Pritam Singh: S’poreans on opposite ends of different debates are really pursuing the same thing—a better society

Singapore — Workers’ Party chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh shared an excerpt from his speech earlier this month to the Singapore Chapter of the Young President’s Organisation (YPO).

In the excerpt posted on Dec 23 to Facebook, he spoke of three “fault lines” that separate modern society, “between public and private, local and foreign, East and West,” and told the young leaders that despite these dividing lines, “there is still a future that we can all rally behind”.

The YPO is a “global leadership community of extraordinary chief executives,” according to its website. What this means is that wanna-be members must have become president, chairman or chief executive of a significant corporation with a minimum revenue and number of employees.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Singh said the fault lines “can all be seen as symptoms of Singapore’s growing pains or the reality of the times”.

They are signals of “deeper transitions taking place as the country enters a new phase of its history. 

“On one level, they signal a stronger sense of nationalism. Singaporeans are becoming more assured of their identity after decades of independence.

 

And while some are “keen to guard what has taken so much toil and sacrifice to build,” others are “eager to seek new vistas and avenues, to question the things we have taken for granted.”

This questioning comes from care and concern for the country, said Mr Singh.

“Whether or not they are aware of it, Singaporeans on opposite ends of these different debates are really pursuing the same thing: a better society, a Singapore that truly lives up to its highest ideals,” he said.

The full text of his speech was published on his website and can be read here.

This post from the Leader of the Opposition seems to have resonated with many Singaporeans, who left supportive comments, still reeling from the aftermath of the Raeesah Khan scandal, wherein the former Sengkang GRC MP admitted to having lied in Parliament last August, and then again in October.

One commenter wrote that the WP leader had made “a speech that unites, instead of dividing the different camps”.

Many netizens encouraged the WP to keep on, and praised its members for their “fighting spirit”.

Another referenced the Committee of Privilege hearings, which Mr Singh, party chair Sylvia Lim, vice-chair Faisal Manap, CEC member Jamus Lim, have had to appear before.

Several netizens called Mr Singh, “a hero” and a “true patriot”.

/TISG

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