PM Lee: Take risks or go nowhere
Prime Minister encourages entrepreneurs to be more daring at dialogue
In an age of disruption, the second wind for the Singapore economy will come if the people are innovative and enterprising enough to compete with the world's best, such as start-ups in Silicon Valley.
That was a view held by some among the audience of 400 at a dialogue with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at The Arts House yesterday, moderated by The Straits Times editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang.
But what more, EDB Society member Johan Wong asked, could the Government do to boost entrepreneurship when mid-career people wanting to strike out on their own were bogged down by family and financial commitments?Mr Lee noted this was "an old question" that had been raised when he chaired an economic committee after the 1985 recession.
"Then the proposal was what we should do is: 'Encourage us and if we fail, you look after us.'
"But the whole idea of entrepreneurship is that you dare to take risks. If we remove the risk, then you're not an entrepreneur," he said to laughter.
Genuine entrepreneurs, Mr Lee noted, go for broke - because they are still broke.
But as Singapore was now "not broke", people had become so "settled" in life that they were more careful about taking risks.
He cautioned: "If you don't take risks, you're going to go nowhere".
Being wary of trying new things, he felt, stemmed from the fear others would "look askance" at them or hold them responsible for flubbing.
Some in the audience noted that civil servants these days seemed keener not to "rock the boat", compared with pioneers like Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee and Hon Sui Sen.
"They were big Buddhas but also mavericks who could push and make things happen," Mr Lee said.
Now, such a maverick mindset was needed in the public sector more than ever, he noted.
But it is not so easy to push for change as things had become "more settled".
Mr Lee said there continues to be "a lot of trial and innovation" in shaping policies - such as in developing the city, economic policy, healthcare system and housing - but "we have to be more willing to do it across the board".
TRY NEW THINGS
This is where ministers and permanent secretaries would do well to give officers the confidence that they will be supported if they try new things with good judgment and the best of intentions, even if things do not turn out well.
"Very often in such situations, we have an outcry," Mr Lee said.
"The officers in question are berated, disciplined, hung, drawn and quartered - I only exaggerate slightly.
"We must have the gumption and the confidence to stand up and say: In this case he did wrong, I've taken disciplinary action.
"That case was not wrong, I will defend him."
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