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  • [Applause]

  • Thank you for waiting for me. I gave everybody a scare

  • The last time I did this I was on the parade square in SAFTI, and fainted.

  • I think that's what happened. I've never had so many doctors look at me all at once.

  • They think I'm alright but anyway I'm going to have a full checkup after this.

  • [Applause]

  • But before that I'd like to finish my speech.

  • I will not go into the elected president, there's a lot of stuff which needs to be spoken,

  • but I will find another occasion for that. I'd just like to cover two things in my speech

  • which I think is important and which I should say tonight.

  • One, to do with leadership succession, and I think what happened

  • makes it even more important that I talk about it now.

  • And two, where do we see Singapore, where are we today?

  • Where would we go next 15 years, next 50 years?

  • I think it's good for us to step back from our immediate preoccupations and problems,

  • and take a longer look at where Singapore is.

  • But first let me talk about leadership succession.

  • We've now got the core team for the next generation in Cabinet

  • But you know ministers or not, all of us are mortal.

  • Heng Swee Keat recently gave us a bad scare, worse than what I gave you just now, much worse.

  • I'm very glad he pulled through and is steadily recovering his strength.

  • You've seen the video of him leaving hospital. It's a miracle he's alright.

  • The SCDF team who responded to the emergency call did an excellent job and I'm glad they're here today.

  • [Applause]

  • And I should say thank you to them because I invited them here as guests,

  • and they came to treat me just now.

  • [Laughter and applause]

  • The doctors have recommended that Heng Swee Keat avoid contact with crowds

  • for at least a few more months to minimise the risk of infection.

  • So he can't do his usual community and grassroots work for a little while longer

  • But they have given him the go-ahead do office work with minimum interaction.

  • So I have decided that Swee Keat will resume his duties as Minister for Finance.

  • [Applause]

  • DPM Tharman will stop covering as Acting Minister.

  • Swee Keat will focus on next year's budget and CFE, meaning Committee for the Future Economy.

  • I told him just do the work, minimise contact which is not necessary.

  • Avoid getting an infection it can be troublesome, don't shake hands, just do namaste, like that.

  • [Laughter and applause]

  • I intend to appoint a Second minister to help Swee Keat out with operational responsibilities at MOF

  • and I have decided to appoint Lawrence Wong.

  • [Applause]

  • Progressively Swee Keat will come back to work.

  • Building up leadership and preparing for succession is one of my top priorities.

  • Nothing that has happened has changed my timetable or my resolve to press on with a succession

  • In the next GE, we will reinforce the team again,

  • and soon after the next GE, my successor must be ready to take over from me.

  • 岁月不留人 - you cannot wait.

  • I'm sharing my concerns and plans with you because all of us have a role to play building Singapore together.

  • But whom are we building Singapore for? It's not just for ourselves.

  • It's for our children, our grandchildren. It's always been the Singapore Story.

  • Every generation doing better than the one before, looking ahead, acting now.

  • Giving the best chance possible for the next generation.

  • What is the Singapore we are building for our children?

  • Let's give ourselves some perspective - look back 15 years, look forward 15 years.

  • I think plus or minus 15 years is a good time frame.

  • It's not so long that you can't remember what happened before,

  • or that you can't imagine what will come in 15 years' time.

  • 15 years ago we experienced 911. The world was in shock.

  • Our economy went into recession. We held general elections immediately, November 2001.

  • We had a strong win. We went on to do many things together over the next 15 years.

  • Just look at the changes to Singapore since then.

  • Marina Bay. From reclaimed land we created a whole new CBD. We built Marina Barrage.

  • Gardens by the Bay. Now we celebrate festivals there including Christmas and New Year.

  • We built beautiful HDB flats in Punggol and created the Punggol Waterway.

  • We developed one-north to create opportunities in biomedical sciences, ICT, new media.

  • We built buildings there with strange names, all kinds of "polis-es".

  • Biopolis - for medical biomedical. Mediapolis - for media, this is where Mediacorp's new office is.

  • Fusionopolis - to bring different things together,

  • and the Launchpad, humming with energy and innovation.

  • We built the City in a Garden. The Botanic Gardens very popular,

  • or the East Coast Park, always full of families and life.

  • We've got park connectors and ABC waterways all over the island,

  • buildings with roof gardens, high-rise greenery. And now the wildlife is coming back.

  • We have Hornbills again. This one, his name is Bobby. He was born in the Istana grounds.

  • Then he went to Sungei Buloh when he collected the keys to his BTO flat.

  • [Laughter and applause]

  • We have an otter family - famous on BBC. Visiting different parts of Singapore.

  • At National Day we went back to the National Stadium and brought back the Kallang Wave.

  • I thought you were going to join them! [Laughter]

  • In those 15 years we went through ups and downs together.

  • We discovered the JI (Jemaah Islamiah) group in our midst and yet we pulled together against terrorism.

  • We experienced SARS. We were hit by the GFC - global financial crisis - they did not break us.

  • We drew closer together.

  • Now we are at the threshold again, looking ahead to the next phase of our nation building.

  • Having lived with terrorism for 15 years, we now find it a more serious threat than ever.

  • Our economy is at a turning point.

  • Again, like in 2001, we had a strong election win and again we have a full agenda ahead.

