Friends, ladies and gentlemen, mostly online, thank you for inviting me to this year's
Singapore Perspectives, to speak on the important topic of cities.
There are so many dimensions to cities. They are full of promise and potential. They are where
rural populations migrate to in search of a better life. They are the nerve centres of industries and
economies, ideas and culture. They are magnets for humanity, and cauldrons for new ideas
and social movements. They are where hopes and dreams are expressed and filled and fulfilled.
But there is a dark side to cities too. Cities can also breed crime, vice,
social inequality, disease, and cause environmental degradation. So cities are
filled with paradoxes. Along with triumphs, there are defeats. Where there is hope and optimism,
there is also despair. They have been the central stage where the story of humanity has unfurled,
reflecting how society societies think behave and point their moral compasses.
Today, I will start by recounting the stories of a few great cities — past and present.
I will then draw out key lessons from these cities, and talk about their implications
for Singapore, both our present as well as our future. My first example is Jericho,
in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. It was one of the oldest human settlements dating
back 9,000BC. An old city born of geographical advantage — a combination of good climate, fertile
soil, and an abundance of fresh water. These conditions enabled hunter-gatherers to settle
over time and they cultivated crops. These were a close-knit people from a very early civilization.
As their numbers grew, a city is formed. And then, with accumulated wealth from agriculture,
the people of Jericho established the city as a trading station, leveraging the
strategic location along the Jordan River, and they were trading with people as far out as Egypt
and Anatolia. With wealth came the need to defend the wealth and to protect the wealth.
Inhabitants built up fortifications, most famously the walls of Jericho. And defence
has always been a public good. So you want to defend the city, it has to raise taxes,
mobilize and organize resources. And therefore you see the emergence of a state administration.
And that leads me to my second set of examples of great cities — political capitals
such as Rome, Chang An, Constantinople, Kaifeng, Pataliputra.
These too began as well-located settlements, but they gained strategic significance,
as their rulers consolidated territories around them. And eventually, they became the full-fledged
political and economic capitals of empires. These capitals, they had a few common features.
First, they were often situated at a confluence of trade routes. Kaifeng, for example,
was located amidst a network of canals and handled huge volumes of trading cargo.
Trade was often state-sponsored and driven to provide the resources to sustain the empires.
Two, these capitals had defensive strat advantages. For example, Constantinople guarded
the only inlet to the Black Sea, and surrounded by water on three sides. And this left it open to
only land invasions from the west, but I think the Ottomans attacked them from the sea in the end.
Three, they were the seats of great powers, and developed significant military and technocratic
powers as capitals of empires. For example, Rome had a governing Senate, and an established code
of law, which still forms the foundations of many modern legal and democratic systems today.
The third set of examples are the present-day metropolises — New York City,
Shanghai, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore. With industry revolution and technological advancement,
came the free flow of capital, and the world became increasingly globalized. And
the globalized world is characterized by complex networks of trade, financial services, maritime,
aviation, infocoms and other activities. And then, these networks in turn need to be served
by nodes or exchanges, and global metropolises that I've listed,
managed to establish themselves as these nodes in a global economy. With technology,
the influence span of a modern metropolis is no longer limited by the stamina of a horse,
nor by the proximity to waterways and canals. Their
significance is determined by the breadth of their networks, strategic clustering of industries,
rich flows of capital and ideas, and most importantly, their ability to attract and
retain talent from all over the world. Hence, London no longer depends on the themes because it
is not no longer tethered to its maritime roots. Its transformation into a global financial centre
and a hub of creativity, culture and the arts has allowed it to keep its position in the world.
On the other side of the world, Silicon Valley and its smallest cities like Palo Alto and
Cupertino — the start-up and technological capital of the world — they have overtaken
the coastal city of San Francisco. The idea of cities has therefore evolved, from gatherings of
close-knit people who settled where climatic and geographical conditions are most benign,
to political and economic centres from which nations and empires were ruled and defended,
to now finally, financial and commercial hubs in a globalized and interconnected world.
However they come to be, cities rise and fall with the tide of history. The same geographical
luck which gave rise to ancient cities such as Jericho can also be their undoing.
Natural disasters, climate change foreign invasions can all turn a city's fate.
Today, Jericho is a pale shadow of its former self as part of a disputed territory in the West Bank.
As for political capitals such as Rome or Chang An (now called Xi An), their character
and significance shifted along with the rise and fall of their parent empires. Rome, was the roman
empire rather, was plagued by constant threats of invasion, and its military and administration were
overextended to defend a massive territory. There was an erosion of civic trust in the ruling elite.
Chang An was decimated at the fall of the Tang dynasty as the empire fragmented.
These cities did not 'decline' exactly. They remain major population centres
but their character has totally changed. Rome is still the capital of Italy, but the commercial
centre has since moved to Milan. Rome literally has layers of history buried below its surface,
which makes it very hard for the city to redevelop and reinvent itself.
As for the great modern metropolises, we can't take for granted we will always be there.
We are constantly jostling for relevance in a hyper-competitive global economy.
