For Singapore to become a vibrant and dynamic global metropolis, it must also retain its roots as a place where people have a sense of belonging. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong urged young people to genuinely love this place and actively contribute to building Singapore into a home where they and other young people can create a bright future together.
“What we want is a global metropolis, but more importantly, it must be our home, not just a temporary residence.” He stated during a ministerial forum organized by the Nanyang Technological University Student Union: “We need active participation from citizens, and they must be willing to engage in civic activities, demonstrate generosity and compassion, be willing to give back to society and help others, and start with the goal of making Singapore a better place.”
Senior Minister Goh shared his personal experiences from his youth, recounting Singapore's development achievements over the decades, encouraging the younger generation to build upon the solid foundation already in place and elevate Singapore to new heights. He firmly believes that the younger generation can achieve this because the conditions for development, financial resources, and opportunities in Singapore are better now than ever before. He pointed out that Singapore has gone through various stages of development since independence, and achieving today's success was not easy. “For young people who have not experienced these stages, they may think that it was not difficult to achieve all this. What I want to say is that this is not the case; it involves strong leadership, political will, visionary thinking, risk-taking, collective collaboration, supportive citizens, sacrifice, and hard work.”
Today, Singapore is not only one of the most competitive economies globally but also one of the world's major financial centers. However, the government will not be complacent and will continue to innovate the economy to keep pace with changes in the WorldWay environment.
Senior Minister Goh believes that due to the rapid growth in Asia, Singapore's long-term prospects are also bright. He stated that the government is investing heavily in education and creating various opportunities for students to fully realize their potential. “Why are we doing this? Because we need both local and foreign talent to build a vibrant global metropolis. Providing more educational options will allow everyone to find a place where they can excel. I believe that nurturing compassionate, actively engaged, well-trained, and well-educated citizens is the best way to create a vibrant economy.”
When discussing whether Singapore can maintain its economic prosperity, Senior Minister Goh pointed out that many first-world countries and cities have declined and found it difficult to recover. Japan is an example; it has experienced 20 years of deflation and low growth, leading to a pessimistic outlook among its people, and Europe is similar. They have lost their drive, are unwilling to change, yet expect other countries to remain unchanged. “Unfortunately, they will be disappointed. Because Asia will not remain static.”
He emphasized that for Singapore to continue to thrive, everyone must work together.
“Citizens must see the dynamic global metropolis as a world-class home, not just a world-class integrated resort. An integrated resort, no matter how vibrant, is just a place where people come and go; a home is where everyone resides, weaves dreams, and protects their homeland with their lives.”
He believes that the shared values and lifestyles of Singaporeans can closely connect them. This is also the sense of identity that everyone should strive to maintain.
At the same time, he encouraged young people to think about the future development goals and challenges of the country, firmly believing that the younger generation is capable of doing better. “The difference between my generation and yours is that you have more resources and better conditions to overcome the challenges faced by the country. We live in an economically rising Asia, and opportunities are emerging everywhere.”
He said: “We are at another starting point, and your generation will take on the responsibility of bringing Singapore to another height. You have a solid platform and resources and opportunities that the previous generation did not have. You can do it, and you must do it.”
This year, with a strong economy, university students need not worry about finding jobs after graduation. Senior Minister Goh told university students that due to Singapore's robust economic growth this year, the job outlook is very good, and they need not worry about not finding jobs after graduation. He stated that the annual economic growth should reach 13% to 15%, and the employment rate has also increased, with most graduates this year already finding jobs, which is different from the situation a year ago. The average starting salary for this year's graduates is 2,920 SGD, compared to 2,800 SGD last year. University students graduating next year can also expect a good job outlook due to the anticipated tight labor market.
