Besides remaking the economy, Singapore will also create a more vibrant, cosmopolitan and open society, in order to stay abreast of changes in the world and to “keep moving ahead,” according to Lee Hsien Loong, prime minister of the Republic of Singapore.

Lee was addressing students from the National University of Singapore on Sept. 21 during the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum 2007. The theme of this year’s forum was “Singapore and Beyond.”

“In a few years, or in some cases, in a few months, you are going to be leaving the university, (and) entering the real world,” Lee said. “And I encourage you, pursue your passion, aim high, (and) go after your dreams.”

However, Lee said, students should also take ownership of the country to “make it work” and to “lead it to greater heights.”

“Will it (Singapore’s future) be exciting (and) vibrant, with opportunities, character and identity?

“Or are we just going to be drifting along the sea of globalization, gradually falling behind, decaying, losing our soul?

“That is the challenge for your generation,” Lee said.

The responsibility of shaping the country’s future, Lee told the students, is “not a result of being born in Singapore,” but because of “what Singapore means to you.”

“Being Singaporean is not a matter of ancestry. It’s a matter of conviction and choice,” Lee said, quoting S. Rajaratnam, former deputy prime minister.

The theme of Singapore’s future drew mixed feelings from audience members.

Some students, such as Eng Aun, a second-year economics major, said Singapore’s future depends on its adaptability to the changing environment.

“I think (that) Singapore, being a small country, has recognized its limitations. And (it’s) not trying to change the world but to adapt to it and ride the tide,” Eng said.

Other students, such as Dylan Loh, a third-year political science major, said certain aspects of Singapore are still lagging behind other countries.

For instance, Loh said, homosexuality has yet to be decriminalized in Singapore, despite being legal in increasingly more countries.

“Singapore is open but not open enough,” Loh said. “It gives (an) outside perception that we are trying to welcome people. But at the same time we are doing some things that are preventing them from being fully expressive in our country.”

The organization of the event itself also drew mixed reactions from audience members.

Some, such as Bernard Toh, director of the NUS Office of Corporate Relations, said the forum was well organized and beneficial to NUS students.

“It was an excellent opportunity for them to talk to the man who is at the helm now, who is in a sense preparing the path and the conditions for this very group of people to take over and run the country,” Toh said.

Others said there was too little time for students to ask questions.

“More time could have been given to the question-and-answer session, which I thought was a bit short,” Loh said.

Nevertheless, Daniel Tay, vice president of the NUS Students’ Political Association, said the forum was a success.

“I think it’s very successful, considering the prime minister spent three hours with us,” Tay said, adding that three hours is already “a lot” of the prime minister’s time.

“And, in fact, compared to many other forums, indeed quite a few number of questions were answered,” he said. “Of course, we wanted more questions to be answered, but, I mean, time limitation is always there.”

Other topics addressed by Lee in this year’s forum included building a strong national identity, maintaining good bilateral relations with neighboring countries and enhancing the education system,

The forum was organized by the NUS Students’ Political Association. Project director Tsui Wing Hong said the forum aimed to increase the political awareness of students.

Tsui said the turnout for this year’s forum, held at the Heng Mui Keng auditorium, was a “full house,” but students can look forward to a better forum next year.

“Let’s keep it tantalizing,” Tsui said, “so the students would think, ‘What’s going to happen next year?’”