SINGAPORE - There will always be challenges facing Singapore, but what matters is that the nation maintains the “daring, drive, and the determination to create innovative solutions and execute them effectively”, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on Thursday evening.

“That approach got us here and will allow us to navigate the way ahead with well-founded confidence.”

He was speaking at a two-hour dialogue organised by Nanyang Technological University’s Students’ Union, an annual event that invites ministers and students to discuss current issues. 

About 240 university students attended Thursday’s event, held at the university’s Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre, that focused on Singapore’s path ahead. 

In his 50-minute opening address, Mr Teo highlighted four major challenges that Singapore is confronted by today – geopolitics, climate change, technology and changes to its society.

Amid these challenges, national education remains the key to giving citizens a well-founded confidence in the country’s future, he said. There are four components to doing so – sound analysis based on facts, devising innovative strategies, contextualising them for the situation, and having the courage, commitment and capacity to execute these strategies effectively.

“We must assess our situation, based on the reality of our circumstances, the external environment, as well as our own strengths and weaknesses… Then we can devise the correct strategies,” he said.

Issues related to social cohesion are some of the most thorny and difficult ones that Singapore has to deal with, said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security.

Through the nationwide Forward Singapore engagement exercise led by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, a consensus has emerged, and the key shifts have been highlighted, he noted. These include areas such as Singapore’s approach to success and skills, its system of social support, and strengthening the sense of “we” and “us” in place of “I” and “me”.

Mr Teo said that over the years as an MP, he learnt to pay attention not only to what is shouted most loudly, but also to “what goes on, often quietly, and out of sight”. 

“So if we look closely at how these things came to be, you are likely to see also that Singaporean innovation and problem-solving at work,” he said.

There are very few countries with such a diverse population that are able to build a cohesive and strong society, said Mr Teo. 

Singapore’s social cohesion is the product of forward-looking policies, but also the willingness and the resolve of Singaporeans over several generations to live together in harmony, he added.

“It’s very easy to just insist on your own rights, as in some countries… (But) every racial and religious group in Singapore is willing to engage with their fellow Singaporeans and build on the common humanity we share, to unite us, rather than doing the easier thing, which is to exploit the differences that divide us.”

On the topic of geopolitical tensions, Mr Teo, who last spoke at the same forum in 2015, said: “There is an old saying that when elephants fight, the grass suffers. As a small country, we need to remain open to the world, and this exposes us to the fighting elephants.”

As a smaller country, viewed by the big boys through the lens of their contestation, the best situation for Singapore is to be taken seriously on its own merits, he added.

The world is entering a new phase where the belief that globalisation and international trade will bring growth and prosperity for all is being viewed with scepticism by the very countries that promoted this ideology in the first place, said Mr Teo.

“This has serious implications for us. International trade, supply chains and access to technology are affected, investment flows have shifted and slowed. Prices have risen, jobs are at risk. And this is how geopolitics is affecting our lives,” he said.

On climate change, with Singapore committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, there will be huge implications for the way people live, the things they use, the work they do and how the things they use are made, where they are made and who makes them, he said.

“(Going green) is the right thing to do for future generations. But we are a small city state, densely populated and also alternative-energy-disadvantaged. So our search for solutions is more challenging than many other countries. But we’re determined to do it,” said Mr Teo.

Singapore is actively preparing for the world in 2100, he noted. But there are certain solutions possible only if planned well ahead and executed in advance.

That is why, though Singapore is small, it has some advantages – political stability and continuity in policy and execution.

“Therefore, we can conceive of and actually believe that we can execute something which we are going to do for the next 50 to 70 years, to the end of the century. Not many countries can do that, most of them think to the next general election,” said Mr Teo.