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Release No. 03/OCT 06-2/89/10/02

SPEECH BY DR SEET AI MEE, MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTAND EDUCATION AT THE CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATION AND COMBINED PRIZE-GIVING AT THE NANYANGTECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE AUDITORIUM ON MONDAY, 2 OCTOBER89 At 9.30 AM

0 Boys and girls, today is your special day and a very special one for all children. It is Children's Day.

Children in Singapore are very fortunate. Besides the comforts of good homes, and grandparents, you have good schools and caring teachers and live in a peaceful and prosperous country - Singapore. My one wish for all of you here today is that you will continue to grow up in peace and prosperity and be the best you can be.

When I was about 10 years old, and that was a long a time ago, there was a very popular hit song made famous by Doris Day. It was called "Que Sera Sera" and it want like this: When I was just a little girl I asked my mother "What will I be?" Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here's what she said to me - "Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be will be, The future's not ours to see, Que Sera Sera".

I loved that song and sung it with verve and vigour and like all young children, was caught up with the beat, the tune and the music - not really caring what the words meant. When I grew a little older, I began to think on the . of those words and I realised how wrong they Were. (I'm sure if all of you here stopped to think on the meanings of the words of popular rock songs, you'd stop singing them).

"Que Sera Sera - whatever will be will be" - it isn't true. We can make a difference to our future - if we are greedy and eat fries all day, we'll be as fat as Japanese su1no wrestlers. If we don't walk and don't exercise; e'll get weak and flabby. If you boys carry weights and exercise daily 0 - you may develop muscular bodies and be Mr Singapore of the year 2000.

Strive to do well mentally in your studies, physically - in sports and ECA and socially - with friends and family and you will grow up to be good all round adults and citizens. Do your best and you stand a good chance of achieving your dreams.

When Abraham Lincoln was President of the USA, to commemorate his birthday, the newspaper printed a special cartoon. It showed a little log cabin at the foot of a mountain and the white (the US President's Home) at the a top of the mountain. There was a ladder connecting the simple log cabin to the Presidential White House. At the base of the cartoon there were these words "The ladder is still there!"

The newspaper was trying in the cartoon to firstly, congratulate Lincoln on his birthday for succeeding in the long hard climb from being very poor, born and raised in the log cabin, to being a lawyer, a Congressman and finally, President of the USA. He made it to the top of the ladder through sheer hard work. Secondly, the newspaper was telling all Americans that they too could still go from lag cabin to white House if they ware prepared to toil and sweat as Abraham Lincoln did. l . 3 I

In Singapore, we have only a 170-year history and that . is very short: but in these 17 decades, there have been many Rags to Riches, Poverty to Prosperity stories. Like in America, in Singapore it is possible to achieve success through hard work.

. Let me return to the song "Que Sera Sera" - I believe and I know that we can shape and determine same, if not much, of our own future. I'd like to change the words "The future's not ours to see" to "The Future is ours to see!".

Boys & girls, the future is yours. I urge you to snake the most of your time in school. Study well, play well, involve yourselves in purposeful activities and together achieve excellence for yourselves and for your nation.

My special wish for you this day is: Have a Happy Children's Day.

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