Keynote Address by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Manpower, at the Pre-University Seminar Opening Ceremony on 30 May 2006 at 9.00 am at the Lim Seng Tjoe Lecture Theatre, National University of Singapore

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MR GAN KIM YONG, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY 0F EDUCATION & MINISTRY OF MANPOWER, AT THE PRE-UNIVERSITY SEMINAR OPENING CEREMONY ON 30 MAY 2006 AT 9.00 AM AT THE LIM SENG TJOE LECTURE THEATRE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE: city aLIVE!

Introduction

1. Good morning, I am delighted to be here with you at this year’s Pre-U Seminar. This is a very prestigious event and I am glad to have this opportunity to speak with you. Some 30 years ago, I attended a similar seminar while I was a pre-U 1 student at NJC. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and made many friends whom I still keep in contact with today. Many of them have become leaders in business, politics, community and the academia. Indeed, many of you here will grow up to be leaders too and Singapore will be in your hands. I am also happy to be able to talk about Singapore’s exciting future– its transformation into a global city of distinction, a city that people want to live in, a city with a thriving arts and culture, a city that pulsates with vigour, energy and compassion, a city that is aLIVE! This is the theme of this year’s Seminar. I hope by the end of the seminar, you will be inspired and motivated to work together to achieve our vision.

Great Cities of the World

2. As it is, Singapore is already a great city. Many visitors marvel at our garden landscape that co-exists with the city skyline. They wonder at the colours of our multi-cultural society. They are impressed by the variety of food in our hawker centres. Many of these things have been taken for granted by you and me. Some may ask: can we do better? Well, if we compare Singapore with the great cities of the world, for instance London, Paris, New York, I think we still have some way to go.

3. What is it about these cities - London, Paris, New York - that make them great places to visit, great places to work in, and great places to live in? Let us start by looking at the differentiating factors in these world-class cities.

A Distinctive Identity

4. Firstly, each of the top cities in the world has its own distinctive identity. People talk about a sense of history when they mention London and Rome. They rave about the romantic aura of Paris. They marvel at the artistry of Florence and Venice. This identity is also linked to instantly recognisable icons, which is why people reminisce about the charm of Melbourne’s trams and they talk about the elegance of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. People still queue to go up the Empire State Building in New York City even though the building has been open since 1931! These icons strengthen the identities of the cities, which is why when you see an image of the Eiffel Tower you think of Paris. When you see Big Ben you know it is London. When you see the Opera House with the distinctive domes you know it is Sydney. We too need to think about how we can brand Singapore such that we are instantly recognizable and memorable.

A Critical Mass

5. Next, these cities are huge population centres. London has a population of about 7 ½ million. New York City has 8 million. Each of these cities has almost twice the population of Singapore! Any guesses what the most populous city in the world is? Well, some of you have guessed it, Shanghai is the most populous. It has 14 ½ million people! Some of you are wondering, so what if there are lots of people? One thing for sure, it’s very crowded. But with a large population base, among other things, there will be a critical mass that can fuel enterprise and support a thriving economy. To get a sense of the importance of a critical mass, let’s consider the difference in the scale of operations between Singapore and China. In Singapore, we have about 4.3 million handphone subscribers. This works out to a high per capita handphone ownership ratio of roughly 1 handphone per person. But in China, 4 to 5 million handphones are sold every month![1] Obviously, to a multinational corporation wishing to enter the Asian telecommunications market, this represents business opportunities, lots of opportunities. The critical mass also means that there are lots of ideas, lots of talent and lots of manpower. Some of you already know that Bangalore, a city of 6 ½ million[2] is fast becoming Asia’s equivalent of Silicon Valley in Califonia. Bangalore’s software exports in 2003 was worth US$4.2 billion[3]. No wonder India's IT market reached a turnover of US$ 16.2 billion in 2004-05[4]. We may never have the critical mass like that of Bangalore or Shanghai, but we can think of strategies to compensate for our small size.

Economic Strength

6. The critical mass also contributes to something else that is characteristic of world class cities, something we can recognise quite readily – economic strength. New York City, for example, attracts $63 billion of foreign investments, with special focus on nanotechnology and high technology. New York City is part of New York State, which in 2004 had a total gross state product in excess of $800 billion[5]. It is only a state. The state of New York alone ranks as the 16th largest economy in the world, ahead of South Korea. Similarly, Tokyo, Seoul, Chicago and Hong Kong are economic powers to be reckoned with in the world arena. These cities attract investors, stimulate entrepreneurship and develop the people who can compete on a global scale. In an interview with Time magazine[6], Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew compared Singapore with Hong Kong and said that we do not have a Y K Pao or a C Y Tung, nor do we have a Li Ka-Shing. In case you are unfamiliar with these names, these are some of the most prominent entrepreneurs and the richest men from Hong Kong. They put Hong Kong on the world map with their business acumen and their wealth. Li Ka-Shing, for example, is Asia's richest and most influential businessman. He is the world's largest operator of container terminals and owns 1,900 retail stores in Europe. Well, we need to think about how Singapore can ignite the entrepreneurial spirit and create a business environment that is encouraging, competitive and exciting.

