National Day Rally 2024 (Mandarin)

PM spoke in Malay and Mandarin followed by English.

For the English translation of the Mandarin speech, please see below.

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黄总理国庆群众大会2024华语演讲

向我们的先辈致敬

各位同胞，大家晚上好！

这是我第一次以总理的身份在国庆群众大会上讲话。

但是，这并不是我第一次参加群众大会的准备工作。

大约二十年前，当我还是前总理李显龙先生的首席私人秘书时，我也会帮助他准备演讲稿。

你们看，我们两个当时还那么年轻。李资政的一头黑发，现在全白了。我不知道我的头发几时会变白，但是我已经有了心理准备！

台前和幕后，感觉的确很不一样。

对我来说，从一名公务员到参加政治，后来担任部长，这是一个很大的改变。

但是，更大的改变，是我从部长到副总理，到出任总理。以前，我负责一个部门；现在我要领导整个政府、整个国家。

我知道这是非常重大的责任。我会全力以赴，做好我的工作，不辜负大家的期望。

自建国以来，在李光耀先生、吴作栋先生，和李显龙先生，以及他们团队的领导下，各族人民齐心协力，克服了很多困难，度过了一次又一次的危机。

我们能够做到这点，是因为政府和人民相互信任。这是非常可贵的关系。无论世界如何改变，我们都必须守护好这份信任。

我很感谢建国前辈的牺牲和贡献。在那个年代，生活各方面都很不容易。不过，他们为了照顾好家庭，都尽力把最好的留给下一代。

我的妈妈是建国的那一代。和许多前辈一样，都经历过日本占领时期，还有建国初期的艰辛。

她从小就必须出来工作，补贴家用。当时，家里还是重男轻女，她差一点就没有机会读书。但是，在她的坚持之下，才有上学的机会，后来还成为一名教师。

因为经历过苦日子，所以妈妈一直非常节俭。就算家庭收入稳定下来后，她还是坚持不请帮佣。她一边工作、一边把哥哥和我抚养长大。现在已经80几岁了，还是一样凡事亲力亲为。

其实，很多建国前辈都抱有这种自力更生，坚韧不拔的精神。他们面对困境时，从不放弃。

每当我走访社区，和年长的居民交流时，我都能感受到他们这种乐观积极的精神。

例如78岁的廖月群女士，是我林邦区的居民。她热爱运动，每天早上带领邻居一起锻炼身体。

她也很独立，自己去巴刹买菜，也会带孙子去学校。她还经常举办邻里聚会，邀请左邻右舍欢聚一堂，联络感情。

他们这一代无论为国家、还是为家庭，都付出了很多。为了帮助他们安心养老，政府推出了建国和立国一代配套。

近年来，我们也推出了乐龄SG和健康SG计划，鼓励年长人士保持身心活跃。

所以请大家放心，我和第四代领导团队会继续照顾你们的生活需求，确保大家老有所依，安享晚年。

经济

我了解生活费上涨是大家都关心的课题。每个国家都面对通货膨胀的压力，民众的生活开销也增加了。这当中有很多复杂的原因，包括一些地区的战争，以及全球供应链所受到的冲击等等。

这些外在因素是我们没有办法控制的。但政府能够做的是通过一些措施，帮助大家应付生活费的上涨。

我们最近发放了新一轮的邻里购物券，我们也提供了杂费和水电费回扣等补助。接下来，我们还会继续这么做，并在必要的时候提供更多帮助，为大家减轻一些负担。

我也了解到，很多中小型企业都非常关注成本上涨的问题。我们不能避免一些外在因素的影响。但是政府能够做的，是简化监管规则，以减轻商家的成本。我会在英语演说中详细说明。

同时，政府会尽力帮助企业进行重组和转型，以便掌握新的商机。

例如，位于武吉巴督的杏和堂。这家中药铺1957年开始营业，现在已经传到第三代了。你们看一看，李先生和李太太。他们的孩子振祥是第三代。

他们得到政府的帮助，采用数码科技，开设了网站，并利用网购平台开拓海外市场。这让他们拓展业务、带来新顾客、销售额也增加了。

过去几年，政府大力推动电子付费的使用。现在，我们已经取得了很好的进展。我们可以看到更多的商店和小贩使用电子支付，例如PayNow。只需要用手机扫一下，顾客付钱更方便, 商家在结账时更准确、也更便利。

