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RACE, LANGUAGE AND RELIGION
For an effective social compact, we need also a people that
are bonded to each other across race, language and religious
lines.
Religious faith is a source of strength in a society. We
can be good Christians, Buddhists, Muslims or Hindus and be
patriotic Singaporeans at the same time. There is no contradiction
between the two. But we should not change long-established
practices that will lead to segregation between the races,
or make it more difficult for any one community to integrate
with the rest of our society.
Let me emphasise that we want integration, not assimilation.
Integration is a gradual, continuous process. We want to bond
the different pieces of mosaic together. Bonding is the result
of mutual trust and understanding. The process cannot be forced,
because mutual trust and understanding cannot be forced.
HELPING THE LESS ABLE
Not everyone in the Singapore Mount Everest team made it to
the summit. Only the stronger members did. However, the others
gave critical back-up support from the lower camps. It was
very much a team effort.
Likewise, in our society, not every one of us will become
top income earners. But we must offer Singaporeans who fall
behind a sense of hope, for themselves and especially for
their children. Otherwise, they will become disaffected and
disenchanted, which will sour the social climate, and disrupt
our economic progress. We will help every one of you go as
high up as you can. And every Singaporean will share in and
benefit from the team's success.
Indeed, the strength of a society is measured by the compassion
and care its members have for each other. The members must
know that if they are ever down, others will help them get
up. If they cannot turn to the more able for help in adversity,
then the bonds that hold us together will snap. Our society
will disintegrate.
DISINCENTIVES TO WORK
In sharing the fruits of Singapore's growth, however, we must
not inadvertently create disincentives for Singaporeans to
take personal responsibility to fend for themselves. Otherwise,
we build up a crutch mentality, which will lead to indolence,
dependence and abuse.
Heng Chee How, who will be our candidate in Jalan Besar GRC,
told me this story.
When he was covering Hougang some years ago, he handed out
cash to needy constituents. He handed out $200 to a smartly
dressed young man who had just lost his job. The man told
Chee How, "You know, the $200 you gave me is not even
enough to meet the mortgage payment on my car". Chee
How said that he felt like punching the young man in the face.
Let me give you another example of how subsidies can be
taken for granted - utility rebates.
In the last three years, HDB households have seen their monthly
utility bills increase by about 25 to 35%.
There are two reasons for this. First, electricity tariffs
have gone up, because the world price of fuel oil used for
power generation has nearly doubled.
Secondly, Singaporeans are using more electricity.
Do you realise that if you turn on your air-conditioner
every night, it will cost you about $23 a month? If you use
water heaters instead of bathing in cold water, that will
cost a family $15 extra a month in electricity.
We cannot cap electricity prices as some people have suggested.
That would mean directly subsidising the consumption of electricity,
and would lead to over-consumption. So we decided to help
households, especially lower-income households, through rebates
credited to their utility bills. This way, if households use
less electricity, the rebate is still theirs to keep. Our
approach was to help Singaporeans cope with increases in their
utility bills while encouraging them to save and not over-consume.
I am, however, worried that utility rebates will be taken
for granted. To illustrate my point, after we introduced Utilities
Save last year, do you know how many thank-you letters I received
from the public? Only one! However, I receive many letters
- of complaints on various issues. It shows that many Singaporeans
take good government for granted!
I am concerned about the negative long-term effects of too
comfortable a safety net on the attitude of Singaporeans.
But in the new economic environment, we do need to do more
to support lower-income Singaporeans. Hence, I am proposing
the new social compact, after much deliberation. We need to
strike a careful balance between helping lower-income Singaporeans,
and not creating a dependency mentality among our people.
THE ELDERLY AND THE SINGLES
have asked the Ministers to take a hard look at the key areas
where groups of Singaporeans need special attention.
One such group is our senior citizens. Their biggest concern
is medical care. To address this concern, the Government will
introduce three initiatives.
These are:
medical care for elderly Singaporeans suffering from chronic
ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure;
enhancing Medishield benefits; and
a new "Eldershield" scheme to provide insurance
against severe physical disabilities.
Lim Hng Kiang will announce the details of these initiatives
later.
Another growing group of Singaporeans who require some attention
are the singles. One of their main concerns is housing. HDB
will now allow those aged 35 and above to purchase resale
3-room flats in urban estates. HDB is also considering studio
apartments, earlier conceived for elderly Singaporeans, as
another housing option for singles.
CPF TOP-UP
At last year's Rally, I announced a CPF top-up of between
$500 and $1700 for each eligible Singaporean, to be given
out in two equal payments. The first payment was given in
January this year. We will make the second payment in December.
I was told that 187,000 eligible Singaporeans missed out
on the first payment. This is a pity.
I want to give these Singaporeans a second chance to qualify.
If they contribute the minimum $100 to the CPF by 31 October,
we will give them both the first and second payments for the
CPF top-up.
"NEW SINGAPORE" SHARES
I would also like to introduce a new scheme to help especially
less well-off Singaporeans. I intend to give you shares which
pay a guaranteed dividend for a fixed number of years, plus
bonus payments when the economy does well.
These shares will also be redeemable immediately for cash,
but not all at once.
I will call this scheme "New Singapore" Shares.
I know you are waiting to hear how much you will be given,
but please be patient. How much to whom, and when, will depend
on the state of the economy this year. I want to see the third
quarter results before I decide.
CONCLUSION
For our growth strategy and social compact to be effective,
Singapore must be cohesive as a nation.
As globalisation intensifies, this will become even more
critical. More and more Singaporeans will go overseas to study,
work and do business. We welcome this, but we must also find
ways to keep their hearts here, so that wherever they are,
they will feel emotionally tied to Singapore, stand up for
it, and return one day to contribute to its growth.
Singaporeans must believe that the building of Singapore
is an exciting enterprise. For Singapore to survive in the
longer term, we must have a core of Singaporeans who feel
passionately that this place is worth fighting for. To succeed,
we must be proud of who we are, of our country and our fellow
citizens. We must feel that together, we have created something
precious that belongs to all Singaporeans.
Throughout world history, no country has remained rich forever.
Countries go through a cycle where they are poor, grow prosperous
and powerful, then start to decline.
We have become rich in one generation - a miracle perhaps
- but too quickly and hence not deep-rooted enough. Will we
decline in the next generation? My colleagues and I are determined
that we will not. But we need this core of Singaporeans who
feel passionately about our country. We need your support.
In this climb up the mountain of economic development, we
will equip you to tackle the next obstacle, and to try for
the summit. But we need also to pull our slower colleagues
along, so that they too can go higher.
If we have the courage to confront problems instead of skirting
them, if we are prepared to endure temporary hardships, and
if we can adapt to change, we can continue to do better. This
New Singapore - a global city with a strong social compact
- is the Mount Everest we must achieve. We must succeed, so
that our children can face tomorrow with optimism and confidence.
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