  • If we put everything together that we are planning and doing, what can our children look forward to by 2030?

  • What can we expect Singapore to look like?

  • Physically the western part of Singapore will be transformed.

  • Lakeside Gateway will become a vibrant business.

  • The High-Speed Rail will connect us directly to KL.

  • This line takes a few seconds but when the rail is ready, it will take you 90 minutes.

  • The Jurong Lake Gardens, with the Science Centre, will give the Lake District the distinct identity.

  • There'll be new jobs, new high-tech manufacturing industries in the Jurong Innovation District.

  • Another town, Tengah, will be built next door.

  • In the north, a Woodlands regional center will be the northern Gateway to Singapore,

  • with business spaces, housing, waterfront park.

  • SIT (Singapore Institute of Technology) in Punggol will cater not just to students,

  • but to anyone wanting to upskill.

  • And we'll have more startups to occupy incubators like Block 71.

  • All over the island, we'll be well-connected.

  • Eight in ten homes will be within 10 minutes walk of a railway station.

  • And we can jog or cycle around the island along park connectors on the Round Island Route

  • In HDB towns with cycling park networks like Ang Mo Kio and others, you can cycle from home to work.

  • For greenery, there'll be the rail corridor, plus parks and ABC waterways all over the island.

  • And we'll have many high quality, accessible preschools.

  • If Heng Swee Keat were here and still in his old job, he would say "Every preschool is a good preschool".

  • [Laughter and applause]

  • The PSLE changes now being planned will be long past, done.

  • And with some luck, our total fertility rate will be 1.6, maybe extra luck 1.68. Huat Ah!

  • And if you look beyond 2030 into the next 50 years, what can Singapore be?

  • Well that's mostly for our children to imagine and to create.

  • But it's our duty to sketch the outlines, at least, of SG100 and launch our children into their lives and futures.

  • So what can we imagined beyond 2030?

  • The east, eastern part of Singapore - this is what it looks like today - will dramatically change.

  • Changi Airport with T4 coming up and T5 later will be a shining jewel.

  • In Paya Lebar, the Paya Lebar Airbase would have moved to Changi,

  • and the entire eastern region will be ready for us to reimagine, redevelop, rebuild.

  • The PSA Port at Tanjong Pagar and Pasir Panjang would have gone to Tuas

  • and become the Tuas mega port boosting our trade and economy,

  • freeing up land to be redeveloped into the Greater Southern Waterfront City.

  • We'll have 30 kilometers of waterfront that will be three times the size of Marina Bay.

  • There is much to look forward to and we must aim high but the intangibles are even more important.

  • Will we be stronger as one people? Will the Singapore spirit grow?

  • Will we feel more pride and togetherness as Singaporeans?

  • That depends on how we respond to the challenges and crises that will come our way.

  • SG50 strengthened our sense of nationhood and togetherness.

  • We grieved together at Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing.

  • At the SEA Games and the ASEAN Para Games, we cheered Team Singapore on.

  • At the SG50 National Day Parade, we celebrated how far we had come as one people, one nation.

  • After such highs we might think, can things get any better after SG50?

  • Can the best yet to come?

  • The answer is a resounding, yes!

  • This year we showed ourselves and showed the world what Singapore can be beyond SG50.

  • We are a people building on the work of each generation looking to the future with confidence.

  • A nation where a young Singapore boy can achieve his dream, [applause]

  • inspired by his granduncle - the first Olympian from Singapore,

  • spurred by his parents' and coaches' unwavering belief, dedicating himself to his goal,

  • persevering through ups and downs, cheered on by the whole nation.

  • And that's how we produce an Olympic champion in Rio - Joseph Schooling.

  • [Applause]

  • Joseph will inspire many more, younger and older, to chase their dreams, to make the impossible come true.

  • We are a nation where every Singaporean has a place as we saw in the NDP this year.

  • Regardless of race or religion, whether we're able bodied or have special needs.

  • We stand together with pride singing 'Count On Me, Singapore', and signing 'Count On Me, Singapore'.

  • [Applause]

  • Because we know we can count on one another as we sing Majulah Singapura.

  • With this spirit, Singapore will advance in our nation building journey. We don't know how we'll be tested.

  • We don't wish for tribulations to befall us, just to test our mettle.

  • But some troubles will surely come and I'm sure we won't be short of challenges.

  • We will be tested as one people and we must not be found wanting.

  • Recently somebody asked me at a dialogue,

  • "If God appeared before you and offered you 3 wishes for Singapore, what would you ask for?"

  • I paused. I was taken aback. I thought about it.

  • I said if I asked for material things, we will regret it.

  • Because after you have got it, you've consumed it, you've enjoyed it, you will not be satisfied - you will want more.

  • But what I would like to have is that we be blessed with a 'divine discontent'.

  • Always not quite satisfied with what we have, always driven to do better.

  • At the same time, that we have the wisdom to count our blessings, so that we know how precious Singapore is,

  • and we know how to enjoy it and protect it.

  • And if we have just these 2 wishes fulfilled, I think that's enough. Because then, [applause]

  • Then we can keep on keeping Singapore special,

  • and building something special in Singapore for many more years.

  • And then we can achieve happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation.

  • Thank you and good night!

  • [Applause]

[Applause]

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