Speech by Minister Chan Chun Sing at Raffles Institution Bicentennial Lecture, at Raffles Institution

Towards a Better Age

Mr Bey Soo Khiang, Chairman of the Board of Governors

Members of the Board of Governors

Old Rafflesians' Association and Raffles Parents' Association

Mr Frederick Yeo, Principal

Guests, friends of RI and fellow Rafflesians

Introduction

1. Good afternoon. Always happy to be back in RI.

2. First, let me congratulate RI for celebrating and commemorating two hundred years of illustrious history.

1. RI derives its name from Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of modern Singapore.
2. Sir Stamford Raffles had a vision for Singapore as a thriving metropolis and established the school for three reasons:
   1. To provide basic education,
   2. Engage in higher scholarship, and
   3. As a research body for people and cultures of the region.
3. However, what he could not have foreseen then was how history would unfold, how the island would evolve and how the institution would grow.
4. Since then, many graduates of this institution have gone on to become pioneers and contributors in diverse fields.

The Founding of Singapore and Raffles Institution

3. The history of RI is inextricably intertwined with Singapore's development from a British colony to an independent nation.

4. RI began with the history of modern Singapore.

1. In the early 19th century, Southeast Asia was a flourishing region for trade and commerce. Natural resources such as spices, tea and silk were traded between China, India and Europe.
2. European powers competed for control over lucrative trade routes, and sought to gain access to the Chinese market to expand their influence.
3. Facing Dutch dominance in the region, Sir Stamford Raffles looked to establish a British port for English traders plying the Straits of Malacca.
4. He recognised that Singapore, with its strategic location, and natural harbour, was ideal.
5. And that was how Singapore came to be - born amidst contestation between Western powers for dominance over trade routes in Southeast Asia.

5. Four years later, RI was founded and developed alongside Singapore.

1. Over a decade from 1834 to 1843, the number of students quadrupled, from 50 to nearly 200. Shortly after, in 1844, a separate girls' department was set up; what we know today as Raffles Girls' School (RGS).
2. Around the world, conflicts waged on - including the Opium War between China and Great Britain, and the 1848 revolutions in Europe.
3. In the same period, Singapore grew in population and prosperity. As a bustling port, we attracted immigrants from the Malay Archipelago, China, India, and beyond.

6. As RI100 drew close, it was also a time of tectonic shifts in the world order.

1. The Great War from 1914 to 1918 embroiled most nations in Europe along with Russia, the US, and other regions.
2. The Spanish Flu devastated the world and claimed the lives of more than 21 million.
3. The world economy took a severe downturn during the Great Depression in 1929.
   1. In just one decade, world trade fell by half.
   2. The economic difficulties compounded the social challenges that gave rise to extremist political movements, such as Nazism in Germany and militarism in Japan.
4. Unfortunately, in attempts to rein in domestic unemployment, many European countries implemented trade barriers and tariffs to protect their domestic industries.
5. This led to a breakdown in the global economic system and deepened tensions between countries, that contributed much to World War II.
6. In the aftermath of World War II, nationalist sentiments and anti-colonial movements gained momentum. This eventually led to decolonialisation and the creation of many new nations.

7. RI150 coincided with the early years of Singapore's independence.

8. The years leading to independence were marked by political turmoil, economic challenges, and social unrest.

1. After the war and Japanese Occupation, Singapore remained a British colony until we gained self-governance in 1959, and joined the Federation of Malaya in 1963.
2. Even then, things did not get any easier.
3. Political and economic differences eventually led to Singapore's separation from Malaysia.
4. The shock withdrawal of British troops East of the Suez in the late 1960s, was also daunting for Singapore's defence and economy, as British military bases contributed over one-fifth to our gross national product then.
5. Those amongst us who have lived through these times would have sung four different national anthems – from "God Save the Queen" to "Kimigayo", to "Negaraku" to "Majulah Singapura".

9. As for RI, this was also a period of instability.

1. The school buildings were used by the military authorities during the war. Restoring these buildings to a usable state post-war was a formidable task.
2. During the Rubber Boom and post-war period, many teachers left for better opportunities, and classes had to close.
3. Things took a turn for the better as RI hired and trained new teachers, and reorganised its academic and non-academic departments.

The Changing State of External Affairs

10. As we now mark RI200, we are, once again, confronted with new uncertainties and heightened insecurities.

1. We have just emerged from a crippling global pandemic.
2. Some have asked whether the troubling external environment is just but a passing storm.
3. Others wonder whether we stand at the crossroads of yet another significant episode in global history.