企业要转型成功，也需要有效的员工培训。所以，我希望雇主积极采取行动，提升员工的技能。

政府会通过“技能创前程计划”帮助你们。工会也将全力提供帮助。如果雇主、工会和政府能互相配合，加上员工的努力，国人就能不断提升技能，进而争取到良好的工作机会。

让新加坡本地文化继续发光发热

除了经济的稳健发展，我也非常注重传统文化的传承。

新加坡是以英语为共同语言。但我们在本质上是一个亚洲社会，不是西方社会。我们都想要保留亚洲人的精神面貌和传统价值观。 

多年来，我们具备双语双文化的优势，能够吸收东方和西方的智慧，并且跟东方和西方的国家打交道。因为这样，我们这些年来能够保持独特的竞争优势。

所以政府会继续跟各个族群一起努力，做好我们传统文化的传承。例如，最近推出的新加坡华族文化百科，以双语介绍我们的文化特色和发展。

我知道，华社人士非常关心华语水平的问题。

许多新加坡人在家里主要讲英语，其实我也一样。我的爸爸在马来西亚长大，妈妈是在新加坡的马来甘榜长大。他们都不会讲华语。从小，我在家里也没有讲华语的机会。

我是上学之后才开始学华文的。所以，学习华语需要更加努力。还记得，那时候有些同学笑我“Jiak Kentang”。可是大家都没想到，O水准成绩放榜时，我的华文竟然考到A1! 连我自己都很意外！

这其实没什么秘诀。我是靠死记硬背，才拿到好成绩！当然，学习语文有不同的方法，这未必是最好的。但是它为我打下了基础。

高中毕业后，我到美国读书，没有机会使用华语。在从政后，我需要和民众用华语沟通。幸好当年下了苦功，让我现在能够活学活用。我的华语也开始进步了。

其实，我的经历并不独特。我在中国访问时，遇到了不少从传统英校毕业的年轻人。他们当中包括企业的管理人员、记者、外交官和专业人士。他们平时都很少讲华语。尽管如此，他们在学校打下了双语基础。当他们到中国工作后，很快就能说出一口流利的华语。

所以，双语政策是非常重要的。我希望年轻家长多在家里使用华文华语，确保我们保持这个优势。

我也要向大家承诺：政府会继续支持国人提升双语能力，鼓励国人从小使用华文华语。

现在，在许多非特选学校，三年级和四年级的小学生已经可以修读高级华文。因此，修读高华的小学生比例也增加了。

目前，如果学生们想在中学选修高华，小六会考总成绩需要达到一定的标准。有一些学生整体成绩没达标准, 但他们的华文成绩优异。我觉得我们应该给他们机会发挥所长。

所以，我们会在政策上做一些调整。 我们会让这些华文好的学生，在升上中一的时候，也能选修高华。

我们希望培养更多“精通华文的人才”，也就是说，我们不但有“精英”，我们还有“精华”。

那些选修高级马来文和高级淡米尔文的学生当然也会受益。教育部接下来会宣布更多细节。

同时，政府也会继续支持华族文化中心、民间团体、宗乡会馆和商会、华文媒体等，积极推广本地华族文化。

从政以来，我都会定期和华社交流，比如说，我到宗乡总会拜访，和理事们一起吃粥；我也到春到河畔以及其他华社活动，跟大家相聚。我非常珍惜每一次的聚会，这让我更加了解华社。

我和我的团队会继续支持华社，关注华社的发展。我们会一直在您的左右。

结语

我深信，只要大家一起努力，我们的文化一定能够代代相传，更加精彩多元。

新加坡丰富的多元文化就像一盘道地的海南咖喱饭。

它当中结合了西餐的炸猪扒、娘惹咖喱鸡、印度咖喱香料，最后再淋上华人的卤汁。

只有在我们这个多元和包容的社会，才能找得到这么独特的美食。

这是不少人爱吃的佳肴。所以，等一下的自助餐，我也特别安排了海南咖喱饭，给大家享用。当然，也少不了马来和印度美食。

一盘海南咖喱饭反映出新加坡的社会特色。我们不同的族群，各自精彩，但是又相互包容，保持团结，所以才有今天的新加坡。

只要我们保持这样的精神，将来无论面对什么困难和挑战，我们一定能够一起渡过难关，携手前进，创造一个更有活力，一个更美好的新加坡。

谢谢大家。

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English Translation of National Day Rally 2024 Mandarin Speech

A Tribute to our Forefathers

Good evening, fellow Singaporeans!

