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1. If you asked a Singaporean, on the one hand they’ll say, ‘Let us do our own things.’ On the other hand, when an issue comes out, they’ll ask, ‘What is the government doing about it?’
2. I think we are paying a lot of attention to China one way or the other. They are a big factor in the world. They are successful; they are growing. They want to grow their influence, and all the countries in Asia want to be their friend and want to benefit from China’s development and success.
3. To represent the nation, you must have multiracial representation.
4. You look at the Americans. They don’t lack fervour in moral causes. They promote democracy, freedom of speech, women’s rights, gay rights, sometimes even transgender rights. But you don’t see them applying that universally across the world with all their allies.
5. If we have no foreign workers, our economy suffers; our own lives suffer.
6. There is always competition for influence, but there are also opportunities for cooperation.
7. Over half a century working together on multiple issues, Singaporeans and Americans have made many enduring and close personal friendships.
8. My colleagues went on the Internet, went on Facebook, and they found it helpful, and they persuaded me that I should try, so I did. It’s quite fun provided you keep it in balance and… from time to time slip in a serious message.
9. We stand stoutly against all forms of terrorism, and cross-border terror is a particular problem that India has. Singapore has a problem with cross-border terror, too, because we are a very small country, and it is quite possible for an attack to be mounted on Singapore from beyond our shores.
10. China’s influence is growing; it is natural that they want to integrate more, do more business with countries around them, and the Belt and Road is a constructive way in which they can do so.
11. It takes time, but I have a promising team of younger Ministers, and I am quite sure from amongst them, one leader will emerge.
12. If we did not have a sense of who we were, how we got here, why we want to achieve something — which, on the face of it, on the logic of it, is probably not worth trying — and prove that logic wrong, then you wouldn’t succeed; then you would just evaporate.
13. You have to understand that Singapore is quite different from Mauritius.
14. It’s never easy to be a small country next to a big neighbor.
15. It has to be good to live in Singapore because otherwise, nobody will stand for it.
16. We know India is very focussed on black money; it is a very high-focus subject and we have been very careful to make sure the investments into India are legitimate. There is no ‘round-tripping’ or hot money or bad money being funnelled through Singapore.
17. In our society, which is multiracial and multi-religious, giving offence to another religious or ethnic group, race, language, or religion is always a very serious matter.
18. America excels not just through sheer individual talent but by working together with others.
19. Overall, we think religion is a good thing. I mean, if we were godless society, we would have many other problems; the communists found that out.
20. Criticism, any amount, we welcome it. Come, let’s have a discussion — in Parliament, all the better.