with the National Arts Council has ended. But, the Biennale's just begun - artists will be installing their works in the three main sites from next week onwards. So there's reason to be back.



It is tough to make a choice and decide my favourite one. City Hall, South Beach Development and the Central Promontory Site - three exclusive areas with their respective good points.

I'll be blogging about the two other sites soon after my initial post on the groundbreaking of the Central Promontory Site. But in essence, I agree with my colleagues that we should not judge the sites by what they look like but on the quality of the works when the Biennale officially opens on 9 September. I'm excited.



Another aspect I would miss would be the close interaction with the artistic director, Fumio, and the curators, Joselina and Matthew. Fumio has his fun accent, Joselina and Matthew have their humourous and hilarious jokes. And they like to poke fun at each other.



I can recall vividly that during the first (and only) curatorial meeting that I attended, Fumio was fumbling with his new gadget - the MacAir - and somehow, it nearly died at his hands. Well, fortunately it did not.



As for the staff, you will remember Michelle because one usually hears her before one sees her. Her voice and laughter booms throughout the office that I once suggested that we record her laughter and make it into a Biennale audio work.

Well, it has been some four months at the Singapore Biennale office and I will miss my desk too!

[Three Cheers for Our Table Tennis Team]
Hurray! Our women's team has gotten into the Olympics finals. I hope they strike gold. At my recent meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang, he would always talk about our women table tennis team when we discuss the Olympics. When I mention our reliance on Chinese talent, he would say, 'but it is the Singapore system'. It is a polite exchange but I thought to myself that our table tennis team must have been included in his background brief.



The finals would be taking place during PM's National Day Rally. I hope there'll be some form of live coverage so that we don't have to be peering at our handphones from time to time.




Photo credit: Team Singapore

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[Celebrating the Singapore Spirit]
No one can really define what the Singapore Spirit really is.



Well, for my NDP reportage, I did manage to overhear and gather some interesting anecdotes.

I tried to ask a cheerleader from a Junior College in Singapore (not saying which) but she was too shy to answer my questions. Then I asked a few guys. One told me that the Singapore Spirit was about giving up seats for the elderly and being considerate. How sweet!

Yet another said it was working together as one. I guess he was referring to a cheerleading routine - can't be done by one person alone. It needs team work.

I overheard an auntie in the stands during NDP. When the Prime Minister and President's cars arrived at the parade, she asked her friend to check out the number plate. Well, it's the 4D Singapore Spirit. Pity for her, the cars only have single digits. Toto anyone?

Being part of the media team is a privilige. I like the post-parade party where I get to go onto the floating platform. And this year, there's the three-tiered stage. Once you are on it, you don't know if the audience is watching you, or if you are the one watching the audience.

Clever. Anyway, I managed some shots of things you do not see on TV.

These are the fountain nozzles that sprays water throughout the parade's musical routine.



And these are some of the numerous colourful spotlights that provide the lighting.



Cool stuff. I still have a 12 Lotus story to write. Yes, it is about the movie's press conference. I guess I'll do more updates tomorrow.

[NDP at Bedok Reservoir]
With our own floating stage, our NDP at Bedok Reservoir in the morning was a miniature of the real one at Marina Bay in the evening. Nothing elaborate, just a few performances, flag raising, pledge taking and cake cutting. But ... and this takes the cake, we had our own sailpast and helicopeter flypast! It was a pleasant surprise for me. Ben Chew, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, had kept it a closely guarded secret.









The model helicopter not only undertowed a weighted Singapore flag, it flew forwards, then backwards. That was one cute performance.



Bedok Reservoir is becoming more lively. In time, it will become the centre of suburban life in the area. At the other end, we now have our own dragonboat house.











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[Hand-in-hand]
In about 15 minutes it will be National Day. And this nationalistic post would fit in perfectly. This year, the theme is "Celebrating the Singapore Spirit". I am sure that the theme can be interpreted in different ways by different people but here's my take.

The Singapore Spirit is when people from all walks of life come together in a bid to levitate a historic landmark - City Hall. That was what we did for Singapore Biennale 2006. I was part of this artwork by Daniel Malone.



So we held hands. We hoped for something to happen. Something unusual. Something that is different from what we are now. Perhaps even a utopian city. Somewhere we can roam free and not get caught in the rat race.





And then we closed our eyes. We stayed focused. But alas, once daylight sets into our peepers, reality strikes back. All that we thought of were hallucinations perhaps even dreams.