This is the first time I am delivering the National Day Rally as Prime Minister.

However, this is not the first time I am involved in the National Day Rally.

Around 20 years ago, when I was still the Principal Private Secretary to former-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, I often helped him with his speeches.

We were so young then. Now, SM Lee’s hair has turned white. I do not know when mine will become white, but I am mentally prepared for it.

Compared to working behind the scenes, it feels very different standing before everyone today.

Personally, transitioning from public service to politics and taking on the role of a Minister was a very big change.

However, the biggest change was when I took over as Prime Minister. In the past, I managed a Ministry. Now, I lead the entire Government and our country.

I know this is a very heavy responsibility. I will do my best to fulfil my responsibilities and not let you down.

Since Singapore’s independence, under the leadership of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Goh Chok Tong, Mr Lee Hsien Loong and their teams, people of different races have worked together to overcome various difficulties and weather several crises.

We were able to achieve this because of the mutual trust between the Government and the people. This is a very precious relationship which we must preserve, regardless of how the world may change.

I thank our seniors for their sacrifices and contributions. Their lives were difficult before. But they still did their best to take care of their families and the next generation.

My mother was from the Pioneer Generation. Like many other seniors, she lived through the Japanese Occupation and the early challenging years of our nation-building.

She had to work from a young age to supplement the family’s income. At that time, my mother’s family still favoured males. As a result, she nearly missed the opportunity to go to school. It was only because she persevered that she was able to study and eventually become a teacher.

Having been through those difficult times, my mother has always been frugal with money. Even after the family’s income stablised, she refused to hire a helper. She raised my brother and me while she worked full-time. She is over 80 years old now, but she still insists on doing everything on her own.

Such self-reliance and resilience are marks of that generation. They never gave up when faced with difficulties.

Whenever I meet senior residents during my community visits, I am heartened by their positive attitude.

One example is Mdm Leow Nyek Koon, a 78-year-old in Limbang. She is very active, often  leading residents in the community for morning exercises.

She is also very independent. She would do groceries on her own and help take her grandchildren to school. Mdm Leow often organises gatherings, inviting her neighbours to foster good relationships in the community.

This generation has contributed a lot to the country and their families. The Government launched the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation packages to help them to retire with peace of mind.

In recent years, we have also rolled out the Age Well SG and Healthier SG initiatives to encourage our seniors to stay active.

Please be assured that my team and I will continue to take care of your needs, so you can enjoy your golden years.

Economy

I understand you are concerned about the rising cost of living.  Many countries are facing inflation. The reasons are complex. They include regional conflicts around the world and supply chain disruptions.

We cannot control these external factors. However, we can try to provide some relief to help everyone cope with rising living expenses.

Recently, we disbursed a new round of CDC vouchers. We also provided support such as the S&CC and utility rebates. We will continue to provide more support when necessary to lighten everyone’s burden.

I understand that many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are very concerned about the rise in business costs. While we cannot avoid the impact of external factors, the Government can simplify compliance and regulatory processes to reduce business costs. I will explain this further in my English speech.

At the same time, the Government will do its best to help businesses restructure and transform so they may seize new opportunities that come their way.

For instance, Heng Foh Tong Medical Hall in Bukit Batok. This traditional Chinese medicinal shop began operations in 1957 and is now managed by the third-generation of the family.

With the Government’s help, they used digital technology to set up a website and leveraged online platforms to expand overseas. These strategies brought in new customers, and helped increase their revenue.

In the past few years, the Government has promoted the use of e-payments. We have achieved good progress on this. We can see more hawkers adopting e-payments like PayNow. With a quick scan on the handphone, customers can make payments. Hawkers enjoy both greater convenience and accuracy in tracking their revenue.

Successful business transformation is dependent on effective employee training. Hence, I hope employers can take the initiative to upgrade their employees’ skills.

The Government will provide assistance through SkillsFuture. Unions will also lend their full support. As long as employers, unions and the Government work together, coupled with the efforts of employees, Singaporeans will be able to keep upgrading their skills and secure good job opportunities.

