Singaporeans today celebrated the 39th anniversary of their independence, which launched the era of longtime ruler Lee Kuan Yew, whose elder son becomes the country's third prime minister later this week.
Government officials - who have said Lee's son is the best man for the job and have consistently denied that the handover represents one-family rule or nepotism - have pledged during the run-up to be more open and seek greater public input into the country's future.
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, set to hand the reins to his deputy Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday in a long-planned transfer, said in his farewell message that: "Singaporeans will love their country more when they feel valued and have the opportunity to shape its future."
The call from Goh, late Sunday, was echoed by Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, who said: "We need younger Singaporeans to join the political process, to make a positive contribution to policy-making."
Lee Kuan Yew presided over Singapore's transformation into one of the world's richest countries but also was often considered an authoritarian. He handed the prime ministership to Goh in 1990, but retained a great deal of influence along with the title of senior minister.
All of the country's senior politicians - together with about 60,000 citizens - were due late Monday to watch a national day parade, a customary two-hour synchronized pageant in the National Stadium that showcases military muscle, marching bands, and fireworks.
The government's calls for greater public involvement underscore one of the main challenges facing the new leader because many younger Singaporeans tend to be apathetic about getting involved in politics, observers say.
Their reticence is partly because those who have opposed the long-ruling People's Action Party, PAP, have been marginalized by those in office, and partly because they are more interested in popular - often Western - culture.
The pro-Government Straits Times newspaper noted in its editorial Monday that the PAP had long ruled with a "messianic zeal," which had helped Singapore to develop economically, but had also carried "costs."
The ruling party's "messianic zeal has its costs, as the opposition - heretics in a Manichean political order - was to discover," said the editorial, titled "This nation will endure." A Manichean view divides the world simply, into good and evil halves.
Wong, also speaking late Sunday, noted that 55 percent of Singapore citizens had been born since independence in 1965.
This younger generation was "well-traveled, well-informed, and exposed to a globalized world," Wong said in a speech, adding that they also tended to be "more Western" and were driven by "growing individualism."
"If the young stay of out politics, either seeing it as a 'dirty business' or 'someone else's business', or one that entails too much personal sacrifice, then there will be no fresh blood in our political ranks," Wong warned.
Goh is much liked by many Singaporeans for his self-effacing style. His decision to hand power to his deputy, who is also finance minister and head of the central bank, has long been planned.
Singapore celebrates independence
Singapore celebrates independence