A Manifesto for New Singapore and the National Pledge:
The Singapore Pledge written by Rajaratnam in 1966 is an “aspiration” as clarified by senior PAP leaders. In any case citizens’ rights are largely subject to law in the Singapore Constitution.
A Manifesto is a public declaration of policy and aim. If it is “of”, it describes an existing situation. If it is “for”, it is an intention. And so, my proposal is a “Manifesto for a New Singapore.”
In part 1, I clarified what is Nation and what is State. Nation is people. State is the apparatus of law and power.
SG60 is a timely moment for rethink. 2025 is also witness to global social, political and economic unrest. Singapore sits in the middle of the East/West contestation. We cannot but suffer its effects.
To weather these shocks, we need a strong State and a strong People. We have a strong and rich State, but are we a strong People?
The drive to be viable after losing our Malaysian hinterland Lee Kuan Yew went to Harvard, became friends with Kissinger, and gained access to America’s power elite. He thus gained advantage for Singapore and through his smart and tough leadership, Singapore climbed the economic ladder within the American global hegemony and tutelage.
Social clamour was suppressed in the interest of investor confidence. Stability meant stifling voices of dissent but with it critical thinking, creativity and courage. This is how the entrepreneurial dna of the people got regimented, aligned and weakened.
And so Singapore with no natural resources, money and brains became its resource. It therefore follows that money has to be the measure and means of human re-empowerment.
How to use money to link People and State is now the question. The logic goes like this: the mere fact of people living, working, and bearing children have all created value in Modern Singapore an otherwise valueless little island. Citizens therefore are entitled to a share in the accumulated wealth of the State’s Sovereign Wealth Fund.
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