Open dialogue needed to future-proof S’pore

Sometime in the mid-1980s, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew surprised us when he raised the issue of whether Singapore would survive 100 years. Since then, our prime ministers and other ministers have voiced similar conjecture.

Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing is the latest to do so (“S’pore needs to fight odds to survive: Chun Sing”; Aug 8). He warned us that the next 50 years could be very different. On the geopolitical front, ties between the United States and China will have a significant impact on us; likewise, our relationship with neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

We have done well in national defence and in achieving higher self-reliance with water. But new problems emerge at times, such as the difficulty of importing raw materials for construction and land reclamation.

We cannot rule out the possibility of sharp price increases or sudden food shortages from abroad in future. Even our attractiveness to foreign workers should not be taken for granted, as Mr Chan has warned.

Mr Lee had raised conjecture about Singapore’s long-term survival to perhaps spur citizens to grasp our vulnerabilities, be vigilant for new developments and find ideas to tackle them.

Three decades have passed. The declining fertility rate, from 1.8 in 1980 to around 1.2, and the influx of foreigners are further reasons to discuss the issue, just as we discussed our demographic woes last year.

The process would inspire a stronger culture of futuristic thinking and long-term planning. Our concept plan for urban redevelopment and the Population White Paper provide useful primary platforms.

To plan for survival, upcoming threats and opportunities must be brought up, together with new visions and aspirations. An open discussion is a prerequisite for taking steps to future-proof Singapore’s survival for our descendants and their descendants.