Today, we stand here and we see the Singapore River - the lifeblood of this island. Today, it is the economic heart of Singapore.
But 70 years ago, on Monday, 8 December 1941, at about 4:00 in the morning, while we were asleep, the first bombs were dropped on Singapore and amongst the various targets, bombs hit Raffles Place.
The Japanese wanted to demonstrate that they could strike at the heart of Singapore. The Air Raid sirens sounded but the streetlamps remained alight.
Death, destruction resulted when only a few days earlier, people believed that Singapore was the impregnable fortress east of the Suez.
Today, we stand here, amidst the bright sunshine. Comfortable. Pubs. Makan places. What can happen here?
We ARE safe physically. The SAF stands ready to defend our sovereignty and to ensure that this does not happen again. And no, I am not going to talk about oppositions’ defence policies!
But 70 years ago, we were caught sleeping. Complacent.
70 years later, are we similarly so? Do we take what we have as a given? That the things we have today will continue tomorrow?
How many of you here believe that the world is getting less complex and challenging? It is not isn’t it? And it is becoming even more important that we need to be united and decisive going forward because the world will pass us by if we become irrelevant.
For many of you here, are your decisions always straightforward and easy? Sometimes. Often not. Difficult choices need to be made, just as there are trade offs at every corner because of competing needs and demands.
I wish life was as simple as some argue it to be. I am not blessed with 6/6 hindsight wisdom.
What I also do know is that I am not prepared to gamble away our children's future on the basis of bravado and rhetoric, nice sounding ideas and theories.
If we lived in a different world, I may perhaps be tempted.
But we live in this world.
And in this world, strong governance and a strong mandate by our people has been key to our success. This mandate comes at the ballot box and it also comes with the trust and respect earned through the good times and the bad, through the big things and the little things that we do and say. And the way we do it.
For a country like Singapore, a strong mandate is important because it enables us to make the hard decisions and the long terms plans. When we lose that trust and respect, the mandate erodes, and with that, we fight from election to election, and become short-termist like others.
The big difference is that other countries can still get by because of their size and resources. We do not have that. What do you think will be our future if we are not able to carry these long term, sometimes difficult and unpopular decisions?
The key therefore is our ability to earn your trust and respect. Today, many do still support the PAP. You recognize our strengths and our ability. And deep down, many of you know that this party can lead us forward to secure our future.
But some of you have doubts and are troubled. Angry even. There is a growing frustration and angst. Some feel that you are being talked down to, that there is not enough listening, that we can be more compassionate and be less calculative. Many feel that we need to be more accommodative of differing views. Many of you dislike some of the ways with which we attack the opposition. Some question the fairness of the GRC system. Others feel aggrieved by the salary structure.
Again, at the heart of it, is that sense of trust. Whether real or not, if we are unable to address these perceptions and sentiments, our moral authority to lead will erode.
I know we need to listen and to communicate our ideas better. We need to balance efficiency and effectiveness, and to temper it with more heart. Sometimes slower is faster, less is more.
I do not believe we monopolise wisdom. I feel that if it is pro-Singapore, it matters little where those views come from. I believe we can and should embrace them in ways that make sense. Why? We need to walk this journey together. The way forward can be a depressing nightmare as we slowly slide into the dustbins of history or it can be an exciting adventure to secure our future.
The world is complex and challenging, but you can also imagine the opportunities and possibilities that abound if we get it right. Our physical transformation is exciting and we are growing our abilities across many fronts. But we also need to tend to our spirit and soul.
We are best placed to lead our country forward. We have a very strong record. Not a perfect one but one which in the cold light of day, you know has provided us with what we have and will take us forward.
BUT You want to know if we are a party with ears to listen, a heart to care, and who serves to lead.
I know I will listen with respect. I will care for those who are less able to fend for themselves. And I will have the courage to do what is right and to change what has to be changed.
Singapore is what it is because we have walked this path together. You have given us your mandate, trust and respect. We have weathered many storms together and have overcome many obstacles that would have crippled others. But here we are today. Look around you. Look at your friends standing beside you. And look inside you. There is something special and remarkable about being Singapore and being Singaporean isn’t it?
I believe and know that we will change and do better. Just as I know that we will continue to endeavour to put our people, our nation and our future first.
I know that we can look forward with confidence and to secure our future.
I ask for your trust as we take this journey together.
