Apr 23, 2011 - Straits Times
By Fiona Chan and Robin Chan
SINGAPORE would not be what it is today if Singaporeans had made
different choices in past elections, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
said on Saturday night.
In a speech at the Tanjong Pagar GRC Family Day celebrations, he
said: 'Every GE is a choice about whether we want to move forwards,
sideways or backwards.'
Switching to Mandarin, he added: 'Over the last 12, 13
elections, if Singaporeans had chosen wrongly, we wouldn't have the
Singapore of today.'
He also said he wanted to remind Singaporeans that 'the
Singapore you see - safe, with good schools, good traffic - is
because voters chose a Government that was competent and
reliable.'
'I hope this election, voters will similarly make the right
choice.'
In his speech, MM Lee also weighed in on the continuing need to
bring in foreign workers and talent from abroad so that Singapore
could take on the world-wide competition for growth and
progress.
Addressing Singaporeans' concerns over the influx of foreigners
who they fear are threatening their jobs, he said that Singapore
needs 900,000 foreign workers on two-year work permits.
'They do the construction and other heavy work, jobs
Singaporeans are not willing to do,' he said.
