This was a write-up I did covering this event held to commemorate Singapore's bicentennial.
Making Dollars and Sense: Understanding the World Yesterday, Today, for Tomorrow Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed said he saw himself as a storyteller, rather than an academic speaker. With 20 years in journalism under his belt, it is safe to say his stories can certainly rival any academic speech in insight and wisdom. “Blessed” was the word he used to describe himself as being invited to the conference to give this speech. It was also the word he used to describe Singapore, because we embody “Secularism with a Soul” like no other country. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and the Hindu Endowments Board as statutory boards are proof of this. Mr Zainul emphasised the importance of celebration and reflection in this conference: celebration of Singapore’s achievements thus far and reflection of who we are as people, and how we deal with the past, in the present for the future. He cited the interconnectedness between Singapore and the rest of the world, and how we are open to embracing diversity as factors that contributed to our success. This multiculturalism entrenched in our psyche is evident in our constitution (Article 152 (1)), our public housing system and our people. Moving forward, Mr Zainul hoped that Singapore will not only continue to be open to ethnically diverse people, but also to novel ideas and opportunities. Singapore’s harmonious relationship with China is a prime example of how this has worked out well for us in the past. He mentioned the four major China-Singapore collaborations: the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City and the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative (CCI). Each project represents a dynamic partnership that addresses the evolving needs of our societies and communities, from industrialisation to environmental concerns, to attracting talent- and knowledge-based industries and lastly, connectivity in an increasingly isolationist world. Mr Zainul then brought it back home when he gave a shout-out to the Nanyang International Club in NTU and commended them in their efforts to highlight the importance of cultural understanding between Singapore and the rest of the world. Cyclic and Counter-Cyclic Relation between Human Resources and Natural Resources: 16th-21st Century World-renown historian Professor Takeshi Hamashita asserts that in the current era, traditional boundaries of ethnicity and nationality have morphed into global boundaries between human societies and natural resources. His extensive research about Singapore’s place in the maritime industry deserves to be lauded for the valuable insights gained about how migration patterns and weather patterns interplay to affect our culture and communities. With the present rate of environmental degradation, Prof. Takeshi stressed the significance of studying the relationship between us and nature in the past to perhaps be able to apply the knowledge in creating a new balance between human and natural resources. He proceeded to explain the meteorological division of the world’s climate and how it corresponds to ocean current circulation, specifically in the Asia-Pacific area. Prof. Takeshi then categorised what he called “maritime Asia” into components of a maritime region, comprising of continents, peninsulas and islands. He named Canton and Malacca, and Hong Kong and Singapore, as port cities connecting the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal. These states serve as both trade and financial connections in the network of maritime Asia. Prof. Takeshi also highlighted how analysing migrant remittance in financial market has shed light on interesting human migration patterns, especially within Southeast Asia. There are 3 main circulations in global history: the meteorological circulation, the socio-economical circulation and the social life and cultural circulation. Prof. Takeshi said we should be using the relevant data, collected from meteorological stations around Asia, historical data on water levels and past doctors’ research on sanitary issues to determine how to integrate the aforementioned circulations. He rounded up his speech by reiterating the geo-academic role of Singapore (being at the intersection of the circles created by the radii from the South China Sea and the Bengal Bay), and its associated climatic and maritime considerations that enables it to play an essential role in maritime Asia. Lessons from Urbanisation in Singapore Famously and frequently dubbed as the “Father of Urban Planning” in Singapore, Dr Liu Thai Ker has been personally involved in an admirable 50 years of Singapore’s 200-year journey. An architect-planner at his core, Dr Liu shared his perspective on various aspects of Singapore’s success story, from a backward city-state to the city in a garden it is today. “Careful and deliberate planning” he said, is the key. From the trees along the roads to the high-rise HDB buildings to the creation of hawker centres, the things we take for granted were painstakingly designed with our future in mind. Dr Liu also noted the importance of having a long-term master plan for everything. By 1985, Singapore had made astonishing progress - there were no squatters, no homeless, no poverty ghettos and no ethnic enclaves. There was no other city that came close to this achievement. With astute foresight and far-sighted planning, the leaders of Singapore anticipated problems, defined results and devised strategies to address the root causes. Young Singaporeans should aspire to do the same for the future that lies in their hands. Dr Liu quoted the many accolades Singapore has earned to represent our spirit of always pursuing excellence. In his words, “When poor, we had no choice but to survive and search for excellence. Despite success, we still have no choice but to survive and search for excellence.” Our pioneering leaders, Dr Liu included, have led the way to prosperity by balancing lofty aspirations with pragmatic executions. They provided a clear authority with an in-built feedback mechanism to keep updated with the situation on the ground. Dr Liu wishes the younger generation will follow in these footsteps but ended by saying, “The highest authority is ultimately not the Prime Minister, nor the President, but the truth.” Wise words to live by indeed.
Cover image from here.