REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR TAN HUNG SENG 46TH NATIONAL DAY & BUKA PUASA RECEPTION AT THE RESIDENCE, 14 AUGUST 2011

REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR TAN HUNG SENG 46TH NATIONAL DAY & BUKA PUASA RECEPTION AT THE RESIDENCE, 14 AUGUST 2011

Good afternoon, friends and fellow Singaporeans. First of all, on behalf of the Singapore Embassy, I want to extend a very warm welcome to each and every one here this afternoon. My colleagues and I are delighted that you are able to join us today to celebrate Singapore's 46th birthday as well as to buka puasa with our Muslim friends.

2 So far, 2011 has been an extremely eventful year. Here in Egypt, many of us experienced first-hand the tumultuous events of 25th Jaunuary, which led to the resignation of former President Mubarak on 11 February. There were anxious moments as law and order broke down and the Embassy organised the voluntary assisted departure of Singaporeans from Cairo. But it was also a heartening experience to see every Singaporean in Cairo pulling together to help and to look out for one another during those difficult times. It was indeed heart-warming to see the spirit of caring, cohesiveness and camaraderie among our small community in Cairo.

3 Back home in Singapore, we witnessed a keenly-contested General Election in May and soon, the Presidential Election will also be upon us. The outcome of the May elections underscored the fact that the character of Singaporean society is changing. As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had observed in his National Day Message, "a new generation of Singaporeans want more alternative voices, and more debate on issues affecting them. They seek to play a bigger part in co-creating solutions." While welcoming such a change, PM Lee also emphasised the importance of Singaporeans staying united. PM Lee said and I quote: "More diverse views can produce a more vibrant society, but they may also split and weaken us. We need to enlarge our common space, not magnify our differences and become a house divided. By staying united we can respond effectively to major challenges, and continue to outperform other countries."

4 PM Lee's words are a timely reminder that while we can be proud of our achievements over 46 years of nation-building, we should not rest on our laurels. Our success did not come overnight and neither can it be guaranteed to last forever. Indeed, the coming few years will bring more challenges and surprises. As we have witnessed recently, the United States and Europe are battling economic turmoil and the global economic outlook remains highly uncertain.

5 However, we should not become downcast or pessimistic. I have every confidence that Singapore can overcome any upcoming difficulties if we hold firmly to this year's National Day theme of "Majulah! The Singapore Spirit". What is this "Singapore Spirit"? PM Lee has described it as "the determination that makes us press on in the face of tough times and the confidence that Singapore will prevail". The "Singapore Spirit" represents the "can-do" attitude of every Singaporean in tackling challenges and scaling new heights. It is this commitment of every Singaporean, working hand in hand with a strong and competent government, which would help us ride out whatever storms that may come our way.

6 More importantly, the "Singapore Spirit" calls for our unity as one people. In spite of our multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, we have always looked beyond our differences and draw strength from our diversity. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law Mr K. Shanmugam summed it up succinctly at his constituency's National Day dinner last week when he noted that "Singapore has been an outstanding success for the past 46 years because we were united". In a similar vein, PM Lee concluded that "most importantly, we can surmount the never-ending challenges of nation building by looking out for one another and working hand-in-hand to improve all our lives."

7 Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to extend a special welcome to the newly-arrived students. As with every new batch of students, I strongly encourage you to not only work hard, but also to play an active role in PERKAMAS. Most importantly, you must stay connected to Singapore. The Embassy and your seniors stand ready to help you at all times during your stay in Egypt. On this note, I would like to wish everyone a Happy National Day and Ramadan Kareem. I hope that you will enjoy the buffet and each other's company and have a very pleasant evening. Thank you.