SINGAPORE - By helping one another and working as a team, Singaporeans can shape the nation's destiny and forge a future that is inclusive and united in diversity, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday.
Speaking at the launch of The Future Of Us exhibition at Gardens by the Bay, Mr Lee looked back at how the nation had overcome uncertainty and racial tensions during independence, as he cast an eye on what the future of Singapore will be like 50 years from today.
Singapore as it is now is the "work of more than one generation, each standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before", he said, crediting pioneers for their sacrifice and for building Singapore up brick by brick.
Likewise, Singapore's future "depends on what we make of it together", he added. "It is up to each one of us to voice our hopes and future dreams, to make the choices to realise these dreams."
The free Future Of Us exhibition, which opens to the public on Tuesday at Gardens by the Bay, is the capstone event of the year-long SG50 Golden Jubilee celebrations. It has seen overwhelming response with more than 85 per cent of tickets booked for the opening month.
The exhibition, which will end on March 8 next year, envisions how daily living will be like in 2030, with possible innovative developments in areas such as transport, housing and healthcare.
The SG50 celebrations have "been an extra special year for all of us and I am sure each of us has his or her own special memories", Mr Lee noted.
He said it was fitting to have taken part in the Jubilee Walk on Sunday morning before the launch, going past historic and iconic sites in the Civic District.
Meanwhile, looking forward will involve "coming together as one people, one nation, one Singapore, re-dedicating ourselves to build a better Singapore (and) looking forward to the possibilities ahead of us", he added.
Another initiative to be launched Sunday afternoon is the SGfuture engagement series, which will be led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing.
The effort, which will kick off with the first session with youths on Sunday, will build on the nationwide Our Singapore Conversation that was completed two years ago.
"I hope you will step forward to work with your fellow Singaporeans to shape our future, the Future of Us," Mr Lee said.
He added of his hopes that 50 years from now, the young generation of Singaporeans today can tell their grandchildren or even great-grandchildren: "It was here they caught a glimpse of what they could create for the future, were moved to turn these dreams into reality and to write the next chapter of the Singapore story.
"And that is why after SG50, Singapore continued to be an endearing and shining little red dot for many many years to come."
