Future bright is S'poreans unite

SINGAPORE - Young Singaporeans have a bright future ahead and will have many opportunities and challenges to face.

But Singapore needs to stay united and cohesive, with a common purpose and goal to make the country better, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the NTU Students' Union Ministerial Forum on Tuesday evening.

Mr Lee said that Singapore's future success depends on its people remaining united in the face of three faultlines, The Straits Times reported online.

The first is race and religion, where he urged a "gradual and quiet evolution" from the status quo rather than sudden change.

Personal disputes must not be elevated to national issues and Singaporeans should "take an overall perspective to race relations" instead of looking at each demand or incident in isolation, he said.

Addressing the second faultline of the income gap, Mr Lee said that even as all Singaporeans' incomes rise, those of the rich would continue to grow more quickly.

Those who do well must help the less fortunate, rather than "look at them with disdain".

Third faultline

He also brought up the faultline between local Singaporeans and new arrivals.

Mr Lee said Singapore continues to need both immigration and foreign workers, but the numbers and pace have to be managed, reported Channel NewsAsia.

Social media complicates already-sensitive relations between locals and foreigners here.

Singaporeans may lack restraint online and "pack behaviour" may lead to ugly episodes like that of expatriate British Anton Casey.

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