Straits Times 13 Oct 08;
THE Formula One night race made Singapore vibrant and exciting - just the thing that will interest young Singaporeans to stay on here, said Mr Teo Chee Hean, the Minister in charge of the Civil Service.
A Singapore with the old kampung feel will not. For they can work and live in 'happening' cities like New York, Tokyo or Shanghai, he told reporters on the sidelines of a public policy competition for undergraduates yesterday.
'You can have a dull, old Singapore that feels like your old home, a comfortable pair of shoes. But I'm not sure that will be enough to excite young Singaporeans to want to live and work here.'
Mr Teo, who is Defence Minister, was elaborating on his answer to an undergraduate, who had asked him if Singapore's pragmatic bent reduced people's sense of belonging to Singapore.
The minister had replied that this sense of belonging is fostered when people play a part in improving others' lives.
He noted that some felt the F1 race did not resonate with them. Mr Teo disagreed with the view that the F1 race excluded most Singaporeans.
The event aired on the free-to-air channel garnered the highest viewership for a TV programme this year, he noted.
Channel 5's three-day F1 coverage was said to have reached 1.96 million viewers.
GOH CHIN LIAN
