We turn 40!

We are One People, One Nation. But the spectrum is so great! This nation of people come from backgrounds that span a spectrum as great as GREAT can be!

We have Mr X who counts himself lucky because, unlike Mr Y who earns only $600 a month, he takes home $900 a month. Then, we also have Mr Z who thinks nothing of spending the entire amount that is equal to Mr X's one month salary on a tap. And all this time, in one silent corner of Singapore, at a void deck somewhere, we have a pair of siblings - lets name them Mr A and Miss B - who have no income and have been living in a blackened home, using candlelight and twigs for firewood to get by....much to the chagrin and annoyance of their neighbour Mrs C who is afraid that should AB's flat catch fire, the flames would spread and destroy other homes and make all of them - A, B, C and X, Y, Z - homeless.

I still remember our PM's speech made when he was sworn in as PM. That speech touched my heart. I really hope Singapore would be an inclusive society where each and every individual counts and is accepted as an important part of the whole - regardless of race, language, religion, creed, physical ability or disability, regardless of financial ability or the lack of it, regardless of social standing or the families or circumstances we were born into, regardless of the jobs we have or are not having.