President calls for unity

At the swearing-in of the new cabinet, Mr S R Nathan urged “all Singaporeans to come together and help build a better future” for the nation.

He said: “In its new term, the government must reach out and work together with Singaporeans from all backgrounds, and address their needs and aspirations. It must put in a special effort to better understand the younger generation when shaping policies that affect them and the future of Singapore. At the same time, it must attend to the concerns of the senior generation who have helped build the Singapore of today.

“It is a more uncertain, volatile and competitive world ahead of us. As we adapt and respond to the challenges of the new age, we must maintain our strong fundamentals. We have to foster a competent, clean government, working together with a skilled and hardworking citizenry for the long-term good of Singapore. We must never lose our distinctive strengths of staying united under pressure, acting decisively in the face of difficult challenges, and maintaining our confidence and courage to put in place strategic, long-term policies that may only benefit Singaporeans many years down the road.”

View the full speech here.