City of Possibilities; Home for All

1.             Introduction

2.             Income Gap – leaving no one behind

3.             Upgrading Education – levelling up society

4.             Ageing Population – living active lives

5.             Working Longer – more savings for old age

6.             Improving CPF – building a nest egg

7.             Upgrading & Renewal – best home for all

8.             Forging Ahead – go for it together

Introduction 

1.             Singapore is on the move

a.             Things are looking good

b.             Growing buzz and confidence 

c.             Overall outlook is positive

2.             External environment favourable

a.             Optimism all over Asia

b.             Recent turbulence in global financial markets

i.               May affect economies in US and Europe, and also Asia, over the next 3-6 months

ii.             But fundamentals for Asia remain strong

c.             ASEAN countries are benefiting from a strong Asia and high energy prices

i.               Singapore has taken over as Chairman of ASEAN

ii.             Focus on making ASEAN stronger and more integrated

iii.           So that ASEAN countries can keep pace with China and India, and not be left behind

d.             Relations with Malaysia and Indonesia are good

i.               Cooperating in many areas, on win-win basis

ii.             Some outstanding issues with both countries

iii.           But will deal with the issues in the broader context of our overall relationship

3.             Singa­poreans are all over Asia and the world

a.             Southeast Asia, India, China, Middle East, Central Asia, even Mongolia and Brazil!

b.             This is the way to thrive in a globalised world

4.             But must secure our home base

a.             Create the conditions for Singapore to grow

b.             Give every citizen a stake in the country’s success

c.             Create a sense of security and hope

d.             Build a nation which we can all draw strength from

e.             A home base from which to venture forth and seize opportunities around us

5.             This means adapting and changing, again and again, as the world around us changes

a.             Changes to make our economy vibrant and competitive

i.               This is what we have been doing

(1)          Restructuring the economy

(2)          Reforming taxes – lower income taxes, higher GST

(3)          Developing the IRs and remaking our city

b.             Changes to strengthen our social cohesion

i.               To draw us closer together despite the tidal pull of external forces

ii.             So that we are not divided between different races and religions, rich and poor, or winners and losers

iii.           So that Singa­pore stays a home where we all belong

6.             This is how we can sustain our exceptional performance 

a.             Tackle difficult problems that come our way

b.             Move forward as a nation

7.             Tonight, focus on one major challenge ahead – widening income gap

a.             Discuss related issues – education, ageing population, and housing

Income Gap

1.             We know why income gap is widening – globalisation, technology, and cut-throat competition

a.             This is the way the world is going, and Singapore will be carried along

b.             Lower end

i.               Hundreds of millions of unskilled workers in China, India and Vietnam entering the workforce, and holding down wages

ii.             Our workers are feeling it too

c.             Middle and higher end

i.               IT automating simple jobs

ii.             Knowledge economy putting premium on education and skills

iii.           Demand for people with skills to do what computers and robots cannot do

iv.           Each extra year of schooling – 14% increase in wages

v.             Increase is even higher for university education 

d.             At the very top, fierce competition

i.               In sports, you want to watch Tiger Woods play golf, or Roger Federer play tennis

ii.             If a company is hiring a CEO, they try hard to get the best candidate, not one who is almost as good

iii.           If you need legal advice, you want to hire the best lawyer to fight your case

iv.           Winner takes all – top incomes zooming up

(1)          Tiger Woods earns US$100 million a year (prizes and endorsements), much more than the No 2 (Jim Furyk)

(2)          Widening gap between the best and the rest

e.             Income gap is also linked to the ageing population 

i.               Many of the poor are likely to be elderly

ii.             Those who do not provide enough for old age will face difficulties in retirement

2.             What can we do? 

a.             First overall strategy is to grow the economy

i.               Generate more resources to help those in need

b.             Ageing – very difficult problem with no easy solutions

i.               Will talk more about this later

c.             For the lower-end

i.               Emphasise training, skills upgrading and job redesign

(1)          Raise the productivity of low-income workers

(2)          Help them to earn better pay

(3)          This is what NTUC is doing

ii.             Plus Workfare

d.             For those at the top – good that they are doing well 

i.               Can’t hold down their incomes, or levy higher income taxes

(1)          Talent will leave

(2)          Our economy will lose vitality

(3)          Many others will suffer

(4)          We are prospering now because we have brought income taxes down, welcomed talent, and attracted businesses to thrive here

ii.             But those who have succeeded must show that they care for their fellow citizens, e.g. through philanthropy

(1)          Happening in the US

(2)          Here too – many Singa­poreans are donating generously to good causes, e.g.