If a global node can be established, it can also be unplugged by a competitor.
Maintaining the vibrance and relevance of a city over generations is therefore no mean
feat. I cite these examples because I think there are lessons in each one
that can enrich our collective endeavour to keep Singapore a thriving city at the cutting-edge,
as well as a stable and sustainable home for all of us. Singapore cannot be modelled against
any of the examples I raised, and not even the modern metropolis. This is because
history has made us unique. We are city, we are a state, we are also a nation of one people,
all rode into one. In Singapore, we find some of the essence of New York City,
of Chang An, and also of Jericho. Our future success depends on us recognizing the importance
and combining the essence of all three great cities — past and present.
Let me start by talking about the New York City in us. We are a global economic node,
and this is central to our survival as a city, the way we earn the living. Because
without economic opportunities and the prospect of a better future for our people, a city loses
by its dynamism and its life. Especially for a city like Singapore, without a natural hinterland,
maintaining our economic viability has always meant being connected to the world.
One of our pioneer leaders, Mr S. Rajaratnam, set out our ambition to become a "Global City"
in a speech to the press club in 1972, a whole two decades before our next speaker,
Professor Sassen, would popularise the term. Mr Rajaratnam saw Singapore as a growingly important
component of the global economic system, side by side with the economic giants of the world.
In large part, we achieved this ambition through decades of hard work and enterprise.
We leveraged our geographical location we build a trading hub first, and from there, other strategic
industries — manufacturing, tourism, biomedical, finance, infocoms, aviation, R&D and so on. To use
a more contemporary analogy, we have become like a smartphone — with a good operating system and all
kinds of apps in it. Your contacts, your schedule, your group chats, music, photos. All personalised
and stored in here. So this is the value proposition we want to keep offering to the world.
Strong enough, so that it is not easy, though not impossible, to switch out of Singapore.
The great task before us is to keep reinventing ourselves to stay relevant and competitive. We
have made good progress as a smart nation. We are fast becoming a centre for green finance in the
world. We have long term plans to reinvent our cityscape, such as developing the land
to be vacated by the Paya Lebar Air Base, and reimagining our city centre with the inclusion
of the Greater Southern Waterfront, which is the size of three Marina Bays, and the city centre
will look entirely different decades from now. But I believe the biggest opportunity for reinvention
lies in the post COVID-19 world. In many ways, the crisis is like a reset button, forcing us to
rethink the way we do things, to be better, to be smarter. For example, the post COVID working world
should embrace a combination of working in office and at home, as a more efficient arrangement to
be outcome-focused, and help people juggle their lives. We should rethink about the
concept of 'peak' commuting hours, which has so long dictated the planning and development
of transport infrastructure. We can flatten that traffic curve too.
COVID-19 has pushed many hard-hit brick-and-mortar establishments onto digital platforms.
And having gone through Home Based Learning, education is undergoing another renaissance,
kicked off with every secondary school kid equipped with a personal device, embracing
the digital medium for education, and encouraging self-directed learning. And in healthcare, we now
have a much better appreciation of the importance of primary care, which includes things like
good hygiene, vaccinations, and home recovery with the help and support of telemedicine.
This may be a new beginning for primary preventive care, which will be actually the most important
component in a rapidly ageing country. Through the pandemic, we have also positioned ourselves
as a hub for vaccine manufacture and distribution. And the process of coping with the pandemic has
tested our metal as a city. We had to roll with the punches and adapt to all kinds of twists and
turns. We didn't try to shut down every infection cluster, but we tried to brave through, and ride
the infection wave. And to do this, we have had to rely on people's personal responsibility and
civic consciousness. We have to trust that people will do the right thing in testing themselves
and isolating themselves if they are positive tested positive. While all these have been done
out of necessity, I believe it has helped us grow as a people. I hope it is the start
of a societal attitude that is more forgiving of imperfections, embracing setbacks and failures,
appreciating resilience, ruggedness enterprise and even being unconventional.
There is also a Chang An in us, even though we are no empire. This is because
we need to run an effective state. In Singapore, our people do not have a choice between a
free-wheeling urban economic centre or a quiet life in the suburbs. There is also no equivalent
of a Washington DC, a Canberra, an Ottawa or Brasilia outside of global city. This city is
all we got. Within these 730 square kilometres, lie all the possible choices for 5 million
people. The Government of Singapore therefore must defend our city, maintain law and order,
must ensure all our infrastructure and services — from healthcare, education and transport to
utilities and refuse collection, libraries and parks, are all well provided for and working well.
What Singapore has been blessed with is a founding generation that has
built up a good Government, with a capital 'G'. This includes the various arms of the state — an
executive branch that is effective and can get things done; a non-politicized civil service;
and a judicial system that upholds the rule of law without fear or favour. It also includes
democratic institutions such as parliament, formed through free and fair elections.
But the affairs of the state cannot run away from politics, and therein lies a duality.
