He pointed out that the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew had called it his team's "greatest asset".
It has enabled leaders to make difficult but necessary decisions such as introducing mandatory National Service when Singapore needed a credible defence force, or making land acquisitions so that land can be redeveloped and used more efficiently.
The leaders did not shirk from their responsibilities to current and future generations.
Mr Chan said these leaders had the mettle to make difficult but necessary decisions when the need arose, and kept faith with the people.
“If we want to remain successful, we need leadership teams that are just as committed, decisive in their actions and yet able to keep faith with our people,” he added.
BUILDING TRUST
FIRST, to build this trust, Mr Chan said leaders must be upfront with the people on the challenges and options, the minister said.
“Help Singaporeans understand what’s at stake and the trade-offs involved. Let them know how they’ll be affected directly, and spend more time on the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’ or ‘how’,” he elaborated.
Mr Chan suggested working the ground and sharing as much information “wherever possible” so people can become better informed and trust that decisions were made only after careful consideration.
SECOND, leaders must keep finding new ways to communicate with different generations.
With a more diverse population, with different expectations of the government and in a fast-paced, digital age that has “social media influencers”, he said there is “no shortage of ideas, views and, of course, criticism”.
“At times, inaccurate and misleading information can ‘go viral’, possibly clouding a person’s view on an issue. The challenge then is to find ways to manage this, and get citizens to understand the matter at heart,” he said.
"If we do this well, we will harness the collective power of our thinking and actions."
THIRD, leaders must be accountable and responsible.
"That means making good on our promises," said Mr Chan. "And when there are problems, we work hard to put things right immediately."
People would also give their trust when they see the Government has been “responsible, anticipates and are responsive in meeting their needs” and there is an overall improvement in their lives, Mr Chan said.
Some policies may take longer to bring about results, and these must be made clear from the start so that Singaporeans know what to expect, he said.
“Each generation of leaders would therefore need to be consultative yet nimble in meeting these needs while managing finite resources responsibly. These are important so that we do not face a trust deficit, and run the risk of citizens disconnecting with or being disenfranchised by the government.”
KEEPING SINGAPORE UNITED
Mr Chan said apart from trust, each generation of leaders would also have to keep the country united to tackle challenges together.
He said in order for people to be united, they must have “a sense of a common threat, challenge, mission and vision”.
Younger Singaporeans may not face the existential "life and death" struggles that had brought the country's pioneers together in their common goal to see Singapore succeed in the early years of independence.
Yet, this generation must "similarly understand that we too have our share of 'life and death' struggles to keep this country going," said Mr Chan.
For instance, Singaporeans face the common challenge of economic restructuring and global disruption, and businesses, workers and the Government will need to adapt to a new model of doing things.
Singaporeans also have to maintain a keen sense of the wider and deeper geographical forces that impact them.
While the contest for influence among global powers will grow, Singapore must remain principled and "not waver for short-term gains".
Time and effort should be invested into helping Singaporeans understand such dynamics, so that "we will be able to stand united in the face of overt pressures and covert influences".
"Ultimately, people and government must work together to keep Singapore successful," said Mr Chan.
"So long as we have this trust, and stay united in facing the challenges, there's no reason for us to not be able to succeed as a country."
“Our challenge, our mission, is to continue to defy the odds of history - that a small country with little common past, and no conventional hinterland, can survive and thrive with a common future and a common set of values. Indeed, I would argue that a forward-looking national identity is perhaps even more powerful than a backward-looking identity to help us bond together to overcome the challenges of tomorrow."
Mr Chan Chun Sing was speaking at the inaugural S R Nathan Hard Seats Lecture organized by The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore on 11 Jan 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment