Singapore's Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam, spoke about the city-state's approach to survival during a global situation that is "more uncertain and challenging than any period we have had to deal with, almost since independence". Shanmugam said that as a small country, Singapore has to be clear on its principles and always put its own interests first, never allowing other countries to dictate its actions. He pointed out Singapore's strong ties with the US, China, and Europe and said that the city-state has consistently refused to take sides in geopolitical tensions. Shanmugam added that Singapore's principles are existential, especially for a small nation like itself, and the city-state acts based on what is in its own interests and principles. He said that Singapore is showing the world what good governance, stable politics, and a united people can achieve and that the city-state came through the COVID-19 pandemic quite well.

Shanmugam recalled former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's New Year message in 1966, where he said Singapore needed to make friends overseas and grow markets worldwide, keep politics stable and predictable, and remain quietly confident. Shanmugam said this is because Singapore's fundamentals do not change, and as a small country, its people are its only resource, relying on its own exceptionalism to earn its living. He said that following these principles is what has led to the city-state's increased standard of living, social and political stability, high security, and good standing in the world.

Shanmugam called for groups like cultural and educational foundation Hokkien Huay Kuan to continue playing an important role in bringing Singapore forward by inculcating the right values in the next generation and helping new immigrants integrate into Singaporean society. He concluded by saying that Singapore is different and that it knows what it needs to do and has the courage and will to do the right thing for itself.

Source: South China Morning Post