EXEMPTED BUSINESS (Motion)

EXEMPTED BUSINESS:

(Motion): Resolved,

That the proceedings on thebusiness set down on the Order Paper for today be exemptedat this day’s sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1. - [MrMah Bow Tan].

CONTRIBUTIONS BY SENIOR MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG: Debate resumed.

Mr R Ravindran (Marine Parade): ( In Tamil ): Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to pay tribute to our Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and thank him for his services to the country as Prime Minister.

The great poet Thiruvalluvar had described 2,000 years ago the four qualities of a good leader. In verse No. 382 of Thirukkural he had spelt out the four qualities: fearlessness or courage, generosity, wisdom and resourcefulness. A leader should have all these four qualities.

First, fearlessness: he should face any challenge without fear. Second, generosity: he should give generously when it is necessary. Third, wisdom: he should see what is good and what is bad in advance. Fourth, resourcefulness: perseverance.

Mr Goh is a leaderwith these qualities. Hecarried out his duties for 14 years very well. He performed the duties as a Prime Minister according to the "kural"

.: Despite difficulties, his 14 years as Prime Minister were golden years in the history of Singapore . He gained the love and support of the people, and he earned their praise as well. In 1990 when he took over as PM, he said that he would strive to improve relations between the Government and the people. After 14 years, he has retired from his position with pride that he has fulfilled his promise. Now he has taken over as a Senior Minister. All Singaporeans would say that his humble approach is the best of his characteristics. That is why he is referred to as the People's Prime Minister.

Our former Prime Minister has always carried out his duties with the aim of providing a better life to Singaporeans. He wanted to uplift the lives of ordinary Singaporeans. He introduced the Edusave scheme so that all students would do well in education. He announced the Medifund and Eldershield schemes to help the elderly and the needy to cope with their medical bills. He implemented new schemes like Main Upgrading Programme, Lift Upgrading Programme and Interim Upgrading Programme to upgrade HDB flats. Above all, he also introduced the Hawker Centre Upgrading Programme. He gave benefits to the people according to our country's growth. The Economic Restructuring Shares and the Singapore bonus shares are some of the examples. He introduced the Renaissance City Plan to make Singapore a country where arts and culture flourish.Many new buildings for arts and culture, like the Esplanade theatre, the new museum and new cultural centres were erected during his period.In Singapore , he strived to enhance the bonding and unity among the people. Whatever the problem was, he put it across to the people in simple terms and got their cooperation and understanding.

During the 14 years when Mr Goh was Prime Minister, Singapore faced many challenges locally and globally: first, the Kuwaiti war; the Asian financial crisis in 1997;the terrorist attack in September 2001;the Afghan war; the Iraq war; domestic issues like SARS; the tension with the neighbouring countries and the activities of Islamic terrorists. Many such crises arose. Mr Goh found solutions to all these problems in his own style. He thought calmly and deeply and took measures and implemented policies that were necessary with Singapore 's interest at heart. He enjoyed the support of all sections of the people.

Mr Goh was popular not only locally but also abroad. Mr Goh was well known as a sound politician and a wise thinker in the world arena. He was Singapore 's foremost ambassador. He played a key role in setting up APEC and ASEM. He is also responsible for the good relations we enjoy with countries like India and China . When ASEAN was lacking direction and leadership, he provided the same. From 1997 to 1999, he provided guidance and strengthened the unity among ASEAN countries. He was responsible for the Free Trade Agreements that Singapore signed with several countries. And recently, he gave new ideas to improve relations between Asia and the Arab countries. As long as Singapore exists, his services will be remembered in the history of Singapore . I am happy he will continue to serve the country as Senior Minister. He has dedicated his life for Singapore and the people of Singapore . On behalf of all Singaporeans and myself, I thank Mr Goh. At the same time, I wish to thank Mrs Goh Chok Tong also who has helped Mr Goh in carrying out his duties.

Long live Mr Goh's great deeds! Long live his glory!

