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SENIOR Minister Goh Chok Tong last night challenged undergraduates to do their part to ensure Singapore remains a dynamic global city and not let its current buzz fizzle out.
Addressing Nanyang Technological University students at a dialogue, he asked them: 'Can we sustain it or will it end up as just fizz, like the fizz in carbonated soft drinks?'
An older generation of Singaporeans forged 'a most improbable nation' out of a tiny island with no natural resources.
Now, younger Singaporeans have to step up to the plate and determine their own future. They have to do two things, he said.
One, stay engaged in national affairs and voice their own solutions to Singapore's problems. Two, create a Singapore that is not just an integrated resort, but a home as well.
'An integrated resort may have a lot of buzz, but the people come and go. A home is a place where people stay, live their dreams and will defend with their lives,' he said.
'For our home to be special, we must have attributes and values which we hold dear. I am talking about good, time-tested values which have come to define Singapore and Singaporeans. Throughout the world, we are known as hard-working people, honest and incorruptible, with a focus on the family,' he added.
Fourth-year physics student Garen Kwan later stood up to ask how Singapore could be a home to a well-travelled generation.
Mr Goh said Singaporeans feel at home here because their loved ones and favourite foods and a lifestyle familiar to them are here. Singapore is also home because of values that all Singaporeans identify with, such as tolerance for people of different races and religions.
He also warned against allowing complacency to set in, citing the experiences of once rich and dynamic countries that have since lost their buzz.
Japan is a case in point. Twenty years ago, it was a centre of innovation and its capital, Tokyo, was 'full of buzz and wealth'. It has since become a stagnant and pessimistic country, he said.
Europe, too, has given up its drive to improve, as can be seen from the strikes in France against attempts to reform the unaffordable pension system.
'They want onlythe status quo.'
He also cited a report on well-educated, white-collar workers in China who no longer have any dreams. Dubbed 'plasticine people' by the Chinese press, these young people are disenchanted as they feel they have no say over issues affecting their lives.
Urging young Singaporeans not to become 'plasticine', he said the nation needed them to actively challenge the conventional wisdom and continue to make Singapore better. 'It's not the Government's job all the time. You have got to engage (the Government) and say, 'What can we do together'?'
Singapore's success, he pointed out, did not happen by chance, but had been the result of conscious decisions at key points in history. The founding fathers fought for independence and overcame communism and communalism to build a nation. The second generation of leaders built on their achievements by diversifying the economy and fostering a culturally vibrant and compassionate society.
It is now up to the next generation to 'lift Singapore to new heights'.
'You can do it. You must do it,' he rallied his young audience.
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Addressing Nanyang Technological University students at a dialogue, he asked them: 'Can we sustain it or will it end up as just fizz, like the fizz in carbonated soft drinks?'
An older generation of Singaporeans forged 'a most improbable nation' out of a tiny island with no natural resources.
Now, younger Singaporeans have to step up to the plate and determine their own future. They have to do two things, he said.
One, stay engaged in national affairs and voice their own solutions to Singapore's problems. Two, create a Singapore that is not just an integrated resort, but a home as well.
'An integrated resort may have a lot of buzz, but the people come and go. A home is a place where people stay, live their dreams and will defend with their lives,' he said.
'For our home to be special, we must have attributes and values which we hold dear. I am talking about good, time-tested values which have come to define Singapore and Singaporeans. Throughout the world, we are known as hard-working people, honest and incorruptible, with a focus on the family,' he added.
Fourth-year physics student Garen Kwan later stood up to ask how Singapore could be a home to a well-travelled generation.
Mr Goh said Singaporeans feel at home here because their loved ones and favourite foods and a lifestyle familiar to them are here. Singapore is also home because of values that all Singaporeans identify with, such as tolerance for people of different races and religions.
He also warned against allowing complacency to set in, citing the experiences of once rich and dynamic countries that have since lost their buzz.
Japan is a case in point. Twenty years ago, it was a centre of innovation and its capital, Tokyo, was 'full of buzz and wealth'. It has since become a stagnant and pessimistic country, he said.
Europe, too, has given up its drive to improve, as can be seen from the strikes in France against attempts to reform the unaffordable pension system.
'They want onlythe status quo.'
He also cited a report on well-educated, white-collar workers in China who no longer have any dreams. Dubbed 'plasticine people' by the Chinese press, these young people are disenchanted as they feel they have no say over issues affecting their lives.
Urging young Singaporeans not to become 'plasticine', he said the nation needed them to actively challenge the conventional wisdom and continue to make Singapore better. 'It's not the Government's job all the time. You have got to engage (the Government) and say, 'What can we do together'?'
Singapore's success, he pointed out, did not happen by chance, but had been the result of conscious decisions at key points in history. The founding fathers fought for independence and overcame communism and communalism to build a nation. The second generation of leaders built on their achievements by diversifying the economy and fostering a culturally vibrant and compassionate society.
It is now up to the next generation to 'lift Singapore to new heights'.
'You can do it. You must do it,' he rallied his young audience.
[email protected]
