Tomorrow, we celebrate our 38th year of independence. 38 years is a short history for any country. But we have come a long way. 38 years ago, we were a poor country trying to create as many jobs as we could to feed our people. There was no Changi Airport, no multinational corporations or financial centre, no defence capability of our own. Only 60% of our people were literate. Only 11% of our students progressed beyond secondary school. Few people thought we could succeed, or even survive. But we overcame the odds. By working hard, finding our own solutions and tying our futures together as a people, we transformed Singapore into what it is today.尊敬的朋友:本站文章均来自网络由本站编辑整理并发布,如果您有演讲稿、竞聘稿等各类方面的写作需求,请联系我们:在线QQ咨询:316327876 】 We now face renewed challenges as a nation. Terrorism is a real and continuing threat. Our economy has also been hit by the global economic slowdown, and more recently by SARS. Even after our economy recovers, we will face formidable competitors,especially in China and India.