Speaking at the PA garden party yesterday at the Istana, PM Lee said that the Malays who chose to stay in Singapore when it separated from Malaysia in 1965 have been a very important part of making Singapore the unique multi-cultural, multi-religious country it is today.
He said that in 1965, many Malays had to make a choice of whether they should go to Malaysia and join the majority or stay in Singapore to become the minority.
PM Lee thanked the Malay community in his Malay speech to the pioneer generation thanking them for their confidence and loyalty.
During the time of separation, Singapore had no natural resources and the future was very bleak, said PM Lee. However, it was thanks to the hard work of the pioneer generation that Singapore was able to survive and grow.
As thanks for their many contributions, PM Lee said that he pioneer generation package, while it cannot "fully repay" senior Singaporeans, attempts to give them more peace of mind, particularly in terms of healthcare costs.
He promised that the package will "take care of them" for the rest of their lives.