Thank you for waiting for me. I gave everybody a scare

The last time I did this I was on the parade square in SAFTI, and fainted.

I think that's what happened. I've never had so many doctors look at me all at once.

They think I'm alright but anyway I'm going to have a full checkup after this.

[Applause]

But before that I'd like to finish my speech.

I will not go into the elected president, there's a lot of stuff which needs to be spoken,

but I will find another occasion for that. I'd just like to cover two things in my speech

which I think is important and which I should say tonight.

One, to do with leadership succession, and I think what happened

makes it even more important that I talk about it now.

And two, where do we see Singapore, where are we today?

Where would we go next 15 years, next 50 years?

I think it's good for us to step back from our immediate preoccupations and problems,

and take a longer look at where Singapore is.

But first let me talk about leadership succession.

We've now got the core team for the next generation in Cabinet

But you know ministers or not, all of us are mortal.

Heng Swee Keat recently gave us a bad scare, worse than what I gave you just now, much worse.

I'm very glad he pulled through and is steadily recovering his strength.

You've seen the video of him leaving hospital. It's a miracle he's alright.

The SCDF team who responded to the emergency call did an excellent job and I'm glad they're here today.

[Applause]

And I should say thank you to them because I invited them here as guests,

and they came to treat me just now.

[Laughter and applause]

The doctors have recommended that Heng Swee Keat avoid contact with crowds

for at least a few more months to minimise the risk of infection.

So he can't do his usual community and grassroots work for a little while longer

But they have given him the go-ahead do office work with minimum interaction.

So I have decided that Swee Keat will resume his duties as Minister for Finance.

[Applause]

DPM Tharman will stop covering as Acting Minister.

Swee Keat will focus on next year's budget and CFE, meaning Committee for the Future Economy.

I told him just do the work, minimise contact which is not necessary.

Avoid getting an infection it can be troublesome, don't shake hands, just do namaste, like that.

[Laughter and applause]

I intend to appoint a Second minister to help Swee Keat out with operational responsibilities at MOF

and I have decided to appoint Lawrence Wong.

[Applause]

Progressively Swee Keat will come back to work.

Building up leadership and preparing for succession is one of my top priorities.

Nothing that has happened has changed my timetable or my resolve to press on with a succession

In the next GE, we will reinforce the team again,

and soon after the next GE, my successor must be ready to take over from me.

岁月不留人 - you cannot wait.

I'm sharing my concerns and plans with you because all of us have a role to play building Singapore together.

But whom are we building Singapore for? It's not just for ourselves.

It's for our children, our grandchildren. It's always been the Singapore Story.

Every generation doing better than the one before, looking ahead, acting now.

Giving the best chance possible for the next generation.

What is the Singapore we are building for our children?

Let's give ourselves some perspective - look back 15 years, look forward 15 years.

I think plus or minus 15 years is a good time frame.

It's not so long that you can't remember what happened before,

or that you can't imagine what will come in 15 years' time.

15 years ago we experienced 911. The world was in shock.

Our economy went into recession. We held general elections immediately, November 2001.

We had a strong win. We went on to do many things together over the next 15 years.

Just look at the changes to Singapore since then.

Marina Bay. From reclaimed land we created a whole new CBD. We built Marina Barrage.

Gardens by the Bay. Now we celebrate festivals there including Christmas and New Year.

We built beautiful HDB flats in Punggol and created the Punggol Waterway.

We developed one-north to create opportunities in biomedical sciences, ICT, new media.

We built buildings there with strange names, all kinds of "polis-es".

Biopolis - for medical biomedical. Mediapolis - for media, this is where Mediacorp's new office is.

Fusionopolis - to bring different things together,

and the Launchpad, humming with energy and innovation.

We built the City in a Garden. The Botanic Gardens very popular,

or the East Coast Park, always full of families and life.

We've got park connectors and ABC waterways all over the island,

buildings with roof gardens, high-rise greenery. And now the wildlife is coming back.

We have Hornbills again. This one, his name is Bobby. He was born in the Istana grounds.

Then he went to Sungei Buloh when he collected the keys to his BTO flat.

[Laughter and applause]

We have an otter family - famous on BBC. Visiting different parts of Singapore.

At National Day we went back to the National Stadium and brought back the Kallang Wave.

I thought you were going to join them! [Laughter]

In those 15 years we went through ups and downs together.

We discovered the JI (Jemaah Islamiah) group in our midst and yet we pulled together against terrorism.

We experienced SARS. We were hit by the GFC - global financial crisis - they did not break us.

We drew closer together.

Now we are at the threshold again, looking ahead to the next phase of our nation building.

Having lived with terrorism for 15 years, we now find it a more serious threat than ever.

Our economy is at a turning point.

Again, like in 2001, we had a strong election win and again we have a full agenda ahead.

