Dear
Friends
Thank you
for coming together as leaders of the business community to organise A Tribute
to Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Prime Minister Lee
deeply regrets that he is unable to be here today. He has asked me to attend on
behalf of the Government.
2 Thank you for sharing your tributes to
Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Each of your stories showed
how the late Mr Lee has touched our lives and shaped our nation. Together, they illustrate the enormity of Mr
Lee’s impact on Singapore and Singaporeans.
3 Mr Lee will always be remembered for bringing
Singapore from Third World to First in a single generation. Singaporeans are deeply grateful for this
huge transformation in our lives. Living standards rose dramatically. Our physical
landscape was transformed from mudflats to a metropolis. We live in a clean and green city.
4 Mr Lee was always thinking of
Singapore’s future. He sought not just
the improvements in the first instance. He was also intent on embedding into our
society and institutions the values
and ethos that would make sure the
Singapore Story carried on strong even after his time. In other words, he was
not just intent on creating the Singapore Story - he wanted to ensure that we
keep the Singapore Story going.
5 Mr Lee often said that no one owed
us a living. He was confident that Singapore would be able to survive on our resourcefulness
and hard work of our people. He
pushed us to never be complacent, never rest on our laurels, work hard, and
always put in that extra effort.
6 At the same time, Mr Lee was a
realist who well understood that Singapore is too small to be self-sufficient,
a point that I believe has been ingrained in every Singaporean’s psyche. That
is the reason why we liberalised and embraced an open market-based economy, and
today are able to draw in investments, talents and ideas from all over the
world.
7 Mr Lee also recognised the critical
importance of harmonious industrial relations. In our early days, Mr Lee’s
government adopted a strategy of rapid industrialisation to attract foreign
direct investment, to grow the economy and create jobs for Singaporeans. He was
aware that frequent labour disputes would de-stabilise Singapore, decrease
productivity, and hurt the investment climate. The Government thus supported
the creation of our unique system of tripartism. Till this day, the strong cooperation
between employers, unions and Government continue to serve as one of
Singapore’s unique competitive advantages. It is a valuable and cherished institution
that will continue to benefit business, workers and the economy.
8 Mr Lee also consistently emphasised
the need for strong rule of law, for clean governance, and to live up to the
commitments that we make so that trust and confidence in the Government is
maintained. I recall that Mr Lee
would often cite how during the 1973 oil crisis, he decided that Singapore
would share in any cuts that the oil refineries imposed on the rest of their
customers outside Singapore, rather than blocking export of their stocks in the
Singapore refineries. This was what he called “equal misery”. This decision
increased international confidence in the Singapore government, and assured
businesses that Singapore understood its long-term interests depended on being
a reliable place for businesses. It is by no coincidence then that today, we
are consistently ranked as one the best places in the world to do business.
9 Finally, Mr Lee recognised the
importance of resilient institutions, and always having a team of capable and
dedicated individuals that can work together to lead these institutions. He believed that strong institutions and good
leaders would ensure that his legacy lasts. Mr Lee spent his lifetime building
robust institutions that were well organised, efficient and effective in
delivering public services. Right from
the start however, Mr Lee recognised that he could not do this alone and
therefore assembled a team of committed individuals, who together carved out a future
for Singapore. Always looking ahead, Mr
Lee also groomed new leaders to take over from him. His mentorship of successive generations of
leaders will help ensure that the Singapore that he built will endure.
10 Dear friends, even as we mourn the
passing of Mr Lee, let us remember the values and ethos that he spent his
lifetime inculcating in our society. Guided by these values and ethos, let us
confidently continue the Singapore Story.
11 Thank you.