Avoid being swamped by materialism:
MP
Straits Times. Nov 17, 1997
SINGAPOREANS must prepare to defend their nation and way of life,
and avoid being swamped by materialism, MP and military historian Ong Chit
Chung said last night. Highlighting the lessons Singapore could learn from
the ancient Greek city-state Athens at the Obstetrical and Gynaecological
Society's annual dinner, he said:
"We should avoid being driven by materialism and the head-long pursuit of conspicuous consumption, affluence and hedonism.
'There should be internal cohesion and democratic consensus, and we should always remain strong and never neglect defence against unexpected foes."
Dr Ong, who is chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, said Athens became a cultural and commercial centre but was vanquished by authoritarian and militaristic Sparta.
Like Athens, Singapore had to learn to manage the problems of its success, he added.
It had to guard against internal threats such as fractious democracy, racial and religious tensions, or complacency and blind arrogance.
Dr Ong also noted that Singapore's fall to the Japanese in World War II was the beginning of the end of the British Empire and reinforced the need for self-reliance and political will for a nation to stay sovereign.
"If we are not prepared and ready to defend ourselves, all our national effort in building up a country we call our own will come to nought.
'We cannot expect others to defend us."
Looking at the pitfalls facing Singapore, Dr Ong said a good population base would be five to six million for it to have enough talent to compete and regionalise.
He said doctors had attributes for political leadership, such as caring, vision, passion and stamina, and should enter politics to help Singapore prosper as an independent city-state.