PAP celebrated its 60th anniversary yesterday. Some observers said that the PM Lee is upping his ante for the next elections. Below are excerpts of his speech.
“PAP must also look after other segments of society – professionals, employers, the young and the old, housewives as well as the working people, people of all races, languages and religions.
We will work together and that’s the way we solve our problems
We have to be fair to all groups, we balance each groups’ interests against the others and we do what is best for Singapore
Therefore the Party Pledge says “regardless of race, language or religion
Where did those words come from? The[sic] come from the National Pledge, which also says “regardless of race, language or religion.
And the national Pledge was first proposed by Comrade Ong Pang Boon, who was our first Organising Secretary
Drafted by Comrade S. Rajaratnam, our founding visionary, and polished and settled by Lee Kuan Yew, our founding Secretary General.
So it is a pledge drafted by the PAP leaders because we believed in it and it expresses these ideals of inclusiveness, of unity, of all Singaporeans making a common cause as we sail our little ship into the future…
We remind ourselves that the PAP will always be a national party, a national movement, a movement for all Singaporeans”
Some mean well, and we must engage with them, persuade them to make common cause with us
Others try to mislead voters and this will lead Singapore into trouble…
The PAP must do that, only the PAP is bringing different groups together
Only the PAP is active in solving problems, planning for the future
Only the PAP is active in putting forth a vision and a roadmap for Singapore.
In short, only the PAP truly cares for our people and the future of our children and grandchildren
No other party does that better than the PAP!”