As the tributes poured in for our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, I pondered on the implications of this touching episode for young adults such as myself.
I was born in 1990 and belong to Generation Y. Rightfully or not, earlier generations have long reprimanded us for being soft and pampered. I once heard that the most appropriate word to describe my generation is “entitled”.
While that is another debate, I think that my generation should be the most grateful for what Mr Lee and his peers have done. We are the fortunate group who are about to embark on our prime years.
To quote Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” We are standing on the shoulders of giants who came before us, and we must thank them for this privilege.
Being grateful, however, is not enough. Just as one cannot drive a car by looking at the rear-view mirror, we cannot pave a successful future by reminiscing about the past. We must look forward. An era has ended; another must begin.
In only 10 years’ time, there will be 2.6 working-age citizens for each citizen aged 65 and above. Today, the ratio is 4.8. An ageing population represents a big challenge for young Singaporeans.
Part of this problem is due to our low birth rate, a phenomenon Mr Lee felt would be the greatest threat to Singapore’s future.
Throughout last week, many people have spoken about the importance of values. This is where I think values come into the picture.
The path ahead might be long and treacherous, but we can rely on time-tested values such as resilience, resourcefulness, vigilance and diligence to guide us.
We will face new problems and explore new frontiers, which is why we cannot simply replicate past solutions. We must remain nimble and adaptable while never losing sight of these values our founding fathers had championed.
Following this loss of a titan, Singapore must endeavour collectively to secure its future. We are in no position to take things for granted. Now that the mourning has ended, let us continue to fight the good fight.
I hope our Generation Y will strive to be a source of hope, lighting up our beloved country like a rainbow after a heavy downpour.
I was born in 1990 and belong to Generation Y. Rightfully or not, earlier generations have long reprimanded us for being soft and pampered. I once heard that the most appropriate word to describe my generation is “entitled”.
While that is another debate, I think that my generation should be the most grateful for what Mr Lee and his peers have done. We are the fortunate group who are about to embark on our prime years.
To quote Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” We are standing on the shoulders of giants who came before us, and we must thank them for this privilege.
Being grateful, however, is not enough. Just as one cannot drive a car by looking at the rear-view mirror, we cannot pave a successful future by reminiscing about the past. We must look forward. An era has ended; another must begin.
In only 10 years’ time, there will be 2.6 working-age citizens for each citizen aged 65 and above. Today, the ratio is 4.8. An ageing population represents a big challenge for young Singaporeans.
Part of this problem is due to our low birth rate, a phenomenon Mr Lee felt would be the greatest threat to Singapore’s future.
Throughout last week, many people have spoken about the importance of values. This is where I think values come into the picture.
The path ahead might be long and treacherous, but we can rely on time-tested values such as resilience, resourcefulness, vigilance and diligence to guide us.
We will face new problems and explore new frontiers, which is why we cannot simply replicate past solutions. We must remain nimble and adaptable while never losing sight of these values our founding fathers had championed.
Following this loss of a titan, Singapore must endeavour collectively to secure its future. We are in no position to take things for granted. Now that the mourning has ended, let us continue to fight the good fight.
I hope our Generation Y will strive to be a source of hope, lighting up our beloved country like a rainbow after a heavy downpour.