An Exciting Atmosphere

7. Yes, excitement is another attraction of world-class cities. They are exciting to live in; you can feel their vibrancy. You can feel the buzz in the air – the sense that life is worth living to the fullest, the sense of energy and the sense of exhilaration. One good example is Buenos Aires – the capital city of Argentina. Its vibrant colours stem from its physical architecture as well as its people. Of course, there is also the cultural heritage – it is the birthplace of the tango, it has an impressive theatre – the Colon Theatre which has seen the likes of Enrico Caruso and Luciano Pavarotti. Another example is Barcelona of Spain. Architecturally, it is amazing. From the works of Salvatore Gaudi such as the La Sagrada Família to the Santa Maria del Mar, a perfectly-finished Catalan Gothic church, it is an experience of a lifetime to be immersed in the creative energy of Barcelona. Can we inject this sort of energy into Singapore? Well, we have already started with a host of activities in Marina Bay – F1 Powerboat Championships, New Year’s Eve Countdown, River Hong Bao Celebrations, the Esplanade theatres on the bay. What else can we do?

Setting Benchmarks

8. As you can see, I have cited some of the most recognizable and desirable cities in the world to live in to put across the standard that we have to aspire towards and beyond. Melbourne, for example, was ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit as one of the ten best cities to live in because of the low crime rate, good infrastructure and easy availability of goods and services[7]. The BBC rates Shanghai, Berlin and Dubai as some of the most exciting cities in the world to live in because of their bustling nightlife, local attractions and fine cuisine[8]. Let us think of these cities as benchmarks. We have to measure ourselves against the best in order to get there. But you may ask, what chance have we compared to these big, established cities of the world to get listed as one of the top cities[9]. What we need to do for Singapore is to discover or create something that is unique; something that will make Singapore a City aLIVE, a city that visitors will marvel at, a city that Singaporeans will be even more proud of, a city that is a great place for work and play. These are lofty goals. What ideas, strategies and plans can you produce in your next few days here at Pre-University Seminar? I would be very interested to hear your ideas.

Taking Stock
9. We stand a good chance to put our ideas to work and to realise our dreams. Our own history has shown us that nothing is impossible, or as the Nike advertisement says, “Impossible is Nothing”. Since 1965, the progress of Singapore has been spectacular. We have moved from a third world economy to a first world economy. Many have marveled at our achievements. The real secret of our success is in our people. Singaporeans are an excellent breed. Three characteristics make us unique.

10. Firstly, we are very driven. We set ourselves high goals. We push ourselves to the limit. Some may think that this is being “kiasu”. Maybe, but our drive for excellence has been a key to our success. When we were first separated from Malaysia, we had nothing, no resources, no industries, no water even. But we did not allow these factors to handicap us. Instead, we set out to build a nation.

11. Secondly, Singaporeans are highly determined. After we were separated from Malaysia, we were faced with seemingly insurmountable setbacks: withdrawal of the British, racial unrest, industrial strikes, one thing after another. But our desire to survive and our determination to succeed were strong. We soldiered on. We worked together as a people to build our economy and our nation.

12. Thirdly, we are confident. Although no one believed we could make it, we did. It was this confidence that has allowed us to look forward, and never to look back. This confidence has allowed us to build trust among our people as well as between the people and the Government. We are able to take unpopular measures to ensure success in building a nation with equal and abundant opportunities for all.

13. Our drive, our determination and our confidence have been the three key ingredients of the Singapore Spirit that has brought us thus far.

14. Consider our education system, for example. It has also undergone drastic evolution. It started off in the sixties with the mission of equipping the masses with basic literacy skills. The education system was a factory which churned out people who could read and write due to the large numbers of illiterate people. But we could not stop there. We had to keep up with the demands of the world, which is why today you see a very diverse education landscape where you can choose your own path to success, be it in the mainstream schools, the polytechnics, the ITE, the Singapore Sports School, the upcoming School for the Arts, or the NUS High School for Math & Science. There is now even more room to develop peaks of excellence as we embrace ability-driven education and encourage innovation and enterprise in schools.

