Mr Gan Kim Yong: (with the motion also standing in the names of Dr Chong Weng Chiew, Ms Indranee Rajah, Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, Dr Ong Seh Hong and Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong)

“… I believe that many Singaporeans are committed to Singapore. However difficult the situation may seem, they will stay and fight. The introduction of the NEWater in response to the threat by Malaysia on our water supplies is a good example of the “never say die” spirit. For this, I must applaud the Minister for the Environment for his efforts. However, I think we cannot take this commitment for granted. While there may not be a major problem today, we need to be conscious of the issue and continuously work at it to prevent it from becoming a major problem. As our economic restructuring and remaking of Singapore pick up momentum, the need to address Singaporeans’ commitment to the country has also become increasingly urgent.

Mr Speaker, Sir, over the last 30 years, we have built ourselves a world-class infrastructure. We have one of the world’s best airport and sea port. We have one of the most efficient transport and telecommunication system. We have the best hardware. We have also built ourselves a world-class workforce. Our productivity has been the main attraction to foreign investors. We have the best software. Now, we must also build ourselves a world-class citizen, what I call the HEARTware.

We need to understand what are the issues at the hearts of Singaporeans. What cause them to think about quitting? I think there are three main issues that concern most Singaporeans who are sitting on the fence.

Firstly, they feel that Singapore’s lifestyle is too stressful. Their children face a lot of stress in schools. They themselves face a lot of stress at work. This stress is then brought home and they face stress in their family relationship which may eventually lead to the breaking up of their family. They believe that by quitting Singapore, they may be able to find a less stressful lifestyle in another country, another environment, and they will be happier, their children will be happier and they can keep their family together. Whether they are right or wrong is not the issue here because they may never be able to find out whether the pasture is indeed greener over the other side. What is important is their perception.

Sir, stress is inevitable. In fact, I would say stress is sometimes healthy, if given the right dosage. Singapore is a unique country with no natural resources and no natural advantage. It was a miracle that we could get as far as we did. We need to continue to strive to stay ahead of our competitors. Therein lies the origin of stress.

However, perhaps we could examine whether the level of stress has exceeded the safe dosage. Are Singaporeans suffering from an overdose of stress? We can also look into how we can help Singaporeans better cope with stress. Can we put in some relief valves?

Secondly, some Singaporeans think that there are greater opportunities elsewhere where they can make better progress than the competitive environment in Singapore can offer them. Instead of being a technician here, he can be an engineer in another country. Instead of being a worker, he can be a manager. As we bring in foreign talents, Singaporeans also can become foreign talents to other countries.

The truth is Singapore will always remain competitive, given our unique situation. The key is whether we can offer equally attractive opportunities to Singaporeans. The question is whether we can offer them more than economic opportunities. Can we convince them to look beyond personal career achievements?

Thirdly, many Singaporeans complain about the rising cost of living here. They accept that this is the result of providing a higher standard of living. However, they feel that the higher standard of living does not necessarily translate into better quality of life. They may have three golf clubs, but they do not have time to play golf. They may have a big bungalow, but they are hardly at home. They hope that in a different world, the cost of living may be lower and they can afford to have lower income. Even if the standard of living is lower, at least they may have more quality time for the children, the family and themselves. Their intention may be quite noble.

… Sir, to address these issues, we need to focus on three aspects, and I would summarise it with three Cs – Committed, Connected and Concerned.

First, the Committed people. We need to get Singaporeans committed to our cause. We need them to be committed not only to themselves, but to their family, to their community and to their country. Commitment to Singapore goes beyond the property and assets that they have. Many Singaporeans have houses in other countries, Australia, Canada, UK and more recently, China. House ownership is no longer the key to commitment. We need to create in them a sense of ownership not just of the house, but of the nation. Then they will have a sense of responsibility towards the country that they own and from there comes a sense of belonging.

Second, the Connected people. We spend millions every year building covered linkways to connect all the HDB blocks. We must also build linkways to connect the hearts of Singaporeans. I believe that Singaporeans do have a heart but they need to be linked up. We need to encourage and build stronger relationship among Singaporeans. Very often when a person is contemplating quitting Singapore, the one last thing that ties him back is the relationship he has with his friends and his relatives here. The stronger that sense of relationship, the more determined he will be to stay and fight. This relationship must start at home. A strong family bond will help spur a strong sense of belonging. This sense of belonging will then motivate us to strengthen our community bonding. With this, we can begin to build relationship with the nation and the individuals. There is no short cut. To try to develop a strong sense of nationalism without strong family and community bonding will be an uphill task.

Third, the Concerned people. We must change the bo-chap attitude of Singaporeans. I believe that most Singaporeans do chap. Judging from the heated response from Singaporeans to PM’s speech, I think I am right. And I hope I am right. The question is whether we can further encourage this sense of ai-chap. Can we get Singaporeans engaged? Can we get them concerned? Can we get them involved? It is always difficult to walk away from something you have helped to build up.”