PM Lee urges new citizens to engage in the community

SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged new citizens to engage in the community where they live and take part in community activities. Speaking at a citizenship ceremony at the Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang West constituencies yesterday (Aug 30), Mr Lee said he hopes the new citizens will actively integrate into society and discover more about Singapore.

About 150 new Singaporeans from the constituencies received their citizenship certificates and identification cards at the ceremony in the afternoon.

Rege Abhijit Suresh is from India and Luneva Zlata from Russia. They met in Japan and decided to get married and settle down in Singapore. On Saturday, the couple and their son Vijay officially became Singapore citizens.

The decision to make Singapore home was not a very difficult one for them. Rege said: “If we are going to settle down here, no point staying as a permanent resident. So we said ‘let’s get citizenship - for his future’. Also it makes more sense - from all perspectives, from education, and honestly from the National Service perspective, I think it’s a good thing that he goes in and get some discipline in him.”

Rege and Luneva have been in Singapore for eight years and have learnt to integrate into society. Luneva said: “Even in my marriage, I’m married to an Indian, so Indian culture is different. So for me, if I can adapt to my husband, I can adapt to the culture in Singapore... I like Yakun toast, I like Indian food, I like Chinese food, there’s nothing I don’t like in Singapore.” CHANNEL NEWSASIA