Mdm Halimah Yacob: (In Malay) : Mr Speaker,Dwight Eisenhower had once said, "A platoon leader does not get his platoon to go by getting up and shouting, ‘I am smarter, I am bigger, I am stronger. So I am the leader for you.’." He gets his men to go along with him because they want to do it for him and they believe in him.

That is themark of leadership. In a nutshell, this is how I see Mr Goh Chok Tong's style of leadership and his contributions to Singapore .

In his 14 years as Prime Minister, Mr Goh has initiated many important policies for the good of the people. Andhe was able toselleven the most difficult measures because he had gained the trust of fellow Singaporeans.

How did Mr Goh, the reluctant politician, win the confidence of the people? He did so by being himself. He did not set out to copy or be another Lee Kuan Yew. He had never said that he was smarter than all of us.

As the Prime Minister, he hadto steer Singapore throughan economic crisisin the late 1990s. He haddiscussions with union leaders on how to get out of the recession. Eventually, he was able to persuade workers to accept a 10 percentage point CPF cut on top of other wage restraint measures. Just as we were about to overcome the economic crisis, we were faced with terrorist attacks, the Iraq war and SARS.Again, Mr Goh was able to galvanise Singaporeans to think as one peoplein dealing with the crises.

After each crisis, the trust between the people and Government became stronger. For this, we must thank Mr Goh Chok Tong for his inspiring leadership.

We, in the labour movement, have known Mr Goh for a long time. In 1977, soon after he was elected a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade, he was appointed the Director of the Singapore Labour Foundation. He then assumed the position as Chairman. As SLF Chairman, he did many things for the workers. Among the projects he started were the NTUC Pasir Ris Resort, a bursary award scheme for theeducation ofunion members' childrenand educational tour award scheme for model workers. Mr Goh also launched Medisave, MediShield and Medifund. He pledged that no one would be denied hospital care because he did not have money to pay for the treatment.

As the First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Goh promised to build a special home for NTUC in the heart of thebusiness district as a "signal that the workers are equal to the employers and Government officials in contributing to the prosperity of Singapore ." Later, as Prime Minister, he saw to it that the funds were made available for the NTUC to carry out this project. We, in the labour movement, are indeed happy that the building was completed in time for Mr Goh to officially open it in May, some months before he stepped down as Prime Minister.

As Prime Minister, he fully supported NTUC's efforts to upgrade the skills of our workers. When the Skills Redevelopment Programme was initiated by NTUC, Mr Goh Chok Tong's Government donated $100 million. And the NTUC Education and Training Fund, now stands at more than $60 million, thanks to a Government matching grant of $3 to every $1 raised by the labour movement.

Mr Speaker, Mr Goh is a true friend of labour. He gave us voice, dignity and an important place in society.

Last year, Mr Goh urged the Malay leaders to work together with the community to achieve its vision, like the Malay saying, "Together we go through thick and thin." This, in many ways, sums up the kind of support and commitment that he had given in helping to improve the status of theMalay community in Singapore. In 1994, he set the tone when he stressed that "it is the Government's hope that all races will progress and enjoy the fruits of Singapore 's success, and that Singapore does not want to see anyparticular group left behind."

As Prime Minister, he had given tremendous support and encouragement to our community. He shared the dream of the Malay leaders to make the Malay community a "Community of Excellence".

He has a genuine concern for the well-being of the community and theirability to adjust to a competitive global economy. Often, he was frank and open in discussing issues faced by the community, whether it was for moderation in practising Islam or urging the community to deal effectively with issues arising from dysfunctional families. He even set targets for us to meet our educational achievements, and I am glad to say that we have not disappointed him.

Mr Goh Chok Tong strongly backed theestablishment of the Malay-Muslim Education Trust Fund to help the lower income Malay-Muslim families afford early childhood education.Mr Goh had done much in providing inter-racial harmony. He stressed that we must developthe sense of a Singapore family,that we are one people and that we sink or swim together as Singaporeans. Following the arrests ofsomepeople who were suspected to be members of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), Mr Goh personally made a call to Singaporeans not to suspect fellow Muslims. Describing the JI as a group of misguided extremists, he urged Singaporeans not to misconstrue the evil deeds of the JIs as the teachings of Islam.

