Appendix A - Talent For The Future

Summary

Our performance for the first half of 1983 has been more than fair with 5. per cent growth. If the American recovery continues, we may achieve real growth for 1983 of 6 to 7 per cent.

However, several sectors have suffered: Manufacturing down 8 per cent; external trade down 2 per cent; cargo handled down 1 per cent; tourism down 2 per cent.

We made up by boosting construction up 31 per cent, and banking and financial services up 18 per cent. So on our 18th National Day we have cause for relief and congratulations.

How has this been achieved? It is the cumulative result, since 1959, of nearly 24 years of hard work, savings for investments, and consistent policies of rewards based on merit and performance, since 1959.

For the first four to six years, we settled urgent basic problems of unrest and insecurity caused by communist subversion, demonstrations, labour strikes, walkouts, sit-ins, go-slows, riots and general political agitation.

Then in 1965, when we had about established confidence that we could get on top of the communist problems, we suffered a blow to our prospects for long-term economic viability by separation from Malaysia. Then came the withdrawal of the British bases announced in 1968.

It took another five years, to 1970, for us to establish our viability. We established it by restoring discipline and efficiency in society.

Strikes went down, social and work discipline prevailed, and the Employment Act changed the rules governing relations between management and workers. Then investments and trade grew steadily.

We maximized our assets. We had to keep morale up. In November 1964, in the depression after our communal riots, we had campaigns against beggars, stray dogs, and cattle. We had become a scruffy town.

In October 1968, we had our first Keep Singapore Clean campaign. In October 1969, we had a campaign to Keep Singapore Mosquito-Free. Our first tree-planting campaign was in June 1963. It stalled. There were too many political crises. We resumed it in 1971.

We added on the anti-litter campaign to make Singapore clean and green. By the middle 1970s, we moved on to courtesy campaigns. The first Productivity Campaign was in 1975. We were not ready for it.