Keeping our Singaporean local culture flourishing

Besides ensuring the steady development of our economy, I also place great emphasis on the preservation of our traditional culture.

Although English is our working language, we are fundamentally an Asian society, not a Western one. We want to retain our Asian heritage and preserve our traditional values.

Our bilingual and bicultural edge has enabled us to draw the best from the East and the West. It has also allowed us to connect with other countries. This is why we have been able to maintain our unique competitiveness over the years.

The Government will continue to work with all races to pass on our traditional cultures. An example is the recent launch of Culturepaedia, an online repository of Singapore Chinese culture. It chronicles our unique Chinese culture and its developments in both Chinese and English.

I understand that the Chinese community is very concerned about the standard of Mandarin in Singapore.

Many Singaporeans mainly speak English at home, including me. My father grew up in Malaysia while my mother grew up in a Malay kampong here, so they did not speak Mandarin. Growing up, I too did not have the opportunity to speak Mandarin at home.

I only began learning Chinese in school. This is why I had to put in a lot more effort to learn Chinese. Some of my classmates used to tease me for being jiak kentang¹. Nobody expected it but I scored A1 for my O-Level Chinese. Even I was surprised!

There was actually no secret to my performance. I resorted to rote memorisation to achieve good results! Granted, it may not necessarily be the best way to learn a language, but it still provided me with a good foundation.

After graduating from JC, I went to the United States for further studies and did not have many opportunities to use Mandarin. After entering politics, I needed to communicate with some Chinese Singaporeans in Mandarin. Thankfully, my hard work in school paid off, allowing me to improve my Mandarin as I used it in daily life.

My experience is not unique. During my visits to China, I met several young Singaporeans who graduated from schools known to be more English-speaking. They included business executives, journalists, diplomats and professionals. They seldom spoke Mandarin at home. Despite that, the bilingual foundation from their school days proved useful.  After they started working in China, they very quickly became fluent in Mandarin.

Clearly, our bilingual policy is important. I hope more young parents can use Mandarin at home so that we can maintain our edge.

My commitment is that the Government will continue to support the cultivation of bilingual capability and encourage Chinese Singaporeans to use Chinese from young.

Primary 3 and 4 students are now able to take Higher Chinese Language (HCL) in several non-SAP schools, resulting in an increase in the number of primary school students taking HCL.

Currently, if students wish to take HCL in secondary schools, their PSLE overall score must meet a certain standard. However, there are some whose overall score do not meet the criteria though they did very well for Chinese. I think we should provide them with an opportunity to build on their strength.

Therefore, we will make a policy adjustment so that these students who are strong in Chinese can also take HCL from Secondary 1.

By this adjustment, we hope to nurture more students who are proficient in the Chinese language.

Of course, students who want to take Higher Malay and Tamil languages will also benefit. MOE will announce more details at a later date.

At the same time, the Government will continue to support the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, our clan and trade associations, the Chinese media and cultural groups to actively promote our Chinese culture.

Since entering politics, I have been interacting regularly with the Chinese community, such as meeting with council members of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clans and Associations over Teochew porridge. Be it celebrating Chinese New Year together at the River Hongbao or attending Chinese community events, I cherish every opportunity for us to come together, as it allows me to better understand the Chinese community.

My team and I will continue to support the Chinese community and its development. We will always stand by you.

Conclusion

My belief is that, as long as we work together, our culture can be passed down to future generations, even as it becomes even more vibrant and diverse.

In fact, Singapore’s rich multiculturalism is like a plate of Hainanese curry rice.

The dish combines Western fried pork chops with Nyonya curry chicken. It also contains Indian curry spices, and is drenched in Chinese braised gravy.

Such a unique dish can only be found in our inclusive and multicultural society.

This is a dish enjoyed by many. Hence, I have specially arranged for Hainanese curry rice to be served at the buffet later. Of course, there will be Malay and Indian dishes as well.

The Hainanese curry rice is a reflection of Singapore’s unique society. Our various races each have their own vibrant culture, yet we are inclusive and united. This is what has made Singapore what it is today.

So long as we maintain this spirit, we can overcome any difficulty or challenge that comes our way. Moving forward as one, we will build a more dynamic nation and a better Singapore together.

Thank you.

[1] Translates to “eat potatoes”. The term refers to Asians who are more westernised in their habits and preferences.

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