Mr Goh stressed that Islam is not under threat, that Muslims are free to practise their faith within the context of our multi-racial and multi-religious society, like other Singaporeans. He called on the people, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, to forge a better understanding of Islam as a moderate and rational faith. By his actions and words, Mr Goh had helped to maintain stability and injected confidence in the Muslim communityduringvery difficult and trying period.

Mr Speaker,by his own admission, Mr Goh had said that he was not a natural politician. He took up the challenge of leadership because he saw it as a duty. He came from a poor family and had benefited from our meritocratic system. So his political involvement was a way to repay society for what it did for him. For 14 years as a Prime Minister, Mr Goh was indeed the people's Prime Minister. Humble and kind, he showed true qualities of leadership for all of us to emulate.

On behalf of all Singaporeans, I would like to express my thanks to Mr Goh Chok Tong for his wonderful contributions to Singapore . His services will always be remembered.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: Mr Speaker, Sir, it was during SM Goh's tenure as Prime Minister that I entered politics. And over the last three years of my involvement, I have come to appreciate more and more the enormous contributions that SM Goh has made to all of us in this House and to Singapore as a nation. Idecided to pen a few verses of appreciation, and beg the indulgence of Members, as I try to read this to you as slowly and as poetically as I can. Please be forgiving if your goose pimples erupt or the William Woodsworth in you cringes at what I say and how I say it. For this is my very first and perhaps may well be my last attempt in crafting poetry. So, here, it goes.

An ode to SM Goh Chok Tong:

They said you were there to warm seats

Instead you warmed our hearts

They said you were wooden

But with the artistry of the alchemist

The wood turned into gold

Many your accomplishments

People understand that your heart was with them

When death and grief shook our nation

Your calm and kindly leadership won with the people

Ring-fenced spectres that ravaged the land

Restored hope and gave consolation

We held our heads high as the world watched

And marvelled at this island of wonders

Through a shaking of foundation

The world grew smaller

You spurred us to sprout wings and fly

Into the regions and beyond

Triangles and bilaterals aplenty

We made a name for ourselves

Into the far-flung reaches of this globe

Merchants of an economic powerhouse

But it was to a home not a hotel we returned

To the ambience of familiar faces and the warmth of its pleasant places

You egged us on to open our mouths

And let looseour discontent

With the promise of harkeningears

Ripples of dialogue, not a homily

Groups focused, committees working

Alternative cries were heard

Except he who is marked as bounded out

Delicate matters of colour, of faith and of betrayal

Stirred your indignation

The weak you thought of

Helping those who could not help themselves

Enhancing assets, shares of the New Singapore

Redistributing wealth, levelling up

For you were once among the humble

And understand the common men

Singapore bohemian,taboos banished, busk not blemished

More freedom to express, more places to go

Bar top dancing, bungee in reverse, deviant no more

Heartware beyond hardware

Bonding hearts, building minds

Remaking, refreshing, reviewing

Nothing sacred

The baton now lies in steady hands

But deep foundations have been sunk

Upon which to build fresh dreams

And to crown them with realisation

One score and 19 years, adolescence passed

You helped your people grow.

Senior Minister Goh, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker: Mr Zainudin, you have an ode too?

Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, Sir, after the ode, it would be difficult for me to equal. I rise to support the motion to express our gratitude to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong for his contributions and services to the nation during his tenure as Prime Minister proposed by our fellow parliamentarians. I would like to thank him for shouldering the very heavy responsibilities as Prime Minister by sustaining and developing our country's peace and stability for the past 14 years. I thank him for his efforts that made Singapore a gentler and a more sophisticated place for all Singaporeans. I thank him for bringing our peoplecloser together.