11. As a small country, these external headwinds have an outsized impact on all of us. Let me highlight three emerging concerns for Singapore.

12. First, there are rising geopolitical tensions - including the US-China rivalry and the war in Ukraine.

13. There is growing mistrust between the US and China.

1. Both sides are hardening their views against the other.
   1. In the US, there is a growing body of opinion that China's rising power is at odds with US interests and values.
   2. Chinese perception of the US continues to deteriorate as well; the prevalent view being that the US is seeking to contain China's rise at all costs.
2. The US-China contestation in multiple domains – from technology, military, finance and even ideology - will reshape the new international order.

14. Both sides wish to avoid conflict, but neither can afford to be seen as weak. The key is how each will manage their domestic challenges, in order to exercise global leadership.

1. Conflict cannot be ruled out, if either side misinterprets each other's intent or miscalculates each other's capability.
2. Should that happen, Singapore will not be spared from the consequences.

15. In Ukraine, the war has raged on for more than a year. Unfortunately, there is no good outcome in sight.

1. The invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder of the inherent vulnerability of smaller states.
2. The war also continues to disrupt global energy and food supplies, contributing to the inflation we are experiencing now.

16. Second, the global rule of law and trade is also under threat.

1. Since the end of World War II, the world has benefitted from a rules-based global order that is inclusive, open and interconnected.
2. This connectivity has allowed countries to leverage their competitive advantage, and propelled economic growth, uplifting millions from poverty.
3. This is particularly critical for Singapore, which depends on a stable and free international trading system. Our trade volume is three times our gross domestic product (GDP).
4. However, with the gloomy economic outlook and growing trust deficit, the prevailing sentiment for countries is to consider their short-term and domestic interests first.
   1. Some have moved production domestically, in an attempt to insulate themselves from external developments.
   2. Many are trying to re-shore, on-shore or friend-shore supply chains, to mitigate the geopolitical risks. Politics and security, rather than economics, increasingly determine investment and commercial decisions.
5. These protectionist moves are beggar-thy-neighbour policies that are detrimental to the proper functioning of our global economic system, and threaten the integration of trade that has benefitted all of us thus far.
6. If we are not careful, we may experience rather similar challenges as RI100, a century ago.

17. Third, we are facing a demographic challenge and an existential threat posed by climate change.

1. The global demographic challenge is no longer rapid population growth, but aging.
   1. In Singapore, around one in four citizens will be above 65 by 2030, compared to about one in ten in 2012 .
   2. Coupled with declining birth rates, countries will have smaller, but also older populations.
2. These will affect how we live, work and play – changing our lifestyle, consumption patterns, and the kind of jobs available to us.
3. Climate change has also affected communities all over the world. We see more volatile and extreme weather patterns, affecting lives, livelihoods, trade, economic production and even security.
4. As a low-lying island, Singapore is vulnerable to rising sea levels. Our dense urban environment makes cooling within a tight carbon budget, a big challenge. But if we can overcome this, it will also create new opportunities for us, just as how we turned water from a constraint into an opportunity over the last 50 years.

Will Singapore Continue to Defy the Odds?

18. The external environment is now more worrying than we have experienced for a very long time. It has not become any easier for a small city-state like Singapore to survive and thrive.

1. Without a conventional hinterland, we worked hard to secure our economic livelihoods, by connecting ourselves to the world as our hinterland and markets.
2. But the world is becoming more divided than ever.
3. And less hospitable to smaller economies like Singapore, who have long thrived on connectivity to the global market, and an open, rules-based multilateral system.

19. Singapore has survived challenging times before - the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, the Global Financial Crisis and most recently, COVID-19.

1. But as history shows, we can never take our existence and future successes for granted.
2. Looking back, in the last 700 years, this land that we now call Singapore, has been part of bigger kingdoms and empires. It has also risen and fell in our relevance to and influence in Southeast Asia. The reasons were often a combination of wider geopolitics, our ability to secure our lifelines and livelihoods, and our domestic cohesion and coherence.
3. Our last 58 years as an independent country, responsible for our own survival, and able to chart our own destiny, was not the norm, by far.

20. Now, a few questions lie before us:

1. Will independent Singapore survive the next 40 years to reach SG100?
   1. If so, what roles will schools, like RI, and students of your generation, play?
2. Will RI likewise reach RI300? What will Singapore be like then?
3. The bottomline question is this: Will Singapore and RI survive the next 50-100 years?
4. How can we create the conditions for Singapore to remain relevant and defy the odds of history?

