It is important to find the right candidate to be Singapore's next prime minister, as this could have a bearing on our next 50 years as a nation.

This person will have to carry on the good work of his predecessors.

Grooming the next prime minister to take over has to be done at the same time as delivering promises made to the electorate, which overwhelmingly voted for the People's Action Party in the recent general election ("PAP wins big with 69.9% of vote"; Sept 12).

There is also the need to address the 30 per cent who did not vote for continuity and wanted change. They have grievances that need to be addressed before the next general election.

With the economic gloom that has settled over the island like the haze, it is important to have someone with the experience and knowledge of statecraft to run things.

After all, all we have to do is look around at what has happened in other parts of the world, where wrong choices made have been very costly.

As for the PAP now, the need to serve the country and its people is paramount once again.

This is why picking the right Cabinet is so crucial. Having the right policies will determine a calm passage while taking Singapore to the next level.

Having made our choices, we must now move on with the business at hand, regardless of our political disposition.

It is time to move forward as one and attain the objective of ensuring even further stability, growth, progress and prosperity, without taking anything for granted.

It is time to work towards ensuring that there will be even more to celebrate when SG100 comes around.

This, we must never lose sight of, and turning back every now and then will help us remember how we got here in the first place and act as the impetus to keep us going.

Manoraj Rajathurai