Personally, as a Member of Parliament, he has always made me and my colleagues feel comfortable when approaching him. His height was well matched by his compassion for others, as he built upon the legacy left behind by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. He clearly demonstrated to the nation that the Government comprises people who care and listen. His leadership style brought the nation to another level. During some of the difficult periods when Singapore faced stormy days, which included the economic crisis, strained neighbourly ties, terrorist threats andSARS, SM Goh demonstrated his tenacity and calmness to show Singaporeans that, with sheer grit, determination and foresight, Singapore can surmount any seemingly impossible obstacles.

At this juncture, please allow me to read out some expressions of gratitude from my grassroots leaders. So many wrote in, but I have selected only three which showed how he is a role model, and I quote:

"You started to lead the nation at a time I was a teenager. My patriotism to the nation and the eagerness to serve my country was inspired by you. I owe to you for having made me feel that I belong to this nation and however small a part I play does count." - from Miss Susila Ganesan, Bishan North CCMC member.

"Thank you very much. You have taken good care of every citizen for the past years. We owe you forever. Good health and best wishes." - from Miss Helen Wee.

"My heartiest congratulations to you for your posting as Senior Minister. Thank you for your love, care and compassion you have shown to us. Your contributions will find a place in our hearts." - from Mr Ahmad Arifin.

I must take this opportunity to also say that, by way of example, SM Goh showed us how to live a more ethical and social, gracious life as Singaporeans. A particular incident comes to my mind. During a ceremony, when the Remaking Singapore Committee was submitting the report and recommendations to SM Goh who was the Guest-of-Honour, the event started with a sketch that was quite hilarious, and this was just before his speech. The sketch gently mocked the Singaporean way of doing things - the good and the not-so-good. It made fun of some of our silly habits, typical responses and inclinations. As SM Goh later got up to deliver his speech, he must have recalled some similarities of the speech that he was about to deliver and the issues raised in the sketch when he suddenly burst into laughter. He tried to compose himself again, but gave in to the guffaws as the rest of us laughed with him. To me, that moment was unbelievable. It made him even more endearing as a leader. I witnessed how he truly connected. His humility touched all of us that day, as he demonstrated the ability to laugh at ourselves as Singaporeans. He, of course, spoke to us finally and delivered his message in his own special way. Indeed, may it be known that he established his own connection with Singaporeans, not through a high-flown oratory but delivered in a rational simple anecdotal style, often using simple analogies, like positions in a football team, to explain complex things like his role in his Cabinet, and many more. His dulcet tones exuded sincerity and a willingness to hear out Singaporeans.

The less fortunate are often on his mind. During his tenure, SM Goh introduced new schemes to help Singaporeans. CPF top-up schemes, Singapore Shares, Edusave, Medisave and MediShied are just some examples. He took steps to ensure that every citizen has equal opportunities, and that our senior citizens are not forgotten. It was him who continues to push for young people to be brought into the Government. He also wanted to get the local residents to be more involved in the grassroots activities. In his early days, it was also him who tried and tested the Residents Committee concept and that has now proven to be a success.

Now, let us talk about the fun things that brought forth. He got everyone on their feet when he launched the first ever Singapore Swing, if you can recall, that began a new wave of letting down the hair as Singapore began to loosen up. What followed were big countdown parties and light-up ceremonies during festive seasons. Of late, he permitted bar-top dancing, though he could not quite understand what all the excitement was all about. Following this was bungee-jumping.

Over the 14 years, he made personal sacrifices and led by example. He brought upgrading programmes to HDB homes and made education compulsory for our young. He persuaded Singaporeans to accept tough decisions and taught us that, as long as the peoplework with the Government, the economy will thrive. He realises how small Singapore is as a country and decided to link us to the world. He took concrete steps to institutionalise this. He conceived the idea of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 1995 to forge links between Asia and Europe. He was responsible for Asia-Europe Foundation, and steps were also taken to connect us to Latin America and the Middle East. In all these, while at home SM Goh was busy bringing us all closer together as one people, one nation and one Singapore. He has painstakingly taught us that we must, and I quote: "Continue to share the same roof, the same walls, and the same foundation. We must. Otherwise, our home will fall apart." But he also says: "The condition for each room can vary. Not every room needs to be furnished to the same taste." Therein lies the versatility of Senior Minister Goh as a leader. Those words almost captured the essence of a man who held the hands of a young nation and led us steadily into the 21st century. Today, we, as a nation, are united as a whole, regardless of race or religion.