15. Clearly, we have moved on from the challenges of the sixties. Today we are a country with a high rate of employment, large reserves, excellent medical facilities and a financial hub. We rank high in global surveys for the choice of location for business. But even all these are not reasons enough to sit back on our laurels and relax. To ensure that our nation continues to pursue excellence, we need to inculcate the same Singaporean spirit of drive, determination and confidence in our youth: the foundation of our future. We must give them the opportunity to pursue their interests and develop their talents to the fullest.

A Different World Today – the Dragon

16. We need that strength of character because the world today is more vicious; it is more competitive. Just consider the Dragon and the Tiger – China and India, two countries poised to become the new leaders of tomorrow, be it in terms of economic power or technological advancements. Economic power is no longer the sole domain of the West; the rest of Asia is fast catching up. China’s major cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an and Qingdao are growing at a phenomenal rate and they are pursuing the pillars of growth. Shipping, tourism, wafer fabrication, hi-end electronics manufacturing, you name it, they have it or they will soon have it. Remember, Beijing will be hosting the 2008 Olympics. This is a significant achievement and it opens up a whole range of opportunities as the world’s TV cameras focus on China.

17. Of course, to compare China to Singapore may seem rather unfair; after all China’s population already outnumbers the sum total of ASEAN. But I wanted to illustrate to you what challenges are confronting us as we continue to market ourselves as an attractive business location to the world.

A Different World Today – the Tiger

18. But wait, what about India, you may ask. We know that China is a sleeping giant that has awakened, but India? India is fast catching up with Japan in terms of its Gross Domestic Product (India : $3.319 trillion, Japan : $3.745 trillion), and it will most likely overtake Japan to become the third largest economy after China and USA within the next 10 years[10]. India has a large skilled workforce that is proficient in English, and they are highly competitive in the global arena. They too have their share of metropolises, such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. India has successfully marketed itself as a hub for outsourcing for multinational companies around the world, particularly in areas such as call centres for IT related products. In fact, India’s revenue from such business outsourcing is worth in excess of $583 million[11]. That is not all. Channel NewsAsia reported that India aims to attract 10 billion dollars of foreign investment by next year. Can we, a city-state of 5 million people take on the challenges posed by India?

Forging A Vision

19. I say yes. We overcame the challenges that faced us in the 1960s, we can overcome the challenges that are facing us today. What we need is a vision to galvanise the people. That vision can be found in the theme for the seminar – a vision of Singapore as a global city that is alive – with spirit, vigour and opportunities. How can we achieve that? Well, the process has already started. In March this year, our Minister for National Development, Mah Bow Tan unveiled a bold plan to transform Singapore’s city skyline with the development of Marina Bay’s Business and Financial Centre. We will have a state-of-the-art office, residential and retail space that lit up the city at night and bring out its beauty. Careful thought will also be put into the landscaping of open public spaces. 3 waterfront gardens will create a Marina Bay that balances aesthetic beauty with excitement from the water sports. All these will help bring us one step closer to realizing the vision of building a modern, technologically-advanced city that can rival Tokyo or Hong Kong.

20. What Singapore has to do is to constantly re-invent ourselves, to push ourselves to break boundaries and to change our old benchmarks. We need strategies to create the kind of growth that can keep us ahead in city development and quality of life. Let us look at what has been done so far so that we can see what else needs to be done to keep Singapore ahead.

A Paradigm Shift – the Integrated Resorts

21. The decision to build the two Integrated Resorts is part of the Government’s plan to create a great city. The growth of the middle class in China, India, ASEAN, and the emergence of low cost airlines present significant opportunities that we can capitalize on. Many countries in the region are moving quickly to develop mega tourist attractions and exciting tourism products. We need to respond and adapt to the increasingly competitive environment or we will gradually lose our tourism share. Having Integrated Resorts will contribute significantly to Singapore's overall positioning as a premium must-visit destination offering a wide range of entertainment experiences for the leisure and business visitors. These resorts will be part of a larger spectrum of tourism products we are developing to enhance our appeal. We are not alone in setting out this objective. Even Macau, traditionally seen as a hard-core gambler’s haunt, has decided to re-make its image to appeal to families with resort hotels, conventions, golf, and family-friendly shows. As our Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew noted in his recent visit to Dubai – a city that rose from the desert sands to become one of the world’s top shopping destinations. Like Singapore, Dubai has to keep reinventing herself if she wants to survive and grow its economy. We all have to move fast.