And City Hall remains where it is. It was where Lee Kuan Yew was sworn into office in 1959.

Well, Happy Birthday Singapore!

[ASEAN Day Reception]
REMARKS BY GEORGE YEO, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT ASEAN DAY RECEPTION 2008 ON 7 AUG 2008

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Boys and Girls,

1. Let me first welcome everybody to this ASEAN Day reception, celebrating ASEAN's 41st anniversary. I am particularly happy to see so many young faces in the audience because it is the younger generation who will give life to the ASEAN Community we envisage.



2. Sometimes, those who do not know the region dismiss ASEAN as being little more than a talkshop. It is true that there are a lot of meetings, more than six hundred a year. But these meetings are important because they facilitate cooperation in the region. They not only create a growing common economic space, they also promote greater trust and understanding among leaders, ministers, parliamentarians, officials, businessmen, academics, artists and many others, including students. Yes, we have problems, but without ASEAN, these problems will have a sharper edge and be more difficult to overcome. Just recently, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers helped to ease tensions at the Cambodian and Thai border even though the risk of a flare-up remains high.

3. The most important achievement of ASEAN is the peace that it has helped to foster in Southeast Asia in the last four decades. Peace should never be taken for granted. We have only to look at other regions in the world to know how rare and precious it is. Little by little, ASEAN has built a framework within which the countries of Southeast Asia are able to work more closely together and resolve disputes. This ASEAN framework of peace and cooperation has enabled us to concentrate our energies on economic development.

4. It is common challenges which strengthen ASEAN. The Cold War created ASEAN in its early years. The ASEAN financial crisis, SARS, the Boxing Day tsunami and Cyclone Nargis were all crises which ASEAN overcame and grew stronger as a result from. Looking ahead, the challenge of a rising China and India will unite us further. We have no choice. In a globalised world, each of us by himself carries too small a weight on the scale of international affairs. Together, our views and our interests have to be taken into account by the major powers.

5. For the ASEAN Community to be built, our people must increasingly internalise a sense of ASEAN citizenship. ASEAN has to be built both top down and bottom up. It is important that more and more of our people know that ASEAN is there working on their behalf, on our behalf. This cannot happen overnight. We must pay particular attention to the young as it is important that each succeeding generation feels more for ASEAN than the preceding generation.

6. We must enthuse the young in ASEAN, and make the idea of ASEAN cool and exciting. For ASEAN's 40th anniversary celebrations last year, we organised activities that reached out to the young including an ASEAN Rock Festival, exchange of postcards by schoolchildren and an ASEAN crew that sailed around the world.

7. And that is also why I am pleased to launch, for this year's ASEAN Day "What Makes Me Happy", a collection of drawings by children from all the ASEAN countries. This is an initiative of Singaporean artist Peter Zhuo. Let adults draw inspiration from the hopes of children.





8. Because of our open economy, Singapore is a microcosm of ASEAN. All the countries of ASEAN are represented in our public and private sectors in a major way, in every school, polytechnic, university, research institute, cultural group, indeed in every sector of our economy. In a sense, what Singapore is, all countries of ASEAN will eventually become, in the way ASEAN nationalities mix and work side by side in peace and harmony.

9. This year’s ASEAN Day is also the day the Summer Olympics open in Beijing expressing the hopes of all Asians for a better tomorrow. This coincidence on 8/8/08 adds to our celebration.

. . . . .

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[Happy National Day!]
I've just celebrated Singapore's 43rd National Day at MFA this morning. It was a hectic year but we have reasons to be grateful. For big and small things, Singapore is now a significant provider of aid and assistance to other countries. We do a lot behind the scene to build a stronger ASEAN and a more peaceful Asia.





On National Day morning itself, I'll join residents at Bedok Reservoir for flag raising and a nasi lemak breakfast. This has become a little tradition for us.

Even though threatening clouds are gathering on the horizon, we have much to celebrate. I can never forget a side conversation with the Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone at the Commonwealth Meeting in Malta almost three years ago. He pointed out to me that in the early 60's, Sierra Leone and Singapore had the same per capita income! Stunned for a moment, I asked: What happened? Many in Africa are now studying the Singapore model to our surprise.

The last song we sang at MFA was Dick Lee's Home, which is my favourite.

"Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
...
This is home truly, where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me, where the river always flows
This is home surely, as my senses tell me
This is where I won't be alone, for this is where I know it's home."

Happy National Day!





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