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Singapore must find own way forward for next 50 years

SINGAPORE — While the Republic is in strong position, it will have to find its own way forward for the next five decades — unlike the past 50 years where as one of the newly industrialised economies, Singapore followed Japan’s lead, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

SINGAPORE — While the Republic is in strong position, it will have to find its own way forward for the next five decades — unlike the past 50 years where as one of the newly industrialised economies, Singapore followed Japan’s lead, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Speaking during a question and answer session following his keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Mr Lee was responding to a question about the strengths which Singapore can rely on for the next 50 years.

He cited the country’s education system and defence, as well as its nimbleness but pointed out how the Republic would now need to chart its own path. He added: “All I can say as a current coach is that I have got a good team and I think from the team, we will produce future coaches and we will get there beyond the finish line in 50 years.”

Recalling how Japan played a major role in leading the “flying geese” of newly industrialised economies from the 1960s to 1980s, Mr Lee said: “We were one of the little goslings following behind. We are now not a gosling anymore. Neither are we a giant bird. We are a small bird having to find our own way forward. There’s no mother in front of us.”

He added: “Why do I say that? Because we are at a developed world level but in fact we are not a fully developed world economy.”

Unlike countries such as Japan, Korea or Germany, Singapore lacks the population base, strength of technology and research, and long history, he explained.

The next 50 years will be a long time in Singapore’s perspective but the country is a strong position given its strengths. The Republic’s size allows it to change course faster than bigger countries, while Singapore is much more secure compared to 50 years ago when it started with just one wooden ship and two infantry battalions comprising of mostly non-Singaporeans, said Mr Lee.

“I am not sure if we have wooden ships anymore but quite a lot of second hand material from all over the world, and we try to make the best use of it for our purposes to defend Singapore,” he said. XUE JIANYUE

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