Sir, this year marks a new chapter in the pages of Singapore history. We have started on our next journey with a new captain at the helm. Mr Goh had handed over the leadership to Mr Lee Hsien Loong, a worthy successor of his choice. Our new PM is not new to us and he has more than proven his mettle. I am confident, like SM Goh, PM Lee will take Singapore to another level of advancement on the road of nation building. Our new Prime Minister, I believe, will build on the legacies of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and I am confident that, one day, the future generations will be able to celebrate his legacy, just as we are doing so for Senior Minister Goh in this Chamber.

Mr Speaker, Sir, we can be confident that after SM Goh's wonderful 14 years of tenure as Prime Minister, Singapore will again, under PM Lee, become an even more vibrant and exciting haven. Ours will be a place where every Singaporean and everyone can call home, whatever the race, language or religion, and all this is by no small means we owe to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

For that, I would like to thank you, Senior Minister Goh.

Mr A Nithiah Nandan (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am greatly honoured to be given this privilege to convey these few words sincerely from my heart to our Senior Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong, and I strongly believe that what I am going to say would be what the ordinary workers would express to him, if they were given the opportunity. Aseveryone of them cannot be here, so allow me to recap what the earlier speakers said and refocus on some exemplary things thathe has donefor Singapore. For a great leader, his character will be better understood during a crisis.He hasshown it during a crisis and let me elaborate on it.

Senior Minister, during your premiership, the nation experienced a period of strong growth as well as downturn in the economy which was not our own doing. That was the Asian financial crisis. Then came the SARS crisis whenhigh unemployment took place in the service sector. The impact on the labour movement was tremendous. During the financial crisis, you called for a CPF cut and, in 2003, you proposed a retuning of the CPF, knowing it would cause dissension. But you took that step, unpopular as it was, in order to save jobs. At that time, many might not have understood, but now all realise the necessity of such a move. Many jobs were saved and new ones were created. Workers gained confidence in you and the Government. The nation managed to ride the wave.

Then, when we were faced with the SARS epidemic simultaneously with an economic downturn, workers in the service sector had to make several sacrifices, and some even lost their jobs. But your sincere call to all Singaporeans to rally together and face the calamity, gave us the strength to overcome it. Financial help through Government agencies gavehelp to those who really needed it. As a union leader, many affected workers have expressed to me their gratitude for the assistance you provided. It is your personal approach leadership and a ready listening ear that give us the will to face whatever challenges that come. I can personally attest to this because you have many a time shown your concern and asked me about the workers' plight and problems.

During good times, you made it a point to share the wealth of the nation with all. And, in difficult times, you provided assistance to the needy, some of which I will reflect here. Under your administration, many schemes were initiated that were meant to help the ordinary workers and the lower income. Schemes, such as Medifund, Edusave, service and conservancy charge rebates, utility rebates, etc, were introduced. The Edusave Scholarship is also extended to the students in the Normal and Technical streams. It clearly showsyour vision for academic achievements for our future generations, that the opportunity should be there for all and not just for an elite few. By your concern and care for this group of children, you have given the assurance that they too are important and they have a role to play in the building of a nation.

At the same time, efforts were made by you and your administration to see that, irrespective of educational level and age profile of the ordinary worker, provision must be there for them to upgrade their skills. In these respects, funds, such as Lifelong Learning Fund, SRP Fund, etc, made it possible for workers to upgrade their skills and to remain employable. In particular, your offer of $3 for every dollar raised by the NTUC Education and Training Fund reflects your great support for the labour movement. Now there are abundant resources that a worker can be eligible for if he wishes to upgrade his skill. The end result is that we have been rated many times as theNo. 1 workforce in the world. This attracts investments to Singapore, hence creating jobs.

