SPEECH BY MR LEE YI SHYAN, MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY AND MP FOR EAST COAST GRC, AT THE KAMPONG CHAI CHEE NATIONAL DAY DINNER, SATURDAY, 5 AUGUST 2006

国 庆 日 对 每 个 新 加 坡 人 来 说 是 个 意 义 深 长 的 日 子。 它 既 令 我 们 想 起 昔日 建 国 的 困 难， 也让 我 们 庆 祝 今 日 的 成 就、 回 顾 历 代 人 辛 勤 耕 耘 的 过 程。 我 们 能 够有 今 天 的 家 园 和 生 活 水 平， 是 全靠 先 辈 的 毅 力 和 勇 气、 各 种 族 的 团 结、 为 共 同 目 标奋 斗 的 结 果。

今 年 的 国 庆 主 题 定 为 “我 们 的 环 球 都 市， 我 们 的 家 园”， 适 当 地 提 醒 了 我们， 目 前 我 们 正 处 于 环 球 世 界 之 中。 在 这 个 环 球 世 界里， 我 们 不 仅 要 面 对 新 的 经 济 挑 战， 而 且 要维 持 国 家 民 族 之 间 的 凝 聚 力。 种 族 和谐、 社 群 自 助、 甘 榜 合 作 等 精 神 价 值 观， 在 我 们 乘 风 破 浪， 向前 迈 进 的 同 时， 必 然 会发 挥 着 重 大 的 作 用。 我 们 必 须 再 接 再 厉， 尽 量 团 结 一 致， 在 宗 教、 种 族 之 间采 取 容忍、 包 涵 的 态 度。 在 这 个 国 庆 晚 宴 的 当 儿， 让 我 们 继 续 肯 定、 同 心 协 力、 并 肩 作 战、守 望 相助， 以 坚 定 不 移 的 决 心， 创 造 更 美 好 的 家 园、 更 灿 烂 的 未 来。

DPM Prof S Jayakumar

Dear Residents,

Ladies and Gentlemen

A very good evening to all of you. Thank you for attending tonight’s dinner to celebrate Singapore’s 41st National Day.

National Day is a special day for all of us here. It is a time to celebrate our current achievements, but also a time to remember the tough time of our forefathers in building up Singapore from scratch. It is a time to enjoy the fruit of economic well being but also a time to reflect upon the values which brought us here, bonded us as a people and made us a nation.

The theme for this year’s National Day celebrations, ‘Our Global City, Our Home’, is an apt reminder that we now live in a different world than we did forty years ago. We live in a globalized world where something happens at one end of the globe will affect our daily living the next day. We are like rowing a boat together, in a rather choppy sea. We have to pull ourselves together and be alert to the changes in the environment. We have to be thoroughly equipped and trained to sail through difficult times.

It is important therefore we have a common vision, remain united as a people and contribute what we have in building a stronger nation, a harmonious society and better homes.

Here in Kg Chai Chee, with the support of the residents, cooperation from the various community organizations and government agencies, we are making improvements to our living environment on a sustained basis. With a give-and-take attitude, we accommodate each others’ needs and requirements and improve the estate with the best upgrading plans we can afford.

Over the next three years, we will see further physical transformation of the housing estates in Kg Chai Chee.To provide quality living environment for our residents, we have the following upgrading programmes in the pipeline including:

The total amount which the government will spend on these upgrading works amounts to approximately $50m.When completed, 72% of the total number of blocks in Kg Chai Chee will have lifts serving every resident in the block.

In addition, residents can enjoy the convenience of new facilities such as passenger drop-off porches, upgraded lift lobbies, residents’ corners, new letter boxes, new and faster lifts, inter-block link ways, fitness corners and barrier free access (BFA) for the physically challenged.

We have many exciting ideas in Kg Chai Chee. We need many of you, the residents, the students, parents, the young people, the working adults, men and women to come forward, to join us. We like you to give your ideas, help implement plans and make a difference. To make Kg Chai Chee an even better place to live, work and play. If you are ready for the challenge, if you want to help, please come and see me and my grassroots leaders at the Meet-The-People Sessions on 8pm on every Monday. You may also register your interests with the staff at Kg Chai Chee Community Center during operating hours.

On this happy note, I wish all of you an enjoyable dinner and a Happy National Day.