Tapping the Tourist Dollar

22. Let me use the example of the city of Las Vegas to illustrate the potential of tourism. Las Vegas has a population of less than 2 million, but it draws 36 million visitors each year. It is the top convention city in the US and attracts many business travellers. That is what we want to do - to make Singapore a top tourist destination in the region and even the world. In 2005, we registered our highest tourist arrivals at 8.9 million. With this record, we see booming businesses in our major service industries, such as food & beverage, retail and tourism, and increasingly MICE, which stands for Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Entertainment. Growth in these sectors translate to more job opportunities and an improved quality of life for Singaporeans.

Establishing a Quality Service Culture

23. To succeed in attracting visitors to Singapore, building attractions like Merlion in Marina Bay, a state-of-the-arts Night Safari or a one-of-its-kind bird park, is not enough. To succeed, we need to offer a complete experience, the sum total of the food, the landmarks, the shopping, the entertainment, and the people, together, we make the visit to Singapore enjoyable, memorable, and repeatable. The most important x-factor and the greatest challenge is good service.. We are pragmatic people – “want to buy, buy. Don’t want to buy, don’t waste my time.” But from the visitors’ perspective, it is not so straight forward.

24. Well, today we have programmes in schools, government ministries and even in food courts and fast food centres to change this mindset. You are familiar with GEMS – Go the Extra Mile for Service. This is an initiative to recognise and promote good service among service workers, employers and the public. We hope over time, we can change mindset and improve our service quality. But each of us must also play our part. We must be gracious when we are served. We must recognise and compliment good service. This way, we will help encourage others to serve with dignity and pleasure. Together, we can develop a gracious society.

Going Digital – the Media Industry

25. Let me turn to another powerful engine for growth – the media industry. In South Korean cities like Seoul and Busan, the creative industry is expanding rapidly. Their film industry is growing really quickly, with a string of box office hits and successful hosting of major film festivals such as the Busan International Film Festival, the Jeonju International Film Festival and the PiFan, Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. Which of you here have not heard of Rain, or Bae Yung Joon? Think about this: media spending in the Asia Pacific is estimated to be in excess of US$215 billion, which is why such a booming creative industry can create more job opportunities and shape a social climate conducive to innovation.

26. Singapore too, has taken a big step in boosting the creative and media industry. The Media Development Authority has allocated funds to establish Singapore as a media exchange, where creation, development and distribution of media content and services are centred here. Digital animation has been identified as a niche area of specialisation. Lucasfilm – the company responsible for Star Wars – decided recently to set up an animation studio in Singapore instead of California. This is in recognition of the talent available here, as well as the recognition that our education gives our people a competitive edge. I understand that in a couple of days you too, will be working on your own digital media project. I know you will put in your best and I am sure you will enjoy it.

An Exciting Road Ahead

27. The city of Singapore is going to be even more exciting over the next few years. We have put in place the infrastructure; we have started several mega projects. Soon, we will have the Singapore Flyer, we will have our VivoCity outside the Harbourfront Centre, and we will have our integrated resorts. Another strategy we have adopted is to inject more life into Marina Bay through the promotion of water sports and special events such as the New Year’s Eve Countdown to make it a Bay of Celebration.

28. These will attract people to come, Our target is to double our tourist arrivals to 17 million, triple our tourist receipts to $30 billion and create 100,000 new jobs in the services sector by 2015. But whether they return for repeat visits will be up to us – our service can either make their visit a pleasant experience or we can make them decide to go some place else.

Linking up with Regional Partners

29. What other strategies can we adopt to ensure Singapore remains vibrant and ALive? We must recognize that we are faced with fierce competition from the region. But we need to look at our competitors differently. We must look at them as our partners. To survive in the increasingly competitive world, cooperation, not competition is the key to success. I shall outline some key strategies that we can adopt to build better ties with countries in the region and the world.

Building Links through Humanitarianism

30. Some of you here might have been involved in the our relief efforts to help the tsunami victims in 2004 and 2005. We sent food, clothing and medical supplies to Aceh. We also sent SAF personnel, equipment and Chinook helicopters to provide emergency relief. Today, Indonesia’s ties with Singapore are strong, very different from some years ago when we were referred to as the ‘little red dot’ with a sense of hostility. But our efforts are not limited to the Asian region. When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana in the United States of America, Singapore sent four Chinooks to help as well. This goes to show that even a country as powerful as the US can use some help from a city-state as small as Singapore. Our humanitarian efforts go a long way in building international ties and showing our readiness to be a responsible member of the world. After all, we also want to be known as a city that is alive with the spirit of compassion.

