Staying open is among the insights from founding leader S. Rajaratnam that remain relevant, he said.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and former MP and journalist Irene Ng at the ChatBook showcase at National Library Building on July 22.
Reflecting on the life and legacy of Mr Rajaratnam, PM Wong said Singapore’s first foreign minister was ahead of his time when he outlined – in a speech to the Singapore Press Club in February 1972 – how the Republic’s transformation into a global city, enabled by modern technology, underpinned its survival.
Written by former MP and journalist Irene Ng, the 776-page book published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute traces Mr Rajaratnam’s life and career from 1963 to his death in 2006, and comes 14 years after the release of the first volume, titled The Singapore Lion, in 2010. Instead of turning inwards and putting up barriers, the right approach is to ensure fair competition and fair employment practices, help every worker reskill and upskill, and support people to bounce back stronger from setbacks, he said.It will soon introduce new laws to uphold fair employment practices, he said, noting these initiatives are part of efforts to renew Singapore’s social compact under the Forward Singapore exercise.
When a community first forms, everyone is prepared for austerity, discipline and self-sacrifice, and society prospers. But this sense of solidarity is weakened over time as life becomes more comfortable, he said. People lose their social anchors and seek to advance their own individual interests, eroding this sense of community and common purpose.
To keep Singapore together, controversial issues are addressed by expanding common spaces and seeking a consensus that unites as many as possible, rather than accentuating differences, he said.
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