Singapore's comittment to multi-lingualism and the people's understanding of the languages and culture around its neighbourbood have paid off.

In particular, Singaporeans' ability to speak and write Mandarin is a major asset when they do business in China, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, kicking off the annual National Day Rally speech in Mandarin this evening at the University Cultural Centre.

He said the rise of China is encouraging many people to take Chinese seriously. Around the world, there is a strong interest, and millions are learning Chinese

"We must take full advantage, and get more people to master the language," said PM Lee, underscoring continuing efforts to to maintain high standards of Mandarin, and to popularise its use.

On the payoffs from Singapore's national efforts to promote Mandarin, he noted that many Singapore companies and Singaporeans are all over China.

"They have paid their ?tuition fees? and are now doing well," he said.
Citing Hyflux as an example, he said the homegrown mebrance technologies specialist now has 25 major projects in China, dealing with water treatment and desalination.

"With NEWater, we have turned a disadvantage into a strength, and we recently won the Stockholm Industry Water Prize. Singaporeans worked together, overcame the odds, and gained international recognition. This focus has also helped Hyflux in its ventures in China," said Mr Lee.

Property giant CapitaLand is investing and managing 72 malls in China. Three of the malls are called "Raffles Cities". The one in Shanghai is among the busiest, the PM noted.

Singaporeans are also doing very well in Shanghai. There are 10,000 of them in Shanghai, and many have made significant inroads into the market.

Many Singapore brands, for example, like Bee Cheng Hiang, Breadtalk and Food Republic, have also made their presence felt in China.

Mr Lee said that while Singaporeans go to China to look for opportunities, many Chinese are also coming to Singapore.

Some one million Chinese tourists visit Singapore each year, and many Chinese officials come here to learn how things are done here.

"There is one major reason for choosing Singapore - they are very comfortable here; they face no language barriers and are familiar with our social norms," said PM Lee.

The government will press on with efforts to maintain high standards of Mandarin, and to popularise its use.

Mr Lee said that SAP schools, with nearly 30 years of history, play an important role in promoting Mandarin and nurturing bilingual and bicultural talents.

He highlighted several examples to illustrate why the bicultural programmes are very popular among Singaporean students, noting that this year, over 900 students in schools and JCs have enrolled in the programme, with more coming on board next year.

The Ministry of Education will continue to give full support to SAP schools, help them to strengthen the teaching of Chinese language and culture, so that they can pass on the torch to the next generation, said PM Lee.

Chinese groups like the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) also play a crucial role in the task of promoting Chinese.

SCCCI is taking the lead to set up a new club called "Business China", which will bring together those interested in China, including businessmen, professionals, young entrepreneurs and students, so that they will have a chance to network and interact, and use Mandarin to discuss important issues.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has agreed to be its Patron, while Deputy Prime Ministrer Wong Kan Seng and other Ministers will serve as Advisors.

"This demonstrates the Government's support for this plan," said PM Lee.

Going forward, he said more will be done to encourage civil servants to stay current in Mandarin, like giving officers an incentive allowance if they maintain proficiency in languages in the course of their work.

"It is natural for the next generation to learn Chinese," added Mr Lee.

PM Lee said besides Mandarin, Singaporeans also need other languages, especially Malay.

He explained: "Singapore is located in Southeast Asia. Hence we need to encourage more Singaporeans to learn Malay or Bahasa Indonesian. Then we can interact with our neighbours, do business with them, and improve mutual understanding."

Similarly, he said incentives will be given to more non-Malays to learn Malay.

"This will be a third language, and will not replace your mother tongue," he assured.

On recent newspaper commentaries that economics should not be the motive for learning Chinese, he agreed that this should not be the sole motive.