SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called on Singaporeans to strengthen their "heartware" as the country charts a consensus for the future.
He said what's most important is to strengthen the spirit and values that make citizens proud to be Singaporeans.
Mr Lee was speaking at the annual National Day Dinner for residents in his Ang Mo Kio constituency on Saturday.
Elaborating
on his earlier National Day Message, Mr Lee again stressed that
everyone has a part to play in building a better home in Singapore.
Improving hardware like new HDB flats and more train lines is just one aspect.
Strengthening
our heartware - traits such as mutual respect, care and compassion,
meritocracy and integrity - is most important, said Mr Lee.
Mr
Lee said: "They are intangible factors; you cannot measure them, you
cannot report that this year we improved - 10% more polite or 20% more
generous or 15% more caring.
"But they are important for making
Singapore better and we have to improve year by year to develop these
attributes, not through laws or fines but by nurturing these values in
everyone so that they are reflected in our lives, in our actions, in our
concerns, in what we expect from one another and become part of what it
means when we say 'I am a Singaporean'."
And building a better home goes beyond just economic growth.
Mr
Lee said the aim is not only about being a wealthy and modern society.
Just as important is nurturing a society that is caring.
At the municipal level, Mr Lee said the government has worked to make a better home for Singaporeans.
In
Ang Mo Kio, the next round of estate upgrading will involve the
Neighbourhood Renewal Programme where shared facilities will be
upgraded.
Mr Lee said residents will be consulted on what sort of upgrading works they want.
For the full text and video of Prime Minister Lee's National Day Message, log on to www.channelnewsasia.com/nd2012
- CNA/ir
okay noted
yeah i agree, less of asking people to repent
lol
This is the one and only time I wish he had a higher power to repent before.
Can allow dancing in the streets without police permit?
heart ware?
if onli he has a heart for the people
to do that, we have to strengthen our immigrantion policies first
Empty talk. All talk but set no good example is empty talk.
sgreans heartware is always ther? why need to strengthen? its the immigration policies we have to strengthen. comon lah stoll turning a blind eye?
the man questions our loyalty
STill dare to say create a caring society, like as if he cares for us. This pinky getting more serious in his blaming game and drama drama.
Would he give up his PM's position and employ cheaper, better and faster foreigner to replace him to bring in changes for the Singapore>?
He is too expensive to maintain. Times are bad, we need to cut costs.
don;t ever quedstion our heartware. its there, have always been. nothing better to say already