MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has issued a blunt pre-election message to Singaporeans in which he called on them to look at the fundamentals and not to 'rock' the foundations on which the Singapore of today has been built.

Framing what is at stake for 2.35 million voters who will cast their ballots on May 7, modern Singapore's founding father reminded them to 'remember where Singapore came from, and how difficult it was that we have got to where we are'.

The country today did not come about by chance, but through careful planning by a first generation of leaders, who took charge of self-governing Singapore in 1959, saw it through independence in 1965, then passed on the mantle to successive generations of carefully chosen leaders of high quality and integrity.

'The schools, hospitals, universities, police force, armed forces, the air force, we built all of them up from scratch, from ground zero,' he said in a statement ahead of Nomination Day tomorrow, when parties set off on what is arguably the most keenly contested general election in years.

'Do not rock this foundation. Remember where Singapore came from, and how difficult it was that we have got to where we are. There is always a risk when one generation passes on the baton, the next team may unthinkingly toss out what they have inherited.'

Mr Lee said that at the May 7 General Election, the People's Action Party (PAP) is fielding candidates 'of proven character, of high calibre, and with a track record of performance that shows they will not fail in taking on responsibilities'.

His comments reflect a long-held concern he has had: that a younger electorate, buoyed by Singapore's steady economic growth and sparkling accomplishments, think that such a situation can continue to be achieved effortlessly.

And while a change of leadership in the PAP is not set to occur for at least another decade, the worry is that voters will reject or take lightly those on the PAP slate from which the next generation of leaders will emerge.

Opposition parties are vying to contest in almost all 87 parliamentary seats, and several have suggested to voters that they are ready and capable of taking over and running the country.

Mr Lee, 87, who is helming the Tanjong Pagar GRC for his 14th electoral contest since he was first elected to the legislature in 1955, said the PAP continued to be careful and painstaking in its selection of candidates.

'We combed the whole of Singapore society to select those with the highest integrity and ability to chart the way forward for Singapore,' he said of the slate, 24 of whom are new faces. 'We will never reach a point where we can be on auto-pilot so that any team can just take over. We are not living in Disney World.

'We have a small island in the middle of a vast archipelago with abundant resources that we do not have. Ask how is it that a house in Singapore is worth 10, 15, 20 times the price of that same house built in Indonesia, and five to 10 times that built in Malaysia.'

Mr Lee, the country's first prime minister who led a team that saw Singapore through early years of nation-building, stepped down from the position in 1990.

Key lieutenants like Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr S. Rajaratnam, Mr Hon Sui Sen, Mr Lim Kim San, Dr Toh Chin Chye, Mr Ong Pang Boon, and Mr Othman Wok shaped strategies in such areas as the economy and defence, foreign affairs, finance, housing, health, education, home affairs and culture.

Mr Lee said that Singaporeans today live in affordable high-quality public housing, or can buy condominiums and landed properties, because of government land acquisition policies, the Central Provident Fund scheme, and the establishment of the Housing Board.

'All these did not happen by chance or on auto-pilot. We had planned it. We laid the foundations for long-term stability and growth. We set aside short-term problems and undertook several unpopular policies,' he said.

Mr Lee acknowledged that cost of living is a concern among Singaporeans today, but also noted that the Government was providing help to those who were most in need.

Noting that much will be said over the course of the campaign period, he said that amid the 'heat and dust' of the elections, Singaporeans should remember not to risk their assets, property values and job opportunities.

'Vote for men and women of proven character and track records of high performance. Make the right choice, to secure the future of your children and grandchildren.'

. . . . .

'Do not rock this foundation. Remember where Singapore came from, and how difficult it was that we have got to where we are. There is always a risk when one generation passes on the baton, the next team may unthinkingly toss out what they have inherited.'

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew

- end of ST article. Reprinted with permission.