Encouraging Entrepreneurship

31. As I have briefly mentioned earlier, another area that we have to work on is entrepreneurship. Look around you – your left and right, your front and back. Who will be the next Sim Wong Hoo? What we need to do is to dare to dream, to dare to take risks and to dare to fail. We have many aspiring young entrepreneurs ready to conquer the world. We have Neeraj Sundarajoo, who was still a polytechnic student when he started a company – Comwerks, and won a contract to roll out an e-mail encryption programme for 85 government agencies. Incidentally, one of the agencies was his own school – Temasek Polytechnic. We also have Aaron Tan, who started his own company while still in secondary school at the age of 14 designing websites. Even while serving his National Service, he was already running his company with seven staff in four countries. The success of these people shows that Singapore is a city of opportunities. I understand that for one of your panel discussions tomorrow, you have Mr Vikas Goel – winner of both the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award and the “Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year” award in 2005. I am certain he will inspire some of you to be future entrepreneurs. Slowly but surely, we will have our own Y K Pao, our own C Y Tung, our own Li Ka-Shing, who will put Singapore on the world map as a city of opportunities.

Striking a Balance – the Arts

32. However, a great city is more than a vibrant economy. We want a city that celebrates life, a city that expresses the joy of living through a vibrant culture. The Esplanade represents our commitment towards achieving this goal. With a 1600-seat concert hall and a 2000-seat theatre, it brings the arts to Singaporeans. On any one day, anyone keen on the arts can choose from a range of more than 50 events. This works out to 19,300 events a year that are organised for public viewing. A National Arts Council’s survey showed that one in three Singaporeans attended an arts event at least once last year. This is a vast improvement compared to one in ten, ten years ago. Where in the past, our musicians would leave the country to pursue their dreams overseas, today Singapore has the space to accommodate many such talents. A fine example is Katryna Tan Huey Wern, winner of the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award for 2005. Katryna was awarded a two-year fellowship to pursue a Master in Harp Performance at the University of Michigan, US. Whilst there, she was named Principal Harpist in the University Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with several renowned orchestras in the United States. Since her return to Singapore in 2002, Katryna has also performed regularly with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. She is also a very active solo and chamber recitalist, having performed several successful concerts here. Today, she is also involved in grooming Singapore’s next generation of harpists. So you see, we do have room for artistic development but we can certainly do with more such talents. Soon the Arts School will be opened and there will be more avenues for aspiring artists to pursue their interests and passion.

Striking a Balance – Sports

33. We have also created room for sports. The Singapore Sports School demonstrates how serious we are in churning out a whole new generation of sportsmen, a generation that can do the country proud in the sporting arena, be it in the SEA Games, the Asian Games or the Olympics. Of course, being a small country, we have to focus on niche areas. It is not easy, especially for student athletes such as national golfer – 16-year-old Koh Sock Hwee. Last year, in the middle of her school’s preliminary exams, she performed well enough to earn a SEA Games spot during the selection trials. Then, she had to sit for her O-level paper at the end of October, fly to Manila for a four-day training trip and then fly home to continue her exams. This is sacrifice. This is tenacity. These are the qualities that our athletes display when faced with challenges. I understand that the CEO of Singapore Sports Council Mr Oon Jin Teik will be speaking to you tomorrow. I’m sure he will show you the excitement in the sports scene in Singapore today.

Conclusion – Singapore our Home

34. Ultimately, the most important factor that will make a city truly great and alive is not the number of medals we win in sports, it is not the number of scientific breakthroughs we’ve made, it is not even the spectacular economic growth or the number of tourists we’ve managed to attract. A great city must ultimately be a Home to all of us. Home is where our heart is. It is where people whom we care about are. Home is where each of us has a say in how it looks like and feels responsible for its future. Home is where each of you matters. It is where we have our dreams and where we work hard to make our dreams come true. Singapore can only be a great city that is aLive if each of you believe in it and make it your Home.

35. So, this Pre-University Seminar will give you a glimpse of the potential of Singapore as a vibrant global city that is aLIVE. But whether we will get there depends on you and what you do after you leave this seminar. The future, our future, Singapore’s future, is in your hands. If we put our hearts together, we can and we will make it and I certainly look forward to realising our vision of making Singapore truly a City aLIVE! .

Thank you.

_________________________________________

[1] http://it.asia1.com.sg/newsdaily/news002_20031206.html
[2] http://www.megacities.uni-koeln.de/_frame.htm?http://www.megacities.uni-koeln.de/documentation/bangalore/statistics.htm
[3] http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/FI30Df04.html
[4] http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in/india-profile/ser-infotech.htm
[5] http://www.empire.state.ny.us/NYS_Home_To_Business/nyseconomy.asp
[6] Time, 12 December 2005.
[7] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4306936.stm
[8] http://www.worldcityguides.co.uk/
[9] http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html
[10] http://www.aseansec.org/18163.htm
[11] http://www.bpoindia.org/