On the one hand, politics facilitates public discourse, puts the fate of the country
ultimately in the hands of the people, keeps powers in check and maintains accountability
of the executive branch. On the other hand, politics gone wrong can polarize the population
and destabilize societies. And we have seen many recent examples.
So a critical factor for good governance is to get politics right. Rather than endless
bickering and stalemates, the political process must be constructive, and help bridge divides. The
objective of politics must be to help the country find a way forward even if the decisions involve
very difficult trade-offs. And this is especially important to Singapore. For what we lack
in resources and strategic mass, we can make up with nimbleness, and unity of purpose and action.
We may be small, but we can be fast and we do things together.
What are the starkest political differences that need to be reconciled today?
Post Industrial Revolution, throughout 19th and 20th centuries, the biggest conflict
has been between the Right and the Left. Creation versus distribution of wealth.
Socialism versus Capitalism. And that was the defining divide that characterised the
political struggles of almost every country. An ideological struggle that defined modern history.
However post globalisation and the Internet, modern societies face new contradictions.
Economic and income growth are important and desired by many, but can also stratify society
and can hinder social mobility. The challenges and stresses of international competition
can make people turn against globalization and foreigners. Resource exploitation
depletes the life of our planet. In other words, inequality, protectionism and climate change.
These are some of the biggest issues that nations and their Governments across the world have to
grapple with today. To reconcile the dilemmas of modern societies and deal with these issues,
we actually need a strong state. Otherwise, it will not be possible to do difficult but necessary
things such as carbon tax to reduce emission, or redistributive policies to help the low-income
move up especially, or reform education, health or other significant public policies and programs.
Our policies need to be consistent for the long term in order to make an impact and make a change,
improve lives. Unlike bigger countries, Singapore cannot afford to be caught in fractious politics
with frequent change of governments and reorientation of policies that come with it.
This does not preclude the value of healthy discourse that take in diverse views,
and the proper functioning of checks and balances — both of which can strengthen our health and
functioning as a state. The success of Singapore state depends on our ability to achieve both aims.
But the most crucial aspect of Singapore is the Jericho in us.
The sense that despite being in a global city, we are members of a close-knit tribe,
sharing a common fate and destiny. A recognition that by working together
and making sacrifices for one another, we have a better shot at a brighter future.
Except unlike the inhabitants of Jericho, we are not a natural tribe of similar
origins. Singapore is a far more diverse and complex city than any ancient city.
Having a seat at the table at the United Nations, or a flag to compete under in the Olympics,
does not a nation make. The litmus test of what it means to be a nation
is actually in our Pledge — 'One United People'. This makes nation building a long term,
subconscious process. A nation's people will have to have common experiences, and go through
trials and tribulations together. Over time, that togetherness, will forge common ideals
that transcend primordial tribal instincts, and overcome forces that deepen social fault lines.
Then something mysterious can emerge, beyond security, beyond making a living, beyond
creature comforts — like, the soul of a nation. For ancient civilizations like China and India,
the sense of nationhood is almost second nature, having been born of millennia in time. In Europe,
religious beliefs played a big part in forging that sense of togetherness also over centuries.
The United States of America that's a relatively young country, held together by the ideals of
individual freedom and liberty. In Singapore, we are working on what it means to be Singaporean,
day by day. Students singing Majulah Singapura daily at school assemblies; different
communities living side by side in HDB estates, visiting hawker centres public parks together;
cohorts of youngsters performing National Service together, total strangers instinctively connecting
with a Singlish phrase, even thousands of miles away from home like our secret code;
and battling crisis like COVID-19 pandemic together. These are all acts
of nation building. Many of these come through deliberate policies and programs implemented by
the state. Take our bicentennial commemoration in 2019 for instance. We wanted to figure out
what best describes the Singapore DNA. So after consulting widely,
we shortlisted three descriptors — openness, multiculturalism, and self-determination.
At the end of the exhibition at Fort Canning, members of the public were asked to vote for
the descriptor that resonated with them the most. I did too. And by a wide margin,
we chose self-determination. It is not surprising. Cities don't need it; many states don't even
think about it; but a young nation like us dreams of and cherish self-determination.
It was a pity COVID-19 disrupted the process and we could not take the exhibition further. But we
should think of other ways to do so, because there is a growing consciousness about why we exist as
Singapore and what makes us Singaporean. And to put that consciousness into words,
it is perhaps this: that we are not just a keynote of the globalised world, but one that connects
the East and West, and different parts of Asia, creating vast opportunities that
surpass the limits of our borders, for our people and our future generations.
That the consistent strengths of the institutions of state will always strive to ensure justice and
fairness to all, uphold meritocracy, bring out the best of people, bridge our divides and put us on
the right path for the long term. That therefore in this nation, there is a solemn commitment
to give every community that calls Singapore home a place under the sun, where everyone also
exercises a spirit of give and take rather than pushing their own agendas at the expense
of others, and in so doing provides space for something we collectively own as Singaporeans,
to evolve over time. And with all these, we will determine our own future, and be a city,
state, and nation that continue to thrive for many years to come. Thank you.