(a)          Universities

(i)            NUS, NTU and SMU receive endowments to fund many projects; they have nearly 80 endowed professorships

(ii)          Major donations 

[1]           Lee Kong Chian School of Business in SMU

[2]           Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in NUS

(b)          Hospitals

(i)            Tan Tock Seng 

(ii)          Khoo Teck Puat 

(c)          Sim Wong Hoo

(3)          More people should do this, according to your means, and from your heart

(4)          Collectively, these individual responses make our society more cohesive and compassionate

e.             For the vast majority in the middle

i.               Our policies must enable them to do well, and provide them with many opportunities to move ahead

ii.             One major strategy is HDB home ownership

(1)          Best form of social welfare for Singaporeans

(2)          Give everyone a stake in the nation’s success

(3)          Have some new plans, which I will elaborate later  

iii.           Another is education

(1)          Rising payoffs on education

(2)          Hence best way to level up our society

Upgrading Education

1.             Our aim is to give every child a top-rate education

Schools

2.             Hence emphasis on quality of all neighbourhood schools

a.             A high base in all schools

b.             But each developing its own special area of excellence

c.             MOE has worked hard at this

i.               More freedom for principals and teachers to experiment

ii.             More resources for schools with good ideas

iii.           More Opportunity Funds for needy students

iv.           Teach Less Learn More

d.             At first, sceptics asked: how to teach less and still learn more?

i.               But can see it happening now

ii.             Tremendous energies and enthusiasm in many schools

3.             Visited schools to see for myself

a.             Jurong Secondary School in Taman Jurong

i.               Students do DVD – Digit,, , al Video and Drama

ii.             Make use of digital video in language classes 

(1)          e.g. Chinese Language teacher assigned students read to a novel during their holidays – “The Little Prince” 

(2)          Students wrote a script based on the novel

(3)          Acted it out with a “blue screen” background

(4)          Recorded it on video

(5)          Class watched performance, then interviewed the actors in their roles and discussed what they had learnt 

iii.           I spent two hours in the school

(1)          They interviewed me on camera too!

iv.           Before I left, presented me a DVD of my visit 

b.             Mayflower Primary School in Ang Mo Kio

i.               Focussed not just on grades, but also character, moral values, and social skills

(1)          Students work in groups

(2)          Desks in classrooms arranged in clusters, not rows

(3)          Involving parent volunteers actively

ii.             Teachers are full of spirit and passion

(1)          Committed to teaching every child

(2)          Have conviction and pride in what they are doing

(3)          Several with school-age children have their own kids in Mayflower

iii.           Could see the difference in the children 

(1)          Asked teachers whether they could get pupils to speak up in class

(2)          Greatly cheered by reply: “the problem is how to stop them speaking!”  (Solution: appoint “Noise Managers”)

iv.           Put up a full scale musical – Our Time to Shine

(1)          I saw them rehearsing

(2)          Seng Han Thong attended musical, and emailed me

(3)          I had said in the National Day Message that we will have a new Singapore, with its own unique identity and can-do and never-say-die spirit

(4)          This reminded him of the musical

(5)          Quote him: 

“It was by our very own Ang Mo Kio heartland neighbour­hood school, Mayflower Primary School, that has the same spirit of "can-do and never say die."  I felt very proud to see many of our Ang Mo Kio little boys and girls performing confidently on the stage. … They acted professionally, they sang happily and they danced gracefully.

“I turned my head back and encountered many familiar faces. These are the parents and grandparents who might not believe that one day their children and grandchildren could perform so well on the big stage.  I saw smiling and proud faces all around.

“It was indeed an occasion that made one realise that Singapore is a City of Possibilities.”   

c.              Many more exciting things happening in schools all across Singapore

4.             This is our fundamental approach to uplift all Singa­poreans

a.             Whichever school you go to, whatever home background you come from, we will help you develop your talents to the fullest

b.             Provide many ladders to success, and help you climb up as high as you can

5.             All this depends on a high-quality teaching force

a.             Good teachers, principals, MOE staff, dedicated and passionate about teaching 

b.             This is what we have, and what our future depends on

c.             Invited a few here tonight to represent all 28,000 teachers in Singa­pore

d.             Please stand

e.             We salute you

Malay Language

6.             Cover one aspect of our school education – language skills

a.             Many older Singa­poreans can understand and speak Malay and Bahasa Indonesia, including non-Malays

b.             But too few in the younger generation

c.             Need more people to be familiar with the language – may not be totally fluent, but can chit-chat and understand the gist without translation

i.               Then we can interact with our neighbours in their language

ii.             Work together on opportunities, and deal with issues which arise from time to time

