Mdm Halimah Yacob,
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General,

Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

A very good morning to all of you.

2 We are gathered here today to celebrate Singapore’s 40th birthday. The theme of this year’s National Day is “The future is ours to make.” It is very apt. We are people of a sovereign nation. Our destiny is in our own hands. It is up to us to work together to create a better tomorrow, for ourselves and our children.

3 As we look back the past 40 years, we can be proud of where we are today. In 1965, Singapore became an independent country all of a sudden, with the odds stacked against her. The threats of communalism and communism nearly tore our young nation apart. Economic uncertainties added to our woes. Yet, we fought on valiantly and with great determination. And against the odds, we progressed and prospered. A city-state whose birth pangs had left many wondering of its continued existence is now a proud member of the league of nations.

4 But even today, Singapore continues to face challenges in her nation building effort – yester-years’ worries of communalism has been replaced by the threat of terrorism; economic transformation and cycles of upheavals are a constant in today’s global landscape; and if 40 years ago we battled against tuberculosis and cholera, today, we are under the threat from Sars and bird flu.

5 Yet, we must persevere and continue to persist in building this small island that is HOME. We must emulate the “can do” and “never say die” spirit of the pioneering builders of Singapore. They had faced up to each challenge stoically without flinching and survived each crisis to emerge stronger. This nation was built on the back of their hopes, aspirations and dreams.

6 Just like pioneering builders in other sectors of Singapore, those who have worked in MND, both past and present, have played an important role in Singapore’s development. They have created a beautiful, distinctive city with an outstanding skyscape in a garden setting; they have worked to house the majority of Singaporeans in their own homes; the food we consume is safe; and much of the infrastructure we see around us was a result of their hard work.

7 The baton of nation building has now passed into our hands. It is our turn to face the challenges as we journey on to a better future.

8 An aging population and a restructured economy means that we must pay particular attention to the housing needs of the elderly citizens and the low-income workers. We have been given the challenge of speeding up the Lift Upgrading Programme in 10 years, and this we will do with the help of the Town Councils.

9 To continue to attract global talent and investment, we have to remain a gateway of opportunity for businesses throughout the world. We have been kept busy on this front with the several significant developments taking shape in the Marina Bay area – The Sail @ Marina Bay, the NTUC Centre, One Raffles Quay, the BFC and the Integrated Resorts. Our vision of a distinctive waterfront city in a garden setting linked by Park Connectors is also taking off.

10 Economic necessity demands that we grow an external wing in our expertise and services – be it construction, horticulture or master planning. And in the seamless world, where people (and also diseases) travel freely, the challenge is to keep Singapore a safe haven from zoonotic and other diseases.

11 All of these MND endeavours will help in achieving our national vision of Singapore as a land of opportunity and the best home. Singapore will be a place where individuals can fulfill their hopes and dreams confidently and be the best they can be. At the same time, let us do our bit to nurture a caring and inclusive society where different races live in harmony, where the better-off care for the less able and where every Singaporean feels a sense of belonging, pride, and love for Singapore.

12 Singapore will be our shared destiny shaped by the collective and cumulative efforts of the whole community – our hopes, aspirations for the future and pulling together through both bad times and good times. “Founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of her people in a more just and equal society” ¹ – This will be our Singapore.

13 I wish you a Happy National Day.

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