Our People as Our Greatest Asset

21. While external geopolitical events and economic shocks are beyond our control, our people must anchor our continued survival and success.

22. While I do not claim to have the recipe for Singapore's eternal success, I see three key aspects that our schools must value add in, to help Singapore defy the odds of history.

1. First, schools must be pioneering institutions, and contribute to an education system that will enable everyone to achieve their potential, thereby attracting the best to commit their future to Singapore.
2. Second, schools must foster a strong culture of innovation and collaboration, to create new value and distinguish ourselves as a bridge that connects divides across troubled waters.
3. Third, schools must nurture leaders with the gumption and vision to step up in service of Singapore.

23. What does this mean for RI, and for all schools and students?

Our Roots as a Land of Opportunity: Pioneering Spirit to UPLIFT All

24. First, for Singapore to continue to be a land of opportunities, our schools must be pioneering institutions, and contribute to an education system that will enable and provide hope for everyone to achieve their potential, thereby attracting the best to commit their future to Singapore.

25. There would be no better person to illustrate this than Mr R.W. Hullett, whom many of you would be familiar with.

1. As the longest-serving principal of RI from 1870 to 1906, he contributed significantly to education.
2. In the early days of his principalship, school attendance was low, and there was no uniformity of instruction. He introduced new teaching methods and raised the standard of scholarship.
3. Hullett did much to promote sports, and games became a prominent feature of the school – I'm sure many of you are thankful for his contributions till today.
4. He also established feeder schools to RI, instituted the Queen's Scholarship, and placed the school under government supervision.

26. He laboured tirelessly for the advancement of education and personally ensured that education contributed to the good of society. When Hullett left his post after thirty-six years, the government began to make education its responsibility.

27. As the oldest institution in Singapore, RI started as a pioneer in education, and must continue to uphold this spirit.

1. In 1990, RI was the first government school to become independent. This strengthened their ability to spearhead innovative educational models.
   1. Today, RI offers programmes such as the Gap semester and the Raffles Academy, to nurture creative and critical thinking, and encourage a holistic educational experience.
2. More recently, in 2017, RI expanded its residential programme, to include students from the South 7 Cluster schools. The joint boarding programme creates meaningful opportunities for students from different schools to interact with one another, and work together on Value in Action (VIA) activities.
3. In 2019, RI also introduced the "RI Liveable Cities Challenge".
   1. This is a student-driven community project where RI students advocate sustainability amongst primary school students, and inspire them to be changemakers.

28. As a forerunner, RI has accumulated rich experiences and best practices. It must now enable and pave the way for others.

29. The forward-looking ideas must not benefit RI students alone, but more students across other schools too. RI has a responsibility to bring others along, and not separate yourself from the field.

1. RI teaches about 400 per cohort today. In the next bound, I'll like RI to imagine: what if your best practices can be propagated to benefit 4,000 or 40,000, beyond your students.
2. The crux is how RI can generate new practices at scale and at speed, and share the fruits with all.
   1. To facilitate the proliferation of good ideas for the benefit of our entire Singapore education system.

30. Many of you are here today not just because of your own abilities and hard work, but also because of the help from others along the way.

1. All of you must therefore recognise that you have more resources at your disposal compared to previous generations, greater opportunities afforded to you by society, and more extensive connections endowed by your network.
2. We must always remember our collective responsibility to one another.
   1. This has been the guiding principle of our society, where those with more, must give more.

31. So my challenge to you is to partner us to bring out the best in everyone, and to contribute to an education system that will enable everyone to progress farther, together.

1. Schools already facilitate the sharing of social capital, through cluster-based programmes such as co-curricular activities and VIA initiatives.
   1. RI has also started a mentoring programme with 10 primary schools this year, where RI students befriend, mentor and provide academic support to Primary 4 to 6 students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds on a regular basis.
2. I commend RI for your efforts in facilitating these, and encourage you to continue playing a leading role.
   1. With your extensive history, vast experiences and alumni network, RI can share more, and allow more students to similarly benefit from the same opportunities and access.
   2. For students, in time to come, I hope you will also give back to society and others around you.

32. More generally for every school, I encourage you to find your own areas of excellence.

1. To experiment, pioneer new models and share these distinctive practices with everyone else. And if every school can come up with one good idea a year, we will have more than enough ideas for everyone for a year.

33. This will go a long way in nurturing a more giving generation, who will see beyond themselves and inspire others to continue giving back.

