People who visit Singapore always talk about how it’s changing. How is Singapore changing?

In many ways. First of all our world is changing all around us. Asia is on the move. So if we look at Singapore, our economy is transforming itself, growing, getting new things, new investments like integrated resorts, casinos. Our society is changing. The younger generation, very educated, connected, online. And I think our politics is also changing, adapting to the needs of the new generation. Singapore, in the new world, is meeting the new aspirations of the new population.

One of the changes that’s most frequently talked about are the changes happening socially. You were talking about people gambling. That’s probably unthinkable 10 years ago. People seem to be loosening up.

Ten years ago we said no. And even five years ago, we still would’ve said no. But because of the way the world is going, because of the way the tourism industry is developing, huge markets are opening up because millions and hundreds of millions of Asian are traveling and also because Singapore is more exposed now. They travel. They are not cocooned at home. If they want to gamble, they can gamble in many places. So we decided we had to loosen up.

Is there a risk to loosening up? Singapore is known for being very orderly. When you loosen up that can result in things that might not be expected.

That is a risk but we have to keep the orderliness, the cohesion, the efficiency, the values that have made us succeed in Singapore. But at the same time if we stay exactly as we were before that is a big risk because that probably won’t work either. And there’s no society in the world that is completely static, that doesn’t change, and is successful. Maybe North Korea, that doesn’t change. But that’s very unsuccessful. We have to succeed and so we have to adapt ourselves.

Is it scary?

I think it’s exciting because there are many opportunities opening up. And Singaporeans are very prepared for these opportunities.

When you loosen up socially that could lead to demands loosening up in other areas that may not be so desirable. Politically, for example. Or other areas in the economy. Is there a sense in Singapore that some of these changes can be managed?

Well I think you’re right. Some can be managed and some we have to ride with it. Our economy is changing and we’re prepared to do anything as long as it’s legal, it’s clean, honorable, it’s a good living. We’ll do it. And if we have to learn new skills to do it, we will do it. Our politics will change because there’s a new generation that’s much more interested and. . . better informed, probably with a wider range of views. But yet they are still living in Singapore, still with a small population on a small island, still in Southeast Asia and having to make a living for ourselves and survive and be safe.

Give me an idea on how you want Singapore to look 10 years from now.

Ten years, we’ll probably not look so dramatically different. But I think the way it is shifting, we expect in 10 years a much better educated population. We expect a city that has redeveloped. I think our New Downtown will be coming up around the Marina Bay where the integrated resorts will be. I expect to see on our cultural scene a lot more vibrancy, a lot more activity. And I expect to see in our institutions, in our educational institutions, a higher quality, more diversity, more opportunities for people to find out for themselves, to think, to explore. And finally, higher numbers making it, getting through, able to prosper, not just in Singapore, but people all over the world, part of the Singapore community.

Still is very nice place to live...

We must keep it like that.

Let’s talk a little bit about Asean, sir. Do you think Singapore’s role in Asean will change? There are many places where Singapore has taken much more initiative than some of its neighbors. Do you think Singapore’s role in the Asean has also evolved?

Well, Asean has 10 members now, so we play only a small role because we are the second smallest member of the Asean. We try to be helpful, constructive, to come up with suggestions, to work with the consensus and to go along and participate with the consensus. And I think we will continue to do that because we’ll still be in 10, 20, 50 years time the smallest member, almost the smallest member of Asean.

But you also have an influence that’s greater than simply your size.

We try to be helpful. We try to come up with ideas and suggestions. If it makes sense to others, the others will pick them up and carry the ball and run forward.

One of the big things that’s being discussed in the summit is the guidelines for an Asean charter. What are your thoughts on that?

It’s a very important initiative. If the Asean is to be relevant then we have to have to strengthen our organization and deepen the substance of our cooperation, economic, social and cultural, security cooperation. We talk about China and India being two massive changes in Asia and two huge opportunities for the Asean countries. And we say that we want to be the center of cooperation in Asia as Asean. And we will be friends with all of the players. But for us to do that we have to be ourselves quite strong, quite united. I think we need to strengthen our cooperation and cohesion and the depth of our interactions so we can play this role. If we don’t do that, the rest of Asia will grow and it may be at our expense. The charter will help us to do that.

You mentioned relevance. And your Deputy Prime Minister was quoted as saying “Asean has to make sure that it stays relevant.” Besides coming up with a charter is there anything else you think that Asean must move forward more aggressively?

One of the things we have to bring forward, which we are deciding to bring forward at this summit, is the Asean community. Originally we set the target date of 2020, and now we are bringing it all to 2015 because 2020 is too far away. That’s 13 years from now, so many things would’ve changed by then. We set a more imminent deadline I think we’ll work towards it with more serious purpose.

Your father still casts a large shadow over the region. Is that a direction that you yourself are going to?

I don’t think he deliberately goes around looking for countries to talk about. He speaks his mind. He has a reason to say what he says. And I think he speaks sense therefore people listen to him. I’m different from him. My cast of mind is not exactly the same. My experience is not quite the same. I speak my mind too but in my own way.

Can you speak your mind on Philippine-Singapore relations?

I think the relations are good. We can enhance them further in many ways but they are friendly. Trade is growing. Of course, a lot of Filipinos are working in Singapore and we’re very happy to be host to them. And many Singporeans travel to the Philippines, some on business, some on holidays. And we work together both bilaterally and in Asean. And I have very good relations with President Arroyo. I think it goes down through all levels.

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