LKY: Political divide should not become national divide
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By S Ramesh | Posted: 05 September 2011 2030 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore's former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has cautioned Singaporeans against turning the current political divide into a national divide.
He said Singapore could achieve high income growth as compared with its neighbours because during its independence, it had an undivided society that was solidly behind a meritocratic system.
Mr Lee was speaking to 1,800 students at a dialogue session at the Nanyang Technological University on Monday evening. The dialogue - also attended by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat - is part of the annual ministerial forum series organised by the NTU Students' Union.
During the dialogue, Mr Lee acknowledged that the one thing which will change in Singapore and which has already happened is the political divide.
He said as long as the political divide does not degenerate into a national divide, it will not have much impact on the growth of the country.
But Mr Lee warned that if the political divide turned into constant bickering, like what is happening between the Democrats and Republicans in the United States, then Singapore will become just "another ordinary country".
Mr Lee also explained that as Singapore grows more segmented with more diverse educational levels, the country will not have the same homogeneous mass of people to rally behind a single policy.
He said: "What's good for the middle income will be seen by the lower income as unfavourable to them. What is good for the higher income will be resisted by the middle income.
"It is a different society that we face and, therefore, the political leaders will have a much more complicated job of getting the society as a whole to accept a programme which is segmented to meet the needs of various stratas of society."
Another subject of concern during the dialogue was Singapore's immigration policy.
Mr Lee emphasised that a major worry for Singapore's leaders is the fast ageing population, coupled with a drop in fertility rates. Last year, the total fertility rate was at an all-time low of 1.15.
He said: "The birth rate today, the fertility rate, is 1.01. In other words, for every couple, you have 1.01 babies.
"Having said that, the Institute of Policy Studies have the grim statistics of 60,000 migrants a year to keep our economy young. We can't digest that. 20,000 maybe, 25,000 - that's a stretch - but certainly not 60,000."
Mr Lee said the answer is to get couples to have a fertility rate of 1.8 babies or better still, 2.1 babies. Then the population can replace itself.
Mr Lee was also asked about the impact of the recent handing over of the KTM Railway land to Singapore. He said it will benefit ties between the Republic and Malaysia.
Turning to the future, the founding father of modern Singapore stressed that his worry is whether Singaporeans will have the best people in the best jobs.
He said: "My worry about the future is whether we'll have the same national solidarity, the same desire to increase education levels and increase performance and having the best people in the best jobs or holding the most important jobs. Once we veer away from that meritocratic system, our performance will drop."
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Our parliament is full of PAP MPs, too early to say our country will have political and national divide.
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im a cb
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Originally posted by Brain Freeze:
Our parliament is full of PAP MPs, too early to say our country will have political and national divide.
Interesting to note! I also didn't see any divide in the parliament
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81 vs 6? You call that divide? That is overwhelming majority.
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If there is any political divide in Singapore, it is not reflected in parliament.
60% voted PAP, 40% voted opposition, but parliament is still over 90% PAP MPs.
Seems like Lee Kuan Yew is making a mountain out of a molehill. Trying to distract attention from his wikileaks Islam scandal.
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Originally posted by iveco:
81 vs 6? You call that divide? That is overwhelming majority.
Yah maybe next GE 2016 may have more like 10 to 15 but still PAP majority, maybe 2021 GE got 30 opp MPs then maybe got divide. -
Maybe the "divide" will end if PAP is removed.
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Originally posted by Brain Freeze:
Yah maybe next GE 2016 may have more like 10 to 15 but still PAP majority, maybe 2021 GE got 30 opp MPs then maybe got divide.It depends on their performance and meritocratic system of national solidarity through balance wealth transferring to the low-high income (in tandem with economic inflation), while having the revenue accrue to its minimum or same level. And looking into the mental performance and medical affordability of all Singaporeans. As well as the way of healthy living, well balance and affordable education. They also have to perform in accordance with humanity in the global envirnoment so as not to jeopardise Singaporeans safety and security etc. There is also the aspect of destiny / geomancy along the way
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2016 GE election outcome depends on how PAP tackle the hot button issues today. Opp should prepare for groundwork and more walkabouts & recruit talented people.
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You see the PAP logo, it's actually a lightning striking the blue circle into two. So who's dividing who here? lol. Then the army white horses, who's dividing who?
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I think some would say that this wouldn't even be a cause for concern if Dr. Tan Cheng Bock had won the Presidential Elections this year.
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White horse scheme dives the NS enlistees into two groups, white horse and non white horses.
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elitism has long divided our society
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eugenics has long divided our society
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Originally posted by Brain Freeze:
2016 GE election outcome depends on how PAP tackle the hot button issues today.
Opp should prepare for groundwork and more walkabouts & recruit talented people.
Hopefully we would see more of the likes of Nicole Seah joining opposition. No Tin Pei Ling types please. -
Eugenics? In Singapore? Hardly true is it, else they'd be restricting foreign brides from less develop countries....
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eugenics at different levels....they need foreign influx to boost economic productivity...so that the eugenized fews at the top gain the advantage...
its like creating more slaves to create more wealth for the landlords like them....
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Originally posted by Fcukpap:
eugenics at different levels....they need foreign influx to boost economic productivity...so that the eugenized fews at the top gain the advantage...
its like creating more slaves to create more wealth for the landlords like them....
more on modern day slavery than eugenics then.
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Can't be helped, it has become national divide.
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Originally posted by Punggol meegoreng:
im a cb
Personal attack!