Ng Eng Hen: Continuing Singapore's legacy
Dr Ng emphasising a point
NUS' 2015 Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum on 20 August saw Guest-of-Honour Singapore Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, urging students to build a Singapore that continues to be special in the next 50 years. Dr Ng also shared his views on issues ranging from medical subsidies and declining birth rates to the upcoming elections, in line with the theme of "The Years Ahead: National Decisions, Global Impact.
Dr Ng adopted an interactive stance as he made his way around the auditorium, bringing the audience through Singapore's progress from 1900 to the present, as seen through the eyes of the Padang (a Malay word which means "field" in English). He remarked that throughout the country's history, it has been at the mercy of external events, including the Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824, the Rendel Commission in 1953, and more recently, the financial crises in 1984 and 2008.
These events underscored the point that "life is not fair, especially for small states, as Dr Ng put it. Recognising the nation's limited influence, Singapore set out to make as many friends as possible. Dr Ng ended his speech by throwing the gauntlet squarely at the audience, many of whom were young adults, saying, "My question to you ' before you ask your questions ' will the Singapore that you live in be as special as it is now to you and your world? And I challenge each of you to make it happen.
Dr Ng posed questions to the audience throughout his speech
During the Question-and-Answer segment, Tony Li, Year 5 student from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and moderator of the session, sought Dr Ng's views on the challenges facing Singapore, and his hopes for the next 50 years. Dr Ng responded that the country has "big challenges, including the fact that Singapore has one of the fastest ageing populations in the world. However, he was quick to add that this challenge could be turned into a triumph, for example, by becoming the world leader in geriatric products. Dr Ng advised the students to stay innovative and resilient, and believe that they could overcome the challenges of the future.
The Minister also addressed other questions ranging from Medishield Life (a government health insurance scheme) and Singapore's role in global affairs to advice for the future Minister for Defence.
In response to whether implementing Medishield Life was akin to Singapore edging towards becoming a welfare state, Dr Ng said that the scheme remained consistent with the government's philosophy where responsibility began with the individual before moving to the family and finally the state. Singapore was in the fortunate position of being able to afford the bill upfront for the scheme, which would cost almost $4 billion over the next five years in premium subsidies and other forms of support.
Dr Ng's advice for the future Minister of Defence was simple ' make friends and win public support. Dr Ng shared that a recent poll showed that 97 per cent of Singaporeans believed that Singapore could be defended. This level of support required continuous maintenance, he said.
Regarding the role of Singapore in the global arena, Dr Ng said that Singapore occupied a privileged position, with many parties wanting to work with the nation because of its reputation for integrity, honesty, openness and reliability. Stressing the importance of these traits, Dr Ng said, "Corruption is such a cancer that once it sets in, it's very hard to eradicate…if there's one thing that you have to prize, it's complete integrity of your systems…the only antidote to sliding down the corrupt path is people, not systems. I [would] rather have honest people with honesty and integrity run a less perfect system, than dishonest people run a perfect system.
It was inevitable that questions on the allegedly upcoming elections would be asked, and the issues ranged from the perceived political indifference of the younger generation to the rise of the opposition. To apathetic voters, Dr Ng said, "Every election allows people to choose their leaders, and it's as simple as that. He added sombrely, "On Nomination Day, there is no certainty that there will be a PAP government after this.
Dr Ng (left) participating in a wefie with Tony (2nd from left) and two other students after the forum
The Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum is a flagship event of the NUS Students Political Association. Held annually since 2000, the event aims to promote political awareness among undergraduates as well as fostering their interest in key social and economic issues.
Read the media articles.