34. If we can all do this, then I am confident that we will reach SG100 and beyond.

Our Roots as an Entrepot: a Culture of Innovation and Collaboration

35. Second, from our history as a hub and port, without a natural hinterland, our schools must foster a strong culture of innovation to create new value and harness collaboration as our distinguishing feature to bridge divides. Especially so in a fractious, fragile and fragmenting world.

36. Since our independence as a small country, we have faced various challenges.

1. How do we build a harmonious society, underpinned by mutual respect and understanding?
2. How do we ensure good quality of life, from social services to education?
3. How do we defend ourselves, despite our finite strength in numbers?

37. We knew from the beginning that we could not compete globally on size or price.

1. But we did not let this natural constraint cripple us.
2. Instead, we turned it to our advantage.
3. We carved out our competitive edge by creating value and competed on the bases of - speed of evolution and quality of execution.
4. This was how we grew to become a global financial hub and built our airport and seaport to be the best in class.

38. Allow me to share the story of a former Rafflesian, Dr Tan Swan Beng. His spirit of excellence and innovation are exemplified in many public works today.

1. Dr Tan led the Public Works Department (PWD), which managed public infrastructure in Singapore's early days of nation building, as Director-General for 12 years.
2. Under his leadership, the PWD had uncompromising standards for professional integrity.
3. He was directly responsible for numerous major projects, including the development of Changi International Airport, Benjamin Sheares Bridge, and the transformation of our road infrastructure to one of the safest and most efficient in Asia.
   1. The construction of Changi International Airport was a mammoth undertaking. It required extensive land reclamation and was Singapore's largest public project when completed in 1981.
4. Dr Tan was also deeply passionate about applied research and innovation.
   1. He was key in the establishment of the Centre of Transportation Research, to support Singapore's strategic development as an international hub for land, air and sea transportation.

39. This spirit of innovation is deeply ingrained in our people, and has been central to our Singapore story.

40. Given the rapidly evolving landscape, there has never been greater urgency than now, for our people to innovate, seize new opportunities and create new value.

1. While no one can predict the future, we can be sure of one thing: the jobs that many of you will take on in 10 years' time may be in domains that do not even exist today.
2. This is why we are constantly striving to equip all of you with the skills and dispositions to succeed and thrive in an uncertain and untidy environment.
   1. And have this spirit to always turn constraints into opportunities. From water to energy, land and population.
3. Ultimately, our yardstick for success is not how well we apply yesterday's solutions to today's problems.
4. Instead, our definition of success is how well we anticipate and frame tomorrow's challenges, seek novel and timely solutions, well ahead of time.

41. To enable such innovations, our people must connect and collaborate.

1. Singapore has our roots as an entrepot; we connected a vast network of physical trade.
2. If we are to reach SG100, we must likewise be that bridge that connects trade, finance, technology, talent, culture, ideas and information, beyond just physical trade.

42. In a world with increasingly diverse views, our people must develop the perspectives and skillsets to connect with others across cultures and backgrounds.

1. To forge a common understanding despite differences, in an increasingly fractious and fragmented landscape.
2. So that we can be a bridge for others to reach the region and the world, and thereby open doors to networks and opportunities for all Singaporeans, both in Singapore and beyond Singapore.

43. You may ask, how should I put this in practice today? How can our schools cultivate these dispositions in our students? Let me share two suggestions with you.

1. One, remain curious about everything and anything.
   1. Learn to satisfy that curiosity; learn beyond your school curriculum; learn continuously throughout life. Have the humility to learn from others too.
   2. Learning no longer only takes place in your first 15 years of schooling, but also in the next 50 years after that.
   3. Even after you leave the school gates, I encourage you to continue adding to your knowledge and skills, throughout life.
2. Two, understand other cultures, communities and countries. And do so deeply.
   1. We must bring the world to our students, and also welcome and learn from others in the region.
      • Start with yourself, and seek opportunities to learn and work with others from different backgrounds. Understand their perspectives.
      • MOE is also reviewing the Humanities curriculum to make it more Asia- and ASEAN-centric, and leverage international trips to promote the learning of ASEAN languages among our students.
3. Have the humility to recognise that what we know may only be the tip of the iceberg.
   • Never think that we can achieve all these by oneself, without collaborating with the rest of the world.

44. To this end, RI must connect with the region and the world to bring up yet another generation of students who are locally rooted but globally minded.

