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SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says he has two main worries - the future of Singapore and getting good leaders to keep the country going.
Mr Lee was sharing his thoughts with university students at the NUS Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum on Friday.
He also outlined his government's immediate priorities for the country. Mr Lee said that his two priorities over the next five to ten years are to remake Singapore and help the people cope with the changes.
These include transforming the economy, creating a more vibrant and open society and staying abreast of changes in the world.
Mr Lee said: "The changes which are happening overall are positive for the country and for the vast majority of Singaporeans. But some citizens are going to be adversely affected. And others will have difficulty coping, at least in (the) short term.
"We have to help the people, who have difficulty keeping up, to keep up. Because it's only by getting all Singaporeans to support the changes, which are necessary, that we move forward."
The Prime Minister explained that for society to level up, good education is essential.
Home ownership - with the help of the HDB - and upgrading are also important, so as to give Singaporeans a stake in the nation's success.
Through these measures, Mr Lee said, the government hopes to address the tackling of the income gap and to help Singaporeans to be successful as long as they make the effort.
Ten to 20 years down the road, population and talent are two major concerns for Singapore. Singaporeans are getting older and living longer, so this calls for the CPF system to be reviewed.
And there are not enough babies being born, hence the need to attract more immigrants.
Mr Lee also stressed that a key to success in a knowledge economy is to attract talent from all over the world.
"The new arrivals will adapt to Singapore, but at the same time the new arrivals will liven Singapore's society and will cause society to change gradually and change for the better - to become more diverse and more vibrant," he said.
"And that's one very important way for us to stay vigorous, young, outward-looking and forward-looking, and to do well in a globalised world," he added.
In the long term - perhaps after 20 years - the challenges which have to be tackled are the sense of nationhood and identity, together with the quality of the national leadership, said Mr Lee.
He added that it is critical to get Singaporeans to feel that this is their country and that Singapore belongs to all of them. With globalisation, this will not be easy. Also, within Singapore, there is no unique race, language or culture.
Singapore also needs a strong team of leaders who are capable and competent, and in touch with Singaporeans.
Mr Lee said: "There is no magic formula for producing leaders. But what we're looking for are people with a sense of responsibility beyond their career and beyond their own family, who have the passion to do something for society, and who can go into a system which can bring out the best in our people and test the potential leaders, and who belong to a country where there's an ethos of integrity and public service."
So Mr Lee urged his audience of university students to take ownership of the country, make it work and lead it to even greater heights.
At a question-and-answer session, Mr Lee said that he is not too concerned about the exact form of the longevity insurance scheme. What's more important is changing the CPF system so that it can meet the demands of an ageing population. - CNA/ir
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