新加坡總理吳作棟理國慶群眾大會演講
名人演講稿
WhentheSingaporeteamsuccefullyclimbedMountEverest(中國稱珠穆朗瑪峰))in1998,Icheered.IoketoKhooSweeChiowandhisteam-mateslater.
Theytoldmethattheyclimbedupinstages,fromBaseCamp(探險隊等的營地)toCam1,2,3and4,beforetheymadetheiraaultforthesummit.Theclimbbecamemoredifficultanddangerousthehighertheywent.Theairbecamethierandtheslopesteeper.Youhadtobedisciplined,determined,andwellprepared.Andyouhadtohaveluckonyourside.Therecouldbeavalanchesandrockfails,ortheweathercouldchangesuddenly.SweeChiowtoldmethatthemostimportantqualityneededtoclimbMountEverestwasmentalstrength.
TheclimbupMountEverestprovidesavividimageforSingapore”sownclimbupthemountainofeconomicdevelopment.
SeniorMinisterbroughtSingaporeuptoCamp2--fromlabourinteivetoelectronicsandhighervalue-addedindustries.Inthelast10years,wehaveclimbedhighertoCamp3,withwaferfa(waferfabrication的口語表達,晶體管加工),chemicals,andfinancialservices.Now,wearemakingourwaytoCamp4,todoIT,lifesciences,andotherknowledge-basedactivities.IfwemakeittoCamp4,wecanthentrytoscalethesummitwherecountriesliketheUS,JapanandSwitzerlandare.
Butletmewarnyou.AsintheMountEverestclimb,thegoingwillgettougherfromhere.Aswegohigherupthemountainofeconomicdevelopment,progrewillbeslower.Wewillnotseethesamehighgrowthratesasinthepast.Wewillhavetoworksmarterandacquiremoresophisticatedcapabilitiestoovercomecomplexchallenges.Wewillbetemptedtorelax.Indeed,someSingaporeahaveasked:"DoweneedtobeNumberOneineverything "Wewillneedgreatmentalstrengthtocontinuepushingourselvestoexcel.Ifwedonotdoso,othersnowbehinduswillpushusoffthetrack.
Tonight,Iwanttofocusonthisnextstageofoureconomicclimb.
THECURRENTDOWNTURN
Butfirst,letmetouchonthecurrenteconomicdownturn.
WhenImetthemediaearlierthisweek,theytoldmethatSingaporeawouldexpectmetoeakindetailontheslowdown,andoffersolutio.
IexplainedwhyIdidnotintendtodoso.Wehavealreadydiscuedonmanyoccasioourshort-termproblems.Iwanttodealwiththelong-termchallenges.Ofgreaterconcerntomearet