7.             Emphasise

a.             No change in mother tongue policy

b.             But must encourage more non-Malays to learn Malay in addition to their mother tongue

8.             Two initiatives in secondary schools

a.             The Malay Special Programme (MSP) – to study Malay as 3^rd language – but not very popular

i.               Introduce incentives to encourage more students to take up MSP, including bonus points for JC admission

ii.             Similarly, extend incentives to non-Chinese students who take Chinese as 3^rd language

b.             Introduce a Regional Studies Programme in a few secondary schools

i.               Offer scholarships for this Programme – 100 per year

ii.             Students will do Malay as 3^rd language, and learn about our Southeast Asian neighbours

iii.           Good if one school can offer Bahasa Indonesia

Universities

9.             Beyond schools, aim to get every student into post-secondary education, and as many as possible into tertiary institutions

a.             We have invested heavily in ITE, polytechnics and universities

i.               Increased intakes over the years

ii.             More students progressing from ITE to poly, and from poly to university

b.             With good schools

i.               More students want to go to university

ii.             This year, many fretted over university admissions

iii.           Not really because of dragon babies

iv.           Universities increased the number of places more than proportionately  

v.             But more students are applying, and anxieties persist

c.             Also many polytechnic graduates hope to go on to get a degree

i.               15% now proceed to NUS/NTU/SMU

ii.             More getting degrees by other routes, including many who go abroad

10.        Should expand university places, but make sure students get a good education and are equipped with valuable skills

a.             Some countries have produced large numbers of graduates without regard for quality or employment opportunities

b.             They face big problems – graduates are unemployed, or underemployed

11.         Today, 23% of every cohort receive subsidised education in the three universities (NTU, NUS and SMU)   

a.             Aim for 30% of Singaporean cohort in publicly-funded universities by 2015

b.             This means 2,400 more places each year

12.        This also means a 4^th publicly-funded university

a.             Existing universities are already rather large; should not expand them further 

b.             Develop a new institution with its own character and unique strengths, different from NUS, NTU and SMU 

c.             May not limit ourselves to just one new institution

i.               Could open more than one route

13.        Lui Tuck Yew will chair a committee to study how we will expand the university sector

a.             Dr Tony Tan will be advisor to the Committee

b.             Will decide within a year on the best way to proceed

14.        With these changes in our schools and in higher education, Singaporeans can look forward to: 

a.             More opportunities to receive a first-class education

b.             More pathways to success  

Ageing Population

1.             One factor in the widening income gap is our ageing population

2.             Singa­pore has one of the fastest ageing populations in the world 

a.             Not enough babies

b.             Singaporeans are living longer

i.               Conversation with Father Michael Arro, Parish Priest at the Church of St Teresa

(1)          He came from France 50 years ago

(2)          Then his parishioners retired at 55, and he held funeral services for them around 60 – 5 years

(3)          Now, people retire at 62, and live longer to around 80 – around 20 years of retirement!

ii.             Father Arro was spot on

(1)          In 1957, average life expectancy was 61

(2)          Today, average life expectancy is 80 

(3)          Many will live longer, e.g. to 90, or 100 and beyond

(a)          9,000 Singaporeans over 90 years old

(b)          Of these, 500 Singaporeans are over 100!

(i)            e.g. 110-year-old Teresa Hsu – featured on CNA programme (“The New Old”)

(ii)          She is not the oldest

(4)          Also saw retired Prof Ann Wee (81) on the programme 

(a)          Described herself as OPWA (Old Person With Attitude)

(b)          Said she aimed for a “rectangular life”

(c)          Happy and meaningful life for as long as you live

(d)         When the time comes, let it be quick and painless

(5)          Aim not to live forever, but to have a good life, and a good death

(a)          What Hokkiens call “ho see” (好死)

(6)          Japanese have the same philosophy

(a)          Seek three major components of a happy life: “ample eating, leisurely sleeping, and sudden death”

(b)          Special temples where people go to pray this – “pokkuri dera” (temples blessing longevity and painless death)

c.             What will Singapore be like in 2020?

i.               Visited Radin Mas – Sam Tan’s ward

(1)   &