Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West SMC Citizenship Ceremony (English)

Friends, grassroots leaders

New citizens, residents

Ladies and gentlemen

A very good morning to all of you. I’m very happy to be here to join you for the Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang West Citizenship Ceremony this morning. We have 200 new citizens being presented with their certificates this morning and later this afternoon we will have 150 more.

You come from many different backgrounds, from many different parts of the world. Asia, Europe even a few from Central America; all ages, young and old; different professions. But you all have one thing in common – you have adopted Singapore and Singapore is now your new home. So, welcome to our family!

I’m very happy that you have decided to cast your lot with us, because changing citizenship is a major life decision. If you think about it carefully, it will take many years to decide. You decide not just for yourself, but also for your family, and also for your children. The legal status is one aspect of it, but much more important than the legal status, are the intangible factors – the “heart” part that make citizenship meaningful. Whom you identify with, what you identify with; the values, the goals, the aspirations of your people. Your loyalty – which is your country, who are your fellow citizens and the emotional attachment of you and your family, the places, the memories, where you feel you really belong.

Becoming a citizen is a big step. But it’s one step along a journey. I hope that now you have become a citizen, you will integrate even more closely into our society. Those of you who have been here some years, some ten, twenty, some maybe even thirty years – that’s not a problem. But those of you who have come more recently, I hope you will make the effort. Don’t just mix amongst yourselves, or with people who have come from the same country as you, but make friends with Singaporeans – with your neighbours, with your colleagues, with your children’s schoolmates, and pick up Singaporean customs, lifestyles, norms, social rules. And if you can understand “Singlish”, so much the better!

But, be conscious that this is something that you need to do. Watch out also for the little cultural differences, which I’m sure there will still be between those who have grown up here and those who have come here as adults especially. Know about them and try to bridge them, and get closer to the Singapore community. Even when people are the same race, Malays from Malaysia, or Indians from India, or Chinese from China, I think the culture and upbringing and the identity, is not quite the same as an Indian who grew up in Singapore, a Malay who grew up in Singapore, a Chinese who grew up in Singapore. Because those who have lived here and grown up here have got to know one another and have, over a long period of time, become not just Chinese, Indians or Malays, but Singaporeans. For new citizens, that’s what you must become too.

Customs, habits, and attitudes gradually will, I hope, evolve and converge. In each country, the norms are different – so what is normal in Singapore and other countries, people may consider strange; what is normal in other countries where you come from, may not be the custom in Singapore and may not be socially acceptable in Singapore. Even words can have different meanings. For example, I heard there was one new immigrant from India who was confused when his neighbour invited him for “chicken curry”, because in Singapore, chicken curry is when you cook curry and you put chicken into it. But in India the word “kari” (similar sound) can mean meat! So when I invite you for chicken “kari”, it may mean to invite you for “chicken meat”, which is quite strange! So you’re talking about something different. That is a small misunderstanding, but I think it is an example of how we have to work and bridge the gaps and become closer together.

So I encourage you to adapt to Singapore and our norms, because the norms help to define who we are, what Singapore is, and how we belong. I encourage you to become comfortable living and working here, and to embrace Singapore society, to embrace this country as yours, as part of your identity. We are now Singaporeans together.

The best way to integrate is to join in our community life. Participate in our activities: social activities, grassroots activities, community events. Volunteer even! Whether is with the schools, whether is with VWOs (voluntary welfare organisations), whether is with the self help groups, participating, helping others to fit in, as many new citizens have done – to help others who have newly arrived to fit in to Singapore. Some have participated in the grassroots and done good work like Mr Myo San who is our RC chairman in Teck Ghee Zone “B”. He came from Myanmar to Singapore when his older daughter came to school here. He started his own company. He became a citizen in 2008. And now as Chairman of Teck Ghee Zone “B”, he is working with all his members and residents to make that community of Teck Ghee a better place for all the residents. That’s one way, but there are many other ways to do it, so I encourage all of you to make the effort to integrate.

I also encourage Singaporeans to make the effort on their part – to help the new arrivals to integrate and to settle in, especially on a personal level. Because when we talk about getting along, we’re not talking about abstract things – we are talking about people who know people, friends who know friends. We are proud to consider ourselves an open and multi-racial society and we will reach out to the new arrivals – at home, at work, at play, in social places. We will help the new arrivals to fit in, so both sides have to make the effort. In Teck Ghee, we organize many activities for the new arrivals. For example, recently we had an excursion to the Night Safari for the residents and PRs; we’ve had makan (food) sessions for new residents and PRs to learn more about grassroots activities. So I hope you will join in and participate in the fun, and gradually, day by day, year by year, imperceptibly after awhile, when people look at you, they will say, “That is a Singaporean!”

I am confident that you will make your contribution to the community and to Singapore. Let’s work together to make Singapore the best home for ourselves and for our children!
Thank you very much!

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