PM Lee outlines 4 key challenges for S'pore at Pre-U Seminar 2010

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Posted by: Tang Wen Xiang (103016C)
4th Post: PM Lee outlines 4 key challenges for S'pore at Pre-U Seminar 2010

Singapore will celebrate its 45th years of independence on 9 August this year. Being an independent nation and the world's fourth leading financial centre, Singapore always faces new challenges like the effect caused by globalisation. Thus, during the recent Pre-U Seminar, Prime Minister Lee Hisen Loong addresses over 500 junior college and polytechnic students. Although I was not one of the honour students to be selected, I feel proud to be a Sinagaporean.

In the packed audtiorium at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Mr Lee outlined four key challenges that Singapore faces. They are to upgrade the economy, create a strong education system, build a cohesive society and improve the urban living environment.

How are we going to achieve these four key challenges?

Singapore's government have been trying their best to upgrade the economy by diversifying and managing its resources efficiently. Singapore's government aims to be a centre for technology-intensive, high value-added manufacturing activities such as chemical engineering and pharmaceuticals. Singapore had also opened two Integrated Resorts (IR) at Sentosa and Marina Bay to attract tourists to visit Singapore to increase Singapore's revenue.

Singapore's government opens up to new ideas and question old assumptions to create a strong education system. Recently, Singapore's government and the public were seen strongly debating about the weighting of Mother Tongue language for Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). Thorough the debates and talks, Mother Tongue language will be taught in a new way to cater to differing abilities to meet the dynamic needs of the student population.

By having bilingualism, minority representation in parliament, self-help groups and developing common space, Singapore succeeded in building a cohensive society. However, building a relationship between racial and religious groups take years, while destroying one only takes seconds. Singapore being a multi-racial and multi-religious country will need to stay united to overcome any difficulties.

Improving the urban living environment in Singapore is hard, as 99% of Singapore land is urban area. Singapore's government and companies like Mediacorp are trying their best to increase the awareness of global warming and being environment friendly. Singaporeans are also doing their best to save the environment by doing the three Rs. They are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

By knowing how to tackle the four challenges for Singapore, I believe Singapore's stability and peace for the next century, living in the culture of our pledge will be in our good hands!