As Singaporeans,
we have personally witnessed (or,
for the post-independence generation,
read about) our country’s stellar
progression from Third World to First
in less than four decades. The trials,
tribulations and determination of
the pre-independence generation have
created vast opportunities for people
from all walks of life to build a
brighter future here, and made Singapore
what it is today. As Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong said last year in
his Budget Speech:
“Singapore
is what it is today because it has
been a land of opportunity for enterprising
people from all over Asia. Our attractions
are unique. We are at the crossroads
of East and West, a modern, cosmopolitan
city connected to the world of finance
and business, yet rooted in the ancient
cultures of our forebears. We offer
a vibrant economy where people can
earn a good living, a stable society
where they can raise strong families,
and opportunities for all to build
a brighter future. And now with Asia
on the rise, we must remake Singapore
as a land of opportunity.”
Singapore was a
land of opportunity to our forefathers.
Is Singapore a land of opportunity
today? Will Singapore be a land of
opportunity in the future? How can
we rejuvenate that spirit of opportunity
and hope in fellow Singaporeans? How
do we ensure that Singapore is a land
of opportunity, and will continue
to be a land of opportunity, as it
was in the past? Our actions in response
to these questions will ultimately
determine what sort of story will
be written for future generations
of Singaporeans.
The Public Service has been embarking
on strategies to make Singapore a land
of opportunity. This special edition
of Challenge magazine will
give you an introduction to what “Singapore
Is Opportunity” really means and
the steps the Singapore Public Service
is taking to turn this vision into reality.