Another significant initiative that marks your attachment to the labour movement, as mentioned by my colleague, Mdm Halimah, and which all ordinary workers appreciate, is the promise that you made to NTUC to have a new office building right in the business district. Now that promise is a reality that stands tall -the NTUC

Centre atOne Marina Boulevard. I am not aware of any country in the world where the Prime Minister or any other leaders have extended such an exemplary gesture to the trade union movement. SM Goh, you stand above the rest, not by your high priorities.

Another key initiative introduced during your tenure of premiership is the introduction of NMPs in Parliament. Your objective of giving different interest groups the opportunity to voice their views in Parliament is laudable. These and other measures introduced, so that ordinary people can give their views and raise their concerns, speak volumes of your consultative style of governance.

Sir, SM Goh's service to Singapore and Singaporeans is like an ever-flowing river. It is impossible to condense it in a text. All I manage today is to just take a few drops from this river and sprinkle it here. Senior Minister, I humbly wish to express my gratitude to you for all the contributions you have made to all Singaporeans as a whole and to the nation. You have made this little red dot of ours a symbol of peace and racial harmony that the world should take it as an example.

The Senior Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, as I sat there listening to the speeches by Seng Han Thong, Wang Kai Yuen, Ravindran, Halimah and the other MPs, I thought to myself that this motion is not really necessary. I am not used to hearing praises or tribute heaped on me, so I did feel a little awkward. Besides, Prime Minister Lee has already paid tribute to me -notonce, but twice - during his swearing-in speech and the National Day Rally. I thought that was more than enough and more than I deserved.

To be given the privilege and honour of serving my fellow Singaporeans is reward enough for me. Nevertheless, I thank all Members of Parliament for their warm sentiments and kind words in moving this motion. In many a country, Prime Ministers are often unceremoniously removed – sometimes by their own party colleagues. I am grateful that such a fate has not befallen me. I hasten to add thatmy success is also the success of my Cabinet colleagues and the MPs of my party. We have shared the responsibility and worked together in looking after Singapore.

Many Singaporeans have also saidkind words about me. I thank them. Let me add here that I could not have done my job alone and certainly not without the strong support of Singaporeans – young and old, men and women, Singaporeans from all walks of life. I cherish their warmth and encouragement. I appreciate their understanding when I had to take painful measures to solve our country's grave challenges.In some countries, tough policies would have been met with demonstrations and riots. Here, the people rallied behind the Government to overcome common problems. It is a joy working with Singaporeans and for Singaporeans. You can see the results – a peaceful, cohesive and thriving Singapore. As I have said before, thank you for walking the hills and valleys with me. My heart will always be with you.

Life has a strange way of leading you to places where you did not plan to go. Sometimes, you end up in a better place; sometimes, worse. I did not set out to be Prime Minister and, least of all, leave a legacy. I wanted to lead a simple and quiet life. Politics was not in my blood. I did not prepare myself for it. But I owed my country something. Without the Government bursary, I would not have been able to go to university. Without equal opportunities, I would not have been recruited into the Singapore Administrative Service or become the managing director of the national shipping line. Without a party that believes in planned and orderly leadership renewal, I would not have been invited to enter politics. Hence, when my peers and colleagues elected me to be their leader after the 1984 General Elections, I could not refuse to take on the responsibility. I knew it would be a tough job. But I am the product of a political culture which scours the country for good and able people to serve. I had to play my part for Singapore. And I wanted our children to continue to enjoy the peace, stability and prosperity which the first generation leaders had given us. So I took on the job of Prime Minister and gave it my best shot.

I am happy that I have made a contribution to Singapore. In this, I was fortunate to have a solid team of Ministers and MPs to help me. The PAP MPs play a critical role in helping the Party win elections to form the Government. Had the Party been fractious, had our Government been weak or had Parliament been packed with rowdy and cantankerous opposition members, we would have gone the way of many developing countries. I have watched how democracy is practised in these countries. It has not brought them the better life they hoped for their people. Their people remain mired in poverty while their politicians fight to serve themselves more than their country. It is not by chance that we have honest men and women in Parliament, and I include here the opposition MPs and the Nominated Members of Parliament as well. It is by the will of a group of honest men and women who believe in running a clean and honest Government based on meritocracy.

