Singapore has always relied on international cooperation to thrive, but in order to do so, it must remain united internally, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean emphasised in his speech televised on Thursday (11 Jun).
Standing at The Float @ Marina Bay, where the National Day Parade would’ve normally been held this year, Mr Teo said Singapore had to be united if we are to contribute to the world stage.
You can view the full speech here, and read a transcript here.
From the time that Singapore first faced the Covid-19 situation in January up till now, there’s been a need to adapt to the circumstances, including implementing novel measures.
This strains our social fabric, as with every crisis, Mr Teo said, but it should not divide us.
He cited the threat of terrorism after the Sept 11 2001 attacks in New York, as well as the Asian Financial Crisis, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak and the Global Financial Crisis, saying that these crises did not divide us.
That’s because of our painstakingly built racial and religious harmony, forged from policies of multi-culturalism and multi-racialism such as ethnically integrated HDB neighbourhoods and a meritocratic education system for all.
Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, Mr Teo emphasised that more of such social resilience had to be built as this is “an even bigger test”.
Singapore’s already doing well so far, as Mr Teo pointed out that he has seen “many acts of kindness, care and compassion” from Singaporeans.
For example, they have helped to take care of our migrant workers, as well as the vulnerable members of society no matter what race or religion they’re from.
It’s a heartening sight that highlights the humanity of our people, as Mr Teo added,
We all share a common humanity. What we do in a crisis reflects who we are, and the values which motivate us as a people and as a nation.
Handling the Covid-19 crisis also required unity among our governmental organisations too, a collaboration that Mr Teo called “an unprecedented Whole-of-Nation response”.
To direct this coordinated response, different agencies teamed up to form Multi-Ministry Task Force, which is largely led by new-generation ministers, civil servants, healthcare professionals, Home Team and SAF officers.
With Covid-19 being the first crisis for many of them, the ministers have turned to consult their older Cabinet colleagues like Mr Teo, as well as tapped experienced governmental and non-governmental sources.
This team effort is another way that Singapore is putting up a unified front against the disease.
How is this united Singapore front helpful with respect to our standing in the world?
Mr Teo referred to adversaries who may manipulate opinions within Singapore, without going into detail.
Being united will help in repelling such agents, who are apparently looking to sow discord.
Although Singapore is a small nation, it has a say in international affairs too.
For example, Mr Teo cited the Global Governance Group (3G), comprised of 30 smaller and medium-sized nations including Switzerland, Qatar, the Philippines. Significantly, this group is chaired by Singapore.
The 3G is able to offer suggestions to the Group of 20 biggest and most influential economies, influencing decision-making and fostering more inclusive international discourse.
The Forum of Small States at the United Nations is also an entity that Singapore founded and leads, so small countries can have a collective voice and boost their influence.
To have such a meaningful impact on global affairs, our diplomats need to “speak with a credible voice”, Mr Teo said.
That won’t be possible, he added, if Singapore wasn’t strong, successful, and united at home.
He reiterated,
We can face the world with confidence only if we are strong inside.
The unity and resilience Singapore has had to show in the face of the Covid-19 crisis has been a recurring theme in the national speeches we’ve seen so far.
Both also happen to be keywords used in the supplementary Budgets for this year.
Drawing on Singapore’s prior experiences with crises – once-in-a-decade events according to Mr Teo – we’ve had to remain strong, and more so now that it’s Singapore’s biggest crisis yet.
While there are still more battles for us to fight, the focus of his speech is clear – for Singaporeans to remain united and stable as a nation.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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