1. RI at the beginning didn't just look inwards.
   1. It catered to the needs of everyone, including people from surrounding islands and those who travelled from afar to settle in Singapore.
2. I encourage RI to continue creating opportunities for people from across the region.
   1. To come together and push the frontiers of innovation for Singapore and the world.
   2. But do not just take the well-trodden paths.
   3. Instead, go where few or no one have ventured before.
   4. Wherever you may go, bring back some new ideas or perspectives for our country to progress better, farther, together.

45. This way, we will continually have a cadre of people, who has within our DNA, a pioneering spirit of innovation and collaboration.

1. Always be bold to redefine boundaries and rewrite history, a better chapter, for Singapore.
2. May each and everyone of you be a pioneer for your generation and for future generations to come.

Our Roots as an Unlikely Nation: a Generation Rooted in Service

46. Third, our schools must nurture leaders with the gumption and vision to step up in service of Singapore.

47. Two hundred years ago, Sir Stamford Raffles had envisioned RI as an institution to educate and prepare students to serve.

1. RI has indeed nurtured generations of thinkers, leaders and pioneers.
2. Mr Ron Chandran-Dudley, who attended RI from 1947 to 1951, was a fervent champion of the visually handicapped.
   1. He founded the Disabled People's International and the Disabled People's Association.
   2. Through his work, Mr Chandran-Dudley brought dignity to the disabled through education and training, and paved the way for social inclusion in Singapore.

48. Beyond RI200, RI must continue to remain steadfast to these founding ideals.

1. And this should not just be the task of RI.
2. It must be the raison d'etre of all our schools.
3. All our schools must cultivate a strong desire of service in our students, encourage them to give back, and take action to address the needs of the times.

49. Ensuring good leadership for the long term is a never-ending challenge. The quality of our people and the character of our leadership must remain top-notch, so that Singapore can continue to count for more than our size.

50. Many of you here are or will be leaders in your own fields. Today, in your class, CCA or school; and tomorrow, in the wider community or our society.

1. You will be tasked with the responsibility to ensure that everyone progresses together and no one is left behind.
2. You will have to confront challenging situations and make difficult decisions.

51. Let me offer you some guiding questions when you face such situations:

1. What are the values that we stand for?
2. What are our ultimate goals in life? Is it just for ourselves or beyond ourselves?
3. How are we enabling others to achieve their best?

52. We must continue to distinguish ourselves as a nation who will define success not by our achievements alone, but by our contributions instead.

1. As we move towards SG100, we must raise a generation of leaders with gumption and vision,
2. Who will resolve to act in the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans always,
3. Who will step up in the service of the nation and others, despite the challenges.
4. And enable the next generation to do better than us.

53. During my formative years in RI, I was taught that when things get done when we are around, we should not be too impressed. But, when we are no longer around and things still get done, and done better, then that would be more impressive.

Conclusion

54. Some may say that the conditions under which Raffles laid the foundation for a modern Singapore and RI could have foreshadowed the developments to come.

1. External forces gave rise to our existence.
2. Despite the challenges through the years, the commitment and conviction of our people saw us through these challenges.
3. We were bold, and we overcame the odds.

55. However, the world around us will continue to change. Will our people heed the call of the times to meet the challenges of the day? And this is in the school song of RI.

1. "Hope of a Better Age" is different from "Hope for a better age".
2. Hope is not a method, of passiveness, of waiting for things to happen.
3. Instead, Hope of a Better Age, must be a statement of determination by us, and for us to chart our own destiny. To be the leader, the catalyst and the change we aspire to see .

56. Our founding prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, once said:

1. "I think the deepest compliment we could pay ourselves is to remember that there must come a time – and not so very long – when the torch must be passed on.
2. And there is no greater compliment that a man can pay to himself and to his group than to pass the torch on to like-minded people,
   1. Fired by the same ideals,
   2. But younger, more vigorous, more capable
   3. To meet a more contemporary situation.
3. I would like to believe that, as with me, so with you: as you pass the torch on to the next generation, you pass it on not only to capable hands, but to good minds and good hearts."

57. If we continue to pioneer for the benefit of all, foster a culture of innovation and collaboration, and nurture visionary leaders rooted in service,

1. I am hopeful that we, and generations after us, can look towards SG100 and RI300 with confidence.
2. I look forward to RI producing yet more leaders of quality, and commitment in service of Singapore.
   1. To help us defy the odds of history,
   2. And for us to not to sing another National Anthem ever again.

58. Auspicium Melioris Aevi.