What the medal means to Singapore

The Olympics Women Table Tennis Finals could not be held at a time more aptly than on the day of the annual National Day Rally. And the PM made the right decision to delay his 'live' telecast of the rally to broadcast the game. He knows that the game will be able to "rally" more Singaporeans than his own "rally" that night. A true leader knows how to make both the right short-term decisions and the necessary long-term plans to attain the desired effect. And he did this to to the effect of reinforcing his points about the Foreign Talent Scheme during the rally too. What better ways and timing to do this than during the game itself?

PM noted native Singaporeans' concerns over foreign talents taking away jobs and depressing wages. It is a genuine concern and it has been around for quite some time. The silver medal reminded Singaporeans that we have got to open our mind and wake up our ideas. There is much to gain economically and culturally from them. If we had clung on to our “纯种意识”, we would still be trapped in our "well". The silver medal demonstrated again how we could make a name in the international arena, raise our bar and inspire Singaporeans that we CAN achieve great things.

We should look at this medal on the broadest picture possible. This is when, sports is not just about the game. This is when, sports is a country policy and a governmental strategy. We should not belittle the weight that sports have on a country. Ultimately, all of us want to "Shine for Singapore" and for the country to stand proud. So let us face the bare reality. To do this, we must remember that the pioneers of Singapore's history are once made up mainly of foreigners too. We are a smart population but we are limited by resources and our size. To grow, improve or even to survive, we need to do all that is necessary and sometimes seemingly awkward. Lucky for us, our leaders have the foresight and the courage to implement what turned out to be an exciting and moving medal in Singapore's history.