PM Lee says Singapore risks ‘serious trouble’ if it becomes ‘ordinary’ in final key speech
- Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore needs the ‘right politics’ to succeed in his speech ahead of his handover of power to Lawrence Wong on May 15
- In his Labour Day speech, Lee warns against Singapore succumbing to ‘populism’ and ‘short-term gains’ like in other countries
“The system doesn’t have to fail outright for Singapore to get into trouble, even if we just become ordinary, average, we will already be in serious trouble because we have no natural resources, no hinterland – 700 sq km is nothing.”
He was speaking on Wednesday to some 1,400 union leaders and tripartite partners of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), an umbrella group of workers’ groups that are closely linked to the ruling People’s Action Party.
It is tradition for the prime minister to address the country’s labour movement on May 1, Labour Day.
Lee cautioned against Singapore succumbing to “populism, tribalism, nativism, or obsessed with short-term gains like other countries”.
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Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong will hand over power to deputy Lawrence Wong on May 15