All have a part to play in push to stay ahead

I READ with pride how both Temasek Holdings and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation have made their forays into the American market by engaging in capital injection to bail out troubled banks.
Indeed, this signals that Singapore has its economic fundamentals in place and is doing well at the global level. Truly, it is the foresight of our leaders that has brought us where we are today.

However, there has to be a mindset change as we move further up the development scale. Ordinary Singaporeans must realise they too have a part to play in Singapore's push to stay ahead of rising competition.

We have developed exponentially over the past few decades and have enjoyed sustained growth for many years now. The way forward is with a population that continues to be conscientious.

An opportunity to go on a student exchange programme in London opened my mind to difficulties some nations face. Even in a developed country like Britain, there are problems such as strikes organised by the unions. Such things are a bane of ordinary citizens as they affect their way of life.

However, here in Singapore, we can be assured that everything works. Time and again, we have been lauded for that, and it is an accolade we can be proud of.

Also, as citizens, we need to be more appreciative of the successes Singapore has achieved. For a start, we can be more proactive in giving feedback. In this way, Singapore's success can be sustained.

In the words of The Economist magazine, Singapore is 'booming, bustling and bursting at the seams, a developed country that grows at developing-country rates'.

Indeed, we can all be proud as everything in Singapore runs like clockwork, and we can walk the streets with peace of mind.

Vernon Lim

p/s: the above is my 4th article to the ST Forum page in print