There are many individuals I should thank but I would like to highlight only two.

First, I would like to recognise Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.As Senior Minister in my Cabinet, he was an invaluable member of my team. After he stepped down as Prime Minister, he made it his mission to ensure that the second generation leaders succeeded. He was honest in his critique and generous with his advice. He had a large databank of wisdom and experience and an international network of contacts built up over 31 years as Prime Minister, from which we drew and benefited. I found SM Lee an immensely useful, wise and trusted counsel.That was why I advised Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to retain Mr Lee Kuan Yew in Cabinet as Minister Mentor. MM is a national resource and too valuable an asset for Singapore to lose. I can tell you that fears that Prime Minister Lee will find it difficult to be himself because of his father’s presence in Cabinet are unwarranted. I have worked with both MM Lee and Prime Minister Lee for more than 20 years now. I know that PM Lee is his own man and that his father will not cramp his style or stifle his ideas.

The other person I would like to thank is Hsien Loong or Prime Minister Lee. As my Deputy, he was like my badminton doubles partner. He could smash and retrieve, which complemented my strengths in drop-shots and netplay. He was not only a most supportive and valuable deputy, but also a key Minister handling many jobs at any one time - having many balls in the air and not dropping them. He dealt with difficult issues like pulling Singapore out of recession and restructuring of the economy and financial sector. Just look at the holes he has left behind now that he has become Prime Minister. He has to retain the Finance portfolio and I have to cover the Monetary Authority of Singapore because the younger Ministers are not ready.

The political changeover has got off to a very good start. The new Prime Minister has connected well with the people with his swearing-in speech and his first National Day Rally. Most importantly, he has generated a new sense of excitement, especially amongst younger Singaporeans. We need a fresh burst of energy and ideas to break through the wall of challenges and seize the opportunities ahead of us.

I am optimistic about Singapore's future. I strongly believe that our future will be bright and exciting. Asiais on the move. Yes, there will always be challenges. But this is what makes life exciting and worth living. The brave will reap the rewards.

Singapore has succeeded because it has enjoyed good clean Government and capable leadership. ForSingapore to continue to prosper, able and committed men and women must come forward and dedicate themselves to the well being of their fellow Singaporeans. Prime Minister Lee has called on all Singaporeans to help him shape the future together, to build aSingapore for all Singaporeans. I join him in this call. Regard me as an example of what is possible in Singapore. Had I lived in another country with a different political system and philosophy, I would never have the chance to lead such a fulfilling life and make a difference to my country. I have done my bit forSingapore as Prime Minister and will continue to contribute in my new capacity. I call on the younger generation to do their part to makeSingapore an even more prosperous, secure and exciting home. Thank you, once again, for your support and kind tribute. [ Applause ].

Mr Speaker: Mr Seng, would you like to wrap up?

Mr Seng Han Thong: Sir, we have heard Senior Minister Goh's response. It is a typical Goh Chok Tong's response. He is humble. He mentioned that this motion is not necessary because he is not used to praises. Senior Minister Goh, we are not here to praise you. We are here to set on record your contributions to Singapore, to society and to all communities.

In fact, more than 30 of us had indicated our intention to speak on the motion. But due toparliamentary procedure, only seven of us had the opportunity to speak on the motion. I am sorry that opposition MPs did not indicate that they want to speak on the motion. We all spoke with genuine affection for Senior Minister. We delivered our speechesin four languages. But the message is clear, and there is only one message,that you are the people's PM and you will be loved by all Singaporeans.

Sir, may I, on behalf of the Members who have spokenin support of this motion, thank Senior Minister,in particular,for his sincere response. I agree with him that MM is our national resource. We always say that we have no natural resources.

Now we have national resources, and you, SM Goh,will add to our national resources.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House expresses its gratitude to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong for his contributions and services to the nation during his tenure as Prime Minister.