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Vote for my team to lead Singapore forward: PM Lee

SINGAPORE – Vote for the team that can take Singapore forward, a team that can form a good Government with good leaders, who can get their politics right, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as he urged Singaporeans to vote for the People’s Action Party (PAP) to guide the country forward.

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SINGAPORE – Vote for the team that can take Singapore forward, a team that can form a good Government with good leaders, who can get their politics right, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as he urged Singaporeans to vote for the People’s Action Party (PAP) to guide the country forward.

Speaking at a PAP lunch-time rally at the promenade area beside UOB Plaza today (Sept 8), Mr Lee, who is the party’s secretary-general, reiterated that the PAP has worked hard to improve lives, whether it is the Pioneer Generation Package for seniors, affordable housing for young couples, or SkillsFuture and rising wages for workers. 

“The results speak for themselves”, he said. “This is what the PAP would like to do with you, if you give us the chance.”

The nation faces challenges from the region, he said, but he is confident they can be overcome, so long as the country stands together as one nation. 

That is the country’s mantra and “secret recipe” all these years, he added. “Why is it a secret? Not that people don’t know it, but people can’t do it. We can do it!”

He noted that with a changing population, politics in Singapore will continue to change and Singaporeans’ interests will be more diverse. 

There is, therefore, a need to work harder to form a national consensus for the country to move ahead together.

Staying united means getting politics right, he said, and to do that, one has to vote for the right people who will determine the right kind of politics and policies and put the country on the right direction in the future.

A good Government, with good leaders and a strong team of Singaporeans giving them feedback and ideas, will keep Singapore successful tomorrow, he said. 

“And that’s how Mr Lee Kuan Yew did it,” he said, adding that the late Mr Lee did not build the nation by himself. Instead he had a very strong team, such as Mr Goh Keng Swee, Mr S Rajaratnam, Mr Lim Kim San, Mr Hon Sui Sen, Mr Othman Wok.

Mr Goh Chok Tong took over with a strong team as well, such as with Dr Tony Tan and Mr Ong Teng Cheong, and after that, he and his team tried their best to take Singapore forward, said Mr Lee.

Stressing that the third generation leaders are not getting younger, Mr Lee said they have to ready a younger team to take over. The “nucleus” of a younger team is there, he said, naming Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, Mr Chan Chun Sing, Mr Lawrence Wong and Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, among others.

“It’s starting to come together, but I need more, you need more, so this election, I’m adding more. People say ‘jia you’ (add oil), but here, it’s ‘jia liao’, add more substance,” he said, citing Mr Ng Chee Meng, Mr Ong Ye Kung and Mr Chee Hong Tat as examples.

They are people “who can make a contribution ... who can show their commitment and prove themselves and in due course will be able to form that bond with you, with your children. We need a deep bench, and the best possible team for Singapore,” he said.

Quoting a speech made by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew 35 years ago, he added that whoever governs Singapore “must have that iron in him”.

Mr Lee was joined by Mr Heng, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and new candidates Mr Ong, Mr Victor Lye, Mr Tan Wu Meng, Mr Amrin Amin, Mr Darryl David and Mr Cheryl Chan, who, with the exception of Mr Goh, gave their own speeches ranging from four to 20 minutes during the two hour-long rally.

Describing Singapore’s Jubilee year as not a destination, but the start of a new chapter, Mr Lee said Singaporeans should pause and ask themselves where they were headed. “That’s why I’ve called for elections, to seek a new mandate at this key turning point in our history, to take Singapore forward, beyond SG50,” he said.

He expressed confidence that the future of Singapore will be even better than today, where its people can do well and achieve their aspirations, 

Posing questions to the raucous crowd, who responded with cheers and shouts, Mr Lee asked: “Do we have the same spirit as the pioneers? Do we want to protect and build upon what we have achieved? Yes, of course! Do we want our children to live better lives than us, just like our parents did for us? Of course!”

If so, the country has to “buckle down and be prepared to work hard, sacrifice for one another, and most of all sacrifice for a better tomorrow for our children”, he added.

Mr Lee said while young people may worry about their future, he reassured them that they have every reason to be confident and shouldn’t be afraid to pursue their dreams.

Recalling a Youth Day celebration where he had told the young that their future is theirs to make, he added: “We’ve given them all that we can, resources, education, guidance, support. It’s up to you - make the most of it. Chase that rainbow, Go for it!”

Mr Lee who also hit out at the Opposition’s proposals and approach to politics in his speech, pointed out that politics is not just about policies, but also about people. 

To produce results for Singapore, he needs the right team to work with him and with residents, he said as he urged for support for all his candidates standing in all constituencies.

No matter the constituency, the candidates standing there are standing on behalf of the PAP, he said. “So by voting for him, you’re voting for me, you’re voting for my team, you’re voting for my programmes, and you’re voting for my promise. And the promise is — we will work with you to make Singapore better for you and your children.”

“Vote for the party who has never let you down. We will work with you, we will fight for you, we will work and fight for Singapore.”

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