If we put everything together that we are planning and doing, what can our children look forward to by 2030?

What can we expect Singapore to look like?

Physically the western part of Singapore will be transformed.

Lakeside Gateway will become a vibrant business.

The High-Speed Rail will connect us directly to KL.

This line takes a few seconds but when the rail is ready, it will take you 90 minutes.

The Jurong Lake Gardens, with the Science Centre, will give the Lake District the distinct identity.

There'll be new jobs, new high-tech manufacturing industries in the Jurong Innovation District.

Another town, Tengah, will be built next door.

In the north, a Woodlands regional center will be the northern Gateway to Singapore,

with business spaces, housing, waterfront park.

SIT (Singapore Institute of Technology) in Punggol will cater not just to students,

but to anyone wanting to upskill.

And we'll have more startups to occupy incubators like Block 71.

All over the island, we'll be well-connected.

Eight in ten homes will be within 10 minutes walk of a railway station.

And we can jog or cycle around the island along park connectors on the Round Island Route

In HDB towns with cycling park networks like Ang Mo Kio and others, you can cycle from home to work.

For greenery, there'll be the rail corridor, plus parks and ABC waterways all over the island.

And we'll have many high quality, accessible preschools.

If Heng Swee Keat were here and still in his old job, he would say "Every preschool is a good preschool".

[Laughter and applause]

The PSLE changes now being planned will be long past, done.

And with some luck, our total fertility rate will be 1.6, maybe extra luck 1.68. Huat Ah!

And if you look beyond 2030 into the next 50 years, what can Singapore be?

Well that's mostly for our children to imagine and to create.

But it's our duty to sketch the outlines, at least, of SG100 and launch our children into their lives and futures.

So what can we imagined beyond 2030?

The east, eastern part of Singapore - this is what it looks like today - will dramatically change.

Changi Airport with T4 coming up and T5 later will be a shining jewel.

In Paya Lebar, the Paya Lebar Airbase would have moved to Changi,

and the entire eastern region will be ready for us to reimagine, redevelop, rebuild.

The PSA Port at Tanjong Pagar and Pasir Panjang would have gone to Tuas

and become the Tuas mega port boosting our trade and economy,

freeing up land to be redeveloped into the Greater Southern Waterfront City.

We'll have 30 kilometers of waterfront that will be three times the size of Marina Bay.

There is much to look forward to and we must aim high but the intangibles are even more important.

Will we be stronger as one people? Will the Singapore spirit grow?

Will we feel more pride and togetherness as Singaporeans?

That depends on how we respond to the challenges and crises that will come our way.

SG50 strengthened our sense of nationhood and togetherness.

We grieved together at Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing.

At the SEA Games and the ASEAN Para Games, we cheered Team Singapore on.

At the SG50 National Day Parade, we celebrated how far we had come as one people, one nation.

After such highs we might think, can things get any better after SG50?

Can the best yet to come?

The answer is a resounding, yes!

This year we showed ourselves and showed the world what Singapore can be beyond SG50.

We are a people building on the work of each generation looking to the future with confidence.

A nation where a young Singapore boy can achieve his dream, [applause]

inspired by his granduncle - the first Olympian from Singapore,

spurred by his parents' and coaches' unwavering belief, dedicating himself to his goal,

persevering through ups and downs, cheered on by the whole nation.

And that's how we produce an Olympic champion in Rio - Joseph Schooling.

[Applause]

Joseph will inspire many more, younger and older, to chase their dreams, to make the impossible come true.

We are a nation where every Singaporean has a place as we saw in the NDP this year.

Regardless of race or religion, whether we're able bodied or have special needs.

We stand together with pride singing 'Count On Me, Singapore', and signing 'Count On Me, Singapore'.

[Applause]

Because we know we can count on one another as we sing Majulah Singapura.

With this spirit, Singapore will advance in our nation building journey. We don't know how we'll be tested.

We don't wish for tribulations to befall us, just to test our mettle.

But some troubles will surely come and I'm sure we won't be short of challenges.

We will be tested as one people and we must not be found wanting.

Recently somebody asked me at a dialogue,

"If God appeared before you and offered you 3 wishes for Singapore, what would you ask for?"

I paused. I was taken aback. I thought about it.

I said if I asked for material things, we will regret it.

Because after you have got it, you've consumed it, you've enjoyed it, you will not be satisfied - you will want more.

But what I would like to have is that we be blessed with a 'divine discontent'.

Always not quite satisfied with what we have, always driven to do better.

At the same time, that we have the wisdom to count our blessings, so that we know how precious Singapore is,

and we know how to enjoy it and protect it.

And if we have just these 2 wishes fulfilled, I think that's enough. Because then, [applause]

Then we can keep on keeping Singapore special,

and building something special in Singapore for many more years.

And then we can achieve happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation.

Thank you and good night!

[Applause]