January 25, 09:24 PM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 Workers' Party (WP) Chairman Sylvia Lim was the first opposition MP to speak today (Jan. 25), following the opening of Singapore’s 13th Parliament two Fridays ago (Jan. 15).
Referencing a speech by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the WP MP said:
"About twenty years ago, in a speech to the Singapore Press Club, Mr Lee Kuan Yew expressed sadness that a young Singaporean had considered emigration because she could not fulfill her dream of owning a house and a car. “Man does not live by bread alone”, he said, quoting that famous Biblical phrase. Dreams should move beyond material wants. He recalled that when he first set out as a young man, he had a “Singapore dream”, a dream that Singapore would be “a democratic society, keen and vibrant, a united people”. (7 June 1996).
Using LKY's speech to needle government leaders who focused mainly on economic progress, she added that "a nation cannot be exceptional by bread alone", and that Singaporeans should have "dreams for the country, a vision of what the country should be, and the gumption to go out and realise that vision".
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Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Sunday, January 24, 2016
As the 5th MP to speak, it is a surprise that Lim was only the second MP to quote the late Lee after PAP MP Sun Xueling.
Lim: Two areas worth looking into
Lim focused on two areas - aspects of education system and scaling back government in non-core government functions.
On aspects of the education system, Lim argued that our education system should fundamentally review the way students are assessed. Lim added that perhaps the "school syllabus should highlight case studies of persons who failed to achieve what they set out to do, to appreciate why certain endeavours are important even if the outcome is uncertain" (Let's hope she was not referring to the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council as an example!)
On scaling back government presence, Lim said that the government should re-examine and reduce its presence in matters which are not core government functions, such as the boards of professional bodies and sports groups.
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Since we are talking about MPs' maiden speeches, let's compare and check out Lim's maiden speeches as an MP (2011) and an NCMP (2006):
2011 Speech: On Gross National Happiness and the theme of happiness in Singapore pledge
Lim welcomed and supported the statement that Singapore’s success is defined not just by material progress but by our values and ideals.
She pointed out how the Kingdom of Bhutan measure the country’s development - Gross National Happiness. She said that it may be time for the government to conspicuously focus on happiness as a national goal.
She concluded by saying that our founding elected leaders believed that happiness is important to be included in our national pledge. Therefore, Singapore should continue to put these beliefs to action, having achieved much progress and prosperity.
2006 Speech: Population, Immigration and rooting Singaporeans
Lim focused on three themes - population, immigration and rooting Singaporeans - in her maiden speech.
She wanted to know the target population Singapore is aiming towards (Now we all know the magic figure!).
She also highlighted that the prospect of a more crowded Singapore should be carefully planned, such as healthcare services, public transport and policing (Lack of hospital beds and crowded trains and trains breakdowns come to mind).
She qualified that the WP is not an anti-immigration party.
Lim also touched on the issue of rootedness.
She said that rootedness can only come about if Singaporeans feel that they can make a difference - that they can be agents of change in the society and on their own terms. She called on the government to repeal restrictive laws and policies and create an environment which encourages Singaporeans to express themselves about current issues and even make jokes about the Government.
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In conclusion, it appears that some of her new and old themes - empowering Singaporeans, pursuing happiness, and rootedness - continue to remain relevant in a post SG50 Singapore.
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