In a twist on the usual patter on the need for Singapore to attract foreign talent, ministers used National Day speeches to champion the need for Singaporeans not to sell their skills overseas.

As the young republic searches for new economic directions, having slumped into recession with the collapse of its prime manufacturing exports, a series of emotive speeches called for national allegience.

They recalled how the republic's forefathers had engineered the rapid rise of a resource-starved backwater to having one of the highest living standards in the world, and said the future depended on a similar drive from the young.

"Our young are our future," said Education Minister Teo Chee Hean.

"We need them to be emotionally attached to Singapore. They must want to give back to Singapore more than what they have gained from being a Singaporean."

Singapore, an impoverished island which broke from Malaysia over racial differences in 1965, celebrates 36 years of independence on Thursday as a modern city-state which is among the 25 richest countries in the world. "

"For talented people, the world beckons you ... but remember that Singapore too needs you. Remember that what Singapore has given you, you should give back to Singapore," the Speaker of parliament Tan Soo Khoon said.

The theme built on a recent speech by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong who said there needed to be a strong sense of belonging to Singapore.

"Should too many of our talented Singaporeans pursue opportunities outside Singapore, Singapore may become a hotel rather than a home," Goh said.

"A lack of a sense of ownership will lead to Singapore's decline."

To spread the national pride message as far as possible, the government has arranged for this year's National Day Parade on Thursday to be viewed on a live webcast on www.ndp01.org.sg and expects up to 30,000 visitors.

But, in his speech Wednesday, Tan made no apology for the continuing drive to attract foreign workers, despite growing cries that highly paid expatriates were magnifying the woes of local workers in the recession.

"We want this to be a place where each and every Singaporean knows that he has a stake in the country and a share in its future," he said.

"To succeed we have to be a vibrant nation with the right talent, be it local or foreign."

Education Minister Teo said that when the young "know the facts and understand the context which Singapore is in, they will have a more complete picture of the issues."

As the economic downturn bites hard in Singapore, Manpower Minister Lee Boon Yang warned that globalisation would bring even more intense competition and he offered little hope for the 20,000 workers expected to lose their jobs this year.

"The most severely affected have been workers in the electronics industry ... the jobs they have lost may not return even after the economy recovers as companies restructure to remain relevant or competitive," he said.

Lee said workers had to retrain to remain employable as the government developed new programmes to cope with the economic downturn and restructuring.